May/Jun 2024 - 12

Sons of Norway members connect
with their ancestors' immigrant trunks
to recall stories of resilience, courage
and the importance of
preserving cultural
identity-against all odds
BY EMMA ENEBAK
In 1825, 52 Norwegians stepped
aboard the sloop Restaurasjonen (Restauration)
in Stavanger to set sail for the distant
shores of New York City. Whether they
knew it or not, these passengers' brave
journeys would set off a wave of what was
known as Amerikafeber, or " America fever, "
in Norway, a phenomenon that would
last for more than a century. From 1825
to 1950, over 1 million more Norwegians
followed suit, crossing the Atlantic Ocean
to reach the rumored promises in America.
Seeking religious freedom, agricultural
boom and economic opportunity, Norwegians
saw the young country as a place to
start fresh and build a life more prosperous
than the one they had left behind.
But that did not mean, however, that
Norwegian immigrants had forgotten
where they came from. For many of these
travelers, it was important to fi nd a way to
preserve a few material possessions that
reminded them of home. Although their
grueling, crowded journeys afforded little
space for luggage, most families were able
to bring the items they could fi t into a
single trunk. What these immigrants chose
to carry with them into their new lives was
representative of who they were, where
they came from and what was most important
to them. Like tethers tying them to
their old lives, these trunks were relics of
their identity, carrying their heritage and
traditions across oceans, continents and,
eventually, generations.
When the steamboat became one of
the main modes of oversea transportation
around 1860, these trunks became
commonly known as " steamer trunks, " as
they were so often carried aboard steampowered
boats. Today, steamer trunks are
considered important heirlooms of Norwegian
heritage and can be seen preserved
12
May/Jun 2024
in folk, art and history museums around
the world. But many of these trunks,
rather than making their way into museums,
have been kept in the families for
generations. Those Norwegian Americans
who are lucky enough to possess their
ancestors' trunks are offered a window into
the sacrifi ces made by these brave immigrants,
who left a whole life behind to create
opportunities for future generations.
Some of Sons of Norway's own members
are among those lucky enough to have
maintained or recovered their family's
original steamer trunks. We asked members
to send in photos of their trunks
and share any stories that might provide
insight on the trunks' original owners, and
the challenges they faced on their journeys
overseas. It is fascinating to see how
thoughtfully Norwegians have preserved
their heritage, defying the obstacles of time,
geography and cultural assimilation to gift
future generations with these stories and
memories. Take a look at just a few below.
b
Katherine Heller-Ostroot
Vonheim Lodge 1-108
Above is the trunk that accompanied
my great-grandmother Marta Fotland
Feyling, her sister and three kids under
the age of 5 on their trip from Egersund,
Norway, to Duluth, Minnesota, in 1892.
My great-grandfather Ludvig Feyling had
come a year earlier to fi nd work and save
money for the family to come. He was a
ship's carpenter in Duluth. This trunk
held clothing and keepsakes, and one
other plain trunk held food for the voyage.
How these two women managed this with
three little kids in tow is amazing to me!
sonsofnorway.com
The Trunks that Bind Us
EPHEMERA (FROM ABOVE) MJØSMUSSET,
KARJALAS/ADOBE, NATIONAL LIBRARY OF NORWAY,
CHARLIE MILSOM/ADOBE, YAROSLAV/ADOBE
http://www.sonsofnorway.com
May/Jun 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May/Jun 2024
