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110-415: Fergus Falls ( / ˈ f ɜːr ɡ ə s / FUR -gəss ) is a city in and the county seat of Otter Tail County , Minnesota , United States. The population was 14,119 at the 2020 census . The falls from which the city gets part of its name were discovered by Joe Whitford (a Scottish trapper) in 1856 and promptly named in honor of his employer, James Fergus . It is not known whether Fergus ever visited

220-526: A Superior Court and Sheriff (as an officer of the court ), both located in a designated "shire town". Bennington County, Vermont has two shire towns; the court for "North Shire" is in the shire town Manchester , and the Sheriff for the county and court for "South Shire" are in the shire town Bennington. In 2024, Connecticut , which had not defined their counties for anything but statistical, historical and weather warning purposes since 1960, along with ending

330-777: A Norwegian lutheran identity today. Luther College , located in Decorah, Iowa was founded by Norwegian immigrants in 1861 and is today associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America . Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota is also associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and was founded by Norwegian settlers in 1891. Other Norwegian Lutheran colleges include: Augsburg University , Augustana College , Bethany Lutheran College , Pacific Lutheran University , St. Olaf College , and Waldorf College . Use of

440-403: A Norwegian-American journalist recorded that "A newcomer from Norway who arrives here will be surprised indeed to find in the heart of the country, more than a thousand miles from his landing place, a town where language and way of life so unmistakably remind him of his native land." This sentiment was expressed frequently as the immigrants attempted to seek acceptance and negotiate entrance into

550-417: A certain amount of interaction with a larger commercial environment, from working for an American farmer to doing business with the seed dealer, the banker, and the elevator operator. Products had to be grown and sold—all of which pulled Norwegian farmers into social contact with their American neighbors. Norwegian-American debating societies provided opportunities for immigrants to discuss and debate issues of

660-542: A community theater program downtown. Many local and professional artists perform at A Center for the Arts. The city also lends its name to the song "Fergus Falls" by the band Field Report on its 2012 self-titled album. Fergus Falls received international coverage in early 2017 and late 2018 after a news article in Der Spiegel falsely claimed there was an anti-Mexican sign at the city's entrance and fabricated other things about

770-660: A consequence, no fewer than 14 Lutheran synods were founded by Norwegian immigrants between 1846 and 1900. In 1917 most of the factions reconciled doctrinal differences and organized the Norwegian Lutheran Church in America . It was one of the church bodies that in 1960 formed the American Lutheran Church , which in 1988 became a constituent part of the newly created Evangelical Lutheran Church in America . Several Lutheran colleges and higher education institutions were founded by Norwegian Americans, which retain

880-410: A county seat may be an independent city surrounded by, but not part of, the county of which it is the administrative center; for example, Fairfax City is both the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia and completely surrounded by Fairfax County, but the city is politically independent of the county. When the county seat is in the independent city, government offices such as the courthouse may be in

990-508: A male householder with no wife present, and 43.9% were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 43.4 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 22.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

1100-464: A new holiday of patriotic celebration. In American popular culture, Norwegian Americans were the central characters in the popular CBS network television series, Mama (1949–1956). Set in San Francisco around 1900, the weekly program focused on working-class family life. They also form the background to Garrison Keillor 's " Lake Wobegon " series of novels as well as A Prairie Home Companion ,

1210-696: A new life in America. The Dutch often took Norwegians with them to the New World for their sailing expertise. There was a Norwegian presence in New Amsterdam in the early part of the 17th century. Hans Hansen Bergen , a native of Bergen , Norway, was one of the earliest settlers of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, having immigrated in 1633. Another early Norwegian settler, Albert Andriessen Bradt , arrived in New Amsterdam in 1637. Approximately 60 people had settled in

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1320-594: A private high school, theological seminary and mission society, with an office in Fergus Falls. The pietistic , low-church Lutherans constituted one cultural center of the Norwegian-German community, while the high-church First Lutheran constituted a separate center, which attracted a more upwardly mobile class of parishioner. After the Interstate Defense Highway System built Interstate 94 along

1430-650: A radio variety show that contains much humorous material from the "Norwegian American Midwest". According to a 2018 paper, Norwegian immigrants who lived in large ethnic enclaves in the United States in the 1910 and 1920 "had lower occupational earnings, were more likely to be in farming occupations, and were less likely to be in white-collar occupations." Today, the traditions practiced by Norwegian Americans are distinct from those practiced in modern-day Norway. Norwegian Americans are primarily descendants of 19th or early 20th century working class and rural Norwegians, and

1540-483: A reputation of being a cultural hub in West Central Minnesota. A Center for the Arts building was originally built in 1921 and was home to The Orpheum Theater, producing live theater and vaudeville performances and movies. In the early 1990s, after several decades of change and transition, over $ 1 million was raised to renovate the theater and A Center for the Arts was founded. The Theater is also home to one of

1650-499: A silver medal in the slalom race. Eriksen was the first skier from outside the Alps to win an Olympic men's alpine gold medal. He also won three gold medals at the 1954 World Championships in Åre , Sweden , and a bronze medal at the 1950 World Championships in Aspen, Colorado . Shortly after his success in the 1952 Olympics, Eriksen moved to America where he continues to live. He worked as

1760-610: A woman from the town, but the song is actually about a woman he spotted at a downtown Milwaukee music festival. "I saw a girl who was pregnant, and she was with a guy who looked like an asshole," he said. "She looked like she wanted to get out of there. The song was written from her perspective." The song has received critical acclaim. Fergus Falls is the proud home of the Fergus Falls Otters as well as home to M State - Fergus Falls sports and many other local teams and organizations for children, teens, adults and seniors. Fergus falls

1870-476: Is Lake Region Healthcare, an integrated health system with a 108-bed hospital, cancer research center, assisted living community, and multiple clinics. According to the City's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are: Fergus Falls Public Schools (Independent School District #544) operates public schools. Fergus Falls is home to several arts and culture organizations and has

1980-409: Is known as the seat of its county. Generally, the county legislature, county courthouse, sheriff's department headquarters, hall of records, jail and correctional facility are located in the county seat, though some functions (such as highway maintenance, which usually requires a large garage for vehicles, along with asphalt and salt storage facilities) may also be located or conducted in other parts of

2090-468: Is noted for his work in physics. In engineering, Clayton Jacobson II is credited with the invention of the modern personal watercraft . Ole Singstad was a pioneer of underwater tunnels. Ole Evinrude invented the first outboard motor with practical commercial application, recognizable today on modern motorboats . Astronaut Deke Slayton was the docking module pilot for the Apollo–Soyuz mission,

2200-615: Is relatively secular, Norwegian-Americans are among the most religious ethnic groups in the United States, with 90% acknowledging a religious affiliation in 1998. Because membership to the State Church was mandatory until the 19th century in Norway, all ethnic Norwegians have traditionally been Lutheran. Today, many Norwegian Americans remain Lutheran, though significant numbers converted to other Christian denominations. Some Norwegians immigrated to

2310-590: Is twinned with: The Fergus Falls City Council holds an Open Forum session from 5:20-5:30 pm in the City Council Chambers. Those wishing to address the City Council regarding an item not on the agenda are asked to completely fill out the Open Forum registration form by noon the day of the City Council meeting. Local city positions besides Mayor are up for election every two years as one Council Member from one of

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2420-770: The Ballard , a district Seattle heavily settled by Scandinavian immigrants, serves as a community gathering place. The Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa is the largest museum in the United States dedicated to the experiences of a single immigrant population and has an extensive collection of Norwegian-American artifacts. Chapel in the Hills is an exact replica of the Borgund stave church in Norway, located in Rapid City, South Dakota . The church's site also maintains other period typical historical buildings. Although today Norway

2530-622: The Bardahl company, Conrad Nicholson Hilton was the founder of the Hilton Hotels chain, Kenneth Harry Olsen co-founded Digital Equipment Corporation , James Trane and Reuben Trane founded Trane Inc. , N. O. Nelson was the founder of the N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Co. and Alfred M. Moen founded Moen Incorporated . Gary Kildall , creator of the CP/M operating system , founded Digital Research in 1974. In sports, Knute Rockne became one of

2640-520: The Erie Canal en route. After making the journey to Kendall, Cleng Peerson became a traveling emissary for Norwegian immigrants and died in a Norwegian Settlement near Cranfills Gap , Texas in 1865. The descendants of these immigrants are referred to as " Sloopers ", in reference to the sloop ship that brought them from Norway. Many of the 1825 immigrants moved on from the Kendall Settlement in

2750-638: The Homestead Act of 1862 promised fertile, flat land. As a result, settlement trended westward with each passing year. The majority of Norwegian agrarian settlements developed in the northern region of the so-called Homestead Act Triangle between the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. Early Norwegian settlements were in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Illinois, but moved westward into Wisconsin, Minnesota , and

2860-550: The Maguire Act of 1895 and the White Act of 1898 , ended corporal punishment and abolished imprisonment for deserting a vessel. The Seamen's Act of 1915 included all these and was his main project. Minnesota Democratic Senators Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale served as the 38th and 42nd vice presidents of the United States, respectively, and were nominees for president in 1968 and 1984, respectively. Earl Warren of California

2970-570: The Manhattan area before the region was taken over by the British Empire in 1664. The total number of Norwegians that settled in New Netherland is not known. In the period that followed, many of the original Norwegian settlers in the area remained, including the family of Pieter Van Brugh , a colonial mayor of Albany , who was the grandson of early Norwegian immigrants. Many immigrants during

3080-515: The New York Dolls and Don Dokken of the heavy metal band Dokken have Norwegian ancestry. Paul Waaktaar-Savoy of the synth pop band a-ha is Norwegian, having been born and raised in Oslo . He is a naturalized American citizen and has homes in both Oslo and New York City. In journalism, Eric Sevareid , was a well-known a CBS reporter and commentator. In literature, Ole Edvart Rølvaag wrote about

3190-734: The Norse-American Centennial celebration was held at the Minnesota State Fair . A number of towns in the United States, particularly in the Upper Midwest , are known for their display of Norwegian heritage, including: Stoughton, Wisconsin ; Sunburg, Minnesota ; Ulen, Minnesota ; and Westby, Wisconsin . Starbuck, Minnesota is known to produce the largest lefse in the world. Other regions known for their Norwegian heritage or origins include: Norge, Virginia ; Petersburg, Alaska ; Poulsbo, Washington ; and Lapskaus Boulevard ,

3300-531: The Norwegian language in the United States was at its peak between 1900 and World War I , then declined in the 1920s and 1930s. Over one million Americans spoke Norwegian as their primary language from 1900 to World War I, and more than 3,000 Lutheran churches in the Upper Midwest used Norwegian as their sole language. There were hundreds of Norwegian-language newspapers across the Upper Midwest. However, use of

3410-709: The Otter Tail River , and was reconstructed in 2004. Just below the bridge is part of scenic River Walk Park, which spans about a mile of the river. The part nearest the Union Avenue Bridge was redone along with the bridge. The town hall was modeled after Independence Hall in Philadelphia . Its west wing housed the city fire station until the 1970s. Other points of interest include the county museum, Lake Alice, George B. Wright Park, Pebble Lake Golf Course, and Veteran's Memorial Park. Arts in Fergus Falls are booming with

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3520-542: The Religious Society of Friends or as Haugeans . To a great extent, this early emigration from Norway was born out of religious persecution, especially for Quakers and a local religious group, the Haugeans . Organized Norwegian immigration to North America began in 1825, when several dozen Norwegians left Stavanger bound for North America on the sloop Restauration (often called the "Norse Mayflower "). Under

3630-653: The Sons and Daughters of Norway and the Chicago Norske Klub also serve to preserve their ethnic heritage. Culinary customs (e.g., lutefisk and lefse ), national dress ( bunad ), and Norwegian holidays ( Syttende Mai ) are also popular. Some regional festivals celebrate Norwegian heritage, predominantly in areas with a high density of Norwegian Americans, such as Norsk Høstfest (English : Norwegian Autumn Festival ), an annual festival held in Minot, North Dakota . In 1925,

3740-644: The University of Washington , University of Oregon , University of Wisconsin–Madison , and the Indiana University offer Norwegian as a language within their Germanic language studies programs. Two Norwegian Lutheran churches in the United States continue to use Norwegian as a primary liturgical language, Mindekirken in Minneapolis and Minnekirken in Chicago. There are also several Norwegian Seaman's Churches in

3850-527: The Wilson Line , which was based out of the port city of Hull on England's east coast, to provide emigrants with passage from port cities such as Christiania (present-day Oslo), Bergen and Trondheim to England via Hull. Steamship companies such as Cunard and White Star included fares for passage on these feeder ship in their overall ticket prices, along with railroad fares for passage between Hull and Liverpool and temporary accommodations in numerous hotels owned by

3960-543: The 17th century and many Norwegians immigrated to Amsterdam. Some of them settled in Dutch colonies, although never in large numbers. There were also Norwegian settlers in Pennsylvania in the first half of the 18th century, upstate New York in the latter half of the same century, and in New England during both halves. During the colonial period, Norwegian immigrants often joined the Dutch seeking opportunities for trade and

4070-458: The 1920s, Norwegian-Americans increasingly became suburban. Norwegian Americans cultivated bonds with Norway , sending gifts home often and offering aid during natural disasters and other hardships in Norway. Relief in the form of collected funds was forthcoming without delay. Only during conflicts within the Union between Sweden and Norway , however, did Norwegian Americans become involved directly in

4180-580: The 20th century, a vast majority of Norwegian emigration to both the United States and Canada followed a route commonly shared by most Swedish, Danish and Finnish emigrants of the period, being via England by means of the monopoly established by the leading shipping lines of Great Britain, primarily the White Star Line and the Cunard Line , both of which operated chiefly out of Liverpool, England . These lines negotiated with smaller 'feeder lines', primarily

4290-405: The 20th century, the city appeared increasingly destined to become a retirement and nursing community until a new migration of younger remote workers moved to the city. The bucolic environment, with abundant sporting opportunities that had long attracted summer vacationers. The relatively low cost of real estate, cost of living, and a variety of public school locations has also attracted families to

4400-563: The American Community Survey in 2005 showed that only 39,524 people use the language at home. Still, most Norwegian Americans can speak a common Norwegian with easy words like hello, yes and no. Today, there are still 1,209 people who only understand Norwegian or who do not speak English well in the United States . In 2000 this figure was 215 for those under 17 years old, whereas it increased to 216 in 2005. For other age groups,

4510-551: The Civil War experience to these early settlers is highlighted by the town's street names: the intersecting principal thoroughfares are Lincoln Avenue and Union Avenue. The oldest parts of the town have streets with names such as Sherman, Sheridan, and Vernon. The early English wave of settlement claimed control of the falls along the Otter Tail River and established the first Episcopalian and Presbyterian churches. Almost as soon as

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4620-642: The Dakotas. Later waves of Norwegian immigration went to the Western states such as Montana , Washington , Oregon , and Utah through missionary efforts which gained Norwegian and Swedish converts to Mormonism . Additionally, craftsmen also immigrated to a larger, more diverse market. Until recently, there was a Norwegian area in Sunset Park, Brooklyn originally populated by Norwegian craftsmen. The upper Midwest became home to most immigrants. In 1910 almost 80 percent of

4730-695: The Hotel Kaddatz Preservation Association. The upstairs of the Kaddatz Hotel Building is home to artist live/work spaces. The Lake Region Arts Council serves 9 counties (Becker, Clay, Otter Tail, Wilkin, Traverse, Stevens, Grant, and Pope) and has its main office in the River Inn Building in Fergus Falls. The Lake Region Arts Council's mission is to encourage and support the arts in West Central Minnesota. Their programs and services are made possible through an appropriation from

4840-618: The Minnesota State Legislature, Legacy Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund and the McKnight Foundation. Springboard for the Arts, a nonprofit artist service organization based in St. Paul, has its only satellite office in the River Inn Building, which serves as an artist resource center. The band Field Report has a song named after Fergus Falls on their eponymous debut album. Lead singer and songwriter, Chris Porterfield, once dated

4950-541: The New World until the 1836 departures of the Den Norske Klippe and Norden . In 1837, a group of immigrants from Tinn emigrated via Gothenburg to the Fox River Settlement , near present-day Sheridan, Illinois . It was the writings of Ole Rynning , who traveled to the U.S. on the Ægir in 1837 that energized Norwegian immigration, however. Throughout much of the latter part of the 19th century and into

5060-533: The Southeast section of the city, gradually dwindled as people departed for larger cities. The dams built on the Otter Tail River beginning in the 1880s were powerful economic forces that shaped the area's development. Returning soldiers from the American Civil War settled in the region, mostly as farmers (wheat and corn in the western plains and dairy and hogs in the eastern hills and forests). The importance of

5170-645: The U.S. that have services in Norwegian. They are located in Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, New Orleans, and New York. Literary writing in Norwegian in North America includes the works of Ole Edvart Rølvaag , whose best-known work Giants in the Earth (" I de dage ", literally In Those Days ) was published in both English and Norwegian versions. Rølvaag was a professor from 1906 to 1931 at St. Olaf College, where he

5280-557: The United States in hope of practicing other religions freely. A significant number of Norwegian immigrants and their descendants were Methodists concentrated especially in Chicago, with its own theological seminary, while others converted to become Baptists . There were also groups of Quakers , relating back to "the Sloopers," and Mormons who joined the trek to the "New Jerusalem" in Salt Lake City, Utah . Most Norwegian immigrants to

5390-555: The United States primarily in the latter half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans, according to the 2021 U.S. census; most live in the Upper Midwest and on the West Coast of the United States . Norsemen from Greenland and Iceland were the first Europeans to reach North America. Leif Erikson reached North America via Norse settlements in Greenland around

5500-879: The United States, followed by Towson , the county seat of Baltimore County, Maryland . Likewise, some county seats may not be incorporated in their own right, but are located within incorporated municipalities. For example, Cape May Court House, New Jersey , though unincorporated, is a section of Middle Township , an incorporated municipality. In some states, often those that were among the original Thirteen Colonies , county seats include or formerly included "Court House" as part of their name, such as Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia . Most counties have only one county seat. However, some counties in Alabama , Arkansas , Georgia , Iowa , Kentucky , Massachusetts , Mississippi , Missouri , New Hampshire , New York , and Vermont have two or more county seats, usually located on opposite sides of

5610-532: The United States, particularly in the migration wave between the 1860s and early 20th century, were members of the Church of Norway , an evangelical Lutheran church established by the Constitution of Norway . As they settled in their new homeland and forged their own communities, however, Norwegian-American Lutherans diverged from the state church in many ways, forming synods and conferences that ultimately contributed to

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5720-427: The age of 40 still spoke Norwegian as their primary language (although many still understood the language). As such, they were not passing the language on to their children, the next generation of Norwegian Americans. Some sources stated that today there are 81,000 Americans who speak Norwegian as their primary language. According to the U.S. Census however, only 55,475 Americans spoke Norwegian at home as of 2000, and

5830-406: The average family size was 2.94. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males. The median income for a household in the city

5940-551: The center of Norwegian American activity up until the American Civil War , a war in which a number of Norwegian Americans fought for the Union, such as in the 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment . In the 1850s Norwegian land seekers began moving into both Iowa and Minnesota , and serious migration to the Dakotas was underway by the 1870s. Norwegian immigration through the years was predominantly motivated by economic concerns. Compounded by crop failures, Norwegian agricultural resources were unable to keep up with population growth, and

6050-508: The city of Seattle , became another center of immigrant life. Enclaves of Norwegian immigrants emerged as well in greater Brooklyn , New York , in Alaska , and Texas . After Minnesota, Wisconsin had the most Norwegians in 1990, followed by California, Washington, and North Dakota. In a letter from Chicago dated November 9, 1855, Elling Haaland from Stavanger, Norway , assured his relatives back home that "of all nations Norwegians are those who are most favored by Americans." Svein Nilsson,

6160-489: The city of Fergus Falls. As of the 2020 census , there were 14,119 people, 6,171 households, and 3,379 families residing in the city. The population density was 981.6 inhabitants per square mile (379.0/km). There were 6,731 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 91.2% White , 1.7% African American , 0.9% Native American , 0.8% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 0.8% from some other races and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.5% of

6270-571: The city was 47.0% male and 53.0% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 13,471 people, 5,633 households, and 3,306 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,031.5 inhabitants per square mile (398.3/km). There were 5,909 housing units at an average density of 452.5 per square mile (174.7/km). The racial makeup of the city was 97.02% White , 0.62% African American , 0.76% Native American , 0.57% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.20% from other races , and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.91% of

6380-419: The city was 95.5% White , 1.1% African American , 0.8% Native American , 0.7% Asian , 0.4% from other races , and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population. There were 5,814 households, of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had

6490-438: The city, but Whitford did not live to see the city develop, as he was killed during the 1862 Dakota war in western Minnesota. In 1867, George B. Wright was at the land office at St. Cloud and found Whitford's lapsed claim, purchased the land, and built what is now the Central Dam in downtown Fergus Falls around 1871. After Wright died in 1882, his son Vernon moved from Boston to Minnesota and took over his father's interests in

6600-451: The city. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 15.720 square miles (40.71 km), of which 14.388 square miles (37.26 km) is land and 1.332 square miles (3.45 km) (8.2%)is water. Interstate 94 , U.S. Highway 59 , U.S. Highway 52 , and Minnesota State Highway 210 ( co-signed ), and County Highways 1, 82, and 88 are the main routes in Fergus Falls. The following routes are located within

6710-418: The counties after his unification, there were about 1,000. Under the Eastern Han dynasty , the number of counties increased to above 1,000. About 1400 existed when the Sui dynasty abolished the commandery level (郡 jùn), which was the level just above counties, and demoted some commanderies to counties. In Imperial China, the county was a significant administrative unit because it marked the lowest level of

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6820-418: The county, especially if it is geographically large. A county seat is usually an incorporated municipality . The exceptions include the county seats of counties that have no incorporated municipalities within their borders, such as Arlington County, Virginia , where the county seat is the entire county. Ellicott City , the county seat of Howard County, Maryland , is the largest unincorporated county seat in

6930-420: The county. Examples include Harrison County, Mississippi , which has both Biloxi and Gulfport as county seats, and Hinds County, Mississippi , which has both Raymond and the state capital of Jackson . The practice of multiple county seat towns dates from the days when travel was difficult. There have been few efforts to eliminate the two-seat arrangement, since a county seat is a source of civic pride for

7040-475: The day in an atmosphere conducive to learning while also developing skills useful in American life. Beginning in 1889, both the Wig Debate Society and Forward Debate Society , located in Minnesota, hosted weekly debates. Many topics were discussed including voting rights , women's rights , and racism . These societies helped to develop friendship and understanding. In places like Brooklyn , Chicago, Minneapolis, and Seattle, Norwegian-Americans interacted with

7150-412: The earlier English and Scottish war veterans who retained control of the principal businesses of the city center, the banks, and the increasingly important Otter Tail Power Company , persisted for decades until several generations of ethnic intermarriage and continuing inward and outward migration largely erased the divisions along ethnic lines. The small black community, largely Baptist, which clustered in

7260-509: The early 1800s sought religious freedom. From the mid-1800s however, the driving forces behind Norwegian immigration to the United States were agricultural disasters which led to poverty , from the European Potato Failure of the 1840s to the Famine of 1866–68 . The agricultural revolution also put farmers out of work and pushed them to seek employment in a more industrialized America. The earliest immigrants from Norway to America emigrated mostly for religious motives, especially as members of

7370-477: The emigrant over traveling to the U.S. directly. "They moved on from Quebec both by rail and by steamer for another thousand or more miles (1,600 km) for a steerage fare of slightly less than $ 9.00." Steamers from Quebec, Canada brought them to Toronto, Canada then the immigrants often traveled by rail for 93 miles to Collingwood, Ontario , Canada on Lake Huron, from where steamers transported them across Lake Michigan to Chicago, Milwaukee and Green Bay. Not until

7480-494: The first crewed international spaceflight. In religion, Olaf M. Norlie created the Simplified New Testament . Herman Amberg Preus was a key leader in the development of the Synod of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America . Bernt Julius Muus was the principal founder and Thorbjorn N. Mohn was the first president of St. Olaf College . Peter Laurentius Larsen and Ulrik Vilhelm Koren both helped found Luther College (Iowa) . In business, Ole Bardahl founded

7590-417: The foundational structure of the town was laid, an influx of Norwegian immigrants arrived, by way of the Scandinavian migration of Chicago and Minneapolis , often on the Great Northern Railway . Primarily dairy farmers , they established numerous Lutheran churches in the area. The Lutheran Brethren ( Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America ) established an academy in Fergus Falls, which today operates

7700-440: The four wards makes up the city council with the whole council being the Mayor and two council members from each ward. The list below is the recent history of the Mayor of Fergus Falls, MN. County seat In Canada , the provinces of Ontario , Quebec , New Brunswick , Prince Edward Island , and Nova Scotia have counties as an administrative division of government below the provincial level, and thus county seats. In

7810-480: The glaciers from the last great Ice Age, with numerous lakes and small rivers. Two major tornadoes hit Fergus Falls during the early 20th century, the second, the 1919 Fergus Falls tornado , being the greater. The only church edifice left standing after the great cyclone was the predominantly black Baptist church. Fergus Falls features different parks, including tallgrass prairie and eastern woodlands, stores, and other tourist attractions. The Union Avenue Bridge spans

7920-578: The greatest coaches in college football history, while Babe Zaharias was named by the Guinness Book of Records as the most versatile female athlete of all time. Zaharias achieved outstanding success in golf , basketball and track and field athletics . Additionally, Stein Eriksen won the gold medal in the Giant Slalom event at the 1952 Winter Olympics , which were held in Oslo , Norway . He also won

8030-518: The immigrant experience, especially the Norwegian-American experience in The Dakotas . Rølvaag's home is a National Historic Landmark . Tomi Lahren , is a FOX Nation host and former host of her own The Blaze TV show as well as a FOX News commentator. In labor unions, Andrew Furuseth was largely responsible for the passage of four reforms that changed the lives of American mariners. Two of them,

8140-424: The imperial bureaucratic structure; in other words, it was the lowest level that the government reached. Government below the county level was often undertaken through informal non-bureaucratic means, varying between dynasties. The head of a county was the magistrate , who oversaw both the day-to-day operations of the county as well as civil and criminal cases. The current number of counties mostly resembled that of

8250-572: The increase of Han Chinese population in Taiwan, the number of counties also grew by time. By the end of Qing era, there were 11 counties in Taiwan. Protestant missionaries in China first romanized the term as hien . When Taiwan became a Japanese colony in 1895, the hierarchy of divisions also incorporated into the Japanese system in the period when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. By September 1945, Taiwan

8360-611: The independent city under an agreement, such as in Albemarle , or may in be enclaves of the county surrounded by the independent city, such as in Fairfax . Others, such as Prince William , have the courthouse in an enclave surrounded by the independent city and have the county government, the Board of Supervisors, in a different part of the county, far from the county seat. The following counties have their county seat in an independent city: Bedford

8470-571: The language declined in part due to the rise of nationalism among the American population during and after World War I. During this period, readership of Norwegian-language publications fell. Norwegian Lutheran churches began to hold their services in English, and the younger generation of Norwegian Americans were encouraged to speak English rather than Norwegian. When Norway itself was liberated from Nazi Germany in 1945, relatively few Norwegian Americans under

8580-553: The largest pipe organs in the midwest, the Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Pipe Organ. The Kaddatz Galleries is a nonprofit art gallery located in historic downtown Fergus Falls, whose mission is to foster visual arts education and appreciation, and to maintain a gallery where the works of Charles Beck and other recognized local artists are accessible to the public. The Kaddatz Galleries were founded in 2001 when Artspace bought The Kaddatz Hotel building in partnership with

8690-732: The later years of the Qing dynasty . Changes of location and names of counties in Chinese history have been a major field of research in Chinese historical geography, especially from the 1960s to the 1980s. There are 1,355 counties in Mainland China out of a total of 2,851 county-level divisions. In Taiwan , the first counties were first established in 1661 by the Kingdom of Tungning . The later ruler Qing empire inherited this type of administrative divisions. With

8800-614: The leadership of Cleng Peerson , the Restauration left Stavanger in July 1825 and ferried six families on a 14-week journey. The ship landed in New York City, where it was at first impounded for exceeding its passenger limit. After intervention from President John Quincy Adams , the passengers moved on to settle in Kendall, New York with the help of Andreas Stangeland , witnessing the opening of

8910-460: The majority immigrating to the U.S., and lesser numbers immigrating to the Dominion of Canada. With the exception of Ireland , no single country contributed a larger percentage of its population to the United States than Norway. Data from the U.S. Office of Immigration statistics of the number of Norwegians obtaining lawful permanent resident status in the U.S. from 1870 to 2016 highlights two peaks in

9020-552: The mid-1830s, settling in Illinois and Wisconsin . These "Sloopers" gave impetus to the westward movement of Norwegians by founding a settlement in the Fox River area of Illinois . A small urban colony of Norwegians had its genesis in Chicago at about the same time. While about 65 Norwegians emigrated via Sweden and elsewhere in the intervening years, no emigrant ships left Norway for

9130-442: The migration flow, the first one in the 1880s, and the second one in the first decade of the 20th century. It also shows an abrupt decrease after 1929, during the economic crisis of the 1930s. Beginning in 1836, Norwegian immigrants arrived in significant numbers annually. From the early "slooper" settlement in Illinois , Norwegian pioneers followed the general spread of population northwestward into Wisconsin . Wisconsin remained

9240-507: The multi-cultural environment of the city while constructing a complex ethnic community that met the needs of its members. It might be said that a Scandinavian melting pot existed in the urban setting among Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes, evidenced in residential and occupational patterns, in political mobilization, and in public commemoration. Inter-marriage promoted inter-ethnic assimilation. There are no longer any Norwegian immigrant enclaves or neighborhoods in America's great cities. Beginning in

9350-445: The new society. In their segregated farming communities, Norwegians were spared direct prejudice and might indeed have been viewed as a welcome ingredient in a region's development. Still, a sense of inferiority was inherent in their position. The immigrants were occasionally referred to as "guests" in the United States and they were not immune to condescending and disparaging attitudes by old-stock Americans. Economic adaptation required

9460-549: The nickname of 8th Avenue in Brooklyn . There are a number of museums commemorating the Norwegian-American immigrant experience. Norskedalen is a natural and cultural heritage site near Coon Valley, Wisconsin , spread over 440 acres which exhibits the Norwegian immigrant experience of the late 1800s. Little Norway, Wisconsin is a living museum of a Norwegian village located in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin . The National Nordic Museum in

9570-501: The number of Norwegian speakers increase. Many Lutheran colleges that were established by immigrants and people of Norwegian background, such as Luther College in Decorah, Iowa , Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington , and St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota , continue to offer Norwegian majors in their undergraduate programs. Many major American universities, such as

9680-399: The numbers went down. For those who are from 18 to 64 years old, went down from 915 in 2000 to 491 in 2005. For those who are older than 65 years it went drastically down from 890 to 502 in the same period. The Norwegian language is likely to never die out in the U.S. because there is still immigration, of course on a much smaller scale, but they often emigrate to other areas, like Texas, where

9790-628: The one million or more Norwegian Americans lived in that part of the United States. In 1990, 51.7 percent of the Norwegian American population lived in the Midwest . At that time, Minnesota had the largest Norwegian American population and Minneapolis functioned as a hub for Norwegian American secular and religious activities. In the Pacific Northwest , the Puget Sound region, and especially

9900-522: The political life of Norway. In the 1880s they formed societies to assist Norwegian liberals, collecting money to assist rifle clubs in Norway should the political conflict between liberals and conservatives call for arms. The ongoing tensions between Sweden and Norway and Norway's humiliating retreat in 1895 fueled nationalism and created anguish. Norwegian Americans raised money to strengthen Norway's military defenses. The unilateral declaration by Norway on June 7, 1905, to dissolve its union with Sweden yielded

10010-409: The population. There were 5,633 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.3% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and

10120-417: The population. 20.0% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.3% were under 5 years of age, and 24.4% were 65 and older. As of the 2010 census , there were 13,138 people, 5,814 households, and 3,262 families residing in the city. The population density was 931.0 inhabitants per square mile (359.5/km). There were 6,342 housing units at an average density of 449.5 per square mile (173.6/km). The racial makeup of

10230-461: The present Lutheran establishment in the United States. The Norwegian Lutheran church was a focal point in rural settlements in the Upper Midwest . The congregation became an all-encompassing institution for its members, creating a tight social network that touched all aspects of immigrant life. The force of tradition in religious practice made the church a central institution in the urban environment as well. The severe reality of urban life increased

10340-704: The provinces of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia the term "shire town" is used in place of county seat. County seats in China are the administrative centers of the counties in the People's Republic of China . Xian have existed since the Warring States period and were set up nationwide by the Qin dynasty . The number of counties in China proper gradually increased from dynasty to dynasty. As Qin Shi Huang reorganized

10450-795: The shipping lines in port cities such as Liverpool. Most Norwegian emigrants bound for the United States entered the country through New York City, with smaller numbers coming through other eastern ports such as Boston and Philadelphia. Other shipping lines such as the Canadian Pacific Line , which operated chiefly out of Liverpool, and the Glasgow-based Anchor Line operated routes to ports in eastern Canada, primarily Quebec City , Montreal and Halifax . Because Canadian-bound routes were slightly shorter, lines which disembarked at Canadian ports often provided quicker passages and cheaper fares. The Canadian route offered many advantages to

10560-419: The social role of the church. The official State Church in Norway did not extend pastoral care to emigrants and provided no guidance in the formation of new congregations in the United States. The Church of Norway was seen as an integrated part of the Norwegian state administration with no particular responsibility for people outside of Norway, with the exception of sailors and those who remained citizens. As

10670-461: The start of the 20th century did Norwegians accept Canada as a land of the second chance. This was also true of the many American-Norwegians who moved to Canada seeking homesteads and new economic opportunities. By 1921, one-third of all Norwegians in Canada had been born in the U.S. Between 1825 and 1925, more than 800,000 Norwegians immigrated to North America—about one-third of Norway's population with

10780-764: The state's area, has no borough government or borough seat. One borough, the Lake and Peninsula Borough , has its borough seat located in another borough, namely King Salmon in Bristol Bay Borough . In Louisiana , which is divided into parishes rather than counties, county seats are referred to as "parish seats". In New England , counties have served mainly as dividing lines for the states' judicial systems. Rhode Island has no county level of government and thus no county seats, and Massachusetts has dissolved many but not all of its county governments. In Vermont , Massachusetts , and Maine county government consists only of

10890-437: The town. The story's author, Claas Relotius , admitted to numerous instances of journalistic fraud . In December 2018 two residents of Fergus Falls, Michele Anderson and Jake Krohn, published a report pointing out the "11 most absurd lies" of the 2017 article. The same month Der Spiegel also sent a reporter to Fergus Falls to investigate and apologize. A strong economic division between later Scandinavian immigrant farmers and

11000-539: The town. Vernon Wright was also one of the two people who established the Otter Tail Power Company in 1907. The city was incorporated in the late 1870s and is situated along the dividing line between the former great deciduous forest of the Northwest Territories to the east and the great plains to the west, in a region of gentle hills, where the recent geological history is dominated by the recession of

11110-416: The towns involved, along with providing employment opportunities. There are 33 counties with multiple county seats in 11 states: Alaska is divided into boroughs rather than counties; the county seat in these case is referred to as the "borough seat"; this includes six consolidated city-borough governments (one of which is styled as a "municipality"). The Unorganized Borough, Alaska , which covers 49% of

11220-449: The traditions which these immigrants brought with them represented a specific segment of the Norwegian population and cultural period. As these traditions continued to evolve in an American context, they are today divergent from that of modern-day Norway. Norwegian Americans actively celebrate and maintain their heritage in many ways. Much of these traditions center upon Lutheran-Evangelical church communities. Other organizations, such as

11330-607: The use of county seats in particular, will fully transition with the permission of the United States Census Bureau to a system of councils of government for the purposes of boundary definition and as county equivalents. Two counties in South Dakota , Oglala Lakota and Todd , have their county seat and government services centered in a neighboring county. Their county-level services are provided by Fall River County and Tripp County , respectively. In Virginia ,

11440-504: The western edge of Fergus Falls in the late 1950s, population mobility increased dramatically, and high school graduates increasingly left the town to attend colleges in Morris, Fargo-Moorhead, or the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. As farming declined as an occupation and lifestyle, with large-scale commercial farming gradually replacing the family farm system during the second half of

11550-524: The year 1000. Norse settlers from Greenland founded the settlement of L'Anse aux Meadows in Vinland , in what is now Newfoundland, Canada . These settlers failed to establish a permanent settlement because of conflicts with indigenous people and within the Norse community. The Netherlands, and especially the cities of Amsterdam and Hoorn , had strong commercial ties with the coastal lumber trade of Norway during

11660-520: Was $ 31,454, and the median income for a family was $ 44,280. Males had a median income of $ 32,051 versus $ 20,841 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 18,929. About 7.0% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over. Fergus Falls is a micropolitan with a diversified economy that includes healthcare, manufacturing, commercial, agricultural, information technology, and utilities. The largest employer

11770-875: Was also head of the Norwegian studies department beginning in 1916. As of 2000, U.S. communities with high percentages of people who use Norwegian language were: As of 2000, the ten U.S. counties with the highest percentage of Norwegian language speakers were: In entertainment, Sigrid Gurie , "the siren of the fjords," starred in numerous motion pictures in the 1930s and 1940s. Other Hollywood actors and personalities with one Norwegian parent or grandparent include James Arness , Paris Hilton , James Cagney , Peter Graves , Tippi Hedren , Lance Henriksen , Celeste Holm , Kristanna Loken , Robert Mitchum , Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen , Elizabeth Olsen , Piper Perabo , Chris Pratt , Priscilla Presley , Michelle Williams , Rainn Wilson and Renée Zellweger . Seminal protopunk musicians Iggy Pop of The Stooges and David Johansen of

11880-575: Was an independent city from 1968 to 2013, while also being the county seat of Bedford County . Bedford reverted to an incorporated town, and remains the county seat, though is now part of the county. The state with the most counties is Texas, with 254, and the state with the fewest counties is Delaware, with 3. Norwegian Americans 1,230,354 (0.4%) Norwegian alone Norwegian Americans ( Norwegian : Norskamerikanere ) are Americans with ancestral roots in Norway . Norwegian immigrants went to

11990-568: Was divided into 8 prefectures ( 州 and 廳 ), which remained after the Republic of China took over. There are 13 county seats in Taiwan, which function as county-administered cities , urban townships , or rural townships . In most of the United States , a county is an administrative or political subdivision of a state that consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The city, town, or populated place that houses county government

12100-735: Was the 14th Chief Justice of the United States . In science, Ernest Lawrence won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1939. Lars Onsager won the 1968 Nobel Prize in Chemistry . Norman Borlaug , father of the Green Revolution , won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. Christian B. Anfinsen won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1972. Ivar Giaever won the Nobel Prize in Physics 1973. Carl Richard Hagen

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