Martin Ulvestad Papers

Contains an original 1919 leaflet about Ulvestad entitled, Det norke Folks Historieforsker i Amerika (The Norwegian People's History Researcher in America). It is written in Norwegian and includes a photograph of Ulvestad and his family.

Biographical Note

Ole Johannes Martinus Ulvestad was born at Volda municipality in Møre og Romsdal, Norway in 1865. He immigrated to the United States in 1886. During his next three to four years, he worked as a book printer and as a typesetter for various English, German, and Scandinavian language newspapers. Ulvestad published an English-Danish-Norwegian dictionary in 1895. Ulvestad subsequently collected and published extensive information regarding Norwegian-American immigration and settlement in North America. His books provided biographical information, history of the settlements associated with Norwegian immigration, and information regarding those who fought in the American Civil War. These books also contained articles about Norwegian music in America, listings of newspapers and magazines, and Norwegian-American educational institutions. Ulestad was presented with the Knight's Cross, First Class, of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav for his dedicated work in collecting and publishing these materials. Ulvestad was knighted by King Haakon VII of Norway with the Order of St. Olav in 1923. He died in Seattle, Washington in 1942.