Carl G. O. Hansen (16 March 1871 – 10 June 1960) was a

Norwegian-American Norwegian Americans ( nb, Norskamerikanere, nn, Norskamerikanarar) are Americans with ancestral roots in Norway. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the latter half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the ...

journalist, musician and author.Carl G. O. Hansen
''snl.no''. Retrieved: February 16, 2013.''My Minneapolis'' by Carl G. O. Hansen, (Minneapolis: Standard Press, 1956).

Career

Hansen was born the son of Sivert Christian Hansen (1839-1872) and Marit Megrund (1842-1927) in

Trondheim, Norway Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...

. He immigrated to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

with his mother and siblings in 1881. His mother, widowed since 1872, took the family to

Walnut Grove, Minnesota Walnut Grove is a city in Redwood County, Minnesota, Redwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 871 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Another name formerly associated with the area is Walnut Station. History Walnut ...

, where her parents and siblings had previously settled. In 1882 she and her children moved to

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. Except for a short stint in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, her son Carl would live in the city for the next seventy-eight years. In his adopted hometown Hansen wrote for and edited the

Dano-Norwegian Dano-Norwegian (Danish and no, dansk-norsk) was a koiné/mixed language that evolved among the urban elite in Norwegian cities during the later years of the union between the Kingdoms of Denmark and Norway (1536/1537–1814). It is from this ...

newspaper ''Minneapolis Daglig Tidende'' (Minneapolis Daily Times) from 1897 until 1935. In

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

he was similarly employed at ''

Skandinaven ''Skandinaven'' was a Norwegian language newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois from 1866 until 1941. Background ''Skandinaven'' was established by three Norwegian immigrants; John Anderson, Knud Langeland (1813–88), and Iver Lawson (1 ...

'' newspaper between 1935 and 1937. He then edited ''

Sons of Norway Sons of Norway ( no, Sønner av Norge), founded in 1895 as the Independent Order of the Sons of Norway, is a fraternal organization principally representing people of Norwegian-American, Norwegian heritage in the United States and Canada. The or ...

'' magazine in

and served as the organization's educational director from 1939 until his retirement in 1954. A lifelong musician, Hansen sang with and directed male choruses or church choirs from the age of sixteen until impaired hearing forced him to give up the activity. The

published a songbook in 1926 that provided a comprehensive collection of

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

songs for community singing by its membership.''Sangbog for Sønner af Norge'' edited by

Carsten Woll Carsten Thorvald Woll (1885-1962) was a leading Norwegian-American singer and recording artist of the 1910s and 1920s. Biography The singer and composer Carsten Woll was born in Oslo, Norway. He took his student exams in 1903 and subsequently s ...

, (Minneapolis: Sønner af Norges forlag, 1926). A valuable resource, the book enjoyed large sales before finally, in the 1940s, going out of print. The need had arisen for lyrics in both

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. A new edition of the book, meeting this requirement, was published in 1948. The two editors, Carl G. O. Hansen and Frederick Wick, produced several of the translations themselves. Since its initial publication, the bilingual

songbook has gone through numerous printings and been reissued in paperback and digital formats.''Sons of Norway Songbook'' edited by Carl G. O. Hansen and Frederick Wick, (Minneapolis: The Sons of Norway, 1948). In 1956 Hansen published a memoir, ''My Minneapolis'', whose subtitle was "A chronicle of what has been learned and observed about the

Norwegians Norwegians ( no, nordmenn) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nation native to Norway, where they form the vast majority of the population. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegians are descended from the N ...

through one hundred years". Although the book was autobiographical, it covered topics outside of the author's personal experience. He wrote, for instance, of Ole Bull's 1856 visit to

and of Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson's 1880-1881

Midwestern The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

lecture tour. Upon his arrival in

, Hansen encountered the

authors

Kristofer Janson Kristofer Nagel Janson (May 4, 1841 – November 17, 1917) was a Norwegian poet, author and Unitarian clergyman. Kristofer Janson is commonly recognized as the founder of the Norwegian Unitarian Church. Background Kristofer Janson was born in Be ...

and

Knut Hamsun Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to consciousness, subject, perspective a ...

, who lived for a time in the city, and the

artists

Jacob Fjelde Jakob Henrik Gerhard Fjelde (10 April 1859 – 5 May 1896) was a Norwegian-born American sculptor.Harris, Moira F., ''Monumental Minnesota: A Guide to Outdoor Sculpture'', Pogo Press, 1992, pg. 6 He is remembered as both a prolific portraitis ...

and

Herbjørn Gausta Herbjørn Nilson Gaustå also Herbjorn Gausta (June 16, 1854 – May 22, 1924) was an American artist who is best known for his landscapes, portraits, and scenes from rural settings. He left an early record of immigrant life in his portraits and ...

. These men and many others figured in his historical narrative. Hansen was decorated as a Knight, First Class of the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II ...

in 1923 and received the St. Olav's Medal in 1939.

"I Love Ev'ry Tune"

From the 1948 ''Sons of Norway Songbook'':

Books

*''History of Sons of Norway'' 1944 *''Sons of Norway Songbook'' 1948 *''My Minneapolis'' 1956

Gallery

File:BullLitho.JPG, Ole Bull File:Bjørnson blds 01191.jpg, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson File:Knut hamsun 1890.jpg, Knut Hamsun File:Skandinaven newspaper.jpg, ''Skandinaven'' headquarters

References

External links

Carl G. O. Hansen Papers
at

NAHA is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area i ...

. Norwegian-language article
Carl G. O. Hansen

Norsk biografisk leksikon is the largest Norwegian biographical encyclopedia. The first edition (NBL1) was issued between 1921 and 1983, including 19 volumes and 5,100 articles. It was published by Aschehoug with economic support from the state. bought the rights to ...

Carl G. O. Hansen: translation
Photos
Carl G. O. Hanson
at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

.
Carl G. O. Hansen
at the

Hennepin County Library Hennepin County Library is a public library system serving Hennepin County, Minnesota, US. The current iteration of Hennepin County Library was formed by the merger of urban Minneapolis Public Library and suburban Hennepin County Library on Ja ...

.
Carl G. O. Hanson
at the

National Library of Norway The National Library of Norway ( no, Nasjonalbiblioteket) was established in 1989. Its principal task is "to preserve the past for the future". The library is located both in Oslo and in Mo i Rana. The building in Oslo was restored and reopened i ...

. Online book
''My Minneapolis''
at the

.
00. Preface03. Two Notable Scandinavian Visitors10. The City's First 17th of May Celebration15. The Bjørnson Visit28. Kristofer Janson and Knut Hamsun45. The Cedar-Riverside Area49. The Ole Bull Monument52. Herbjørn Gausta
Lyrics from 1948 songbook
''Aa kjøre vatten aa kjøre ved''
* ''Deilig er jorden''
''Den store hvide flok vi se''''Eg elskar dei voggande tonar''
* ''Hils til dem der hjemme'' * ''Kan du glemme gamle Norge''
''Længsel''''Sinklars vise''''Sætergjentens Søndag''
;Internet Archive audio
Carl G. O. HansenNorwegian singers

Norwegian songs
Online recordings
Norwegian songs
at the

.
Norwegian songs
on Edison Cylinder Records.
Norwegian songs
at

Gustavus Adolphus College Gustavus Adolphus College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in St. Peter, Minnesota. It was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans led by Eric Norelius and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Gustavus gets its nam ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen, Carl G. O. 1871 births 1960 deaths American male singers American magazine editors American newspaper editors Norwegian emigrants to the United States Norwegian-American culture in Chicago Norwegian-American culture in Minnesota Writers from Trondheim Musicians from Trondheim Recipients of the St. Olav's Medal People from Walnut Grove, Minnesota