THEODORE CHRISTIAN BLEGEN:
An Inventory of His Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Blegen, Theodore Christian, 1891-1969, creator. | |
| Title: | Theodore Blegen papers, | |
| Dates: | 1878-1968. | |
| Language: | Materials in English and Norwegian. | |
| Abstract: | Kensington Runestone research files (1899-1968) and miscellaneous correspondence files (1878-1956) of Theodore C. Blegen (1891-1969), a University of Minnesota professor (1927-1939), dean (1940-1960), superintendent (1931-1939), and research fellow (1960-1969) at the Minnesota Historical Society. The runestone files generated in the 1960s while he was researching the stone, concern a large stone bearing runic inscriptions that were purportedly carved by Viking explorers, and which was found near Kensington (Douglas County), Minnesota in 1898. | |
| Quantity: | 1.6 cubic feet (4 boxes). | |
| Location: | P1666: See Detailed Description section for shelf location. |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Theodore Christian Blegen was born in 1891 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of John H. and Anna Blegen. He received a B.A. degree in 1910 from Augsburg College (Minneapolis), where his father was a professor in German and Greek. At the University of Minnesota he received an M.A. in 1915 and a Ph.D. in 1925. After teaching in high schools in Wisconsin and Minnesota, he became a professor of history (1920-1927) at Hamline University (St. Paul); lecturer, associate professor, and professor of history at the University of Minnesota (1927-1939); and dean of its graduate school (1940-1960). His career with the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) began in 1922 while he was teaching at Hamline University. In 1931 he succeeded Solon J. Buck as superintendent, serving until 1939. He returned to the Society as a research fellow in 1960, after his retirement from the University of Minnesota.
He married Clara Woodward in 1916. They had two children: Theodore and Margaret. He died in 1969 in St. Paul.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
The papers are mainly alphabetically arranged subject files (1899-1969), composed of correspondence, articles, and background information, which were generated by Blegen while he was researching the authenticity of the Kensington Runestone. The authenticity of the stone has been in dispute for many years.
Also included are papers (1878-1928) of John H. Blegen, a teacher at Augsburg College (Minneapolis, Minn.), many in Norwegian; a small comic volume, "Minnesota History" (1937); Kensington Stone, a mystery solved, a typescript by Erik Wahlgren (annotated by Blegen); and an unpublished manuscript, Trail Blazers of the Upper Northwest, by Blegen and Bertha L. Heilbron (1947).
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Theodore Blegen Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 9423; 16,792
Processing Information:
Processed by: Bonnie Beatson Palmquist, December 1988.
Catalog ID number: 990017115650104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| P1666 | 1 | Letters, 1916, 1936-1958. | |||||||||
| A letter from his mother (Oct. 4, 1916) comments on his father's health. Many of the remaining letters are from relatives in Norway and are written in Norwegian. | |||||||||||
| A letter from Harry Truman (Jan. 16, 1956) acknowledges Blegen's visit and thanks him for his thoughts on presidential libraries. | |||||||||||
| Condolence letters, 1928. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Regarding his father's death. In English and Norwegian. | |||||||||||
| John H. Blegen letters, undated and 1878-1928. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Many are in Norwegian and are written on Augsburg College letterheads. Other letterheads are Indian Home Mission to the Santhals (1911), Santhal Mission of the Northern Churches (1913), Zion Society for Israel (1911). | |||||||||||
| Folkebladet, June-August 1898. | |||||||||||
| Letters in Norwegian written by John Blegen to a newspaper in Minneapolis while he was on a trip to Europe. | |||||||||||
| Elements of German, a Grammar for Secondary Schools, by John H. Blegen, 1907. manuscript copy. | |||||||||||
| Minnesota-Bibelen for 1901. | |||||||||||
| "Minnesota History," 1937. | |||||||||||
| Author unknown. A spoof on the MHS quarterly magazine, Minnesota History. | |||||||||||
| Kensington Stone, a Mystery Solved, by Erik Wahlgren, 1958. | |||||||||||
| Annotated by Blegen. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| P1666 | 2 | Kensington Runestone Research Files, 1899-1968. | |||||||||
| Acknowledgments. | |||||||||||
| Affidavits. | |||||||||||
| Aabers letter, February 23, 1899. | |||||||||||
| Aerial Photography (Arch Grahn), 1960. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence and report (Preliminary Photointerpretation Report on Vinland, by Carl H. Strandberg and Glyn Nelson). | |||||||||||
| Ander, Fritiof. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence regarding Sven Fogelblad. | |||||||||||
| Appendix. | |||||||||||
| Beginnings, 1899 and earlier. | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous notes. | |||||||||||
| Bill of Sale to Minnesota Historical Society, April 19, 1911. copy. | |||||||||||
| Breda, O. J., 1910. | |||||||||||
| (See also: Semmingsen) | |||||||||||
| Letter to Warren Upham, March 7, 1910, declaring the stone to be a hoax. | |||||||||||
| Brogan, Denis, 1968. | |||||||||||
| Article from Antiquity, March 1968. | |||||||||||
| Carson-Gran, 1966-1968. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence with Dr. Paul Carson concerning his mother's knowledge about the stone. | |||||||||||
| Curme, George, 1964. | |||||||||||
| Regarding the search for his papers. | |||||||||||
| Evjen, J. O. | |||||||||||
| Excavation, 1964. | |||||||||||
| Work performed by the Minnesota Historical Society. | |||||||||||
| Fredenberg, Moses, 1955-1966. | |||||||||||
| Fredenberg supposedly made the stonecutter's chisel used to carve the runestone. | |||||||||||
| Forsa Ring. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| P1666 | 2 | Goetzinger-Setterlund, 1962-1966. | |||||||||
| W. M. Goetzinger was a lawyer in Elbow Lake (Minn.), who took a deposition from Victor Setterlund. Setterlund admitted carving a runestone found near Elbow Lake to show that it could be done. | |||||||||||
| Hagen, O. E. (University of South Dakota), 1965-1966. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence about his career and his general research. | |||||||||||
| Hagen, O. E., 1967. | |||||||||||
| Blegen's unpublished article about Hagen. | |||||||||||
| Hagen, O. E. | |||||||||||
| Books and pamphlets; most in Norwegian. | |||||||||||
| Haugen, Einar, 1966-1968. | |||||||||||
| Haugen was a professor at Harvard University. | |||||||||||
| Hedberg, J. P., 1910-1965. | |||||||||||
| Hedberg was one of the first to report the discovery of the stone. | |||||||||||
| Hendrickson, H. 2 items. | |||||||||||
| Notes on content of a letter found in "Holvik Papers." | |||||||||||
| Hoegh, Knut, 1967. | |||||||||||
| Regarding originals of affidavits. | |||||||||||
| Holand, H. R., 1957-1960. | |||||||||||
| Regarding Nicholas of Lynn, explorer of Hudson's Bay, 1362. | |||||||||||
| Holvik, J. A., 1949-1955. | |||||||||||
| Includes newspaper clippings about runestone. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| P1666 | 3 | Hustvedt, Lloyd, 1967. | |||||||||
| Regarding the archives at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota. | |||||||||||
| Ideas. | |||||||||||
| Illustrations. | |||||||||||
| Kaufert, Frank, 1967. | |||||||||||
| Kaufert was associated with the School of Forestry, University of Minnesota. | |||||||||||
| Kensington Runestone: General Information. | |||||||||||
| Landsverk, Ole G., 1967-1968. | |||||||||||
| Runestone cipher. | |||||||||||
| Liestøl, Aslek. | |||||||||||
| Refutation of Monge and Landsverk theory. | |||||||||||
| Measurement of Stone, 1968. | |||||||||||
| Museum Committee. | |||||||||||
| Nelson, Wallace, 1966-1967. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence regarding Nelson's interest in the stone. | |||||||||||
| Nosander, F., 1964-1965. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence attempting to locate an F. Nosander in Taylors Falls in 1899. | |||||||||||
| Ohman, Edward, 1949. | |||||||||||
| Interview (copy) with Ohman, son of Olof Ohman, about the discovery of the stone. | |||||||||||
| Olson, Olaus, 1964. | |||||||||||
| Translation of Olson's letter of May 16, 1899. | |||||||||||
| Petrified Man (hoax), 1965. | |||||||||||
| Reference to "Two Ohmans?" | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| P1666 | 3 | Schroder, Johan. | |||||||||
| Semmingsen, Ingrid, 1964. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence with Semmingsen, a professor at Oslo University. | |||||||||||
| Sivert, Samuel, 1964-1965. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence with Samuel's son, Ing. T. | |||||||||||
| Steefel, Lawrence, 1965-1966. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence about the proposed sale of Ohman's farm to the MHS. | |||||||||||
| Steinnes, Asgut, 1956-1957, 1967. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence between Steinnes and Birger Osland (Chicago). | |||||||||||
| Steward, John F. (Chicago geologist), 1899, 1964. | |||||||||||
| Turner, Frederick Jackson, 1910. | |||||||||||
| Also includes related materials. | |||||||||||
| Ulen Sword, 1910-1912. | |||||||||||
| Verendrye Stone, 1953, 1962-1968. | |||||||||||
| Concerns the whereabouts of a runestone from the 1700s. | |||||||||||
| Wagner, H. M. | |||||||||||
| Wahlgren, Erik, 1958-1959, 1965-1968. | |||||||||||
| Concerns his book on the Kensington stone. | |||||||||||
| Wallace, Birgitta, 1965-1968. | |||||||||||
| Concerns her work with ancient tolls at the Carnegie Museum (Pittsburgh, Pa.). | |||||||||||
| Winchell Field Book (notes), 1965. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| P1666 | 4 | Trail Blazers of the Upper Northwest by Theodore C. Blegen and Bertha L Heilbron, 1947. | |||||||||
| "The purpose of this book is to make available to the public and to schools and libraries the true stories of the wilderness conquerors who blazed the way for the occupations of the Northwest by white men" -- preface. | |||||||||||
| Includes chapters regarding Jean Nicollet, Pierre Espirit Radisson and Sieur des Groseilliers, Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette, DuLhut and Louis Hennepin, Pierre Charles le Sueur, Fort Beauharnois, Alexander MacKenzie, Jonathan Carver, Peter Pond, Jean Baptises Cadotte, David Thompson, Alexander Henry, Zeulon M. Pike and Fort Snelling, Lewis Cass, Stephen H. Long, Giacomo Beltrami, Henry Schoolcraft, George W. Feathersonhaugh, George Catlin, Joseph N. Nicollet, several pioneer missionaries, Henry H Sibley, Isaac I. Stevens, Pierre Bottineau, and James J. Hill. | |||||||||||
RELATED MATERIALS
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Inscriptions, Runic.
- Imposters and imposture -- Minnesota.
- Kensington Rune Stone.
- Norwegian Americans -- Minnesota.
- Runes.
- Persons:
- Blegen, John H., 1851-1928.
- Hagen, O. E.
- Heilbron, Bertha L. (Bertha Lion), 1895-1972.
- Landsverk, O. G. (Ole Godfred), 1901-
- Wahlgren, Erik, 1911-.
- Winchell, N. H. (Newton Horace), 1839-1914.
- Organizations:
- Minnesota Historical Society.
- Minnesota Historical Society -- Anecdotes.
- Occupations:
- Educators.
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