Immigrant Trunks

I have new favorite artifacts! (OK – I have many favorite artifacts, but this is a great story, so please indulge me as I share this with you.)

Like most local historical societies, we have MANY immigrant trunks in our collection. MANY. No doubt each one was a treasured item to someone who packed up their belongings and traveled to the opposite side of the world in search of a better life, but for it to really be valuable to us, we want to know the story.

Two of the trunks with no museum documentation had names painted and carved on the front. We did some research to see if there was any way we could connect them to Pope County history or if they really belonged in a different historical society.

The first trunk read: “Ole Petersen Leirmigen Madelia P.o. Watonvien C.O. Minisota Nort Amerika”
Clearly, Mr. Ole Petersen wanted his trunk to be delivered to Madelia Minnesota in Watonwan County, should he and his luggage get separated. Judging from the spelling of North America, we could tell that he traveled from Scandinavia, most likely Norway.

I searched through our extensive files for every Ole Petersen or Peterson. We have several early settlers by that name. In each case, we were able to track their progress through North America on their way to Pope County. None of them came through Madelia. I also looked for anyone with the last name Leirmigen, with no success.
Eventually, I e-mailed the fine folks at the Watonwan County Historical society to see if they would like the trunk for their collection.

While waiting to hear from them, I turned my attention to another mystery trunk in our museum. This one had the name and destination carved into the front. “Margit Pederson (illegible) til Faribault Po. Rice Co. Minesota Nort Amerika.” There were no Margit Pedersons or Petersons in any of our records that could match the trunk. I began to think that this trunk really should go to the Rice County Historical Society.

There were two words under her name that I couldn’t make out. I tried making a pencil rubbing, and could still only make out the letters of one of the words: “glitre”. I can read some Danish/Norwegian, but that word did not make any sense to me. I asked Merlin, who can also read Norwegian, if it made sense to him. He pondered a moment and said, “There is a family with the last name Glittre in the Lake Johanna area of Pope County.”

So – back to the family files we went and discovered a file for John Glittre. The family took their name from the farm in Norway that was named for the glittering rocks on the hillside.
In John Glittre’s file was an obituary for his sister Margit Lerhaug, who had been the wife of Ole Peterson Lerhaug! I had misread Leiraugen as Leirmigen. Leiraugen was later shortened to Lerhaug.

Suddenly, everything fell into place! Needless to say, the trunks will not be relocating to Watonwan and Rice Counties, as they definitely have Pope County stories.

So now, between information gleaned from our family files and Ancestry.com, I can tell you the story of Margit and Ole and their trunks.

Ole and Margit Lerhaug

Ole Pettersen / Petersen / Peterson / Leirhaugen / Lerhaug was born January 11, 1855  and baptized February 11 in Gol, Norway as Ole Pettersen.

According to family lore, he (and his trunk) immigrated to the United States in 1883. He became a citizen while residing in Goodhue County.

Margit Pederson/ Petersdatter/ Glittre was born February 11, 1860 and baptized March 4 in Gol, Norway as Margit Pedersdatter.

She (and her trunk) traveled to the United States with her sister Anna aboard the ship “City of Berlin” and arrived in New York in June of 1885. She made her way to Minnesota and was married to Ole October 29, 1885 in Kenyon Minnesota.

The ship that brought Margit to America.

 

 

Passenger list for “City of Berlin”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was not able to determine with certainty if Margit and Ole knew each other in Norway, but since they came from the same town, it is quite likely.  The fact that they were married in October, only four months after Margit’s arrival in New York is another indication that perhaps they knew each other and planned to be married upon her arrival.

The marriage record of Margit and Ole.

They lived in Rice and Goodhue Counties for several years before settling in Pope County in 1889.

They farmed in Lake Johanna area and were founding members of the Lake Johanna Lutheran Church. They had 10 children together.

Ole passed away in January of 1939 and Margit (or Margaret as she was sometimes known), passed away in January of 1943. They are both buried in the Lake Jonanna cemetery.

 

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Silent Auction Items Available

Here is the current list of baskets / items for bidding. More items are being added each day. There are photos of many of the items following the list. Stop in and see us and place your bids.

	Donor	Title	Description	Value
1	Terry and Jim Elsey	Jelly Basket #1	Wild Plum, Grape & Chokecherry Jelly	Priceless
2	Kathy Jacobs	Small Christmas Village	Set of 5 smaller scale buildings with figurines
3	Urban Threads	T-Shirt	Girls Run The World – size large	$35 Value
4	Urban Threads	Cardigan	Black lace “Pom” cardigan – size large	$70 Value
5	Matt Pederson	MN Twins Greats	Baseball cards for Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, and Tony Oliva
6	Matt Pederson	MN Lynx Superstars	Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus
7	Jerry Larson	Bird House	Wine Cork Birdhouse, Suet, Birdseed, Picture
8	Terry and Jim Elsey	Jelly Basket #2	Wild Plum, Grape & Chokecherry Jelly	Priceless
9	Wendy Zander	Vintage Dishes	White dishes with 8 cups & saucers, 7 lunch plates, 7 bowls, 8 dinner plates. There are a few chips.
10	Johnson Chiropractic	Chiroflow Water Pillow		$50 Value
11	Terry and Jim Elsey	Jelly Basket #3	Wild Plum, Grape & Chokecherry Jelly	Priceless
12	Midwest Machine	Model Tractor	2520 Diesel	$30 Value
13	Midwest Machine	Model Combine	5680 Combine with Draper Head	$40 Value
14	Karen Kirckof	Cookie Assortment	Will be at the Museum on Saturday for the winner to take home.	$25 Value
15	Minnewaska Bait & Tackle / Minnewaska Marine	Fishing Package	Crossfire 3000 Fishing Reel from Minnewaska Bait and Tackle+ Gift Certificate for $35 off a $50 Purchase at Minnewaska Marine	$53  Value
16	Starbuck Telephone Company	Cordless Phone System	2 Handset System	$50 Value
17	Janet Beckwith & Bonnie Krueger	Norwex & Dishtowel Basket	Scrub Mitt, Spray Bottle, Cloths, and 4 Hand embroidered Dish Towels	$90 Value
18	Karen Kirckof	Kransekake	Will be at the Museum on Saturday for the winner to take home.	$30 Value
19	Terry and Jim Elsey	Jelly Basket #4	Wild Plum, Grape & Chokecherry Jelly	Priceless
20	The Emporium – Todd Gyslen	Geodes	2 with mining sculpture
21	The Emporium – Todd Gyslen	Geode
22	Isdahl Hardware	Life Jacket	Stearns Personal Flotation Device	$30 Value
23	Minnewaska Liquor & The Emporium	Wine and Platter
24	Ace Hardware	Circular Saw & Drill and Driver Kit	5.5 Inch Circular Saw AND Lithium Ion 1/2″ drill/driver set	$150 Value
25	Glenwood State Bank	Cozy Blanket	Mugs, Napkins, Peanut Brittle, Cocoa and Trivet	$40 Value
26	Peddler Dan’s	Golden Gopher Set	History of Gopher Football	$50 Value
27	Eagle Bank	Christmas Truck	Minnesota Items: Coffee Mug, Napkins, Cocoa, Potholder
28	Brenda Flemal	Vintage Doll #1	Ballerina
29	Brenda Flemal	Vintage Doll #2	Porcelain Doll from Dynasty Collection. It has a mended foot.
30	Samuelson’s Drug Store	Canvas Print	Route 66 themed wall art	$30 Value
31	Kathy Jacobs & Kadejan Market	First Snowfall	$25 Gift Certificate to Kadejan Market and 4 Dinner plates, 4 mugs, 4 salad plates, platter, salt & pepper, serving bowl, dip bowl & spreader
32	Phyllis Sorensen	Hand Vacuum	Black & Decker Cordless Lithium Hand Vacuum	$40 Value
33	Appy Mikel – Edina Realty	Cheesecake	6″ Chocolate Cheesecake from Honeypot Cheesecake
34	Custom Comfort Beds	$250 Gift Certificate	Good for $250 off a queen or king mattress or and adjustable bed	$250 Value
35	Custom Comfort Beds	$250 Gift Certificate	Good for $250 off a queen or king mattress or and adjustable bed	$250 Value
36	Custom Comfort Beds	$250 Gift Certificate	Good for $250 off a queen or king mattress or and adjustable bed	$250 Value
37	Canary Beach Resort	Mini Vacation	Gift Certificate for a 2 night stay in their new lake-front, two level, two bedroom (sleeps 6) cabin. Must be used prior to May 17, 2019.
38	Creative Images Salon – Starbuck	$50 Gift Certificate		$50 Value
39	Bobber’s Marine	$25 Gift Certificate		$25 Value
40	Minnewaska Marine	Gift Certificate	Good for $25 off a $50 purchase	$25 Value
41	Grand Casino Mille Lacs	Weeknight Stay	One Free Night (Sunday-Thursday) and $30 dining credit at Grand Casino Mille Lacs	$100 Value
42	Minnewaska Golf Club	18 holes for 4 people	Free Foursome for 18 holes of golf.	$144 Value
43	Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort	Weeknight Stay	One Free Night (Sunday-Thursday) and $25 dining credit at Prairie’s Edge	$100 Value
44	Palmer Creations	$50 Gift Certificate		$50 Value
45	Affordable Floor Covering	Flooring	12′ x 9′ 7″ “Fresh Start Clearwater Oak” Vinyl flooring	$155 Value
46	Dave & JoAnne Pederson	Yeti Cooler	The Most Amazing Cooler	$450 Value
47		General MacArthur	Vintage Doll
48	Jeannie Olson	Stereoscope and cards	The cards feature golfer Bobby Jones
49	Jody Greeley	Map of the World
50	Jody Greeley	Map of the United States
51	Eco Water	Water Basket	Contains gift certificates good for 4 bags of softener salt.
52	Eco Water	Water Basket	Contains gift certificates good for 4 bags of softener salt.
53	Dental Health Service	Sonicare Toothbrush	Phillips Essence+ Sonic Toothbrush	$75 Value
54	Mary Boyle	Mayme Kalina Painting	Thistles	Priceless
55	Karen Kirckof	Mayme Kalina Painting	Woodland Scene	Priceless
56		Street Sign	Minnesota Avenue
57		Street Sign	Franklin Street
58	Carole Lofquist	Stamp Set	Vintage Children’s Printing Set
59	Water’s Edge	$25 Gift Certificate and T-Shirt (size L)		$40 Value
60	Clyde Machines	Skol Vikings
61	Clyde Machines	Skol Vikings
62	Brenda Flemal	Tupperware Basket	6 pieces of Tupperware
63		Merry and Bright Basket	Beanie Babies from Brenda Flemal, Puzzle, Necklace from Kathy Jacobs, $10 Gift Certificate from A&W, and 2 Adult Punch Cards for Activities at Minnewaska Area High School.
64	Napa Auto Parts	1958 GMC Straight Truck
65	Minnewaska House	$50 Gift Certificate	Plus a bottle of wine.	$60 Value
66	Stivland Gardens & Bremer Bank, Starbuck		Jelly and Jam & Stainless Steel Water Bottle
67	Stivland Gardens & Bremer Bank, Starbuck		Jelly and Jam & Stainless Steel Water Bottle
68	Barb Schliesman	“Cheep Seeds”	Birdfeeder made by “Grandpa Krogstad” and Sunflower seeds.
69	Nancy Gandrud	Snowmen	7 hand-embroidered dishtowels & a Snowman	Priceless
70	Marian Pladson	Snowman	Standing snowman figure
71	Nancy Gandrud	Butterflies	7 hand-embroidered dishtowels & a Clifford Ogdahl Butterfly pin	Priceless
72		Night Out	Candy Dish, Wine, and $25 Gift Certificate to Duffy’s Roadhouse	$50 Value
73	Bob Gandrud	Wind Chimes	Hand-made Wind chimes + a $25 Gift Certificate from Fleet Supply	Priceless
74		Beach Day!	Beach chair from Donna Sandmeyer, beach bag with 2 towels, vintage beach cover-up and $25 gift certificate from Minnewaska Liquor
75		Bicentennial Coins	Eisenhower Dollar, Kennedy 50 Cent and Bicentennial Quarter all from 1976
76		Susan B. Anthony Proof Coin
77	Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company	Vodka & Glasses
78	Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company	Gin & Glasses
79	Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company	Gin + Crystal Pitcher
80		Cozy Basket	Jam and Jelly from Stivland Gardens, Travel Mug from Gather Bistro, Snowmen Napkins	$50 Value
81		Snow Globe & Gift Certificates	Snow Globe from Brenda Flemal, 6′ Sub Gift Certificate from Subway, 2 $10 Gift Certificates from A&W	$35 Value
82	Central Square	Wine & Concert	2 tickets to the December 7th Kat Perkins Concert	$80 Value
83		Necklace & Matching Earrings
84		Holiday Treat Basket	Jams from Stivland Gardens, Holiday Plate from Kathy Jacobs and a bottle of wine
85		Vintage Trunk		Priceless
86		Vintage Trunk	With 45″ Square Lap Blanket by Eunice Peterson	Priceless
87		Vintage Tool Chest	With Pick Axe from Orlean Dougherty and Free Oil Change from Brownie’s	Priceless
88		Vintage Tool Chest / Trunk		Priceless
89		Vintage Trunk	Blue Trunk with Hinges	Priceless
90		Vintage Trunk	Brown with green bands	Priceless
91	Wendy Zander	Original Art	Painting by Della Conroy	$250 Value
92	Wendy Zander & Glacial Ridge Growers	Metal Planter & 18 Plants	Gift Certificate for 18 native plants in 4″ pots. Great for a butterfly or rain garden!	$60 Value
93	Kathy Jacobs	Snow Village	MANY Pieces
94	Mary Smith	Snowman Planter	With succulent plants
95	Mary Smith	Woven Star
96	Lakeside	Vest	Ladies XL
97	Tom’s Market	Thumper Pond Getaway	For one night stay in King or Double Queen Suite at Thumper Pond with 4 waterpark passes and $25 at Willy T’s Tavern.	$250 Value
98		Gift Certificates	$10 Gift Certificate from the Office Sports Café, $25 Gift Certificate from Villard Cenex and bottle of American Crew from Hair Mix	$58 Value
99	The Hatchery	PARTY FOR 40	Pulled pork, Potatoes, Slaw and Buns to serve 40 people. Pick up at the Hatchery.	$400 Value
100			$10 Gift Certificate from Minnewaska Meats, American Crew from Hair Mix, and hat from Minnewaska Insurance	$53 Value
101	Neil and Connie Lageson	Lake Minnewaska Getaway	Gift Certificate for up to 7 night stay at Twin Spruce Inn, Starbuck. Oct. 1-April 30 or $400 off any other stay.	$400 Value
102			Minnewaska Insurance Hat, $25 off a $5 purchase from Minnewaska Marine and a Gift Certificate for Oil Change from Brownie’s Tire Service	$60  Value
103	Matt Pederson	1956 Basket Ball Program	State High School Basketball Tournament Program from 1956 featuring Glenwood High School.
104	Matt Pederson	Baseball Hall of Fame Yearbook 2018
105	Ann Grandy	Hand Printed Scarf
106			$10 Gift Certificate to the Office Sports bar, $25 Gift Certificate to Cenex in Villard, and a bottle of wine.	$45  Value
107	Glacial Ridge Growers		Gift Certificate for 18 native plants in 4″ pots. Great for a butterfly or raingarden! Plus a garden book.	$50 Value
108			Mug with 2 Minnewaska Area High School Adult Punch cards, $10 to Minnewaska meats and free 6″ subway sandwich from Glenwood Subway.
109			Mug with 2 Minnewaska Area High School Adult Punch cards, $10 to A&W and free 6″ subway sandwich from Glenwood Subway.
110	Grand Casino Mille Lacs		One Free Night (Sunday-Thursday) and $30 dining credit at Grand Casino Mille Lacs	$100 Value
111	Northern Print Co.	$50 Gift Certificate		$50 Value
112	Eunice Peterson & Wendy Zander	Cozy Basket	45″ Square Lap Blanket, Tea set, books and tea.
113	Wendy Zander	Wall Hanging	Original Art
114	Extreme Auto, A&W, Subway		Oil Change, $10 Gift Certificate to A&W, free 6″ Sub.	$40 Value
115	Glacial Ridge Growers	18 Plants	Gift Certificate for 18 native plants in 4″ pots. Great for a butterfly or rain garden!	$45 Value
116	Glacial Ridge Growers	18 Plants	Gift Certificate for 18 native plants in 4″ pots. Great for a butterfly or rain garden!	$45 Value
117		Mangle	Vintage Mangle
118	Eunice Peterson	Lemon Pie	Pie will be available to take home on Saturday after the auction.	Priceless
119	Starbuck Locker	Jerky Sampler
120	BK Towing	Get Out of Trouble Free Card	Good for one free tire change, jump start, winch-out, unlock, or tow up to 20 miles.
121	Meco7 and the Valley Troll	Christmas Basket	$20 Gift Card, Christmas Soda, Candy, Cookies & Napkins	$40 Value
122	Janice Freels		Dish Towels with Crocheted edges	$20 Value
123	Hair Unlimited / Cheryl Danielson		Quilted centerpiece and dish towel with crocheted edge.	Priceless
124	Shopko	$25 Gift Certificate
125	Pope County Tribune	1 Year Subscription	In County Only	$47 Value
126	Starbuck Times	1 Year Subscription	In County Only	$37 Value
127	Stoen’s Hydrostatic Service	Skid Loader Rental	Includes trailer. 4 Hour Rental.	$150 Value
128	Rose Evenson	Original Art	Watercolor painting	Priceless
129	Dorothy Vold	Toy Tractor	4020 Tractor with lights and sounds
130	Eunice Peterson	Lemon Pie	Pie will be available to take home on Saturday after the auction.	Priceless
131	Eunice Peterson	Apple Pie	Pie will be available to take home on Saturday after the auction.	Priceless
132	Eunice Peterson	Apple Pie	Pie will be available to take home on Saturday after the auction.	Priceless
133	American Solutions For Business	Cuddle Basket	Cuddle Dud sofa throw, $30 gift certificate to Duffy’s, 2 Tervis hot/cold mug, 2 bluetooth wireless earbuds	$125

 

 

The Silent Auction Has Begun

Twas a month before Christmas and throughout the museum
the baskets were waiting – you just gotta see ’em.

The baskets were wrapped by staffers with care
in hopes that the bidders soon would be there.

The Board had been busy, the volunteers too
getting the baskets all ready for you.

Please come in and see them, they’re all though the hall,
The party is Saturday – come one and come all.

Yes indeed – the baskets are scattered throughout the museum and ready for bidding. Stop in any time during the week – we are open 10-5 Tuesday – Saturday. The official Open House is Saturday, December 1 from 1-3. The bidding will end at 3:00. We’ll have goodies to eat and  fellowship to share.

There really is something for everyone. There are fresh baked goodies, toys, works of art, wine, tickets to upcoming events, clothing, hand made items, and gift baskets. There are gift certificates for parties, oil changes, dinners, bowling, lodging, and more. We hope you’ll stop in and see us.

All proceeds benefit the Pope County Museum.

Archaeology Lecture Nov. 4

Over the last year, Archaeo-Physics, a team of archaeologists, conducted a survey of known and potential Pope County archaeological sites.  A public presentation of survey findings will be held on Sunday, November 4, 2:00 pm at the Villard United Methodist Church, 540 Lincoln Avenue, Villard, MN.

At the start of the survey, there were 35 recorded sites in the county, plus unverified reports of 20 more sites.  As a result of the survey, Archaeo-Physics confirmed 40 new sites.  Several of these are significant enough to warrant further study.  A full archeological dig is being planned for one of these sites in the next year or two.

The Pope County survey identified sites of interest using Lidar topography maps.  The survey team then walked through fresh plowed fields, dug small test excavations, surveyed lakeshores and river banks by canoe, and by walking below the ordinary high water marks.  At some sites, the archaeologists  used ground penetrating radar, electrical resistivity tests, and related “remote sensing” technology to examine subsurface features.

This survey is part of an ongoing effort by the Office of the State Archaeologist and the Minnesota Historical Society to improve our understanding of the long-term history of the state.  Results will inform our understanding of Pope County’s past, guide land management decisions, and help prevent impacts to places of human burial.  The Pope County survey was conducted by archaeologists from Archaeo-Physics LLC, including Dave Maki, Sigrid Arnott, Kent Bakken and field crew members.

Test hole near Lake Pelican

Stone point

Collection Available On-Line

We are thrilled to announce that  you can now access our collection on-line.
There are over 13 THOUSAND items from the Pope County Historical Society available at MNCollections.org

Over 90% of the three dimensional objects can now be researched from the comfort of your home! We are adding photographs and archival objects all the time.

The website is still under construction, so you may notice a few glitches that will be smoothed out in the next month, but we are so excited that we couldn’t wait to share the link with you.

I welcome your feedback as we work with the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museum and the web designer to make MNCollections as user-friendly as possible.

We are a pilot site for the project, and more museums are being added all the time – so soon you will be able to search through collections across the state for objects, records and photographs of your family or other Minnesota topics. The Stevens County Historical Society is another pilot site, so we can easily search for families that live just over the border.

While the site is under construction and a bit tricky to use at first, here is a little guide to get you started.

Guide

Getting Oriented

Welcome to Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums’ public website MNCollections! This website lets you explore the collections of museums from across Minnesota. You can browse through objects to see what there is to find, or search to see specific records. Return to the home page at any time by clicking on Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums in the top left corner.

Searching

Perform a basic search of all the collections on MNCollections by using the search bar. The search bar appears by clicking the magnifying glass in the top right corner of every page. A search in this box will look through every field in an object’s record. Once you perform a search, you can click on “Full Results” and filter the results for more specific results.

You can search in specific fields by using the Explore function, For example, if you type dress in the basic search, you will get every record with the word dress. If you use the Advanced Search form, you can type “Dress” in the Object Name field and only find records for dresses.

You can see all the collections found on MNCollections by clicking Browse. There will be filters along the right hand side that will help you narrow your search. You can search by a person’s name or a very specific type of object.

You can change the way you view your results by using the icons on the right side of the blue bar on the results screen. The timeline will order objects by the date they were created.

Filters

Filters let you make your search more specific by narrowing down your results. You can add filters by selecting them from the column on the right-hand side of your screen. Applied filters will appear in a row at the top of your search results. To remove a filter, simply click the “X” next to the filter’s name.

If you want to see only objects from our collection, select Pope County Historical Society as the first filter.

Registering with MNCollections

This is your chance to get involved! Registered users can create Galleries of artifacts. These Galleries can be kept to yourself, or published to the site so that others can enjoy them.

Once you are registered, we encourage you to comment on object records. Share your stories and expertise about that artifact or ones like it. Correct errors you see. Help us enrich our history by telling us what you know.

The Shed Update

Finishing touches on the outside of our new building, “The Shed,” continue this week with sidewalks.  John Whittemore’s concrete crew is replacing the ramps to the main building and placing new sidewalks.  The design calls for sidewalks that create outdoor exhibit spaces for durable machinery.  The exterior wall of the building will be a sturdy backdrop for signs and description too.

A few personalized imprints were left in the concrete.  The date of the work is a frequent message left in building projects.  We imprinted a few leaves and flowers near the fossil rock too.  Minnewaska Schools Sixth Grade will be here next week to put the latest work to the test!

New Building Update

The interior of the new building is finished. Three walls have a section of “Slat Wall” where we can easily hang items from movable hooks. One wall has a high shelf for displaying small items.

We had a reception for donors this spring in the empty building.

Then started moving in artifacts. Most of the artifacts had been stored in a shipping container next to the museum. Staff and volunteers carefully unpacked, cleaned and photographed each object before carrying it into the new building.

Now the building is filling up with artifacts. Out next steps are to sort which items belong in the Agriculture Building, and which should move into the main building. Then staff will plan and construct exhibits.

Today we started adding the concrete around the building. We will have all new sidewalks soon!