It’s been 100 years since my grandfather, Erick Hanson, immigrated to America. Wow! 100 years! It doesn’t seem like that long ago, since he still lives in my memories. The faint hint of his accent and his beautiful singing voice are still so clear. And it still makes me smile when I think of him belting out old Norwegian hymns for anyone who would listen.
Grandpa was always very proud of his heritage. He never passed up an opportunity to tell stories from the old country or to speak the language with fellow Nordmenn. Despite everyone’s reaction to it, he loved lutefisk. Big snowstorms, despite their hassle, made him feel at home. My grandpa was a true Norwegian.
Erick was born in Kristiana, Norway (now Oslo) in 1899, and made his immigration to America at the age of 21. A proud Norwegian to the end, he still made the big decision to leave the country he loved for a new adventure. Here’s his story.
Erick the Norwegian Bachelor
The year was 1920. Erick was a bachelor living in Hamar, Norway, working as a watchmaker’s apprentice. Despite World War I knocking on Norway’s doorstep in the years prior, Erick had only served a short stint of mandatory military training. Since Norway remained neutral during WWI, he didn’t see combat with the Norwegian army.
I don’t know what his plans were or if he had any. Did he like being a watchmaker? He’d been an apprentice for five years. Did he like living in Norway? Was it his burning desire to move to America, or was he making his relatives happy? I don’t know his motivation, but I do know that he made a life-altering decision.
Now, Erick had an aunt, his mother’s sister Hanna. She had immigrated to America and married a farmer in Foreman, North Dakota. In 1920, when Erick was 21, Hanna wrote him a letter asking him to come to North Dakota to help out on her farm. She even sent him money to pay his passage. Hanna had lived with Erick and his family when he was a boy. The two became close, so Erick agreed to go. Plus, western films were all the rage during the silent film era, and he did enjoy the movies. Was this his chance to become an American cowboy?
Erick’s sister Anne took him to a port in Kristiana where he boarded the ship Bergensfjord. After a long journey across the ocean, one of the first things he saw as the boat sailed into the harbor was a large billboard featuring a “Fisk Tires” ad. Since “fisk” means “fish” in Norwegian, he thought that must be where the Manhattan fish market was. It was on that day, September 28, 1920, that he arrived at Ellis Island in New York City.
A Long Trip to a New Home
Ellis Island was still at its peak in 1920. I can picture my grandpa debarking his ship and joining the long line of immigrants waiting for processing. These days long lines at customs are a headache. But imagine the excitement you’d feel being back on solid ground in your new country.
Erick was lucky. With a place to live and a job, as well as a family member vouching for him, Ellis Island processed him quickly. He didn’t have unanswered questions like many immigrants had at the time. Once through the checkpoints, health inspections, and document processing, the officials put him on a train to North Dakota.
Erick got his first glimpses of the United States through a coach seat window. He watched New York City scroll by as his train rolled out, then viewed the changing countryside as he passed through Pennsylvania and Ohio. Eventually, he arrived in Chicago, Illinois, where he switched trains.
Once on the Great Northern Railroad, Erick traveled from Chicago through northern Illinois. Then up the Mississippi River through Wisconsin and Minnesota until he reached Minneapolis. Finally, after weeks of traveling, he switched to a branch line that took him to a station near Foreman, North Dakota.
If Erick was able to contact them ahead of time, Aunt Hanna and her husband may have picked him up at the station. If not, he may have had to walk out to the farm. Regardless, he made it! His immigration to America was complete. He wound up living in North Dakota for several years. In 1927, Hanna, now a widow, sold the farm. It was then that Erick met a young woman…and that’s another story.
Image Credits:
Erick Hanson: From the records of Gerald and Ruth Dilley.
SS Bergensfjord: Public Domain, photo by Anders Beer Wilse, 1 January 1927, Galleri Nor Tilvekstnummer: NF.WB 21377 Internnr: NBR9205:03103
