Nils Kolkin papers, undated

Nils Kolkin papers, undated

P1617

undated

Kolkin emigrated with his family from Gjerpen, Telemark, to the Christiania settlement, Dakota county, Minn. In 1865. He was a student 1872-4 at Marshall Academy, Marshall, Wis., and at Augsburg Seminary in Minneapolis, and also at the University of Minnesota. He bought 320 acres in Dakota Territory in 1883. In 1886 he moved to Thorsby, Alabama, writing that he intended to make that his home.

In 1878 he published (Chicago, Skandinaven) Winona, a verse narrative based on the Dakota legends about Winona. Overland (pp. 82-87, 405) calls him the "most ambitious of the early poets" and his volume "unique in the literature of Vesterheimen as the only book devoted entirely to the Native American." In 1883 "Ogsa noget om onskekvisten" was published in Skandinaven (Sept. 11). A manuscript poem (four pages, "En sang: hor trommene vrivler Brutter af til stad" (18 stanzas and author's note) is included here. He published "Det norske settlement sondenfor Decorah I dets beyndelse" (Decorah Posten, July 28-Sept. 1, 1896); Photocopy included here. Letters written 1896-1901 (?) from Thorsby, Alabama are also included in photocopy.

He calls himself (on title page of manuscript here) "the author of ‘From India to Mars'" which hasn't been identified. In 1891 he published "Ethereal matter, electricity and akasa," Sioux City, Iowa, J.M. Pinckney book and stationery co., 1891. 75 p. The University of California-Berkeley has about 16 manuscripts on linguistic and other topics.; In 2002 the Luther College library transferred to the NAHA Kolkin's history of the Norwegian settlement in Goodhue county and neighboring counties (Dakota, Rice, Dodge and Olmsted) which it has received in 1940, source not known. Also, the poem mentioned above, and letter to the editor (Nov. 11, 1894, 4 p.) asking if the editor (of Decorah Posten?) would consider publishing the history, and offering to expand the work by writing histories of Houston and Fillmore counties, so it would cover southeastern Minnesota.

The manuscript includes many corrections, interpolation, supplementary pages (e.g., 16a,b,c,d), crossings-out. "Historiske oplysninger om de norske settlementer i Goodhue County of omegn." 

• I. Indledning: Minnesotas aelrde historie.
• II.Christiania settlementet i Dakota County, Topografiske oplysninger, Settlementets historie
• III. Tydkergrove settlementet I townet Wheeling i Rice County.
• IV. Den norske koloni i Goodhue County, Topgrafiske oplysninger.

Historiske oplysninger om det Norske settlement i Goodhue County:

• 1.kap. Befolkingen i Goodhue County; for den norske indvandring, pp. 1-7;
• 2.kap. De forste bekjendte Normaend; Og Svensker i Goodhue County, pp. 8-15;
• 3. kap. De forte sttlere i Goodhue County, pp. 16-29;
• 4.kap. Zumbrota settlementet i 1854 og 55. pp. 30-43;
• 5.kap. Moderkolonien i Goodhue i 1855. pp. 43-61;
• 6.kap. Side klonoierne i 1855. pp. 61-79;
• 7.kap. Zumbrota Settlementet i 1856 pp. 79-84;
• 8.kap. Det vestre norske settlement i Goodhue County i 1856. pp. 84-99;
• 9.kap. Den sidste halvdel af aaret 1856. pp. 100-106;
• 10.kap. Begivenheder i aaret 1857. pp 107-118;
• 11.kap. Aaret 1858. pp. 118-128;
• 12. Aaret 1859. pp. 129-137;
• 13. Aaret 1860. pp. 137-141;
• 14. Aaret 1861. pp. 141-147;
• 15. Aaret 1862 pp., 147-155;
• 16. Aaret 1863 pp. 155-158;
• 16.kap. (sic) Oversigt over tiden naermest efter krigen. Pp. 159-170;
• 17.kap. Den forste udviklingsperiode efter Borgerkrigen. Pp. 170-184;
• 18.kap. Den anden udviklingsperiode efter Borgerkrigen. Pp. 185-198;
• 19.kap. Fra 1880 til 1892. pp. 199-208;
• 20.kap. County embesmaend legislatur medlemmer og andre embedsmaend. Pp. 209-11;

V. Det norske settlement i Olmsted of Dodge county Topografiske oplysniner. 4 p.

• Settlementets historie. Pp. 1-15;
• Settlementets udvikling. Pp. 15-36;

Also includes letter to the editor, Nov. 11, 1894. 4 p.; "Det norske settlement sondenfor Decorah I dets beyndelse." Decorah Posten, July 28-Sept. 1, 1896.

8 folders

Norweigan

English

Manuscripts