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Pioneer Norse colonist born
On this day in 1782, Cleng Peerson (Kleng Pedersen), who championed the
immigration of Norwegians to the United States, was born in Tysvær,
Norway. He came to the New World as a result of hardships in his native
land, including the high price of farmland, the high number of drownings
among fishermen, and drought. He arrived at New York City in 1821. Between
1825 and 1847 he helped establish communities for Norwegian Quakers and
their compatriots in New York, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota,
Iowa, and Missouri. He moved to Texas in 1850 and lived with friends near
Dallas until 1854. Then he moved to newly organized Bosque County and
urged other Norwegians in East Texas to follow him. Peerson died in 1865
and was buried at the cemetery at Norse, Texas. King Olav V of Norway
visited Norse in 1982 in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth
of Cleng Peerson.
- Links to Related Handbook of Texas Online Articles
- PEERSON, CLENG
- NORSE, TX
- NORWEGIANS
- BOSQUE COUNTY
- Other Texas Day by Day Articles for This Date
- Republic of Texas defeats revolutionary plotters in key action (1839)
- Last Union prisoners leave Camp Ford (1865)
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