Everett’s Nordic Heritage, Celebrated

"The jagged summits of the Olympics now appeared clear and cold, sticking out of the dark, green bank of firs on the foothills. I thought of Norway. This scene was different but just as beautiful." - O.B. Iverson, Norwegian immigrant who settled north of Seattle in the 19th century.

My story

When my full-blooded Norwegian grandmother died a few years ago, I was left with an empty space. She was equal parts surly and affectionate, a lover of cable news and seafood chowder. I wanted to understand her better, and in doing so, to maybe understand myself better.

I’m a quarter Norwegian. What does that mean?

I began to trace the roots of my family history. It was no easy task given my grandma’s natural reluctance to talk about herself. Further complicating my grandma’s heritage was her partial denial of it. Her generation’s highest ambition, it seems, was to be assimilated into homogenous twentieth-century American culture. Lefse and lingonberry jam were out, blue jeans and Chevys were in.

My journey to my roots seemed only natural. I began to incorporate more Nordic culture into my life. Some parts of a Nordic worldview were desirable and easily incorporated into my existing personal value system. It made me wonder how much of my disposition was already decided on a genetic level.

As I walked the Skytrak in downtown Everett (R.I.P.), I meditated on what it meant to be Norwegian-American in the twenty-first century. My elevated viewpoint offered me glimpses of the snowy Cascades and Puget Sound (so similar to the mountains and fjords of the old country), Nomanna Hall, and protestant churches erected by pious Scandinavian immigrants.

I wondered -- what was my story to tell? How could I carry the torch of my grandmother’s spirit?

And, while I can’t answer this question for everyone of Nordic descent in the Everett area, I do feel somewhat uniquely positioned to offer a short history of Nordic immigrants to Everett. I can share some of their stories and experiences in an effort to commemorate and validate their experiences. I can also show you how to look for your own story.

Research/Cultural clues

Research is my game. I started looking for clues in the public library and on the Vintage Everett Facebook page.

What I discovered were stories of Scandinavian immigrants creating social bonds and mutual aid societies in the new country, helping to weather uncertain times and creating social stability. Community lefse sales. The building of several Lutheran churches.

The Syverson Sisters, sellers of lefse in Everett // courtesy Julie Fisco

It’s interesting to read about how quickly, in a matter of decades really, heterogenous culture became American monoculture. (Curious, because so much of the reality of my adult life has been post-monoculture, a fragmentation in the wake of the multifaceted internet).

Looking to trace your own family’s story? I highly recommend genealogy.com. Unlike some research websites, It’s free to use and can be a vital source for uncovering public documents that account for your ancestors.

If you’re interested in tracing your lineage down to a cellular level, try investing in a genetic testing kit like 23andMe.

Normanna Hall

Many Scandinavian families in Everett are affiliated with the Normanna Hall. The hall is on Oakes, and it features a variety of Nordic activities, from their traditional pancake feeds to their holiday craft bazaars, book clubs, and choir rehearsals. You don’t need to be of Norwegian extract to join the club. If you’re looking for the preservation of your cultural heritage this may be a great place to start.

National Nordic Museum

Last winter I took my youngest daughter to the National Nordic Museum in Ballard. It’s worth leaving town for. The building’s design is minimalistic in the typical Scandinavian fashion, and offers an in-depth look at the textiles, furniture, handicrafts, culture and folkways of immigrants who traveled from Northern Europe to Seattle. There’s a clear throughline in the preservation of these stories and artifacts -- this museum is a celebration of a people, my people. I felt privileged and a bit humbled to learn about my cultural heritage.

Pro tip: if you visit the museum on the first Thursday of the month, you can get free admission.

National Nordic Museum // courtesy of the National Nordic Museum

My story - coda

Who will carry the torch of these Nordic cultural folkways? I think they may live on in the folktales that I read to my kids. I think they may live on in our pescatarian diet and the vigorous ways we walk in the snowy mountains.

I have come to believe that history is in the modern interpretation. It lives on in quieter echoes, smaller iterations.

It is up to us to look behind us and figure out how the preamble fits into our own narrative. This Christmas I’m making my own batch of seafood chowder in honor of my grandma. May her vibes live on.