The year 2025 marked the 200th anniversary of the great Norwegian emigration to North America. OTCHS is continuing the celebration with a temporary exhibit, The Great Emigration.

Between 1825 and 1915, approximately 800,000 Norwegian men and women immigrated to North America. The peak years for Norwegian immigration to America were 1882 (29,000) and 1903 (27,000). In 2000, 4.5 million Americans were reported to have Norwegian ancestry—about the same as Norway’s population at the time.

This exhibit was created by Vestland fylkeskommune, with Vesterheim, and others, and will be on display at the Otter Tail County Historical Society through July 10, 2026. 

A companion exhibit was curated by Dick Enstad, who is responsible for much of the woodwork and carving. He embraced his Norwegian heritage, expressing it using his hands and carving tools, fostering relationships, and promoting Nordic traditions. Dick attributes his interest to his first visit to Norway in 1983. 

Enstad earned a Gold Medal in Woodworking in 2001 from the Vesterheim. To earn a Gold Medal, an artist must accumulate a specific number of points in a category through the National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition. Points are earned by winning ribbons for exceptional, high-quality traditional Norwegian folk art. He is one of only 49 artists to win this award in the woodworking category.