January 16 marks the day that Sons of Norway was founded in 1895. On that day 130 years ago, eighteen individuals signed the charter that made this organization official. While others quickly joined as members, Sons of Norway has come to consider those initial signers as the “founders” of the organization.
What they all had in common is that they were Norwegian immigrants who had settled in Minneapolis and experienced the negative outcomes of an economic depression that occurred in 1893. With each having a love of their homeland, loyalty to their new country and desire for financial security, they came together to create a fraternal organization that could address the financial and economic needs of other Norwegian-Americans.
For more information, see https://www.sofn.com/blog/happy-founders-day-2025/.
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