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Norwegians in TexasMain MenuNorwegians in TexasSettlementsTexas vs. the MidwestArchival Resources at NAHANAHAc8c3eeb8fc534b4204fc4ece92574ef9ee4ab6bd
Early Settlers
12022-07-22T12:29:30-07:00NAHAc8c3eeb8fc534b4204fc4ece92574ef9ee4ab6bd4081015plain12018652022-09-01T14:47:09-07:00NAHAc8c3eeb8fc534b4204fc4ece92574ef9ee4ab6bdEarly Norwegian migration to the United States started in 1825 when the sloop Restauration set sail for a new land. Sixteen years later, the first Norwegian settlers came to lay land claims in the Republic of Texas. The first Norwegian to do this was Johannes Nordboe in 1841 outside of Dallas. Following him, Johan Reinert Reisersen, who set sail on a sponsored trip, arrived in 1843 to settle in Normany (now Brownsboro), Van Zandt County. Four years later, Elise Waerenskjold migrated in 1847 to settle in Brownsboro, Van Zandt County. It wasn't until 1848 that the grandfather of organized Norwegian migration, Cleng Peerson, arrived from Illinois to settle in Four Mile Prairie, Henderson County.
Explore the stories and history of these Texas Norwegian pioneers below!
1media/arrowsmith-kennedy-tx-1841.jpg2022-06-14T14:56:05-07:00NAHAc8c3eeb8fc534b4204fc4ece92574ef9ee4ab6bdCleng Peerson105Cleng Peerson was born Kleng Pedersen Hesthammer in Hesthammer, Tysvær, Norway in 1873 to Peder Larsen and Inger Siversdatter. Little is known about the early life of Peerson except that he traveled widely in Denmark, German, France, and England.plain2022-09-01T14:47:46-07:00NAHAc8c3eeb8fc534b4204fc4ece92574ef9ee4ab6bd
1media/arrowsmith-kennedy-tx-1841.jpgmedia/TexasNorwegians_p1000_06.jpg2022-06-14T14:56:56-07:00NAHAc8c3eeb8fc534b4204fc4ece92574ef9ee4ab6bdJohan R. Reiersen79plain2022-08-15T11:52:59-07:00NAHAc8c3eeb8fc534b4204fc4ece92574ef9ee4ab6bd
1media/arrowsmith-kennedy-tx-1841.jpgmedia/TexasNorwegians_P1000_10.jpg2022-06-14T14:59:00-07:00NAHAc8c3eeb8fc534b4204fc4ece92574ef9ee4ab6bdElise A. Wærenskjold50image_header12018652022-08-31T14:23:17-07:00NAHAc8c3eeb8fc534b4204fc4ece92574ef9ee4ab6bd
