Norwegian Settlers Memorial facts for kids
The Norwegian Settlers Memorial is a special monument in Illinois, USA. It honors the brave people who came from Norway to start new lives in America. This memorial marks the Fox River Settlement, which was the very first lasting Norwegian-American community in the Midwest.
You can find the memorial just south of a town called Norway in LaSalle County, Illinois. It's right by Illinois Route 71, about 9 miles (14.5 km) northeast of Exit 93 on Interstate 80. It's a place where you can learn about an important part of American history.
The First Norwegian Settlers in Illinois
This memorial celebrates the arrival of the first group of Norwegian farmers in 1834. They were looking for new land and opportunities. A leader named Cleng Peerson guided them. He was known for traveling a lot and helping Norwegian immigrants find new homes.
Cleng Peerson had also helped an earlier group of Norwegians come to America in 1825. They sailed on a ship called the Restauration and landed in Kendall, New York. Many people in Norway were looking for new places to live because a very cold year in 1816, sometimes called the "Year Without a Summer," had badly damaged their farms. Younger sons and daughters from farming families especially wanted new chances.
The Fox River Settlement
During the 1840s, the Fox River Settlement became a very important stop for many Norwegian immigrants entering America. It was a place where they could rest, get help, and decide where to go next. Many decided to stay and build new lives there.
The Norwegian Settlers Memorial was officially opened in 1934. This was 100 years after Cleng Peerson's group first arrived in the Fox River Valley. When the memorial was dedicated, many of the people still living and farming in the area were descendants of those original settlers from 1834.
Today, the memorial is a historic site managed by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. There are no staff members there, but visitors can still explore and learn about the history.
Special Plaques at the Memorial
There are three different plaques at the Norwegian Settlers Memorial. Each one tells a part of the story:
- The first plaque was placed in 1934. It remembers the arrival of that first group of Norwegian-American immigrants.
- The second and third plaques were added in 1975. These celebrated the 150th anniversary of Norwegian-American immigration to the United States. They also dedicated the nearby Cleng Peerson Memorial Highway.
A very special guest, His Majesty King Olav V of Norway, came to dedicate the Cleng Peerson plaque on October 17, 1975. This showed how important the memorial is to both Norway and the United States.
