History

In March of 1904 a group of Tronders got together to plan a Trønderlaget stevne, but abandoned the idea because of bickering over what territory in Norway they should include. They were afraid they would cut a poor figure in comparison with the Valders group. A Trønderlag was hastily created in June of 1907 but received little support and failed.

The Trønderlaget of America was finally organized on September 17, 1908 at Fergus Falls, MN. Before the organization, there had been much writing and correspondence in the Norwegian papers, "Scandinavian" and "Decorah Posten". They had a difficult time finding someone to take the leadership. Faculty members of Tronder background at Park Region College in Fergus Falls, headed by the president Rev. D.G. Ristad, were among the promoters. Prof. Thomas Wollan and Prof. I. Darrum on their own called an organizational meeting.  All Tronders from the eight fylkes were to be included. Later there were 15 more stevnes organized. Prof. Wollan, a banker and businessman from Glenwood, was the first president. Other officers included D.G.Ristad, John Wist, Thomas Warloe, O.C. Hauan, A.C. Floen and Lars Hayseth. There were 120 charter members but before the next stevne, more than 400 joined. In 1925 the membership had grown to 2,556 to become one of the largest stevnes.

The Tronderlaget early published yearbooks and were early members of Nordmans-Forbundet. They also helped organize Bygdelagens Fellesraad. Money to help build a Kors Altar (choir altar) was donated to Trondheims Domkirke and they also presented an expensive model of Nidaros Kirke to the Norwegian-American Museum at Decorah, Iowa.

In 1926 the Tronderlaget in Duluth was unkindly characterized as an "old folks coffee party," because it did not attract the younger generations of Tronders.

A magazine called the "Trønder American" was published from 1935-39. In 1936 a gathering of all the separate stevnes was held at Madison, MN with a good attendance. During World War II, no Tronderlaget stevnes were held.  When the Tronderlaget met in 1966, it was decided that because of the discouraging low attendance at the stevne, it had served its purpose and thus was disbanded. Henry Nycklemoe of Fergus Falls was president at that time.

The lag was brought back to life in 1982 in Dawson, Minnesota. The group responsible for that stevne included Agnes Boraas, Floyd and Selma Boraas, Irvin and Anna Kleven, Lowell and Bernice Oellien, Rudy and Bernice Prestholdt, Bervin and Arlene Skjei, Mildred Skurdahl, Ellsworth and Sylvia Smogard, Orvin and Josephine Larson, Selma Torstenson and Berdeen and Mable Vaala. They raised money by selling bumper stickers, pins, and other items and holding a raffle. They only charged $1.50 for a membership "so that no true-blooded Tronder would feel they couldn't afford to belong."  At the business meeting, the following were elected to the Executive Board: Co-chairmen Bernice Oellien and Mable Vaala; Secretary Orvin Larson, Treasurer Ellsworth Smogard, Historian Meredith Ulstad; Directors Curtis Olson, Esther Opien and Ilene Chapman.

In 1999 the lag was renamed "Trønderlag of America" and a new set of by-laws were ratified by members at the business meeting.

Below is a list of the 15 local lags that were organized at one time in addition to the National Trønderlaget:

1. Chicago Tronderlag; organized in Chicago in 1924
2. Chippewa Valley Tronderlag; organized at Eau Claire, Wis in 1920
3. Duluth Tronderlag; organized in Duluth in 1920
4. Tronderlaget in Everett, WA; organized in Everett in 1955
5. Grand Forks Tronderlag; organized in Grand Forks, ND in 1917
6. Brulle Tronderlag; organized at Emmett, SD in 1936
7. Lake Hendricks Tronderlag; organized at Lake Hendricks in 1930
8. Minneapolis Tronderlag; organized at Minneapolis in 1913
9. Tronderlaget Nidaros; organized at Tacoma, WA in 1927
10. The Northwest Tronderlag; organized at Minot, ND in 1929
11. Park Region Tronderlag; organized at Ashby, MN in 1926
12. Pope County Tronderlag; organized at Starbuck, MN in 1921
13. Sioux Valley Tronderlag; organized at Baltic, SD in 1922
14. Thief River Falls Tronderlag; organized at Thief River Falls in 1926
15. Tronderlaget Tordenskjold; organized in Seattle, WA before 1925