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History
in a Pecan Shell
Cleng Peerson, the man who is known as the "Father
of Norwegian Immigration" is buried in the churchyard at Norse. The church,
Our Savior 's Lutheran Church (dedicated
in 1878), is the last remaining public building.
At one time Norse was
the largest and most successful Norwegian settlement in Texas.
An elaborate marker at the Norse Cemetery has images of the first
Norwegian families. |
The Marker commemorating
the first settlers
On the grounds of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, an historic
site
Photo Courtesy Lou
Ann Herda, July 2001 |
A
timeline of significant historical events in Norse
1845: The first Norwegian immigrants arrive in (East)
Texas
1853: Driven out of East
Texas by malaria, they headed west looking for not greener - but dryer pastures.,
The settlers found a landscape more reminiscent of Norway, although it was noticeably
short on Fijords. The isolated families soon centered their social life upon a
scattered group of buildings, including a rock school and a few stores, which
they named Norse.
1878: Our Savior's
Lutheran Church was constructed. |
1880: The community
is granted a post office.
1880s: The Norse Mutual Fire Insurance Company
was formed.
1929: The post office closed.
1949: A Smorgasbord
tradition is set in place that has continued each Novemeber since.
1982:
King Olav V of Norway visited Our Savior's
Lutheran Church to honor Cleng Peerson.
1980s: Population is
a dispersed 100 people. |
Seventh Day
Adventist Church about 1.4 miles NE of Norse
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, January 2004 |
Norse Old News:
Runaway
scrapes by Mike Cox
Thousands of people die every year in traffic crashes,
but the horse and buggy era had its injurious and fatal accidents as well. |
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