Reliving the Immigration Experience in Stoughton, Wisconsin

When we arrived in Stoughton, Wisconsin, we knew we were back. We had been to Norway in 2016 and loved the beauty of that country and so we were happy to see it again - a lot closer to home.

Stoughton, a town of 12,611 people, is about 15 miles South of Madison, Wisconsin. Because of its large Norwegian population, they have built a museum to remember the immigrant story of this group. The structure of the museum Livsreise www.livsreise.org is impressive in its replication of the architecture of Bergen, Norway.

Sons of Norway Mandt Lodge, Stoughton

 

Norwegian Museum, Stoughton, Wisconsin

Buildings near harbor, Bergen, Norway

in Norway

The interior of Livsreise, however, is even more impressive. They have utilized technology to provide displays and exhibits showing the lives of people in Norway who had journeyed to America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. A genealogical library housed in the museum provides resources to assist Norwegian-Americans to trace their roots. A 68-seat auditorium shows videos that focus on the Norwegian heritage. Photography is not allowed in this museum so you'll have to visualize this museum. I was unable to take any pictures of it.

The thought of getting on a rough sailing ship with all one’s possessions to make the journey to the other end of the world must have been daunting. Nevertheless, the poverty in Norway at that time and the promise of a better life in America spurred many to make the risky voyage. Many who survived the trip found their way to Stoughton and other towns in Wisconsin as well as to Minnesota and the Dakotas. Many of them availed themselves of the Homestead Act and became farmers in these areas. Others gravitated to the towns and cities where they rebuilt their lives.

Besides the Livsreise Museum, we had a good time walking through the commercial part of Stoughton enjoying their shops and restaurants. In addition, the town boasts the Stoughton Historical Museum as well as the Sons of Norway Mandt Lodge. Stoughton's major claim to fame is that the Coffee Break originated there. Started by workers in the tobacco factories, it has become a standard in most places of work.  

Newspaper article announcing the first coffee break

In a sense, the Norwegian immigrant experience is the American immigrant experience. The Swedish-American Museum in Chicago has a similar motif. It was enjoyable to see and be able to compare these two museums. We can think about their perilous journeys to America as we witness the journeys made by modern day immigrants leaving their homes and families in pursuit of what all immigrants seek – a better life than the ones they are leaving.

It is only a two and a half hour ride from Chicago to Stoughton. This quiet, charming town is worth the trip.