Norwegian Emigration to Canada

Norwegian emigration to Canada was enormous when it is recognized that more than half of Norway's population moved to the New World. Many originally went to the U.S., but finding land unavailable or too expensive they headed for Canada, settling in huge numbers in Saskatchewan and Alberta. They built their homesteads all over the prairies, but most of all in a broad belt roughtly stretching from Estevan (in southwest Saskatchewan) to Saskatoon, Camrose and Edmonton. Their communities reflected their heritage as they established their own churches and schools. The Norwegian language was predominant in their early communities for some time.

The immigrants suffered hardships as they struggled to homestead. It wasn't an easy life, especially in the 1930's with the Depression and drought and dust storms. Many from southern Alberta and Saskatchewan gave up and headed for the Peace River District and also B.C.

Today Norwegian Canadians are the largest of the Nordic groups in Canada. B.C. Claims the greatest population of Norwegian Canadians and Saskatchewan claims 5% of their population from that ancestry. Norwegian Canadians were major contributors in settling and cultivating the Prairies, to Canadian politics and Northern exploration. Many community-based populist organizations such as the C.C.F. party in Saskatechewan and the Social Credit in Alberta were started by Norwegian Canadians. They also made a significant contribution to sports through the introduction of cross-country skiing to Canada.

The 'America Chest' by Brian Grosseth, March 2007

These heavily fortified trunks were a necessity for all Norwegian immigrants. It served as a secure vessel for transporting the valued family possessions to the new world.

This 'America Chest' was constructed mostly of Norwegian 'Fir'; a tree which is a mix of Pine and Fir and is not native to North America. The trunk had either a domed or flat lid; the sides were either square or slightly tapering towards the base and both were constructed of full sized boards. These large pieces of wood were carefully selected by the builder and be sure only the very best hand selected materiial that was available to him was used.

The trunk's dovetailed corners were then reinforced with iron brackets and strapping that provided both strength and durability. The lid was secured with more strapping as well as with metal strap hinges at the back; and a secure built in lock complete with a large key on the front. The metal strapping that banded the trunks corners and centre areas, criss-crossing the trunk was both practical and decorative; the finances would of course dictate as to how decorative it would be. Not only were these metal items to be functional but the Norwegians prized themselves on the aesthetics and craftsmanship of all that they touched. These trunks were later to be called 'The America Chest' and was the best that the family could provide, as it were, to last generations.

The unpainted interior was bare, fresh and sweetly scented wood, it was just the inside of the trunk's fir side boards. At one end of the interior there was often a mounted tray compartment that was rabbited into the sides making it integral to the construction. This tray was complete with a lid and a latch of some sort. Sometimes these trunks had hidden compartments incorporated somewhere in them, often located just under the tray: like a falso bottom or accessed by a sliding panel. The mail lid to the chest may have had another compartment built into it, and accessed with a hinged door and a simple turn latch.

The trunks' exterior was usually painted a solid coulour; and if finances and skill allowed, they were then decorated with 'Rosemaling', a subdued multicoloured 'floral and acanthus leaf' accent motifs, on both the top and sides. This may have been done by the builder, a family member or if they had the dollars a master Rosemaler was hired. (Rosemalers traveling through the districts during the winters, getting work in the off season. Many of these traveling rosemalers have been well documented, so today this adds even more value to these chests). A painted inscription on the front of the trunk documents its owner, either in full name or just initials; as well as the year of the event would be incorporated (marriage year, confirmations etc.). The more dollars the family had the more extensive the Rosemaling. Often trunks had no Rosemaling on them at all, they tended to be more utilitarian, but these trunks were no less prized by their owners and perhaps more-so because they did not own much. Sometimes the unpainted trunk had no more than just a hand written name of the owner on the inside of the trunk's lid.

The trunk's construction and decoration can provide clues to its origin. Each of Norway's districts had their own style of Rosemaling. One look by an expert and the general area of the Fylke or the District could be known. These trunks' details are like 'DNA' and can tell where the people came from in Norway. It may solve the unknown when connecting your genealogy research back to Norway.

These trunks functioned as the first furniture in the immigrants' new home. They were eventually set in a very prominent spot in the home, perhaps at the end of the bed and were covered with a fine hand made runner, as my grandmother did her whole life. She kept her 'Norwegian Bunad' (Folk clothes); her 'solje' (the Bunad's special silver brooches); 'fine hand made' items that she had made over the years; her bible and old hard-back photos of the family in Norway; they were all stored in there.

Be sure that every emigramnt to the new world did have an "America Chest" and today it is perhaps the most prized item of Norwegian descendants.