The 3rd issue of the International Bulletin from Telemark County Council is now available on the net.

In Norway the tourist organizations mainly focus on New York, California and Florida. They seem to forget the Mid West and the heavy Norwegian-American population that people from Norway would like to visit. What was new to us until we met representatives from the tourist industry in Bismarck and Minot last fall is the tremendous growth that has been in states like North Dakota. Up 655 % since 1990 is impressive, and it is a strong evidence that their investments in tourism advertising and infrastructure are really paying off. (more)

Wahpeton is a modest town in the southern part of North Dakota. Not many people have heard about Wahpeton, at least not in Norway. But Wahpeton has an interesting history with reference to the dramatist Henrik Ibsen from Skien in Telemark. The history that we got from retired Dean Emeritus Vernon Edgar Hektner at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton you can read below:(more):

The person reported to be "the largest landowner in North Dakota" with 20.000 acres, arrived in northern Dakota territory like most immigrants, without very much money. The first years his home was a hole dug into the bank of a river.(more).

In California the Daughters of Norway have a lodge called Anne Grimdalen Lodge. This lodge was named for a noted woman sculpter, who was born in 1899 in the Telemark county in Norway. Anne Grimdalen studied art in Oslo, and in 1931, her statue "Girl on a Horse" was bought by the Norwegian National Gallery. She later won a national competition, and three of her pieces were selected to decorate the newly built City Hall in Oslo. She created large pieces of sculpter based not only on historic themes, but also on nature and common people.(more).

A weekend in Telemark WI is for all fans of an active lifestyle.
Not far from the metropolitan communities of Minneapolis, Chicago, and Milwaukee, the classic resorts of northern Wisconsin offer visitors the ultimate in winter activities, whether you’re a family looking for a place to take the kids snowboarding or a young adult training for a competitive season of cross-country skiing. Go to the Telemark Resort in Cable, just off County Highway M.(more).

Nordmanns Forbundet met for a 80th Anniversary Celebration in Bloomington, MN on Oct 10, 2009.(more).

Skimaking at the Skien & Telemark booth at the 2009 Norsk Høstfest in Minot ND in October was a great success. Tarjei Gjelstad from Morgedal got the idea when he visited Norsk Høstfest in 2008, and he brought with him old tools and materials when he set off for Minot in North Dakota early in the morning on Sept 28.(more).

In Skien and Telemark we are now planning for our visit to Norsk Høstfest in North Dakota in Sept/Oct 2009. We will have our booth in Reykjavik Hall where we will promote Telemark with the canal and many wonderful sceneries, Minot's sister city Skien, Morgedal Ski Adventure, Telemark University College, Telemark Heritage & Genealogy and the war history from Rjukan.
Before coming to Minot we plan to visit Sons of Norway's HQ in Minneapolis, the Henrik Ibsen bust in Como Park in St. Paul and the Henrik Ibsen statue in Wahpeton ND before going to various meetings in Fargo ND and in Bismarck ND.(more).

On RootsWeb you can find large family trees with several thousands names from Tinn and from Gjerpen in Telemark. If you know the names of the people who emigrated from Tinn or Gjerpen in Telemark you can hardly miss finding many more members of their families on RootsWeb.(more).