Tipsy Sons of Norway!

The starting point for today's little history lesson sits in the living room at my brother's house.  It was purchased many years ago at an antique store in northern Minnesota.

It appears to be some kind of podium, although the short height and the flat top suggest it was used not to hold the notes of somebody speaking in Norwegian but rather a statue, or some other bit of decor.  The emblem is that of The Sons of Norway.  

This version of their logo was in use from 1901 to 1922 and references the earlier name of the organization, Sonnen af Norge.  It got me thinking about the beginnings of this fraternal organization of stoic Scandinavians; and got me to pick up a story that I had first encountered many years ago.

If you are not from Minnesota the mental picture you have of Midwestern, Scandinavian descended folks is likely heavily colored by Garrison Keillor.  His "Prairie Home Companion" show was a generally affectionate, somewhat accurate depiction of stolid, serious small town life.  "Norwegian Batchelor Farmers" were a staple.  Sometimes there was mention of "The Sons of Knute", a thinly disguised iteration of The Sons of Norway.

To his credit - and in his younger days Keillor was indeed a genius level satirist - he portrays the Sons of Knute as being more than a bit willing to tip a glass.  Here for instance is a song about their annual Christmas dinner.

I'd have to say this is spot on because the Sons of Norway basically got their start in the saloons of my old neighborhood on the North Side of Minneapolis.

THIS short history of the original Lodge lists the 18 founding members.  Two seem to have been very transient members.  Of the other 16 one quarter were saloon keepers!  James Peterson and Louis Stokke were respectively the first Vice President and Treasurer of the Sons of Norway.  They were also partners in a saloon near the intersection of Broadway and 20th.  This was the epicenter of the early organization with other founding members being millworkers and shopkeepers nearby.

In the 1890s it was fairly common for saloons to have bottles with their name embossed in the glass.  Perhaps this was for take home bottles.  In case you forgot where you had been?  Above is a nice example from Peterson and Stokke "Fine Wines and Liquors".  The address on the bottle is 2029 Washington Avenue.  The same address given for the meeting that led to the founding of the organization!

Below is another example from founding member Ole Lodgord.  "Wines, Liquors & Cigars".  

There is at least one other early bottle associated with the Sons of Norway.  In a newspaper article I read many years ago I found reference to The Sons of Norway band playing at Roman and Person's Hall.  Roman and Person was another saloon partnership with bottles much like the above.  They were also near the intersection of Washington and 20th (now Broadway).  It seems as if it was a hopping place in the 1890's, supposedly stoic Norwegian inhabitants notwithstanding.