NEW! Mark
Varhaug, president of the Norwegian Society of Texas, has graciously
offered to accompany us on this trip to share his historical perspective
on the Norwegian community in Bosque County and on the venues we will
visit. We have also added a visit to the historic Ringness House Museum
in Clifton for this trip. Thanks to members Buzz and Paula Bartlett for
helping to set this up.
This Texas history trip will take us to the
unincorporated community known as Norse. Norwegian immigrants,
driven out of East Texas by malaria, headed west and settled on a landscape
that is
reminiscent of Norway. The
isolated families soon centered their social life upon a scattered group
of buildings, including a rock school and a few stores, which they named
Norse. Once numbering thousands, only about 100 widely-dispersed people
remain in this community today.
We will have a country buffet lunch at Johnny's Place in Clifton (pay
for your own lunch), have a brief stop at the historic Ringness House
Museum, and
then visit two beautifully preserved, historic churches. The
restored Ringness House was the home of early Norwegian pioneers Jens and Kari Ringness. It was the site of many worship services held by the
early pioneers before they established the congregation of Our Savior
Lutheran Church. This church,
also known as the Old Norse Church, is still in regular use today.
We will also see the grave of Cleng Peerson, "The Father of Norwegian
Immigration", who is buried in the Norse Cemetery adjacent to the church.
Due to the community's strong ties to its original Norwegian heritage, this
area was visited by King Olav V of Norway in 1982 to commemorate the 200th
anniversary of Cleng Peerson's birth. The second structure is the newer but arguably
more famous St. Olaf's Kirke, also known as the Old Rock Church.
The church was built to accommodate the movement of settlers west, but
is no longer in regular use due to the demise of its congregation.
St. Olaf's also has a beautiful adjoining cemetery which we will explore.
When:
Saturday, October 8, 9:45. We will have a briefing on the event then hit the
road. Please be on time.
Where:
We will meet at the
Starbucks at 7429 Oakmont Blvd, Fort Worth. See map below. Arrive earlier if you wish to have
breakfast on your own.
Signup and Cost:
We will charge an event fee of $5 per person for each MBCA member and their
immediate family members. Non-members are welcome, and will be charged $10
each. The event fee will cover planning
expenses and other sundries. Pay for your own lunch. There
is no charge for admission to the Ringness House and to the churches,
but donations will be appreciated.
