Scandinavian Heritage Center

Waking up late after a night alongside the tarmac, we quickly closed up the motorhome, preparing to leave Minot for our holiday camping respite. Before heading out of town, we got a little exercise with the dogs around the Scandinavian Heritage Center. It was an easy walk on a paved trail to see the buildings and statues honoring figures of Scandinavian heritage, and other features in a park-like setting.

As we entered from the parking lot, we strolled through clockwise, which may have been backwards from their intent, therefore I will describe my experiences as such.

The Sigdal House was built in Norway around 1770. It is a great example of a mountain home from the time. It was dismantled in Norway, reassembled in Minot, and dedicated October 1991. I was a little startled by what looked like a troll that greeted me as I entered the home. Sitting next to the house is a replica of a Norwegian Stabbur, which is a storehouse on stilts that kept all sorts of food stuffs and other important family items safe. You will also find a Finnish Sauna and a Danish Windmill here.

The most noteworthy building in the park is the replica of the Gol Stave Church. It is based on the original church that was built in the 1200’s, which now stands in Oslo Norway. It commands a place on the top of the hill. While her name escapes me, the attendant in the church was very informative and had an appreciable passion for the details, and informed us of many other stave churches and places Scandinavians had immigrated. An interesting fact that I learned is that Philip Odden and Elsa Bigton of Barronet, Wisconsin completed the intricately carved portal doors and panels. Barronet is not far from where I grew up and I remember visiting their Museum of Woodcarving as a child.

Several prominent men of Scandinavian heritage are honored with statues. Seeing them here and having not known them made us want to learn more about these men.

Sitting among the trees and birds is Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish author famous for his fairy tales which often has the lesson that beauty comes from within, something that is easy for me to forget.

Leif Erikson, the Icelandic explorer, proudly stands in his Viking attire, much as we imagine he would have been when he became the first European to step foot in America around the year 1000.

Casper Oimoen, who was born in Norway, but was a long-time Minot resident, is honored here. His graceful ski-jumping skill won several championships and he was the top US ski jumper on 2 Olympic teams in the 1930’s. I recall reading that in one of his first competitions he landed 48 feet farther than the next leading competitor. He won over 400 medals and trophies during his short career.

Sondre Norheim is known as the Father of Modern Skiing. He was born in Norway and later emmigrated to Minnesota, then the small town of Villard just east of Minot. As the need for skiing in everyday life was dimminishing with industrialization, he was instrumental in making skiing into recreation and sport. Both he and Casper Oimoen are buried within an hour of Minot.

The Eternal Flame Sculpture honors Sondre Norheim and his contributions to the world of skiing. It has 5 skis representing the 5 Scandinavian countries holding up a clear globe with the flame inside.

It is fascinating to be reminded how much relates to my home state of Wisconsin, such as the whimsical 30 foot red Dala Horse statue which was constructed in Sparta. These horses have become a symbol of Sweden and were originally carved as toys for children in the 1800’s, but maybe not at 30 foot tall!

A display of Scandinavian, US, and Canadian flags fly at the front of the property. The round plaza area depicts a map of Scandinavia, crafted in different colors of granite with the capital cities denoted and an accompanying bronze compass. A fountain featuring a floating orb of granite overlooks the plaza map depicting those five Scandinavian Countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. The Visitor Center building also has a unique appearance. I was particularly fond of its roof design. The park has some lovely flower beds and ponds in its landscaping, but as the sign says, “No Lutefisk Fishing Allowed.”

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