Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1942, Page 17

DANISH EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA 7
the turn of the century an influx of Danes from the Middle West
began to set in.
In the 1880’s Danish colonization entered upon a new phase.
In the period from 1845 till about 1885 settlements had grown
up fortuitously and not as the result of organized colonization.
The leaders had usually been individual men who had acquired
an influence among their fellows, either in the sphere of religion
or tn that of business, and who bought or leased large tracts of
land in order to colonize them.
But in the following decades it was largely the Church which
took the initiative in the founding of Danish settlements. The
first settlement under the auspices of “the Danish Church” was
established in 1884 in Lincoln County, Minnesota. By immigra-
tion from Denmark, Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota, and 'Wisconsin
during the next decade it grew into a large community with a
Danish church, a high school, a school for children, and a co-
operative dairy. In 1887 the Church founded a special coloniza-
tion society, known as “Dansk Folkesamfund,” whose first
colony was founded in Texas under the name of “Danevang.”
The Danish settlers, who were accustomed to cultivate clover
and maize, here showed themselves to be skilful cotton-growers
as well. The next colony was established in Pine County, Min-
nesota. The forest was cleared, and after a few years this settle-
ment counted 700 members. The Danes called it Askov after the
well-known folk high-school in Denmark; it quickly became a
nxodel community, whose members have displayed great practical
skill, among other things in organizing co-operative dairies,
potato-marketing societies, etc.
The Danish religious communities in America which were
under the influence of the “Home Mission Movement” (an evan-
gelical branch of the Danish Church) started similar settlements,
especially after the congregations had been amalgamated in 1896
mto the so-called “United Church.” Settlements were founded
in North Dakota (Daneville), Montana (Dagmar), and Oregon.
Altogether, some ten settlements were established here during the
next few years.
As for the Pacific States, the Danish Church founded several
settlements in the States of Washington, Oregon, and California.
The last and most important Danish colony in these parts of
the country was founded in 19 ix in Santa Barbara County in
California. It received the name of Solvang. A high school called