About Us

---

Waldemar Ager, along with his wife Gurolle, raised nine children in Eau Claire, WI. For many year, he served as the influential editor and publisher of The Reform, a Norwegian language weekly distributed throughout the Midwest. He also authored nine novels, many of which explored immigrant culture in the United States during the early 20th century. Ager was dedicated to the preservation of the Norwegian language and culture in the United States, and traveled throughout the nation to speaking in support of his passions. He was also a prohibitionist, another defining aspect of his life and works.

The Ager House was built ca. 1896 by local carpenter Brady Anderson and purchased by the Ager family in 1903. It would stay with the family until 1962. In 1962, Luther Hospital bought the house and its auxiliary group housed the Red Carpet resale shop in the house. Originally, the house was located at the Chestnut and Whipple streets, but moved to its current location in 1993 when Luther Hospital needed the space to expand. Support from Luther Hospital and the City of Eau Claire helped make the move possible, and dedicated volunteers carefully restored the house in the 1990s.

Formed in 1993, the Association supports the communities we serve through several goals:

• Celebrate and promote Nordic culture.
• Preserve and study the literary works of Waldemar Ager.
• Maintain the Ager house as a representation of an 1890's Victorian cottage in Eau Claire.
• Share and promote immigrant cultures in the Chippewa Valley.

The restoration of the library was completed in June 2008. The library provides access to resources to a variety of books and other resources that explore Waldemar Ager and his works, significant Norwegian and Norwegian-American authors, Scandinavian history and culture, genealogy, and so much more. Click below to learn more about accessing and using this treasure of the Waldemar Ager Association.