Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

Norwegian Community in Philadelphia

A number of Norwegians lived in Philadelphia, although the source observed that many had become largely assimilated into American society. As in other large cities, the Norwegian population was widely scattered, making it more difficult to maintain separate Norwegian congregations and organizations. Despite this, two small congregations could still be regarded as Norwegian. The first was established in 1890 and belonged to the United Church, while the other belonged to the Seamen’s Mission. Neither congregation had its own church building.

A Journey West from Philadelphia

Peder and Christian Amundsen from Mo i Rana had tickets only as far as Philadelphia. After arriving there, they found work with a farmer for four dollars a month. When the wages proved insufficient, they continued westward on foot. Their voyage to America had itself been eventful, as the ship on which they crossed the Atlantic collided with another vessel and was wrecked. Peder later lived in Lynn, South Dakota.

Sources:

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