by Roger Tveiten
Looking back on the past 12 months, things went well for the 1825-2025 Norwegian migration bi-centennial celebration. Called “Crossings 200”, there were events and activities held in Norway and in the U. S., recalling the start of one of the largest mass migrations in American history. Heritage events and activities were held in North Iowa as well. Here is a short list.
*The Ullensvang Lutheran Church in Thor had their second annual Kumla Feed on March 5 in honor of their immigrant founders.
*Weekly newspapers in North Iowa featured articles about the 1825-2025 bi-centennial and related events.
*In April, 2500 souvenir envelopes promoting the bi-centennial were printed in Belmond and distributed locally and to Sons of Norway lodges in North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa.
*An open house at the Belmond History Museum was held to promote a 287 page book about early Norwegian settlers in Wright County. The book’s author attended that event and on May 4th spoke to members of the Saint Olaf Lutheran Church about their immigrant past.
*In Lake Mills, a catered Syttende Mai banquet celebrated the “Crossings 200” bi-centennial on May 5th. . An official from the Vesterheim Museum gave the program. Eighty attended this annual Sons of Norway gala held at the great hall of the Salem Lutheran Church.
*On June 26, 28 and 29 at the Norwegian Emigration Museum in Hedmark, Norway, there was an outdoor, history play about Wright County. It was not in English. It had a large cast and included horses, dogs and other farm animals. It was about Norwegian pioneers arriving in 1869 to an area west of Belmond and north of Clarion before there was a Belmond. Yes, “Crossings 200” was also celebrated in Norway.
*In early October Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, heir to the throne, came to Iowa, Minnesota and New York to honor Norwegian-Americans and be a part of “Crossings 200”. The first state he visited, of course, was Iowa. The first city he visited, of course, was Decorah. The first and best reception, of course, was at the Vesterheim Norwegian American Immigration Museum, there. While the Prince did not come to North Iowa, some residents of Belmond and Mason City did come to him, attending a banquet and a private reception.
In the year 2025, there were many other “Crossings 200” events in New York City and all across the Lefse Belt from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest. All-in-all, 2025 was a pretty good year for Norwegian heritage in America. It was, also, a pretty good year for Norwegian heritage in Iowa. And, yes, of course, in North Iowa, it was an especially good year .
