Thingvalla Township, Pembina County, North Dakota
Encyclopedia
Thingvalla Township is a township
in Pembina County
, North Dakota
, United States
. The 2000 Census
reported a population of 121, and an estimated population of 103 as of 2009. President
Ólafur Grímsson
of Iceland
visited area in 1999 to dedicate a monument to poet K. N. Julius
at Thingvalla Church, and Prime Minister
Geir Haarde
visited in 2007 to dedicate a memorial to the church, which burned to the ground in 2003.
The 2nd of August Celebration, commonly known as the "Duece of August" is an annual event in the township. It commemorates the adoption of a new constitution on August 2, 1847, when Iceland was still a part of Denmark
. While it was never an official national holiday in Iceland, it is very popular among Americans of Icelandic descent. The celebration in Thingvalla Township is reportedly the largest Icelandic ethnic event in the United States.
who had settled here. Thingvalla is named after Þingvellir
in Iceland
, the site of Iceland's first parliament (930–1789), and now home to a historical national park. Thingvalla roughly translates to "parliament meadows."
Thingvalla Township was a "double township," spanning two full survey township
s. In 1886, the southern part of the township was organized separately as Gardar Township, named after Gardar Svavarsson
, who was reportedly the first Scandinavian to visit Iceland
.
and Gardar. It was first established in 1887 as a rural post office, and a small Icelandic settlement of around 10 people existed here until the post office closed in 1895.
The church was part of the Pembina Hills Evangelical Lutheran
and operated for more than 100 years. The church was unique among other Icelandic churches in the area, due to its original furnishings, including the organ, altar statue, and pews, and its similarity to the church in Þingvellir
, Iceland
.
The church was used more infrequently in its later years, primarily for special occasions. The church was destroyed by a fire June 3, 2003, during a restoration project. The church was a popular attraction among tourists from Iceland who visited the area. News of the fire even reached as far as Reykjavik
, appearing in the Morgunbladid Daily Newspaper
. A monument to Icelandic poet K. N. Julius
, who is buried there, and the cemetery remain.
Former Prime Minister
Geir Haarde
of Iceland
visited Thingvalla Church during the annual Deuce of August celebration to dedicate a new memorial at the site. The memorial preserves the church's stone foundation and includes a wildflower garden and a replica of the original altar statue.
Kristjan Niels Julius
(1860 – 1936) made his home in Pembina County much of his life, residing in Thingvalla Township. He was born Akureyri
, Iceland
, April 7, 1860, and emigrated to America in 1878. He originally lived in Winnipeg
and later Duluth, Minnesota
before coming to Thingvalla Township around 1894. He was well known for his satirical
poems in both Iceland
and in America. Julius is buried at the Thingvalla Church Cemetery, where there is a monument to him.
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
in Pembina County
Pembina County, North Dakota
Pembina County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. At the time of the 2010 Census its population was 7,413. The county seat is Cavalier....
, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The 2000 Census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
reported a population of 121, and an estimated population of 103 as of 2009. President
President of Iceland
The President of Iceland is Iceland's elected head of state. The president is elected to a four-year term by universal adult suffrage and has limited powers. The president is not the head of government; the Prime Minister of Iceland is the head of government. There have been five presidents since...
Ólafur Grímsson
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson is the fifth and current President of Iceland. He has served as President since 1996; he was unopposed in 2000, re-elected for a third term in 2004, and re-elected unopposed for a fourth term in 2008. He is the longest-serving left-wing president in the history of...
of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
visited area in 1999 to dedicate a monument to poet K. N. Julius
Kristjan Niels Julius
Kristjan Niels "K. N." Julius was a satirical poet from Iceland, who later lived in the U.S. State of North Dakota. He was born April April 7, 1860, and emigrated to North America in 1878. He originally lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and later moved to the United States where he lived in Duluth,...
at Thingvalla Church, and Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Iceland
The Prime Minister of Iceland is Iceland's head of government. The prime minister is appointed formally by the President and exercises executive authority along with the cabinet subject to parliamentary support....
Geir Haarde
Geir Haarde
Geir Hilmar Haarde was Prime Minister of Iceland from 15 June 2006 to 1 February 2009 and Chairman of the Icelandic Independence Party from 2005 to 2009. Geir initially led a coalition between his party and the Progressive Party...
visited in 2007 to dedicate a memorial to the church, which burned to the ground in 2003.
The 2nd of August Celebration, commonly known as the "Duece of August" is an annual event in the township. It commemorates the adoption of a new constitution on August 2, 1847, when Iceland was still a part of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. While it was never an official national holiday in Iceland, it is very popular among Americans of Icelandic descent. The celebration in Thingvalla Township is reportedly the largest Icelandic ethnic event in the United States.
History
Thingvalla Township was organized in 1882, and, along with Beaulieu and Akra Townships, was known as one of the "Icelandic Townships," due the large population of IcelandersIcelanders
Icelanders are a Scandinavian ethnic group and a nation, native to Iceland.On 17 June 1944, when an Icelandic republic was founded the Icelanders became independent from the Danish monarchy. The language spoken is Icelandic, a North Germanic language, and Lutheranism is the predominant religion...
who had settled here. Thingvalla is named after Þingvellir
Þingvellir
|Thing]] Fields) is a place in Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, near the peninsula of Reykjanes and the Hengill volcanic area. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. It is the site of a rift...
in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, the site of Iceland's first parliament (930–1789), and now home to a historical national park. Thingvalla roughly translates to "parliament meadows."
Thingvalla Township was a "double township," spanning two full survey township
Survey township
Survey township, sometimes called Congressional township, as used by the United States Public Land Survey System, refers to a square unit of land, that is nominally six miles on a side...
s. In 1886, the southern part of the township was organized separately as Gardar Township, named after Gardar Svavarsson
Gardar Svavarsson
Garðarr Svavarsson was a Swedish man who is considered by many to be the first Scandinavian to live in Iceland, although only for one winter....
, who was reportedly the first Scandinavian to visit Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
Eyford Church
The Thingvalla Icelandic Lutheran Church was built in Thingvalla Township in the early 1890s. The church and community that surrounded it was also known locally as Eyford. Eyford was located roughly halfway between MountainMountain, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 133 people, 43 households, and 26 families residing in the city. The population density was 978.4 people per square mile . There were 55 housing units at an average density of 404.6 per square mile...
and Gardar. It was first established in 1887 as a rural post office, and a small Icelandic settlement of around 10 people existed here until the post office closed in 1895.
The church was part of the Pembina Hills Evangelical Lutheran
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
and operated for more than 100 years. The church was unique among other Icelandic churches in the area, due to its original furnishings, including the organ, altar statue, and pews, and its similarity to the church in Þingvellir
Þingvellir
|Thing]] Fields) is a place in Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, near the peninsula of Reykjanes and the Hengill volcanic area. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. It is the site of a rift...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
The church was used more infrequently in its later years, primarily for special occasions. The church was destroyed by a fire June 3, 2003, during a restoration project. The church was a popular attraction among tourists from Iceland who visited the area. News of the fire even reached as far as Reykjavik
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, appearing in the Morgunbladid Daily Newspaper
Morgunblaðið
Morgunblaðið is a newspaper published in Iceland, founded by Vilhjálmur Finsen & Olaf Björnsson, brother to the first president. The first issue, only eight pages long, was published on 2 November 1913. Six years later, in 1919, the corporation Árvakur bought out the company...
. A monument to Icelandic poet K. N. Julius
Kristjan Niels Julius
Kristjan Niels "K. N." Julius was a satirical poet from Iceland, who later lived in the U.S. State of North Dakota. He was born April April 7, 1860, and emigrated to North America in 1878. He originally lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and later moved to the United States where he lived in Duluth,...
, who is buried there, and the cemetery remain.
Former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Iceland
The Prime Minister of Iceland is Iceland's head of government. The prime minister is appointed formally by the President and exercises executive authority along with the cabinet subject to parliamentary support....
Geir Haarde
Geir Haarde
Geir Hilmar Haarde was Prime Minister of Iceland from 15 June 2006 to 1 February 2009 and Chairman of the Icelandic Independence Party from 2005 to 2009. Geir initially led a coalition between his party and the Progressive Party...
of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
visited Thingvalla Church during the annual Deuce of August celebration to dedicate a new memorial at the site. The memorial preserves the church's stone foundation and includes a wildflower garden and a replica of the original altar statue.
Notable native
Icelandic poetPoet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Kristjan Niels Julius
Kristjan Niels Julius
Kristjan Niels "K. N." Julius was a satirical poet from Iceland, who later lived in the U.S. State of North Dakota. He was born April April 7, 1860, and emigrated to North America in 1878. He originally lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and later moved to the United States where he lived in Duluth,...
(1860 – 1936) made his home in Pembina County much of his life, residing in Thingvalla Township. He was born Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, April 7, 1860, and emigrated to America in 1878. He originally lived in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
and later Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
before coming to Thingvalla Township around 1894. He was well known for his satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
poems in both Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and in America. Julius is buried at the Thingvalla Church Cemetery, where there is a monument to him.