January 16 marks the day that Sons of Norway was founded. On that day, 130 years ago, in 1895, eighteen individuals signed the charter that made this organization official. While others quickly joined as members, Sons of Norway has come to consider those initial signers as the “founders” of the organization.
What they all had in common is that they were Norwegian immigrants who had settled in Minneapolis and experienced the negative outcomes of an economic depression that occurred in 1893. With each having a love of their homeland, loyalty to their new country and desire for financial security, they came together to create a fraternal organization that could address the financial and economic needs of other Norwegian-Americans.
The charter they signed reflected what Norwegian immigrants of the time would have desired while settling into their new country. While they certainly wanted to preserve their Norwegian culture and language, there was a heavy focus on being hard working, honest, and respected American citizens. In doing so, they could provide financial assistance and help to members—and by extension their families– from ruin in the face of illness, death and hardship.
While the founders became organized on this side of the Atlantic, many happened to come from the same region of Norway. Fifteen members came from the Trøndelag region, which encompasses both Trondheim and Selbu, where many of these men were born. Then there was one each from Oslo, Bergen and the Valdres area.
Once the charter was signed and the fraternal organization launched, many of the founders who signed the charter remained active and lifelong members. Quite a few would go on to serve in various officer roles or other committees. One founding member, Bersvend Draxten, would eventually become the first Supreme President of the organization in 1900, after having served in other roles from the start.
While much more could be said about this forward-thinking group of men, we are grateful to continue celebrating what they envisioned – 130 years later.