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Major Immigrant Cultures
Basic Facts
From 1905 to 1920, the population of North Dakota increased from 190,983 to 646,872. The two largest groups were Scandinavians and Germans from Russia, with people of English and Celtic background making up another substantial group.
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| North Dakota Tourism/Jason Lindsey |
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Scandinavian
Immigrants came to North Dakota from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Most settled in the east and north-central parts of North Dakota, along the main line of the Great Northern Railroad, beginning in the 1870s
Boast unique foods like lefse and lutefisk.
193,000 people of Norwegian heritage live in North Dakota. About 38% of the state's population is of Scandinavian descent, with about 33% being Norwegian.
The continent's largest Scandinavian event, Norsk Hostfest, is celebrated each October in Minot.
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| North Dakota Tourism/Barbara Stitzer |
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German
Many people of German descent came from Russia and settled in south-central North Dakota.
Many lived near the Black Sea region in Russia and left for a variety of political and social reasons.
Half of the German immigrants came from Russia, while the other half came directly from Germany to the United States.
Many Germans came to North Dakota in the 1880s. The land they settled on was semi-arid and similar to that of the steppe in Russia. They used the land for pasture and to grow small-grain crops.
Many immigrants lived in sod houses, similar to "semeljankas" in Russia.
North Dakotans from German or Germans from Russia descent total about 43%.
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English or Celtic
Most immigrants to North Dakota from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales went first to Canada, then to the United States.
- Currently, about 7% of the state's population is of Irish descent.
- Many settlers came to North Dakota from Selkirk Colony, which was established in Canada by Britain. They generally settled in the northeast corner of the state.
- Many of North Dakota's early leaders came from this group, including John Miller, the state's first governor.
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Pioneer Heritage
Wherever they came from, North Dakota’s first European settlers had much in common. Following is a list of a few of the attractions and events where you can turn back the clock to see how they lived and used the technology of their day — and improvised the rest — to carve out a life on the prairie.
Bonanzaville - The sprawling Bonanzaville in West Fargo showcases farm machinery demonstrations and other “living history” year-round, including the main event, Pioneer Days, a weekend filled with pioneer demonstrations of threshing, rug making, butter churning, wood carving, blacksmithing, and much , much more!
- Bagg Bonanza Farm - One of the last remaining, largely intact farms from the bonanza farming era, as dramatized by Steinbeck in "Of Mice and Men."
Pioneer Villages - Many towns across the state have created replicas of their early history by preserving and moving old building to create a “walk-through” museum, many of which house the main museum properties of the local historical society. To name a few, check out Jamestown’s Frontier Village, Bismarck’s Buckstop Junction, Fort Ransom's Sunne Farm or Rugby's Prairie Village.
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