Editor’s note: 2016 is the 120th anniversary of the founding of Martha & Mary in Poulsbo, and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Poulsbo Sons of Norway lodge. Over the next year, the Herald will publish a series of stories on the history of those organizations. To start the series, we thought it appropriate to begin at the beginning — the first Norwegian group immigration to the United States.

By STIAN NORHEIM
Contributor

This year marks the 190-year anniversary of the ship Restoration’s departure from Stavanger, with the first batch of Norwegian emigrants heading to the USA.

On July 4, 1825, a boat carrying 52 passengers embarked on a difficult journey across the Atlantic Ocean. It took three months before the ship arrived in the U.S. — by then they were 53 passengers. Martha Geil, wife of ship captain Lars Larsen Geil, gave birth to a daughter during the course of the journey, and named her Margaret Allen.

Since then, close to 1 million Norwegians flocked to the United States in search of a better life. They spread wide across the continent, but it was in the North and on the West Coast that the Norwegians were happiest. The rest of Scandinavia were also longing for better living conditions and took the sea route to America. From 1860 to 1930, hundreds of thousands left to travel to the promised land, leaving everything they owned behind. Most ended up in the Northwest, where they enjoyed a decent northern climate, while the Danes seemed to prefer the heat in California.

The passengers onboard “Restoration” had planned on settling in New York. However, they did not get there without problems. According to U.S. laws, there were too many passengers onboard the ship, and the vessel was kept at shore while the captain was arrested. Luckily, President John Quincy Adams personally gave them permission to enter the country. Cleng Peerson from Norway ensured that the passengers onboard “Restoration” had a well-suited place to settle in America. He travelled there some years earlier and investigated different options of land for the Norwegians. Lake Ontario in New York ended up being the best choice. Later, Peerson established several Nordic settlements in the United States, for instance: Norway, Illinois.

“Restoration” was the beginning of a century of Norwegian emigration to the United States, and many followed in the ship’s nautical footsteps. Today, there are about 4.5 million people who define themselves as Norwegian Americans, although few master the Norwegian language. Only a small portion of those who went to the United States returned to Norway. Around 85 percent of the emigrants moved to the U.S. indefinitely.

Perhaps it is not too surprising that most Nordic emigrants stayed. Tickets for the “America boat” cost much more than a year’s salary. In 1840, a ticket amounted to around 35 “spesidaler,” and an ordinary worker earned only 10 “daler” a year. Therefore, many had no choice but to sell their farm or their house to afford tickets for themselves and their family.

When the Norwegians first arrived in America, they were met with cheap land and many opportunities. In fact, the U.S. government promised 160 acres of free land to those who could colonize the Midwest. Many Norwegians took the “north route” west toward Michigan, Minnesota, Montana and Washington.

Several national traditions followed the Norwegian Americans from their homeland. In Chicago, you can join a “Leikarring” group for traditional Norwegian dance, or the “Norwegian Ski Club” for winter-related activities. Scandinavian cuisine has also gained a new momentum after its journey across the Atlantic Ocean, and a new favorite is to mix everything from lutefisk to meatballs and lefse on the same plate — preferably on the Norwegian national day of May 17.

Sources: US Census 2009, Expedia, The National Norwegian Library.

— Stian Norheim is a native of a small town just outside of Stavanger, Norway. He is outreach executive for Verve Search and lives in Surrey, England.