Local History, Stories & Genealogy Resources
Local History & Stories
- Church Memories: 1981
- The script from a church program presented
by the Ladies Aid members and their children.
- Life
on the Fraction: Melvin Torkelson
- Written by the son of charter member, Ole
Torkelson, this is a "true story of the early settlers
on this triangle portion of land bordering the Chippewa Indian
Reservation on the west, not part of Smiley Township, Pennington
County, Minnesota."
- Looking
Back: Ellen (Johnson) Torkelson
- As Ellen neared the end of her life, she
felt a powerful urge to write down her memories so that her
children and grandchildren would learn to remember - and do
so on purpose.
- Remember
When?: 1995
- A short article, this was reproduced from
the centennial booklet.
- Ringing the Christmas Bell
- Church members restore an old tradition and ring the church bell each Christmas Eve.
- Short
History of St. Pauli: 1980
- Marie (Peterson) Gustafson wrote and researched
this history from the original parish records penned in Norwegian.
| State & Local Genealogy Resources
- Minnesota
Historical Society: Family History
- This section of MNHS contains the index of
Minnesota Death Certificates as well as helpful information
for family history research.
- Pennington
County GenWeb
- Part of Minnesota's GenWeb Project, the site
contains a number of useful links to local resources.
- Pennington
County Historical Society
- Search their online database of documents,
photographs, maps, cemetery records, obituaries, landowner
records and city directories.
|
Genealogy Databases
-
- Ancestry.com
- Over 25 million names, photos maps, and family
trees; paid subscribers receive access to census records,
obituaries, ship registers, birth/death records and more
- DigitalArkivet
- The Norwegian National Archives providing digitized
parish registers, census records, emigration and ship records,
books, and photographs.
- FamilySearch.org
- Collected from the records of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints, registration is free and includes
access to all records and an online newsletter.
- Land
Office Records
- Search the land patents in the Bureau of Land
Management's database for homesteading information
- Norwegian
Farm Names
- Created by Oluf Rugh, the database contains searchable volumes 1 through 17
- RootsWeb.com
- Allows the free searching of the database of
names as well as the upload/download of GEDCOM files
| National Genealogy Resources
- Bygdebøker
- Information about the Bygdebok and how to obtain
a copy or request information
- Cyndi's
List for Norway
- One of the most complete resource sites on
the web, containing information on Norwegian language, archives,
newspapers, publications, and a list of professional researchers
and research services.
- Dental and Medical Records
- Information on requiring dental and medical records for deceased family members and a guide to family history privacy.
- National
Archives
- Information for genealogists and family historians
from the United States National Archives, including a link
to obtain copies of records such as the full land entry files
that include homestead applications, letters of reference,
and often naturalization papers
|
Museums & Library Resources
- Norwegian-American
Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library
- Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the facilitity
has a large collection and offers paid research assistance
- The Migration Museum
- Located in Ottestad, Norway, the museum includes
permanent exhibitions, programs, an open-air museum, and a
research center.
- Vesterheim
Norwegian-American Museum
- Located in Decorah, Iowa, the museum includes
16 historic buildings, thousands of artifacts, and offers
a series of classes and travel programs.
- Norwegian Heritage Center (Livsreise)
- Located in Stoughton, Wisconsin, the "Life's Journey" includes interpretations of the journey from Norway, shares stories of individual immigrants, features changing exhibits, and includes a genealogical center.
| Non-Fiction Books of Interest to Genealogists
Anderson, Rasmus B. The First Chapter of Norwegian Immigration,
1821-1840: Its Causes and Results
Blegen, Theodore Christian. Norwegian Migration to America,
1825-1860
Kinsella, Steven R. 900 Miles from Nowhere: Voices from
the Homestead Frontier
Lovoll, Odd Sverre. Norwegians on the Prairie: Ethnicity
and the Development of the Country Town
Lovoll, Odd Sverre. The Promise of America: A History
of the Norwegian American People
Nelson, Marion. Norwegian Folk Art: The Migration of a
Tradition
Qualey, Carlton C. Norwegians in Minnesota (The People
of Minnesota)
Semmingsen, Ingrid. Norway to America: A History
of the Migration
Stokker, Kathleen. Keeping Christmas: Yuletide Traditions
in Norway and the New Land
Stokker, Kathleen. Remedies and Rituals: Folk Medicine
in Norway and the New Land
Zempel, Solveig, editor.In Their Own Words: Letters
from Norwegian Immigrants
|
|