Missouri State

Early Attempts at Norwegian Settlement

Norwegians also had difficulty establishing permanent settlements in Missouri. Attempts were made as early as 1837. Kleng Person Hesthammer, one of the best-known early Norwegian pioneers in America, brought about a dozen people from the Stavanger area to Shelby County that year and attempted to establish a settlement. They remained only a short time before moving elsewhere.

In 1838, Lars Tollaksen settled in Clark County. Unable to attract Norwegian neighbors and dissatisfied with the land, he eventually moved away. Another unsuccessful attempt at settlement was made by several immigrants from Voss, including Ole and Knud Lødve and Lars Gjerstad.

Kalvehagen near St. Louis

During the 1840s, a man named Kalvehagen from the vicinity of Arendal settled in the northern part of Missouri. According to the source, he acquired considerable land, owned many enslaved people, and became wealthy. He was said to have brought carts with him from Norway. After arriving at New Orleans, he traveled by steamboat up the Mississippi River to St. Louis and acquired land a short distance from the city. During the Civil War, the people he held in slavery escaped. What became of Kalvehagen afterward was not known.

Norwegian Settlement near St. Louis

The only place in Missouri where Norwegians established what the source regarded as a permanent community was Le Claire, a small suburb of St. Louis. In 1872, the brothers Anders, Peder, and N. O. Nelson, together with several others from the Lillesand area, settled there. N. O. Nelson established a large factory producing lead pipe and other lead products. The enterprise employed hundreds of workers, and Nelson was said to have become a millionaire and an influential businessman. Nelson is said to have used his wealth and influence for the benefit of his employees. He provided them with good homes free of charge, built a high school for their children, and gave workers a share of the factory’s profits. He was described as taking a personal interest in both the welfare and the difficulties of those who worked for him.

Sources:

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