Decorah Posten facts for kids
Decorah-Posten was a very important newspaper. It was written in the Norwegian language. The newspaper was printed in Decorah, Iowa. Brynild Anundsen started it in 1874. He was from Skien, Norway. Many Scandinavian immigrants in America read this newspaper. It was popular in many states.
Contents
How the Newspaper Started and Grew
The story of Decorah-Posten began in 1866. That year, the first Norwegian-American magazine appeared. It was called Ved Arnen, which means "By the Fireside." This magazine was printed in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Later, Ved Arnen became a special section in Decorah-Posten. It was like a mini-magazine inside the newspaper.
Starting in Decorah, Iowa
Brynild Anundsen moved his printing business to Decorah, Iowa, in 1867. Then, on September 18, 1874, he launched Decorah-Posten. It was a well-made newspaper. Its size and look slowly got better over time. Anundsen was smart. He kept the newspaper away from big arguments about politics or religion. This helped Decorah-Posten succeed. Many other newspapers failed because of these kinds of fights.
Anundsen was known for his good decisions. He also had great business skills. He always kept up with the newest ways to print and deliver newspapers. He even made his printing building bigger as the newspaper grew.
Popular Features and Stories
A favorite part of Decorah-Posten was the news. It came from Norwegian immigrants and their families. They lived in many towns across the upper Midwest. The newspaper often shared Norwegian stories and books. These were printed in parts, like a TV series. They usually appeared in the Ved Arnen section.
Saving the Newspaper with a Story
One very popular story was by Hans Andersen Foss. It was called The Cotter's Son. This story was printed in 1899. Many people believe this story saved Decorah-Posten. The newspaper was having money problems. But the story was so popular it helped the paper avoid going out of business.
The Famous Comic Strip
In 1918, a new comic strip started in Decorah-Posten. It was called Han Ola og han Per. This comic was only found in Decorah-Posten. Peter Julius Rosendahl drew the comic strip. He drew it from 1918 until 1935. The newspaper kept reprinting the comic strip. It was printed almost all the time until the newspaper stopped publishing.
Important Editors of the Newspaper
Johannes B. Wist was a writer and journalist. He became the editor of Decorah-Posten in 1901. He stayed editor until he passed away in 1923. During this time, he also edited Symra. Symra was another Norwegian language magazine. It was also printed in Decorah, Iowa.
After Wist, Kristian Prestgard became the main editor. He led the newspaper from 1923 until he died in 1946. Simon Johnson also worked as an editor. He was co-editor from 1929 until he retired in 1945.
Joining Other Newspapers
Decorah-Posten grew by joining with other newspapers. In 1935, it took in the Minneapolis Tidende. Then, in 1941, it joined with Skandinaven. By 1948, Decorah-Posten was very big. It said it had more readers than all other Norwegian-American newspapers combined.
The End and What Came Next
Decorah-Posten stopped printing in 1972. It was bought by another newspaper called Western Viking. Today, this newspaper is known as The Norwegian American. It prints in two languages. It continues the history of many old Norwegian language newspapers. These include Decorah-Posten, Ved Arnen, Minneapolis-Tidende, Minnesota Posten, Washington Posten, Norrøna, and Skandiaben.
It's not known if there is a full list of all the articles from Decorah-Posten. If there is, we don't know for what years or where to find it.
Other Sources
- Lovoll, Odd S. Decorah-Posten: The Story of an Immigrant Newspaper (Norwegian-American Historical Association. Volume 27: Page 77)
- Bailey, Edwin C. Past and Present of Winneshiek County, Iowa. Volume II (S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Chicago. 1913)
