Completed in 1949, the statue of Leif Erickson near the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul was designed by Norwegian-American sculptor John Karl Daniels[1] as a monument to the famous figure in Viking history who is thought to have been one of the first individuals from Europe to travel to continental American, long before the days of Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, and the British colonizers.[2]

Leif Erickson Statue

A thematic tour of historic places in the Twin Cities established by Norwegian-American immigrants that have contributed to the surrounding culture and development of Norwegian-American society. While it's easy to think of Minnesota's Norwegian-American roots as arcane no longer relevant, there are actually many different benevolent institutions that continue to operate and invest in the Twin Cities and their citizens. Contrary to what some believe, Norwegian-American development, evolution, and relationships to the world beyond are as modern as it gets. More information can be found in David C. Mauk's "The Heart of the Heartland: Norwegian American Community in the Twin Cities," as well as within the archives at the Norwegian-American Historical Association, housed in Rølvaag Memorial Library on the St. Olaf College campus in Northfield, MN.

Bethesda Senior Living Care is a non-profit organization, which has been caring for senior citizens in the Willmar and Twin Cities areas of Minnesota since its inception in 1897.Originally built as a children's home out of a lutheran pastor's residential home, the center has expanded and adjusted its motivations to including assisted living care for senior citizens.[1] The impetus for the establishment of this children's home came from Norwegian-American Rev. Nils Heggerness. The reverend saw a need for this facility after witnessing an instance of child abuse. He then opened his own home to dependent children, and began raising funds for a more permanent facility. The Willmar site was acquired in 1905, having originally been one hundred and sixty-four acres of farmland. It was dedicated by Rev. John Mattson.[2]Through the end of the American Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, domestic and international crises, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Bethesda Senior Living Care has persisted in its care and assistance for folks in need of its services.

Bethesda Senior Living Care

Norwegian immigrants founded the Sons of Norway (Sønner av Norge, in Norwegian) in 1895 as a fraternal benefits society. The original purpose of the organization was to protect its members and their families from financial calamities that arose with sickness or death of an immigrant or a family's breadwinner. "In those bygone days, few immigrants had a working knowledge of the American language. As strangers, they entered a promised but alien land. In order to cope with their new situation they felt compelled to seek out their own national group in the frightening vastness of the American city."[1] This clearly met a need among immigrants, and the organization grew. Another lodge was formed in South Minneapolis in 1899. The third was founded in northeast Minneapolis in 1900.[2] Gradually, the organization’s mission grew to include cultural preservation. With more than 50,000 members, it is the largest Norwegian organization outside Norway.

Sons of Norway Headquarters

Lyngblomsten, an assisted living institution named for the national flower of Norway, was constructed in 1913, several years after a group of Norwegian-American women established a literary club at the home of Laura Bratager. The group quickly became interested in doing charity work, and this came in the form of the Lyngblomsten society.[1] In 1911, the society saw the first building in the assisted living institution dedicated with Caroline Unhjem as the matron (she would go on to also head the Ebenezer care institution and start its endowment). As an institution, Lyngblomsten has expanded its practice to include apartments, a community senior center, and a transitional care service, all in the spirit of charity toward those in need, established by an altruistic society of Norwegian-American women.[2]Ground was first broken for the very first building on July 30th, 1911[1] and dedicated in December of the next year, beginning a history of operation in excess of 110 years. "Starting as Lyngblomsten did by eleven women the home and its cause has enjoyed a splendid growth with branches, not only in the Twin Cities, but extending our over Minnesota and adjacent states."[1]

Lyngblomsten Care Center

Crossroads Church Partners originally incorporated as the International Bible College on the corner of 15th and University Ave in Minneapolis. After many instances of rebranding, changing names, shifting locations, and a change in overall mission, this institution still stands, just in a different form than the one in which it began over a hundred years ago.[1]Once the International Christian Bible College Association was established in 1914, with the heavy involvement of pioneer missionaries Julius Stone and D.E. Olson. They quickly and efficiently worked to establish a campus for this college that would help educate its students toward the achievement of its goals, complete with accomodation for those students.[2] Changes in organization and funding have led to the College rebranding to Crossroads College, then ceasing its services as an educational institution. Instead of a college, the partnership now exists in Rochester as a benevolent institution for strengthening connections between different churches and enhance their causes.[1]

Crossroads Church Partners

Elim Shores was established in 1914 by a group Methodist Episcopal ministers of Norwegian and Danish heritage, and operated in Minneapolis. Originally named as a "home for old people," Elim Shores now operates in Eden Prairie, and cultivates a serene, sincere, and peaceful lakeside atmosphere while providing care for senior citizens in the area. Within the institution the nursing team administers many different types of care for those in need of it. A growing and developing site for a growing and developing type of care is the main motivation for Elim Shores.[1]

Elim Shores Independent and Assisted Living

The Ebenezer Home Society was organized with only a vision for providing care for some members of the indigent aged community. The campus was a comparatively modest temporary house with accomodation for ten residents, with rapid expansion occurring in earnest over the next ten years. In order to stay affordable for patients, the home depended and still depends on voluntary contributions for maintenance, just as many hospitals and care centers do.[1]Ebenezer Senior Living may have the largest senior housing operation in Minnesota now, but it originally started as one simple institution to assist unhoused senior citizens established in 1917 by a group of Lutherans in Minneapolis. Now an integral member of Fairview Health Services, Ebenezer administers many different types of and locations for senior living care.[2]The first matron of this care institution was Sr. Caroline Unhjem, who, along with her fellow caregivers, lent her services to ten unhoused men, all of whom were aging and native to Norway. Unhjem also represented the beginning of the care center's financial endowment for continued care.[3]Ebenezer, like all Norwegian-American institutions, was built with community care and development in mind, with its organizers taking direct part in achieving its goals. Norwegian-Americans are not interested in silent partnerships, they are chiefly invested in members of the community investing directly in the community's affairs.

Ebenezer Senior Living

Before the affiliation with the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Fairview Hospital was administered by the United Church Hospital Association, which helped break ground on the original Fairview site in 1915. With an original capacity of 60 beds, the original Fairview Hospital had some fairly humble beginnings compared with the illustrious U of M Medical Center administration. Now, the hospital operates in the sphere of the University's innovative medical care, combining a spirit of important, forward-thinking research and community-based care.[1]The administration of Fairview Hospital dates back to 1907, when the first tract of land was purchased, and a care center for tuberculosis patients was donated to the Association.[1] Eventually, construction on the entirety of the first iteration of the hospital was completed. At the time, the hospital contained a capacity of two hundred adults and twenty-five infants, as well as a training school and five-story home for the nurses working there.[1] Today, M Health Fairview has 264 different locations for as many different medical and mental health needs as their patients could require, and remains a staple of the medical community in the Twin Cities and beyond.[2]

M Health Fairview 

In 1922, a group of Norwegian immigrants and their descendants who wanted to worship in their native language organized a Norwegian Lutheran congregation in Minneapolis. Recognizing its significance to the Norwegian-American community, the name was changed a few years later to the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, or Mindekirken. From its start, the church's objective and mission was beyond an ordinary Lutheran congregation. In the wake of WW1, other Norwegian-American congregations were switching over to English, and there was pressure assimilate to American culture. A fundraising campaign brochure published in 1928 and addressed "To the Norwegians of Minneapolis," stated:"It will be a Memorial to our pastors, laymen, and all church workers who have struggled here in our new American home to establish our homes and institutions. It will perpetuate our Norwegian church service in the original language so long as there is anyone who understands."[1]The church's sanctuary was erected in 1930, and it continues to serve the congregation. Over the years, Mindekirken's cultural offerings have grown to include Norwegian language instruction, concerts with visiting Norwegian artists, social and educational programming, where Norwegian food is served, and its Leiv Eriksson International Festival, celebrated each October.[2]The congregation celebrated its centennial in 2022. It now shares the block with Norway House, a nonprofit center for Norwegian business and culture.

Mindekirken, The Norwegian Memorial Lutheran Church

Norway House is a relatively recent development dedicated to a central hub for the Norwegian-American community in the Twin Cities. Before the establishment of Norway House, there were "more than 100 different Norwegian organizations without a permanent public home." Originally just the one building established in 2004, it now exists as a whole "Norway Block," with several establishments and centers affiliated with Norway House. The House deals in recreational events, concerts, and other such offerings as a chance to expand and enhance its efforts as a nonprofit organization in addition to a cultural center.[1] Norway House also powers the Norwegian American, the only Norwegian-American newsletter that still exists.[2]Rather than simply revel in its own heritage and past, Norway House is primarily invested in the future of how Norwegian-American society can do good in the world, chiefly by "establishing, renewing, and advancing connections between contemporary Norway and the United States through education and partnerships." This commitment to cultural connections and international relations in the spirit of cultural evolution is a hallmark of Norway House's philosophy. That commitment and mission is necessary for the Norwegian-American community to grow and continue investing in the world beyond.[1]

Norway House

Built in 1932 and still operating today, the Washburn Park Water Tower is the most unique landmark in the immediate, residential area. It stands at 110 feet tall and resembles a fortress. Three men living in the neighborhood designed it: Harry Wild Jones (the architect), John K. Daniels (the sculptor), and William Hewitt (construction engineer). Daniels, the sculptor, was born in Norway, before immigrating to the United States in 1884 with his family. In addition to the water tower, Daniels was also the creative force behind the Leif Erickson statue at the Minnesota State Capital. The entire water tower structure is built with poured concrete—two concrete shells with a steel structure in between. Hewitt was the person to develop this technique and it was named after him (the "Hewitt System"). The tower replaced the first one at this location built in 1893. Daniels sculpted 18-foot "guardians of health" to protect the water from pollution, and 8-foot eagles perched at the top to keep an eye out for danger. The tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Washburn Park Water Tower

The Ole Bull statue in Loring Park, created by Norwegian-American sculptor Jacob Fjelde, was unveiled on May 17, 1896. It was "conceived to demonstrate that both the virtuoso violinist Bull and the local Norwegian-American community held great cultural significance for the city at large," according to historian David C. Mauk. The statue was dedicated in Loring Park on the 17th of May, 1897 — Norwegian Constitution Day — and it became the focus of cultural celebrations going forward. "This constituted a major step toward the transformation of Syttende Mai into everybody's day and to celebrate national backgrounds, a festival public occasion to show respect for the commonly held values that bound together Americans of all heritages," according to Mauk.[1]

Ole Bull Statue

During its first few decades, the University of Minnesota’s library collections were scattered throughout Old Main, the first building on campus. While there had been growing calls for the creation of a separate library building, the Board of Regents didn't move forward with those plans until Old Main was increasingly threatened by fires. In December 1892, the University Librarian (and former president) William Watts Folwell traveled to the East Coast to get inspiration and ideas from other college libraries. When they agreed on some general guidelines, the Board of Regents issued a call for design proposals, a process that went through several rounds. Eventually, the list was narrowed down to two influential local architects, Charles Sedgwick and Leroy Buffington, the latter of whom was already responsible for a number of buildings on campus.The Board approved Buffington’s exterior and Sedgwick’s interior, and asked the two architects to collaborate and combine their designs into a cohesive whole. This proved difficult for several reasons, notably the fact that Buffington’s exterior was in the Greek Revival style while Sedgwick’s interior was Victorian. Another logistical and political issue arose over the proposed building materials. Buffington wanted to use a light gray Ohio sandstone, so that the exterior would resemble ancient Greek temples. Norwegian sculptor Jacob Fjelde was responsible for the spandrel figures which flank the interior's upper level atrium. This caused tension with local Minnesota stonecutters, who argued that such an important public building should employ local workers and use native Minnesota materials. Eventually a compromise was reached, wherein the Ohio sandstone was used but cut onsite by Minnesotans.  When it was completed n 1894, Burton Hall was known simply as the Library Building. Construction costs totaled $175,000, making it one of the most expensive buildings on campus at the time. Some of its most striking features included the carved classical figures on the exterior frieze, as well as the grand staircase that dominated the building's entryway. In addition to housing the University’s library collection, the fireproof building served as a headquarters for several humanities departments and University administration. The library also contained a large reading room, an even larger assembly hall that held up to 800 people, and the University chapel, so the building became an important campus hub throughout its first few decades.  The Library Building was the University’s main library from 1894 until 1924, when it was replaced by Walter Library on the Northrop Mall area of campus. It was officially renamed Burton Hall in 1931, after Marion Burton, who was president of the University from 1917-1920. Since 1952, the offices and classrooms of Burton Hall have been used primarily by the College of Education and Human Development. While the interior has changed significantly over the past 125 years, the exterior has remained virtually unchanged, standing out as a rare example of Neo-Classical architecture on campus.

Burton Hall, originally known as the Library Building, was the first structure on campus built specifically as a library. Prior to the Library Building’s completion in 1894, the University’s library collections were kept in the Old Main building, which suffered from repeated fires (and eventually burned down in 1904). The Library Building had a dual design: the Neo-Classical exterior was the work of Leroy Buffington, while Charles Sedgwick was responsible for the Victorian interior, which has transformed over time. The $175,000 building served as the school’s main library until the collections were moved Walter Library in 1924. Since then, the building was renamed Burton Hall after University President Marion Burton in 1931; it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984; and, since 1952, it has primarily been used by the College of Education and Human Development.

Burton Hall

The original part of the&nbsp;Minneapolis Institute of Arts was designed by the New York City firm McKim, Mead and White, and built in 1919. This firm designed numerous neo-classical buildings throughout the country including museums and hotels. The late Japanese architect Kenzo Tange designed an expansion in 1974, and architect Michael Graves designed the other expansion in 2006.&nbsp;

Established in 1883 as the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts, this is the premiere fine art museum in Minnesota. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts maintains an extensive collection of over 80,000 objects from nearly every continent. The collection includes pieces as old as 40,000 years to modern works by Monet and other famous artists. The MIA has seven curatorial areas: Arts of Africa & the Americas; Contemporary Art; Decorative Arts, Textiles & Sculpture; Asian Art; Paintings; Photography and New Media; and Prints and Drawings. The museum receives around a half a million visitors per year.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Amerigo Brisoschi was a sculpture artist who designed the Floyd B. Olson statue which now stands at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul.[1] Dedicated in 1958, the statue serves as a monument to Norwegian-American Governor Floyd B. Olson, the first member of the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party to be elected to the position of governor.

Floyd B. Olson Statue

Sister Elizabeth Fedde was a Norwegian-born deaconess who began her career at the Deaconess Home in Christiania (now Oslo) in 1873, and who established a new medical house in Tromsø in 1878 with the help of another young deaconess. After working there in harsh conditions, Fedde came to New York in 1883, where she organized a deaconess program in connection with the Seaman's Mission Church in Brooklyn nine days after her arrival. Eventually she established deaconess hospitals in Brooklyn and in Minneapolis, after receiving invitations based on her work with the Lutheran Medical Center (now the NYU Lagone Hospital - Brooklyn). In the next two years, she established the Lutheran Deaconess Home and the Hospital of the Free Lutheran Church.More information on Elizabeth Fedde, including her diary, can be found in the NAHA archives.

Founded on November 1, 1888 when the general council of Deaconess Homes and Hospitals had their annual meeting in Minneapolis that year. Dr. Passovant of Philadelphia recommended the group interested in establishing a deaconess hospital to get the services of a deaconess. A committee was established and Deaconess Elizabeth Fedde of Brooklyn was secured to begin the work.By 1880, the Norwegian Lutheran Deaconess Institute was incorporated. The board of directors included Professor Georg Sverdrup, Rev. M. F. Gjertsen, Professor S. Oftedal, Lars Swenson, Olaf Hoff, Rev G. Hoyme, Sister Elizabeth Fedde, and Rev. M.H. Hegge. Two lots of land were purchased which included a mother house with dormitories, and a hospital. By 1916, a Nurses Training School was established with Inger Bergh in charge.In 1973 the Lutheran Deaconess Hosptial consolidated with Fairview hospitals. In 1981, it was renamed Fairview Deaconess Hospital. The School of Nursing graduated its final class in 1987.

Lutheran Deaconess Home and Hospital

Organized in 1901 as the St. Paul Hospital Association by Dr. N. Boechman, Dr. H.G. Stub, and Consul E.K. Hobe. The articles of incorporation says that “no profits of the hospital shall be paid to any member, but all net profits shall be devoted to provide free care for the destitute.” The first board of directors included J.B. Frick, John Ylvisaker, H.B. Stub, C.E. Brandt, Thomas Nilson, and H.J.Lohrbauer. With the generosity of Harold Lohrbauer and Charles Gillian, the society was able to establish Luther Hospital. By 1914, a new hospital was established under the name the St. Paul Hospital just one block off the state capital. Construction of roads near the hospital and with the changing landscape, the hospital was demolished by the summer of 1934.

St. Paul Hospital

Lutheran Inner Mission Society of Minneapolis was a Lutheran Hospice and Home for Young Women. They gave assistance to girls seeking employment in families and gave a home to girls who worked in factories, laundries, stores, and offices. They also cared for convalescents – those recovering from illness or hospital stay – and accommodated transient ladies.

Lutheran Inner Mission Society of Minneapolis

Represented the Norwegian Lutheran Church and eight other Lutheran synods in Minnesota. The Lutheran Welfare Society was multifaceted….S.H. Holstad served as the executive secretary; Rev. Geo. C. Hansler, Rev. H.P. Grimsby, and Rev. Hugo Thorsen served as hospital pastors; H.B. Feldhammer, general case supervisor; Evelyn Hovdesven and Bernice Larson as field representatives; Helen Wass as boarding home supervisor; Ann Skutley as girls’ advisory. Other locations included:Children’s Receiving Home1245 N. Hamline Avenue, St. Paul, MinnesotaMatron: Louise BentleyChildren’s Summer CampDeer Lake, WisconsinDirector: Prof. Adrian L. ChristensonThe Luther House828 S. 6th Street, Minneapolis, MinnesotaMatron: Rena W. WilsonTrabert Hall625 E. 14th Street, Minneapolis, MinnesotaThis served as a residence club for young women. Superintendent: Edna R. Hanson

Lutheran Welfare Society (Formerly Lutheran Inner Mission)

The Lutheran Girls Home was a continuation of the Mary and Martha Home that was founded by Lutheran pastors in St. Paul. Rev. A.O. Aasen, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Northeast Minneapolis, was the driving factor behind becoming incorporated in January 1913. The first board included Rev. Aasen, Rev. C.S. Thorpe, Rev. Ch. Anderson, Rev. J. Hendricks, and Rev. S.T. Norman. A house on Spring and Pierce was rented and the work began with Marie Brehseth as the matron. Several churches in the Twin Cities became interested in the home and organized the Rescue Home Auxiliary that grew to have several branches throughout the cities. By 1917, they moved to 64 Bedford Street in Southeast Minneapolis, close to the border of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Eventually, with expanding their mission to include caring for girls, children, and convalescents, they needed to move to a new location. In 1923, they moved to 18th Avenue and Arthur Street in Northeast Minneapolis.

Lutheran Girls Home - Norske Gjensidige Beskytt

Sometimes such a ubiquitous icon of the Twin Cities landscape goes unnoticed in our day-to-day lives, but the Third Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis is no less important or functional than it is aesthetically pleasing. In 1912, two neighborhoods on either side of the Mississippi River were continuing to expand, so much so that the Minneapolis City Council commissioned a Mississippi River crossing in order to better serve them. Norwegian-American immigrant and city engineer Frederick Cappelen (1857-1921) eventually came up with a design that combined the aesthetic qualities of an arch structure and a pier structure that accounted for the damaged river bottom. Not only was this a functional victory, but it remains visually pleasing and a staple of Twin Cities iconography to this day, over a century later.

Norwegian-American Places in the Twin Cities

Leif Erickson Statue

Introduction

Images

Sources