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| Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Protector |
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| Source: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/pdfs/mulit_column.pdf |
| Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1999 |
| Facts about Danes & Danish-Americans in Iowa
: • 2000 Census: Iowans reporting Danish ancestry = 66,954 (Iowa, along with Utah, Idaho, South Dakota, and Nebraska, were the states reporting the largest numbers of residents with Danish ancestry.) • 1990 Census: Iowans reporting Danish ancestry: 84,202 • 1920 Census: Iowans of Danish birth: 18,020 • 1910 Census: Iowans of Danish birth: 17,937 • 1870 Census: Iowans of Danish birth: 3,000 • 1856 State Census: Danish-born residents: 135 • The first Dane known to have settled in Iowa was Niels Christian Boye, who came to Muscatine County in 1837; he and his family moved to Iowa City in 1842. Boye died of cholera in 1849. • Christopher O. Mynster settled in what became Council Bluffs in 1850; descendants still live there today. • In 1867 a group of Wisconsin Danes moved to Cuppy’s Grove in Shelby County, organizing the first Danish-language Baptist congregation in the state. • The first Danes came to Des Moines in 1867. Grand View College was established in 1896 as a Danish-language institution of higher learning. • The first Danish-born county official in Iowa was Reverend Claus Laurits Clausen, of Mitchell County, who was School Fund Commissioner in the 1850's. • Danish-born members of the Iowa General Assembly include Reverend Claus Laurits Clausen, of St. Ansgar (6th), A.M. Duus of Le Mars (22nd), and C.L. Lund of Algona (23rd). • The first Danish-born lawyer in the state was William A. Mynster, of Council Bluffs, the son of settler Christopher Mynster. • With the completion of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad (1868 - 1869) many former construction workers bought land in Cass and Shelby Counties, which, along with Audubon County, currently has the highest percentage of individuals of Danish ancestry in Iowa. • By 1880 there were 1000 persons of Danish birth in Shelby County and 200 in Audubon County. Other rural communities with a significant percentage of individuals of Danish ancestry include Fredsville, Rutland, Newell, Ringsted, Latimer and Coulter. • The first Danish-born physician was Dr. William Jepsen, who received his degree from the State University of Iowa in 1886. • A Danish-style Folk High School (an adult continuing education school) was established in Elk Horn (Shelby County) in 1878 and served the Danish-speaking community until 1918. • The first Danish creamery which later becoming the first cooperative dairy, was established in Fredsville, near Cedar Falls in 1883. • The earliest Danish organizations in Iowa were The Danish Society of Clinton and Lyon Counties (1873); Danebo, in Council Bluffs (1878); and the Danish Brotherhood in America Lodge, in Davenport (1882). • 40 Danish-born individuals from Iowa served in the Spanish-American War. • Leo Hoegh, of Audubon County was Governor of Iowa from 1955 - 1957. (Sources: US census bureau; Thomas Peter Christensen: A history of Danes in Iowa, the New York - Arno Press - 1979; Kort over de Danskes Udbredelse i Amerikas Forenede Stater - 1924; various websites) |
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| Source: Kort over de Danskes Udbredelse i Amerikas Forenede Stater, 1924 |
| The Danish Immigrant museum in conjunction with the Family History & Genealogy Center (FHGC) is continually looking for information on as many Danish immigrants that came to North America as possible. To create a file for your ancestors, print the following form, fill it out, and send it with accompanying documentation to the address below.
Send Immigration Information to : The Danish Immigrant Museum Family History & Genealogy Center Danish Immigration Information 4210 Main Street P.O. Box 249 Elk Horn, Iowa 51531-0249 Honoring Danish Ancestors: Danish ancestors may be honored in perpetuity by having a plaque with their names, dates of immigration, and area of settlement placed on The Danish Immigrant Wall of Honor. For information about submitting names go to The Danish Immigrant Wall of Honor. Immigration Stories: Site visitors love to read about Danish immigration and the many artifacts found in a permanent display at the museum called Across Oceans, Across Time®; and enjoy listening to the weekly audio file broadcast on a local radio show, KJAN AM1220. Facts about Danish Immigration: Four charts follow representing interesting information pertaining to Danish immigration in the United States. |
| __________________________________________ PRINT PAGES OPEN IN A NEW WINDOW. The Danish Immigrant Museum 2212 Washington Street P. O. Box 470 Elk Horn, Iowa 51531-0470 Telephone 712.764.7001 Fax 712.764.7002 |
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