Browse Items (2907 total)

• Benson family history, 2020

  The Benson family of Waupaca County, Wisconsin. This is a reprinted book authored by Paul Welch. The book begins with Bent Hansen. Many of the early Benson family members were closely connected with the Scandinavian Lutheran Church in Scandinavia, Wisconsin, a village in Waupaca County.
• Allan G. Solomenson memoir, 2020

  Memoir entitled "Across the century: The life of a Wausau teacher, 1962-2020."
• Verda Hammer autobiography, 2022

  Autobiography of Verda Hammer of Stavanger and Chicago. The book was compiled by Don Metcalfe and titled "Ahma."
  
• Karl Braud diary, 1896-1907

  Karl Braud's diary written from 1896 to 1907 on his travels back to Byberg, Thimes, Norway, and back to the United States. Also includes a transcription and translation of the diary.
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  Brue, Teigen, Tjernagel, and Wollan family histories, 2023

  Biography/History: 
  Documentary history of the Brue, Teigen, Tjernagel, and Wollan families. These four families – four men and five women – emigrated from Norway to the United States between 1856 and 1873. In addition to these nine founders, this collection documents their children, grandchildren, and some of their great-grandchildren, 295 people altogether. Accompanied by a self-published book, “Norwegian Families Becoming American: The Brues, Teigens, Tjernagels, and the Wollans, 1836-1956” (2022).

  Scope and Content: 
  Collection of photographs, letters, and family research related to the Brue, Teigen, Tjernagel, and Wollan families.

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  Campbell Norsgaard collection, 1938-1946

  Biography/History: 
  Norsgaard was a professional photographer and cinematographer, originally from Norway, but for much of his late life he lived in Lakeville, Connecticut. Campbell Norsgaard was the official photographer for the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNAF) and its training facilities in Canada from nearly the beginning of World War II until its closure. During this period, he photographed the servicemen and their airplanes, the Royal Family, various training facilities and many official and unofficial activities. Later in life, Norsgaard made nature documentaries for the National Geographic Society.

  Scope and Content:
  The photographic collection by Campbell Norgaard consists of slides, transparencies, and negatives dating from the early part of World War II through the close of the war. Most of the color transparencies are from Canada, including aerial views of Vesle Skaugum, portraits of Colonel Ole Reistad, and examples of pilots and their planes. A majority of the slides are from the RNAF airlift of transport aircraft from Canada to India during the war. Some slides show airplane hangers and training facilities, as well as crewmen interacting with the people of India. In addition, there are color slides documenting the return of King Haakon VII to Norway. 

  The 35mm black and white negatives cover different geographic locations from Canada, India, Norway, and England, not to mention Sigrid Undset’s trip across the Soviet Union to Japan and the United States during the war. There are also some negatives of the Royal Family and Armistice in Norway. The black and white negatives are of peace days in Norway, the 199th Division United States Forces on Parade in Oslo (1945) and the RNAF in Canada in relation to the India airlift.  There are also portraits of Norwegian pilots standing with their aircraft which are signed in ink by the pilots. 

  Nineteen 16mm reel-to-reel films from about 1942-1946. Much of the footage was filmed in black-and-white.  Documents life at Camp Little Norway in Canada, the Royal Family in Canada, the Royal Norwegian Air Force, the Royal Family returning home, and Norway/Russia tour, and more.
  
  Existence and Location of Copies:
  Digital copies of the Campbell Norsgaard collection is available through the Digital Collections of the Norwegian American Historical Association website: https://www.norwegianamericanhistory.org/digital-collections/collections/show/156. Digitization was completed in 2024-2025.
  

  Funding
  Funding to digitize the Campbell Norsgaard papers was provide by the National Endowment for the Humanities. 
  
  

  Processing Information:
  Processing and finding aid by Kristina Warner.

   

• James B. Vigen dissertation, 1991

  Dissertation from Luther School of Theology at Chicago titled "A Historical and Missiological Account of the Pioneer Missionaries in the Establishment of the American Lutheran Mission in Southeast Madagascar: John P. and Oline Hogstad."
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  Olaf M. Wangensteen papers, 1896-circa 1980

  Biography/History: 
  Rev. Olaf M. Wangensteen was born in Lærdal, Norway, in 1873. In 1889, he immigrated to the United States and settled in southern Minnesota. He first married Eleanora Avelsgaard in 1908. Together, they had two children: Mons (Monty) Olaf Bernhard (1910-1977) and Ragna (1913-). Eleanora died in 1913. He eventually married Julia Solberg. Olaf died in 1933 in Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada.  

  Scope and Content:
  The Wangensteen papers contain many photographs of the family throughout the upper Midwest and in Canada. Wangensteen graduated from the U.C. Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1907. He served as pastor at various congregations, including Iowa River, Waterloo Ridge, Falnes, Bergen, and Skudesnes (Saskatchewan). Correspondence, pamphlets, family history documents, and more highlight the life of the Wangensteen family and the congregations he served.
• Harland Halvorson papers, circa 1890-circa 1960

  Photographs, correspondence, and clippings of Harland Halverson familly. Most photographs are unidentified. Harland (1925-2014) was born to Rev. Harold P. and Clara J. (Nash) Halvorson. Harland was born in Tacoma, WA, and moved to Northwood, ND, and Wilmar, MN when he was young. For 60 years, he lived in Edina, MN. He sang in the Nordkap Male Chorus in Minneapolis.
• Magnus Harling lantern slides, circa 1906

  148 hand-colored images of Norway, ca. 1906, by Swedish-American Harling.