Norse, Texas, Bosque County, a Norwegian settlement. (original) (raw)
History in a Pecan Shell
Cleng Peerson, the man who is known as the "Father of Norwegian Immigration" is buried in the churchyard at Norse. The church, Our Savior 's Lutheran Church (dedicated in 1878), is the last remaining public building.
At one time Norse was the largest and most successful Norwegian settlement in Texas.
An elaborate marker at the Norse Cemetery has images of the first Norwegian families.
A timeline of significant historical events in Norse
1845: The first Norwegian immigrants arrive in (East) Texas
1853: Driven out of East Texas by malaria, they headed west looking for not greener - but dryer pastures., The settlers found a landscape more reminiscent of Norway, although it was noticeably short on Fijords. The isolated families soon centered their social life upon a scattered group of buildings, including a rock school and a few stores, which they named Norse.
1878: Our Savior's Lutheran Church was constructed.
1880: The community is granted a post office.
1880s: The Norse Mutual Fire Insurance Company was formed.
1929: The post office closed.
1949: A Smorgasbord tradition is set in place that has continued each Novemeber since.
1982: King Olav V of Norway visited Our Savior's Lutheran Church to honor Cleng Peerson.
1980s: Population is a dispersed 100 people.
Norse Historic Churches
Seventh Day Adventist Church about 1.4 miles NE of Norse
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, January 2004
Norse, Texas Chronicles:
- The Rogstads of Bosque County by Mike Cox
When the U.S. Army left the state on the eve of the Civil War, initially only citizen volunteers stood between the settlers and hostile Indians. One of those volunteers was Berger Rogstad, a Norwegian who had come to Bosque County in 1854. more - Runaway scrapes by Mike Cox
Thousands of people die every year in traffic crashes, but the horse and buggy era had its injurious and fatal accidents as well. more
Texas Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact us.