Whatcom County, Washington

Early Norwegian Settlement

Anton C. Larson from Trøndelag was the first known Norwegian settler at Fern. He came there from the vicinity of Fargo, North Dakota, sometime during the 1870s. Whether any other Norwegians had already settled elsewhere in Whatcom County at that time was not known, and Larson therefore appears to have been the county’s first Norwegian settler. Anders Anderson from Fredrikshald was the first Norwegian to settle at Rome, where a small Norwegian community later developed. He arrived there in 1884 and initially settled among the Indians. Wheat farming and cattle raising were the principal sources of income in the county.

Churches and Congregations

The first Norwegian congregation in Whatcom County was established at Lawrence in 1885 by Pastor Christian Jørgensen of the Norwegian Synod. The congregation also built the county’s first Norwegian church. By 1905, Whatcom County had sixteen Norwegian congregations and ten churches. Five congregations belonged to the Norwegian Synod, four to the Lutheran Free Church, three to the United Church, two to the Methodist Church, one to the Baptist Church, and one to the Adventist Church.

Norwegian Place Names

The post offices at Everson and Wahl were identified by the source as having Norwegian names.

Sources:

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