The NAHA Archives can be a rich resource of information for family historians and genealogists. Although the focus of NAHA is the Norwegians after they arrived in America, and is historical in nature rather than strictly geneaolgical, you may find its resources helpful in your research.

The Norwegian American Genealogical Center and Naeseth Library, 415 West Main Street, Madison, WI 53703, maintains a library and archives devoted to Norwegian American genealogical research.

Genealogy Materials

The following genealogical materials may be found in the NAHA Archives:

• Rowberg File
  200,000+ clippings of biographical articles on Norwegian Americans from Norwegian-American newspapers, English-language country weeklies, church and lodge magazines, obituaries, Golden Anniversary celebrations, etc. Mounted on 3x5" cards filed alphabetically. Women are usually listed under husbands or male relatives. Reference cards to longer articles are mounted in over 120 binders. Coverage: Upper Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and where there were pockets of Norwegian settlements. The main time period covered is 1914-1980's.
   
• Rowberg Supplement
  50,000+ recent obituaries, mainly from North Dakota, northwestern Minnesota. Women are usually listed under their own names. A few older obituaries are also included.
   
• Carl G. O. Hansen File
  Clipping collection (1900-1950) of the Minneapolis Norwegian-language newspaper. Index is in the last 13 drawers of the Rowberg File, giving number of envelope in the collection of 136 boxes.
   
• Family History Collection
  Collection P0539, 39 boxes. Check card file index under Inventory cards. (This also includes cards for bound family histories in the library collections.)
   
• Congregational Publications
  Collection P0537, 38 boxes.
   
• Manuscript Collection
  Searchable online with Leif or at NAHA office with inventory and index cards.
   
• Biographical Directories
  Pastors, teachers, etc. Directory of congregations.
   
• Emigration Lists (on microfilm)
  Oslo (Kristiania) 1867-1901. Trondheim 1867-1926, with indexes 1891-1925. Kristiansand from 1873. Bergen list (1874-1924) on microfiche, with indexes by first name, surname. For Rogaland emigrants, see large red volumes with copies of parish "udflyttede" lists All the NAHA microfilms are located in the Rolvaag Library.

See also lists of emigrants from Hallingda, Hjartdal (Telemark), Lesje, Ringebu, Vang (Valdres) in NAHA. Also in the library: Østfold (JV6734.U8). Biri/Snertingdal, Vardal/Gjøvik (E184.S24088); Land (DL576.L3B6 v.4); Nordmøre (JV6734.S56); Hjørunfjord, Vartdal, Ørsta (HV6734.S7).

• Maps — Series M 711
  Check index map; filed alphabetically, in the Archivist's office.
   
• Thomsen, Finn A.
  Genealogical maps & guide to the Norwegian parish registers.

The following genealogical and reference materials are located in the Reference Room of the Rølvaag Library.

• Norwegian encyclopedia (AE43.A75) 12 volumes. Useful for place names and histories of communities.
   
• Postal directory (1972): HE7093.N7. Lists farms, churches, towns, etc., telling what community (kommune) and county (fylke) they are in.
   
• General genealogical guides: CS (e.g., Scandinavian Genealogical Research Manual).
   
• Norwegian biographical encyclopedia (CT1293.N6) 19 volumes.
   
• Norske gardsbruk (DL418.N85) Farm directory, southern counties, 1950-1970s.
   
• Norway handbook (DL419.N8).
   
• Bibliographies of local history (DL448.F94).
   
• Telephone books (DL576-581).
   
• Rygh's Norske gaardnavne (PD2695.R9). 21 volumes. Lists all main farms (and some subdivisions) by community (herred or kommune) and parish (sokn, sogn). Index for each fylke, general index for set.
   
• Norge: land og folk, geografisk leksikon atlas-register (DL419.N7), 4 volumes.

General Collection

The following genealogical and historical materials are located in the stacks of the Rølvaag Library.

• Bygdeboker - bygdebooks: local histories of Norwegian communities (DL576.A-Z; DL596.AZ). Located on level 5.
   
• Books on Norwegian-American history: E184.S3, level 5. Includes publications of the bygdelags (E184.S26). Lovoll's A Folk Epic (E184.S24L66) has bibliography. [Some lag publications with periodicals or in Special Collections Vault collection.]
   
• American local history (county histories, Norwegians in states or counties, etc.): F536-Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota. Level 5.
   
• Norwegian-language newspapers on microfilm: Bikuben, Budstikken, Decorah Posten, Emigranten, Emigranten og Fædrelandet, Fædrelandet, Norden, Nordisk Folkeblad, Skandinaven. Some on paper in Special Collections. Church magazines (before 1960) on Level 1.