"Restauration" – The "little ship that could" was the start of some 800,000 Norwegian immigrants that journeyed to America starting in 1825…

But this story is more about an American expat's chance encounter with a bautastein (monument stone) in a park and an entire day spent researching the internet to learn everything possible about that monument.

As I have been doing since we arrived in Stavanger, I set out for a day of exploring with a special interest in all things WWII-related.  I have always marveled at the lengths that armies went through with building giant underground fortresses, roads, bunkers, airfields, etc. and it seems that Norway has had more than its fair share of concrete poured in the name of war.  So I have been out hunting old gun batteries and other coastal occupation architecture.

Yesterday, for example, I went past the entrance of the enormous German built underground bunker currently occupied by NATO and then today headed out in a different direction. As luck would have it, I stumbled upon a stone monument sitting atop a small hill overlooking the harbor.

It didn't take long to hit on several websites that described the little 53ft sloop known as "Restauration" that had carried 52 hearty souls across the Atlantic to America in 1825 and thus became the first of some 800,000 Norwegians to immigrate to the US.

Now, being a kid of German & English decent did not leave a lot of room for discussing Norwegian immigration around our home and frankly I just assumed that all of those "funny sounding folks" in Minnesota had always been there…  Not until much later in life did I understand that they had come from Norway; and much later than that I even ended up living there myself (strange things happen!). So I decided I had better get off my backside and learn some history!

So, a chance encounter in a small park 6,500 miles from "home" has led me to understand that a great deal of time, effort and blood was shed with thousands of people simply trying to better their situation in life and put food on the table.
The story of the sloop Restauration is best documented by the website that is dedicated to the pioneering Norwegian immigrants who ended up in far flung places like Napa, CA and in recent years a bautastein (monument stone) was dug up, carved, transported and dedicated to the pioneers' grave-sites.  Check out "The Wheelerfolk Project" (link below) for complete details.

After reading through several websites dedicated to the subject I understand that there is a re-creation of the sloop and full details on that project can be found below.  The Restauration II is located about 30 minutes away from my home on the island of Finnøy just north of Stavanger, Norway and you can be sure I am planning a trip to see this painstakingly re-created piece of history.

But first, there was an interesting opening in the base of that small hill and someone has bricked up the opening to… something!? Wonder what could be in there?

More information;

Wheelerfolk.org Slooper Monument Project - "The Norwegian Mayflower"

Restauration II – Recreated sloop located on the island of Finnøy just north of Stavanger, Norway

Credit for the Restauration II photo goes to Gunleif Seldal of Klepp, Rogaland, Norway

You can see the monument yourself on Google Earth at "Restauration Marker" lat=58.9776814364, lon=5.71952714713

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