A pair of reenactors face off during Nordic Fest in Decorah, Iowa.
History of the Homeland Vesterheim Museum documents the travels to America
The main four-story building is built It may have been 100 years since the from a hotel that opened in 1877 and the Norwegian rush ended in the Midwest, but grounds also feature a restored stone mill there is a place where you can step inside a from 1851 and a Lutheran Church and virtual time machine and look back on what Prairie House that were brought in from those immigrants brought with them. their original place in North Dakota. In total, nearly 800,000 Norwegians The museum features a total of 16 came to North America from 1825 to 1925, historic buildings. and the Vesterheim Museum in Decorah, “It’s a huge cultural center and it’s also Iowa, is solely dedicated to documenting that dedicated to preserving the living heritage of trek. The museum occupies a full city block Norwegians in America,” Langston said. “We in Decorah and contains 33,000 artifacts, kind of tie into the celebration of immigrants 11,000 books and 14,000 photographs from all backgrounds.” and documents from the Norwegians who The museum features a 25-foot sailing moved to the U.S. boat called the Tradewind, which famously Vesterheim means ‘western home’ in By Rocky Hulne carried Harald and Hans Harman, who were Norwegian and the museum shows how the Photos Provided brothers, 10,000 miles from Norway, to immigrants made the Midwest their home Cuba, to America in 1933. away from home. Besides the famous ship, the museum “Vesterheim is the largest museum in also offers aspects of day-to-day life during the U.S. dedicated to a single immigrant the immigration movement as visitors can spot tools and early group,” said Charlie Lanston, the Vesterheim director of agriculture machinery. communications and marketing. “For a small town, it’s quite a The museum also offers everything an art lover can ask for huge gem.” 48 | Austin Living | May-June 2020
