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Browse Items (3004 total)
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SIMCON Organizing Committee records, 1979-1985
Scandinavian IMmigration CONference Organizing Committee records of and about a "working conference of representatives from three scholarly organizations that concentrate on the life and history of Scandinavians in America," Danish American Heritage Society, NAHA, Swedish Pioneer Historical Society (later the Immigration History Research Center of the University of Minnesota was added for its Finnish coverage). Three conferences were held at Decorah, Iowa, hosted by Luther College and Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum.
Includes correspondence among those planning the meetings (including John R. Christianson, Lloyd Hustvedt, Odd S. Lovall, H. Arnold Barton, Erik Lund, A. William Hoglund, John S. Mattiasson, Kenneth O. Bjork, Thorvald Hansen, Joel W. Lundeen), programs background papers, minutes, lists of participants, etc. Received from Lloyd Hustvedt, with additional papers transferred from the Kenneth O. Bjork and Rolf Erickson papers.; I.Oct. 26-27,1979. II. A conference on Scandinavian American literary life, hosted by the Symra Society of Decorah (which later published the papers as Scandinavians in America: literary life, 1985), October 30-31, 1981. III. Scandinavia to America: the transfer & transformation of objects, October 24-27, 1985.; Background papers for I: Areas of cooperation, by H. Arnold Barton. Co-operation among Scandinavian-American historical societies, by Kenneth O. Bjork and Odd S. Lovall. Approaches to cooperation, by J.B. Christianson. Danish-American research resources, by Thorvald Hansen. Swedish-American archives in the Midwest, by Joel W. Lundeen. -
Knute Steenerson reminiscences, 1910
Recollections: The Story of a Pioneer. (Minnesota History Bulletin, Aug./Nov. 1921, v. 4 nos. 3-4, pp. 130-151, photocopy)
Includes photographs of Steenerson and his wife. This document came into the possession of the Minnesota Historical Society in the fall of 1920, through the courtesy of Mr. Hjalmar R. Holand…From internal evidence it appears to have been written about 1910…The footnote…have been supplied by Miss Bertha L. Heilbron." Steenerson was born on the Berge farm, Rogedal, Telemark. He emigrated in 1850 with his family, spending three years near Madison, Wis., then to Houston co., Minn.; In 1869 Knute moved to Lac qui Parle con., Minn., and in 1871 he was among the first settlers in Polk co., in Hubbard and Vineland townships. His memoir ends at that time, and his later career is briefly summarized. He died in Dan Diego, CA. See also the papers of his brother, Elias P1488) -
David A. Strommen papers, 1989
Paaverknaadene paa dei norsk utvandrarane sitt spraak. Senior oppgave, Scandinavian Studies, Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, 1989. 10 p., 2 p. notes, 2 p. bibliography (including a number of interviews). Typescript.
Contents:
The Influences on the Norwegian Immigrants' Language by David Strømmen, 1989. -
Thomas Hoegh article, circa 1930
"Norwegian theatre in Chicago: from peak to demise." 16 p. typescript. Sources, p. 16.; "The Norwegian theatre was most active during the 1920s and 1930s, and I concentrated my study on this period historical background, producing organizations, productions, and dominant individuals from the theatre community, such as the Koht family and Bergljot Raaen. I have divided the essay into four chapters according to the major producing organizations" (Chicago Norske Klub; The National League; Oslolaget, DeliSa, and others; Chicago Norske Teater).; See his article with this title in Norwegian-American essays 1993 (E184.S24N835 1993 NAHA); Also included here are general articles on Norwegian theater in Chicago, by Bertrm Jensenius, Per Gramsborg, Thorvald Koht. 1930 program of Gosta af Gejerstam plam, presented by Chicago Tronerlags dramatiske Selskap.
Content:
Article. Norwegian Theatre in Chicago: From Peak to Demise. -
Wisconsin Benevolent Society of Milwaukee papers, undated
Scandinavian Old People's Home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Content:
Wisconsin Benevolent Society (Milwaukee). Includes clipping by Peder Langbach regarding the Scandinavian Old People's Home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (located at 19th avenue and Vean Place). Establishment idea created by Mrs. I. Isacksen in 1907. -
Nils Kolkin papers, undated
Kolkin emigrated with his family from Gjerpen, Telemark, to the Christiania settlement, Dakota county, Minn. In 1865. He was a student 1872-4 at Marshall Academy, Marshall, Wis., and at Augsburg Seminary in Minneapolis, and also at the University of Minnesota. He bought 320 acres in Dakota Territory in 1883. In 1886 he moved to Thorsby, Alabama, writing that he intended to make that his home.
In 1878 he published (Chicago, Skandinaven) Winona, a verse narrative based on the Dakota legends about Winona. Overland (pp. 82-87, 405) calls him the "most ambitious of the early poets" and his volume "unique in the literature of Vesterheimen as the only book devoted entirely to the Native American." In 1883 "Ogsa noget om onskekvisten" was published in Skandinaven (Sept. 11). A manuscript poem (four pages, "En sang: hor trommene vrivler Brutter af til stad" (18 stanzas and author's note) is included here. He published "Det norske settlement sondenfor Decorah I dets beyndelse" (Decorah Posten, July 28-Sept. 1, 1896); Photocopy included here. Letters written 1896-1901 (?) from Thorsby, Alabama are also included in photocopy.
He calls himself (on title page of manuscript here) "the author of ‘From India to Mars'" which hasn't been identified. In 1891 he published "Ethereal matter, electricity and akasa," Sioux City, Iowa, J.M. Pinckney book and stationery co., 1891. 75 p. The University of California-Berkeley has about 16 manuscripts on linguistic and other topics.; In 2002 the Luther College library transferred to the NAHA Kolkin's history of the Norwegian settlement in Goodhue county and neighboring counties (Dakota, Rice, Dodge and Olmsted) which it has received in 1940, source not known. Also, the poem mentioned above, and letter to the editor (Nov. 11, 1894, 4 p.) asking if the editor (of Decorah Posten?) would consider publishing the history, and offering to expand the work by writing histories of Houston and Fillmore counties, so it would cover southeastern Minnesota.
The manuscript includes many corrections, interpolation, supplementary pages (e.g., 16a,b,c,d), crossings-out. "Historiske oplysninger om de norske settlementer i Goodhue County of omegn."- I. Indledning: Minnesotas aelrde historie.
- II.Christiania settlementet i Dakota County, Topografiske oplysninger, Settlementets historie
- III. Tydkergrove settlementet I townet Wheeling i Rice County.
- IV. Den norske koloni i Goodhue County, Topgrafiske oplysninger.
Historiske oplysninger om det Norske settlement i Goodhue County:- 1.kap. Befolkingen i Goodhue County; for den norske indvandring, pp. 1-7;
- 2.kap. De forste bekjendte Normaend; Og Svensker i Goodhue County, pp. 8-15;
- 3. kap. De forte sttlere i Goodhue County, pp. 16-29;
- 4.kap. Zumbrota settlementet i 1854 og 55. pp. 30-43;
- 5.kap. Moderkolonien i Goodhue i 1855. pp. 43-61;
- 6.kap. Side klonoierne i 1855. pp. 61-79;
- 7.kap. Zumbrota Settlementet i 1856 pp. 79-84;
- 8.kap. Det vestre norske settlement i Goodhue County i 1856. pp. 84-99;
- 9.kap. Den sidste halvdel af aaret 1856. pp. 100-106;
- 10.kap. Begivenheder i aaret 1857. pp 107-118;
- 11.kap. Aaret 1858. pp. 118-128;
- 12. Aaret 1859. pp. 129-137;
- 13. Aaret 1860. pp. 137-141;
- 14. Aaret 1861. pp. 141-147;
- 15. Aaret 1862 pp., 147-155;
- 16. Aaret 1863 pp. 155-158;
- 16.kap. (sic) Oversigt over tiden naermest efter krigen. Pp. 159-170;
- 17.kap. Den forste udviklingsperiode efter Borgerkrigen. Pp. 170-184;
- 18.kap. Den anden udviklingsperiode efter Borgerkrigen. Pp. 185-198;
- 19.kap. Fra 1880 til 1892. pp. 199-208;
- 20.kap. County embesmaend legislatur medlemmer og andre embedsmaend. Pp. 209-11;
- Settlementets historie. Pp. 1-15;
- Settlementets udvikling. Pp. 15-36;
Also includes letter to the editor, Nov. 11, 1894. 4 p.; "Det norske settlement sondenfor Decorah I dets beyndelse." Decorah Posten, July 28-Sept. 1, 1896. -
St. Olaf College Press records, 1943-1988
Memoranda, contracts, inventories, minutes, etc. regarding a publication enterprise uner the auspices of St. Olaf College. These papers were contributed by Lloyd Hustvedt, who in the latter days was one of the faculty most active in promoting the pres, and are being added to the NAHA collection (rather than being given to the College Archives) at his request. In a memo of October 13, 1988, Hustvedt outlines the history of the press: "I'm not sure exactly when the St. Olaf College Pres came into existence. It dates back to O.E. Rolvaag and must b e seen as a parcel of his many efforts to elevate standards at St. Olaf. The first publication was Ibsen Studies, (1934) by Eikeland. Then must have come Ormkring Faedrearven (1922) by Rolvaag. Two college histories, Benson (1949) and Shaw (1974) have been published by the press, as was "As it was in the Beginning" by Mrs. Hegland (1950)." Holmquiest, Manual of examinations (1958). J. Jorgen Thompson, sponsored Kaare Holt's Hurra in 1948. Robert Bjerke's 15 Modern Norwegian Stories, (1971). Proceeding of the Rolvaag Seminar (1976) and of the conference Scandinavians in Urban America (1984) were published with outside funds. Hustvedt's Norwegian Grammar: Self Learning, published in an edition of 5,000 copies, "may have accrued more income than any other work." "Theodore Jorgenson nearly made (the press) into a private publishing house" with two Ibsen translations, School dictionary, Norway's Relations to Scandinavian Unionism, The Trumpet of Nordland, and his commentary on Ibsen's plays. "As I understand it, the press was seen as a rotating fund (which) would publish works deemed worthy but not acceptable to other publishing firms because of small volume, The Norwegian department has been much helped." -
Claire Selkurt papers, 1848-2000
A graduate of St. Olaf College, Selkurt got her M.A. in the Design department of the University of Minnesota, with thesis on the architecture and applied arts of the early settlement period (1839-1950) of early Norwegian settlers of Luther Valley settlement, Rock County, Wisconsin. In 1979 she received the Ph.D. in art history at the University. She has taught at Mankato State University and the College of Liberal Arts, St. Paul. Her article, "The domestic architecture and cabinetry of Luther Valley" was published in Norwegian-American Studies, v. 30, pp. 247-272 (1985). The larger part of the collection consists of materials Selkurt collected in the course of her research on Luther Valley: notes on reading, photocopies of articles, photographs of buildings, bibliographic notes, papers she wrote for classes (including "Wood and stone: the frontier heritage," American architecture, 1972, 20 p. and 30 p. illus.), correspondence, etc.
Materials are in rough alphabetical order, and a few topics are noted here: Halvor N. Aae clock, signet ring, spoon. Arnold cabin fragment. Bornits. Notes on Signe Betsinger's doctoral thesis. Article by Thora Bohn. Clausen parsonage. Cleophas family. Crispensen cabin. Correspondence. Engelbretson house. Saber Gesley farm, bureaus, recollections of Torris Gesley. Gilbertson cabin at Turkop. Gravedale furniture. Greenwalt house. Haugen house. Heyerdahl house. Limestone quarry. Lofthus stone house. Melvin Lund house. Luther Valley. Emigraten print shop. Palombi grainery and house. Saberson house. Schee (Tollefsrud) house. Paul Skavlem bowls, furniture, house. Springen house. Strand house. Thostensen house. Turkop. Vesterheim Museum. Wagley (Vegli) cabin. Selkurt served as curator of the exhibit, "Norwegian-American art in Minnesota today," April 29-June 3, 2000, at the Groveland Gallery (25 Groveland Terrace, Minneapolis, MN 55403). She wrote and "introductory essay" (2 p.) and the text of the 4 p. catalog introducing the artists, with color illustration. Artists included: Wendell Arneson, Alison Aune. Kirsten Aune. Caroly Brunelle. Ruth Donhowe. Ann Jenkins. Ann Klefstad. Richard Krogstad. Tom Maakestad. Ruth Ann Larsen Norlund. Carl Oltvedt. Nancy Randall. Arna Renna.
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Andrew I. Snesrud papers, 1895-1946
Snesrud was born at Rodenes, Ostfold fylke, and emigrated with his mother, brother and his sister's family in 1869 to join a brother Christian who emigrated in 1868. The family first settled in Goodhue co., Minn., and Snesrud married the daughter of pastor Olai O Bergh. After living some years near Webster, Rice co., Andrew moved to a farm east of Kasson, Dodge, co. -
Gunnar Olsborg papers, 1981-1982
Born in Seattle to Norwegian parents, Olsborg began working on ships when 16, working his way up to mate and pilot. He retired in 1982 after 36 years and 9 months of Puget Sound piloting "plus 20 years on the ocean in all categories of the deck department." In his letter acknowledging the gift of the memoirs, Odd S. Lovoll says the materials have a "value as an historical documentation of a particular and exciting career."
The principal memoir, "A summary of a twenty year career at sea through World War II.," (51 p. Typescript) was finished May 1, 1981. A brief summary (6 p.) is dated May 15, 1982. Included several clippings connected with the retirement from Seattle, Tacoma and Stavanger newspapers. (The Tacoma article (May 23, 1982) also features Philip Luther, who was retiring after 37 years of piloting ships on Puget Sound); articles.