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Emil Lauritz and Helle Margrethe Mengshel papers, 1908-1944

Title
Emil Lauritz and Helle Margrethe Mengshel papers, 1908-1944
Identifier
P1499
Date
1908-1944
Description
Helle Mengshoel (1863 [?]-1929), a daughter of Pastor Jonas Wessel Crøger, emigrated to Minneapolis about 1893. With her second husband, Emil Mengshoel (1866-1945), who emigrated in 1891, she published from 1903 to 1925 Gaa Paa, proclaimed to be the only Norwegian-American newspaper representing the Socialist party. The title changed to Folkets Røst in 1918. The collection consists of photocopies of letters to Norwegian Socialist leaders Christian Holterman Knudsen, Olaf Kringen, and Carl Jeppesen. One letter is from Helle Mengshoel's son A. O. Devold, an attorney who was a contributing editor to the newspaper and served in the Minnesota legislature. Also, a collection of clippings that treat both the Mengshoels, including obituaries. See "Emil Lauritz Mengshoel: A Norwegian-American Socialist," by Odd Steinem Granhus in Essays on Norwegian-American Literature and History, Oslo, 1986.

Includes: photocopies of 3 newspaper articles (1929, 1945); photocopies of letters (1908-1925) to the Norwegian Socialist leaders Christian Holtermann Knudsen (Mrs. Mengshoel wrote Knutsen) (1845-1929), Carl Jeppesen (1858-1930), and Olav Kringen (1867-1951). One letter from Mrs. Mengshoel's son A. O. Devold, an attorney who was a contributing editor to the newspaper and served in the Minnesota legislature. File also contains photocopy of article Seeks Senate Seat Through False Pretenses, submitted, printed, published, and circulated by A. O. Devold (ca. 1918?). 

Clippings from Hansen collection. Includes: various newspaper articles (original and photocopy), all in Norwegian, except 1 in English, including obituaries of both E. L. and H. M. Mengshoel; an article by Carl Søyland; Personlige erindringer om Amerikas mest berømete humorist -- Mark Twain, by E.L. Mengshoel, Nordisk Tidende (Jul. 23, 1942); two articles (July 27, Oct. 8, 1930) from Minneapolis Daglig Tidende on a world language; an article on Devold from Tidens Tanker with a picture of Senator Olaf Devold (May 1921); several 1929 articles about Helle's father, Jonas Wessel Crøger (a pastor in the Church of Norway who attempted colonization in Brazil in the 1850s); clippings of poems by E. L. Mengshoel, including Under Poppeltræet (1930), Canto Omesso (1943) -- a canto on the Radio Curse to supplement Dante's Inferno -- Versenkt?, Sammarsnatt ve Mjøsa, En Wessel-episode, En Landflygtigs Hjemve; editorial cartoons from Gaa Paa! (Jan-May 1904); photocopied photograph (from newspaper?) of A. O. Devold. File also includes typed copy of Under poppeltreet with edits (6/17, 1930); handwritten note by Helle bewailing sudden disappearance of her son and his wife, and begging them to return or let her know where they are; photocopy of sections about Gaa Paa and Norske blade i Sioux City, Iowa -- which mentions E. L. Mengshoel -- from Norsk-amerikanernes festskrift 1914, ed. Jahs(?) B. Wist., Decorah, IA, Symra company.
Extent
2 folders
Type
Clippings
Correspondence

Citation

Mengshel, Emil and Mengshel, Helle, “Emil Lauritz and Helle Margrethe Mengshel papers, 1908-1944,” Norwegian-American Historical Association, accessed September 21, 2024, https://norwegianamericanhistory.org/catalog/items/show/10752.