Lake County, Illinois

Norwegian Presence

Very few Norwegians lived in Lake County, but several became well known in public life. Fredrik Gade, a former mayor of Lake Forest, later served as Norwegian Consul. Hans Abrahamsen, from Melum near Skien, served as chairman of the Winthrop Harbor City Council, while T. J. Fosseland, from the Mandal area, was a member of the same council. Lake County bordered Cook County, where Chicago was located and where the Norwegian population was much larger.

Sources:

[Ulvestad, Martin. Nordmændene i Amerika. Utg. History Book Company's Forlag. Minneapolis, Minn. 1907.]