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Issue 1, January 7, 2004:
Dragsten Honors Sons of
Norway’s Founding Fathers
The name Bersvend O. Draxten
is well known to many Norwegian-Americans in the U.S. and Canada. Norway
Times has tracked down the roots of the Sons of Norway’s "Grand
Old Man".
By ANDERS ILDSTAD
Selbu, Norway
As the frost crackles in the
fresh air, the sun shines its last, brave autumn rays over the hills on
the other side of the lake. In a nearby valley a cloud has gone to sleep
like a giant between two great heights.
High up the hill, a single peasant farm presides above the yellow fields
down to the water. Through the brightness of the sunrays the farm looks
just like any other across the Norwegian countryside, but out in the courtyard
between the main building, the barn and the storehouse stands something
few farms have – a monument. This monument was put up in 1989 and
reads: Bersvend Draxten. Born here in 1866. Emigrated to America. The
first president of Sons of Norway.
The Roots in Selbu
Bersvend Draxten was one of 18 Norwegians who founded Sons of Norway
in 1895. As president, Draxten would play a central role in the union’s
history. With its 62,000 members in the U.S., Canada, and Norway, Sons
of Norway has become the largest ethnic union in America today.
However, everyone may not be aware of the fact that the life of this hardworking
and enthusiastic president started back in 1866 in Selbu – the year
before the Draxten family emigrated to America.
Norway Times has been so fortunate to accompany Arild Dragsten, a distant
relative of Bersvend Draxten, to the farm in Selbu and have a closer look
at the place where Draxten was born.
Nidaros Lodge
Dragsten comes from the same farm and is a descendant from the same
family line as Bersvend Draxten. Approximately four generations separate
them.
Today, Arild Dragsten is the president of Nidaros Lodge, the local Sons
of Norway union in Trøndelag. He became president on the very day
Sons of Norway turned a hundred years old in 1995. With time it became
natural for Dragsten to carry on the work of Bersvend Draxten.
"I’ve always been interested in emigration. When I spent my
vacation as a little boy up on the farm in the summers, I was told stories
about Bersvend Draxten. I thought it was exciting to hear how the president
of Sons of Norway came from our family. I joined the organization as I
grew older," he says.
Impressed by the Emigrants
The Draxten family story is a good illustration of Norwegian emigration
history during the 19th century. Since the 18th century, the population
in Norway had increased pretty fast and there was a great shortage of
cultivable land. Sons who did not have the right of inheritance on farms
had to find new land to cultivate.
This was also the case for the Draxten family. The brother of Bersvend’s
father, Arnt Draxten, had the right of inheritance. In addition, there
was little space for all the families to live together. It was common
for 10-15 persons to live under the same roof.
The first people who emigrated from Selbu came to America in the 1850s.
Someone then returned, and told about the ‘Land of Opportunities’
– great areas of land were given out to families who wanted to establish
a farm. The reaction came instantly. Soon several hundred "selbygginger",
among them the Draxten family, decided to emigrate.
On the monument, which stands in the courtyard, a motive of a cradle is
carved in the stone. Bersvend slept in a cradle during his first months
in Selbu, and the family was supposed to bring it to America. But the
cradle was forgotten in the harbor in Trondheim. Later, it was brought
back to the farm in Selbu. Since then, the cradle has stood in the main
building in Dragsten.
It could take up to four months for emigrants to reach their point of
destination in America. Dragsten speaks highly of his ancient relatives
for their journey.
"I’m more impressed by those who emigrated to the USA than of
the polar explorers like Nansen and Amundsen. They were prepared for their
journey. The emigrants hardly knew anything about life outside of their
small community and even less about life in America. When they arrived
they had to dig a hole to live in until they could afford to build something
better," Dragsten says.
When the Draxten family reached Atwater, about a hundred kilometers west
of Minneapolis, they were well taken cared of by a married couple, who
had given shelter to other families from Selbu as well. In 1871 the family
moved into a nice house in Minneapolis that Ole Draxten, Bersvend’s
father, had built.
Preservation
Towards the end of the 19th century at least a thousand people from
Selbu lived in Minneapolis. "Selbyggene" and other people from
Trøndelag often gathered in a hardware store in the city, run by
a man from Valdres. It was probably during these conversations that the
idea of a union for Norwegians in Minneapolis was born.
Some people wanted to start an insurance union only for Norwegians, as
a counterweight to all the dishonest local insurance companies. Others
wanted to attain a closer social community with people who emigrated from
Norway. They missed Norway and thought it was important to preserve the
Norwegian culture and language in their new country.
The union was founded in 1895 and grew rapidly. Draxten remained president
until 1903. Nonetheless, until his death in 1946, Draxten maintained various
commissions in the union. Now, many reckon him as the Sons of Norway’s
"Grand Old Man".
Both Draxten’s wife and daughter strongly engaged in the Norwegian
emigrants’ life and solidarity in America. His wife, Julia, founded
the organization Daughters of Norway, a union for Norwegian female emigrants.
Daughters of Norway later joined Sons of Norway when women were given
the right to vote.
His daughter, Nina, was interested in the Norwegian emigration her entire
adult life. In fact, she wrote several books about it during her work
at a university in Minneapolis. Nina was present when the monument honoring
her father was unveiled at the farm in Dragsten in 1989. It was an experience
charged with emotion, both for her and for the thousand spectators present
at the commemoration.
Carries on the Work
Today, the local Sons of Norway union in Trøndelag is involved
in many matters. In addition to arranging social activities for the hundred
members in Trondheim, it helps Norwegian-Americans find old family and
family farms in Norway. The union has also established a foundation to
financially support Norwegian youths who wish to study in America.
In addition, the union regularly arranges trips to America. Arild Dragsten
has visited the U.S. several times on behalf of Sons of Norway, yet he
still notices the great interest that Norwegian-Americans have for their
roots. Dragsten has traveled with an accordion band and Selbu Husflid,
a knitwear factory in Selbu. The concerts and fashion shows were met by
a hugely positive response.
"A lot of people showed up at our arrangements. Some even followed
us around to the different places we visited. It is indescribable the
way they greeted us. In the U.S. and Canada there are about 4.6 million
descendants from Norwegian emigrants. The Norwegian-Americans are very
aware of their roots," he adds.
During the trips, the resemblance between Arild Dragsten and Draxten has
not been unheeded.
"I’m the only one in the family who looks like Bersvend. In
the U.S. they’re very eager to take my picture and compare it to
a picture of Bersvend. It’s almost embarrassing, but I feel like
a king when I’m over there."
Dragsten has also noticed a resemblance to his ancient relative in other
areas. "I’ve read some articles by Bersvend and I’m spooked
to see how similar our way of thinking is."
Perhaps it is this similarity that drives Arild Dragsten to constantly
come up with new plans on behalf of Sons of Norway. There are often travellers
from America who visit Selbu and Dragsten’s farm, but he wants to
establish a permanent offer to those who want to spend longer parts of
their summer in Selbu.
"Camp Norway is a summer school for American youths between the ages
15 to 21 who wish to learn Norwegian. We want to expand our offer and
put main activities to a folk high school in Selbu where the contestants
can live during their entire stay. We wish to give people the chance to
experience many things, like horseback riding, mountain climbing, decorative
painting, jewellery making, rock grinding, and even learn how to play
the accordion. We can also arrange daytrips to Røros or the Isles
of Hitra and Frøya. I’ve been working on these plans for the
past six or seven years now, and I sincerely hope that the school can
open soon."
About 50 percent of the population of Selbu emigrated to the U.S. during
the great times of emigration. The ties to the U.S. are very strong here.
For Arild Dragsten it is very important to keep these ties and carry on
the work his ancient relative Bersvend O. Draxten began. He is certainly
not alone. The interest among locals to support a project that carries
the spirit of their great son is huge. Arild Dragsten is sure of one thing:
"The entire community will stand behind."
