In 1913, Orin G. Libby, secretary at the State Historical Society, reported that the curator of the society was anxious to secure representative collections illustrating the early life of the state’s various nationalities. Only one had proper representation, according to Libby; and while you might think that it was the German, Norwegian or indigenous populations, you would be incorrect. The only group reported as having good representation was the Icelandic population.
The State Historical Society noted this years earlier in a 1905 report to the governor, which said: “North Dakota is unique in its Icelandic population, and the collection is intended to preserve from oblivion many of the curious and interesting phases of old-world life of this portion of our population. A complete gala-day costume, beautifully embroidered with gold and silver thread, an old spinning wheel, a carved box covered with an Icelandic inscription and several fine specimens of metal work in silver and brass are among the more noteworthy pieces in the collection.”
In 1907, the Bismarck Tribune noted that “much [was] being done to secure the kinds of dress, the newspapers and especially copies of old and valuable magazines, spinning wheels and other implements showing the life and conditions of the various nationalities that will someday make up the homogeneous mass of mankind that will live in this state.”
In 1910, 2,784 Icelanders in the state made up only about one half of a percent of the population. By 1980, their small population in North Dakota was still the largest population in the United States, since most had settled in Canada. Their early settlement around Pembina County helped shape the area.
Today, the North Dakota State Archives holds a number of records connecting to the state’s Icelandic population. The Archives even hold a number of newspapers printed almost entirely in the Icelandic language—published as late as 1987.
Dakota Datebook by Sarah Walker
Sources:
- Bismarck Daily Tribune, April 21, 1907, p3
- Bismarck Daily Tribune, March 26, 1907, p5
- Bismarck Daily Tribune, July 9, 1907, p8**quote about securing items
- Report of the State Historical Society of North Dakota to the Governor of North Dakota, 1905
- Collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, volume 4 Plains Folk, North Dakota’s Ethnic History / William C. Sherman and Playford V. Thorson, editors