Norway, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Norway, Illinois is an unincorporated community in Mission Township
, LaSalle County, Illinois
. The community was the site of an early Norwegian-American settlement.
in this location starting in 1834. The village was the site of an early Norwegian immigrant settlement in the southern part of Mission township. The settlers had in large part relocated from the Kendall
settlement in New York State which had been founded seven years before by the pioneers who arrived from Norway during 1825 aboard the Restauration
. Norwegian-American pioneer leader Cleng Peerson
founded this second settlement in the Fox River Valley of Illinois
.
Norsk Museum, once an old Norwegian Lutheran Church, is located 9 miles northeast of Ottawa, Illinois
on highway 71. Norsk Museum is dedicated to the Scandinavian settlers who founded the area around Norway, Illinois in the 1800's.
Norway and the neighboring community of Newark, Illinois
represent the predominant Scandinavian
heritage of the far Northeast corner of LaSalle County, Illinois, part of Kendall County, Illinois
, and far Southeast corner of DeKalb County, Illinois
. Norway was also an early site of missionary work by Mormons
which laid the groundwork for later Mormon missions in Scandinavia
.
Norway is deeply connected to its past, as most evidently shown at the Norway Store. The store has sat on the same spot for over a century, and the Borchsenius Family, which started the store, still continues to own the store, as well as a nursery and a few other pieces of land in the immediate area. The area of Norway sits within an awkward bend in the Fox River, much as Sheridan to the north, but Sheridan is widely protected by its situation atop a sandstone bluff. The community of Norway is assisted in many ways by neighboring Sheridan, Serena, and Newark.
Mission Township, LaSalle County, Illinois
Mission Township is located in LaSalle County, Illinois. The population was 4,178 at the 2000 census.Mission Township was given its name due to the church-riding ministers riding across to different churches in the township. One of these ministers, Jessie Walker, actually has a memorial at the...
, LaSalle County, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. The community was the site of an early Norwegian-American settlement.
History
Norway received its name for the nearby settlement of immigrants from NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in this location starting in 1834. The village was the site of an early Norwegian immigrant settlement in the southern part of Mission township. The settlers had in large part relocated from the Kendall
Kendall, New York
Kendall is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 2,838 at the 2000 census. The Town of Kendall is in the northeast corner of the county and is northwest of Rochester.- History :...
settlement in New York State which had been founded seven years before by the pioneers who arrived from Norway during 1825 aboard the Restauration
Restauration
Restauration is French for restoration.Restauration can refer to:*European Restoration, the return of many monarchies after Napoleon's French were defeated.** Bourbon Restoration, the restoration of the French monarchy under Louis XVIII....
. Norwegian-American pioneer leader Cleng Peerson
Cleng Peerson
Cleng Peerson was a Norwegian-American pioneer who led the first group of Norwegians to emigrate to the United States, traveling on the Norwegian sloop Restauration.-Background:...
founded this second settlement in the Fox River Valley of Illinois
Fox Valley (Illinois)
The Fox Valley—also commonly known as the Fox River Valley—is a rural, suburban, and exurban region within Illinois and Wisconsin along the western edges of the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. This region centers on the Fox River of Illinois and Wisconsin...
.
Memorial
Just south of Norway, there is a memorial dedicated to Norwegian immigrants who settled in the area, with a small park, a cemetery, and a plaque from King Olav V. This memorial commemorates the Fox River Settlement, the site of the first permanent Norwegian-American immigrant settlement in the Midwest.Norsk Museum, once an old Norwegian Lutheran Church, is located 9 miles northeast of Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,786...
on highway 71. Norsk Museum is dedicated to the Scandinavian settlers who founded the area around Norway, Illinois in the 1800's.
Norway and the neighboring community of Newark, Illinois
Newark, Illinois
Newark is a village in Kendall County, Illinois, United States. The population was 887 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Newark is located at ....
represent the predominant Scandinavian
Scandinavians
Scandinavians are a group of Germanic peoples, inhabiting Scandinavia and to a lesser extent countries associated with Scandinavia, and speaking Scandinavian languages. The group includes Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, and additionally the descendants of Scandinavian settlers such as the Icelandic...
heritage of the far Northeast corner of LaSalle County, Illinois, part of Kendall County, Illinois
Kendall County, Illinois
Kendall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 114,736, which is an increase of 110% from 54,544 in 2000. It was the fastest-growing county in the United States between the years 2000 and...
, and far Southeast corner of DeKalb County, Illinois
DeKalb County, Illinois
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 105,160, which is an increase of 18.2% from 88,969 in 2000. Its county seat is Sycamore. DeKalb County is part of the Chicago metropolitan statistical area.-History:DeKalb County...
. Norway was also an early site of missionary work by Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
which laid the groundwork for later Mormon missions in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
.
Norway is deeply connected to its past, as most evidently shown at the Norway Store. The store has sat on the same spot for over a century, and the Borchsenius Family, which started the store, still continues to own the store, as well as a nursery and a few other pieces of land in the immediate area. The area of Norway sits within an awkward bend in the Fox River, much as Sheridan to the north, but Sheridan is widely protected by its situation atop a sandstone bluff. The community of Norway is assisted in many ways by neighboring Sheridan, Serena, and Newark.