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The Daughters of Norway Grand Lodge was founded as the "Daughters of Norway of the Pacific Coast" (DNPC) on February 20, 1908. It was created by the three independent lodges that existed in Washington State at the time, including Valkyrien Lodge #1 of Seattle (1905-), Embla Lodge #2 of Tacoma (1907-), and Freya Lodge #3 of Spokane (1907-1923) to hold conventions and conduct administrative business. At the 1930 convention, membership was opened to women married to men of Norwegian ancestry, and a proposal to allow translation of installation ceremonies into English in cases where the candidate did not understand Norwegian was passed. In 1936, the first issue of the Daughters of Norway's Døtre av Norge was published, transitioning from Norwegian to English during the 1950s. The DNPC officially changed its name to the Daughters of Norway in 1956, which correspondes with when the organization stopped providing death benefits to older members, making the group strictly cultural and social. The Grand Lodge is still active, hosting conventions and publishing issues of Døtre av Norge as of 2024.

This congregation was organized on October 26, 1890 under the direction of missionary pastor A. Woestenberger with five members present. On January 16, 1891 a loan was received from the Iowa Synod with which a lot on Kentucky Street was purchased, and construction of the church began. Dedication followed the following summer. Several Lutheran congregations were organized in the area beginning in 1895, depleting the membership at St. John’s. In 1924 Rev. H. Mau became resident pastor. The parsonage which had been built in 1904 was remodeled and the struggling mission took on new spiritual life.

In the fall of 1938 the deed was acquired to a lot adjoining the old property. In the summer of 1947 the parsonage was completely remodeled, modernized and enlarged. In 1951 the present site was purchased. The cornerstone was laid June 11, 1955 and the new sanctuary was dedicated on March 11, 1956. A new parsonage was also purchased and dedicated during Rev. Butenshon’s ministry. A new educational wing was added to the church and dedicated in 1967. On February 10, 1963 the Ebenezer Congregation of Bellingham merged with St.John’s. This congregation was a member of the Lutheran Free Church.

Following a period of declining membership the congregation closed in 2020.

Spokane College was incorporated in Spokane, Washington in August 1905, by representatives from various localities in Washington and the surrounding states. Until that time, there were no Prostestant affiliated colleges in the immediate area. In 1929, Spokane College closed and the records sent to Pacific Lutheran College.

The Normanna Male Chorus of Tacoma formed on 15 October 1888 when a group of eight young businessmen in Parkland, Washington got together to begin a double quartet. They originally named the group Quartetten Luren, which was a common name in Norway for a quartet. “Luren” indicates the horn used by the Chalet girls in the mountains similar to the Alpine horn. The group’s purpose was to continue the tradition of male chorus singing of Norway, which is still an important cultural group in many Norwegian communities. As the chorus grew, the group moved to Normanna Hall in Tacoma, located at 15th and K Street, and adopted the name of the hall. On 27 October 1924, ten men signed the “Agreement to Form a Corporation of Musical Purposes.” One week later, they had their first official meeting as the Normanna Male Chorus.
The chorus is a member of the Pacific Coast Norwegian Singers Association which includes choruses from British Columbia, Oregon, California as well as four choruses in the State of Washington.
Every year since 1903 the association meets for its annual Sangerfest, in which the business of the association is transacted, and singers gather for a Grand Concert with more than 180 singers in attendance. In 1988, the Normanna Male Chorus celebrated the 100th Anniversary of its founding by holding the Sangerfest in Tacoma at the Pantages Theater.

The Vasa Order of America was founded on September 18, 1896 in New Haven, Connecticut by Swedish immigrants on the principles of generosity, truth, and unity.

Pacific Northwest Lodge no. 13 was organized August 11, 1912 in Seattle, Washington by E.L Gissler from Connecticut. The nine local lodges represented were Nordstjarnan no. 145 of Spokane, Washington; Nobel no. 184 of Portland, Oregon; Norrskenet no. 189 of Hoquiam, Washington; Klippan no. 228 of Seattle, Washington; Forgat Mig Ej (later changed to Nornan no. 413) of Vancouver, B.C.; Trofast no. 231 of Everett, Washington; Norden no. 233 of Tacoma, Washington; Svea no. 234 of Bellingham, Washington; and Astor no. 215 of Astoria, Oregon. During that time District Lodge conventions were established as an annual event, but at the Spokane convention of 1920 it was changed in favor of a biennial affair in the interest of economy for both district and local lodges.

The Vasa Order of America is the largest Swedish-American cultural fraternal organization for families of Scandinavian descent in the United States of America. The order consists of 19 district lodges and several hundred local lodges throughout the U.S., Canada, and Sweden. The organization offers Scandinavian cultural and heritage programs, Swedish language study, children and youth clubs, scholarships and student loans, and many cultural activities for its members.

The Riverton Heights Lutheran Church was organized as a Mission of the American Lutheran Church on October 2, 1945. The Agreement of Association with the state of Washington was signed on October 17, 1945 by Pastor Phillip Rohrbacher, Jeanne Axtell, Kenneth Hove, Arthur Theimer, Gus Magnuson, M. E. Baker, and Malinda Spanier. The lot where the church was built was purchased for $1,350. The deed was dated October 30, 1945.

Church services, weddings, baptisms, funerals, and Sunday School were conducted in the basement of the Parsonage until the Chapel was dedicated on April 13, 1947. The Parsonage continued to serve portions of the Sunday School for several years. Ground breaking ceremonies for construction of the Parish Education Building were held on October 26, 1958. On April 24, 1960, the building was dedicated and has since fulfilled its multiple functions admirably. Recognizing our continuing need for additional facilities, a program for construction of a new Sanctuary and additional classrooms was begun in October 1966. Ground breaking took place on September 9, 1973. The new Sanctuary was dedicated on June 8, 1975.

During the church’s time many pastors served. Philip Rohrbacher, the founding pastor, served from 1945 to 1948. He was followed by Ernest Philippi from 1948 to 1952, Erich Knorr from 1952 to 1953 and February through June 1954, Vernon Kraxberger from 1953 to 1954, Leonard Kutz from 1954 to 1968, Richard Bersie from 1968 to 1995, Norma Borgford from 1995 to 1996, and Joyce Miller from 1996 to 1998, in which the church closed due to lack of funds.

• From the commemorative booklet from the church’s closing worship

Cross of Christ in Vancouver, WA began its ministry in 1967. They met in the Minnehaha School, and later moved to the Minnehaha Grange Hall. The congregations was dissolved on August 9, 1970.

Living Branch Lutheran Church began as a preaching point in 1992. It became a worshiping community in 1996. In 2000 it became a developing congregation. On December 14, 2008 they voted to disband the congregation.

St Paul’s Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized June 1891 when Pastor Jens Jensen Mylund came to take charges of the field. From 1891-1897 the congregation held their services at 2308 South G Street, Tacoma. The congregation moved to 1529 South Tacoma Ave in 1898. In 1902 they built a church on L St., and in January 1905 the congregation was incorporated. In 1905 the parsonage was finished. The congregation sold their building December of 1961, and merged with Grace Lutheran in January of 1962.

• From the history in the parish registry

Gethsemane Lutheran was formed through a merger of two congregations, Grace Lutheran and St. Paul Lutheran.

Grace Lutheran had its beginnings in 1923 as an interdenominational Sunday school. In 1924, when the church became Lutheran, they erected their facility at 73rd and Park.

St. Paul Lutheran was established in 1891 by Rev. J.J. Mylund, who conducted services in a rented building which served as both church and parsonage. In 1904 a facility was built at 13th and L Streets.

With the merger of the congregations in 1962 under Reverend Carl Laursen, the combined group met in the facilities of Grace Lutheran. A new facility was dedicated on February 16, 1964, and several years later and educational wing was completed. In 1998, the congregation merged with Bethel & Mt Zion of Tacoma, Washington, becoming United Lutheran Church.