Nordic Blue

Some musings on how we interpret history I've had a lot on my mind lately, and not just the myriad of responsibilities and concerns that...

Regina Winje Strand (1873-1899) Duty, Fate, and Beauty: A Norwegian-American Pioneer Legacy Remembered (a repost from February 200...

In 1886, at age 25, my great grandfather Ole Martin Johnson married and brought his 17-year-old bride, Malla, to live on the farm his parent...

A beautiful child is timeless... Laura Basgaard (1884-1982) The seventh of nine children, Laura was born in Polk County...

I paid another visit to Ancestry.com recently to "re-search" some individuals, and ended up striking gold. Since the last time I ...

Hannah Parr An early Norwegian emigrant ship Sorry, I just can't do this one completely wordless... The Hannah Parr is the ship that m...

A Hand Up, Not a Hand-Out Ernest Johnson, my grandfather, was unable to eek out a living in the 1930s solely by raising crops on his ...

How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm? My grandfather's family was, almost unamiously, stubborn and proud: not so proud that ...

Ernest Johnson Begins Farming During the Depression era, independent farmers like my maternal grandfather, Ernest Johnson, found it inc...

This WPA poster from the late 1930s, designed by Vera Bock, is just as applicable today as it was then. It's also the perfect segway int...

Much to my surprise, I found a short new book review of my family history, A Long Way Downstream: The Life and Family of Thibertine Johnson ...

I am very pleased to announce that an article I've written, "The Naturalist and His Camera" has just been published in Old New...

Becky at Kinexxions began this genealogy meme. In her blog entry, she wrote: "With the help of the genea-blogging community a list of ...

...Literally! Just before Christmas, while at work--in the middle of moving to a new house and the worst winter weather the Pacific NW has s...

This post is written for the 62nd (whew!) edition of the Carnival of Genealogy . The topic is Three Wishes. This is your chance to write a l...

Mysteries throughout history can be brought to light through family history research. An example is this inspiring story involving a World W...

Look what's on CNN today: the story behind the black and white classic "Migrant Mother" Dustbowl-era photograph taken by Dorot...

The Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard just held another Yulefest (annual Christmas Festival) on Nov.22-23. Attendees shopped for hand-craf...