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Browse Items (3004 total)
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Nels N. Hersdal letter, 1848
Letter written in English by Nelsone (mostly known as Nelson Nelson Hersdal) of Norway, La Salle County, Illinois, to Joseph Mann, Orleans County, New York, describing his farming operations and the Mormon and Jansonist activities in the community. Nelsone was a Slooper. -
Oley Nelson papers, 1893-1943
Papers of a Civil War veteran: pamphlets, speeches, clippings, photographs (including one with F.D. Roosevelt), sketches of Nelson's life, and GAR mementos. Included is a pamphlet titled "The Controversy as to the Responsibility of the Augsburg Board of Trustees to the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America from 1890 to 1893," by Oley Nelson and Ole O. Onstad. "Brief History, 1st Norwegian Settlement, Story and Polk Counties in Iowa, 1855" was compiled by Nelson in 1905, and translated by him in 1930. "A Short History of the First Norwegian Settlement in Story and Polk Counties, Iowa" by Nelson was translated by Jacob Hodnefield. The clippings (1914-1938) are articles about Nelson and a few are by him. Nelson, a Slater, Iowa, farmer, merchant, and legislator, was Commander-in-Chief of the GAR in 1935. -
Knute Nelson papers, 1860-1966
Biography/History:
Knute Nelson was born in Vosse Elven, Norway, on February 2, 1843. In 1849 he and his widowed mother emigrated to the United States, settling first in Chicago (1849-1850), then in Dane County, Wisconsin, where he enlisted in the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment (1861-1864) during the Civil War. Following the war he graduated from the Albion Academy and studied law in a Madison, Wisconsin, law office, being admitted to the bar in 1867 and then serving as a representative in the Wisconsin assembly (1868-1869).
In 1871 he moved with his family to Alexandria, Minnesota, where he practiced law while farming a homestead tract. He served as Douglas County attorney (1872-1974), Minnesota state senator (1875-1878), presidential elector (1880), University of Minnesota regent (1882-1893), and fifth district representative to Congress (1883-1889). He was elected governor of Minnesota in 1892 and 1894, which post he resigned in 1895 to run successfully for the United States Senate, where he remained until 1923. Nelson was chairman of the Senate judiciary committee and the senate committee on public lands, and was active on the commerce and Indian affairs committees. His most notable legislative measures included the Nelson Bankruptcy Act (1898) and the act creating the Department of Commerce and Labor (1902), and he was also active in the establishment of the Interstate Commerce Commission. Nelson also supported a low tariff, a federal income tax, Prohibition, the Sherman Act, and the League of Nations. He died on April 28, 1923, during his fifth senatorial term.
The above information was taken from the following sources: Dictionary of American Biography, vol. XIII (1934); Who Was Who in America, vol. I (1968);Minnesota Biographies (1912), Book of Minnesotans (1907), Minnesota Historical Society Collections, vol. XIII (August 1908).
The Minnesota Historical Society Archives contains a large collection of Knute Nelson.
Scope and Content:
Papers concerning a Norwegian-born attorney and statesman: Clippings, correspondence, genealogy, transcripts and translations of letters, and speeches. Papers include: Nelson's translation of the Norwegian Constitution (1895, 27 p.); Pedigree chart prepared by Ralph Rolland who shares some of the ancestry; clippings and copies of newspaper articles on observances of the 150th anniversary of Nelson's birthday. "Program ved minnehøgtiti, 14. Aug. 19”; Transcripts of letters written by Nelson's mother to her mother (Dec. 23, 1863) and her niece (Dec. 8, 1868); and letters from Nelson to his cousin Anders Bergo (1899-1923), collected by T.C. Blegen; other copies in the America Letters collection.
Nine Civil War letters translated by Nora O. Solum for Dr. Millard L. Gieske, Summer 1965. The letters were edited by Gieske and published in "Norwegian-American Studies," v.23 (1967) pp. 17-50 (along with letters written in English). The originals are in the Nelson Papers, Minnesota Historical Society Correspondence concerning the translation (some with Gerhard B. Naeseth and correspondents in Dane co.) includes considerable detail about the Drosvold/ Drogsvold family, including a questionnaire filled out by Annie Drosvold Norgarn.
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Fridtjof Nansen papers, 1918, 1929, 1961
Articles, clippings, and pamphlets concerning a Norwegian Arctic explorer, scientist, humanitarian, and diplomat, dealing largely with Nansen's lecture in Chicago in 1929 and the Nansen centennial in 1961. An article by Nansen, titled "Amerikansk idealisme, (1918)" is included.
Includes:- Brenda Ueland. Includes: Newspaper clipping on love letters between Fridtjof Nansen and Brenda Ueland (n.d.); and "Brenda my Darling," collection of love letters between Nansen and Ueland,2011
- Clippings. Includes: Norwegian-American and American newspaper and magazine clippings. (1896-2011).
- Dinner Programs. Includes: "Testimonial Dinner in honor of Dr. Fridtjof Nansen," two copies (1929); and "Nansen," Summary of dinner held in honor of Nansen in "Auditorium Chicago." Two copies. (1897).
- Photographs. Includes: List of Captions of photographs from the U.S. Committee for Refugees (1961); and 13 Photographs of Fridtjof Nansen, his travels and his work as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (n.d.)
- United Nations Documents. Includes: UNHCR Report on "Fridtjof Nansen: Scientist and Humanitarian," (1961); "Observance of Centenary of Fridtjof Nansen," (1961); "Description of Film Strip," Produced in collaboration with the Norwegian Refugee Council," (1961); and "Fridtjof Nansen: Scientist and Humanitarian," (1961).
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K.E. Nelson papers, 1773-1834
Norwegian legal documents (1773-1834). -
Scandinavian Mormons collection, 1871-1996
Pamphlets, articles, offprints, reviews, clippings, programs, and 1850-1860 census records concerning Scandinavian Mormons. One pamphlet (1950) contains articles and the program held in Salt Lake City commemorating the centennial of the introduction of Mormonism into the Scandinavian countries. Included are articles by William Mulder and other Mormon historians. -
Clara Monson papers, undated
Correspondence, family histories, and memoirs of a La Fayette County, Wisconsin, housewife. The letters, written from the Wiota and Luther Valley settlements, deal with farming, housing, dress, epidemics, school, church and social activities in pioneer days. The histories are of the Synstelien, Tollefsrude, and Brenum families. The memoirs (21 typescript pages) were written primarily for her family. See also Knud Knudsen papers (P0199) for her correspondence about Knudsen. Included are Mrs. Monson's letters to Beulah Folkedahl discussing the families.
Content:
Clara Monson Papers: Correspondence & Family Histories. Includes "My life: growing up in a Norwegian American community; the collected writings of Clara Brenum Monson (1888-1971). John C. Monson, editor." Green River, Wyoming, Monson Familie Forlagbokshandel, 1995. 176 p. "Intended to be the second volume of a continuing series ... the second to be completed, following the third volume of the series, "My life as I saw it, an autobiography," by Cecil M. Monson" (copy in library collection) "This book is the collected and edited writing/of Clara Brenum Monson. Clara wrote various bits and pieces of her memories and history over the years. For many major events I have at least three different, though quite similar, accounts that need to be blended."
Digital Collection:
Family sitting in parlor, circa 1890 -
Fredrik Voss Mohn papers, 1838-1938
Articles, correspondence, clippings, and legal papers of a Norwegian-born physician of Los Angeles, dealing with cultural and medical subjects. Mohn was professor at California Eclectic Medical College, wrote "Før doktoren kommer" (ca. 1890); and was interested in socialized medicine. Correspondents include Ludvig Dahl, Elisabeth Koren, Christian Michelsen (Oslo), O. S. Sneve, Gabriel Tischendorf (Bergen), and Johs. B. Wist.
Content:- Correspondence & Clippings.
- Correspondence, Clippings, Legal Papers, Pamphlets. Includes a sermon by Anders Iversen Stadstad (5 p. typescript, 1883); Manuscript "A Layman's thoughts on the Religious Needs of Modern Intellectuals by one who seeks truth, (p. 92)" by F.V. Mohn.
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John N. Midtlien papers, 1911-1952
Correspondence of a Norwegian-born Lutheran clergyman and "A Christmas at the Old Parsonage in Coon Valley [Wis.]" (5 page-typescript), written by Midtlien and translated from the Norwegian by L. A. Mathre in 1965. A large number of the letters are from Martin Norgaard, a mathematics teacher. The remaining letters concern his duties as a parish minister.
Content:- "Christmas…Coon Valley Parsonage." translated from the Norwegian by Pastor L. A.. Mathre (1968); Article first appeared (in Norwegian) in "Jul I Vesterheimen" (1946)--copy included in folder.
- Includes Letter from Rev. J.M. Jensen, Oluf Glasoe, Theo A. Hoidahl, J. Granskou, Borghild Roe, P.O. Petersen of Brooklyn, NY, Rev. A.M. Skindlov, P. R.. Syrdal, Halver Hanson, and Charles A. Crouch,.
- M. Nodgaard Letters.
Formal portrait of Sophia Starke, Dexter, Minnesota, 1905
Unidentified formal portrait, 1905 -
Elias Molee papers, 1911-1928
Clippings, pamphlets, and articles of a Muskego-born language reformer, farmer, teacher, and writer. The articles, manuscript and typescript, deal with language reform and the author's career, including childhood days in Muskego.
Content:
Elias Molee Papers: Articles, Clippings, Pamphlets. Note: Molee attempted to create a universal language for all people of Germanic origin called "alteutonik."
Digital collections:
Formal portrait of Elias Molie, circa 1900