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Upcoming Events
Programs, Classes, Events
A talk on Trygve Ager: Newsman, Author, Translator
Ella Fossum and Tryg Ager will discuss the many ways their father, Trygve Ager, carried on his father's, Waldemar Ager, efforts to sustain and celebrate Norwegian heritage. At Eau Claire's L.E. Phillips Public library. Monday June 22nd, 6:30PM. Free to all!
Short Bio:
Son of Waldemar and Gurolle (Blestren) Ager. Trygve Ager was born Jan. 23, 1906, in Eau Claire and was married in 1940 to Elvira Gullixson at Ithaca, N. Y. He graduated from St. Olaf College in 1929 and the same year studied journalism under a Scandinavian-American Foundation fellowship in Norway. He returned to the United States where he was copy editor for Nordisk Tidende, a Norwegian newspaper at Brooklyn, N. Y. and a small newspaper at Tenafly, N. J. until 1938. During the 1930s he translated a number of Books, including O.E. Rolvag's "Their Father's God" and Johan Boyer's "The House and Sea", and his father's "Sons of the Old Country". He worked in advertising as a copy editor for Addison Vars Inc. at Buffalo, N. Y., until 1941 when he joined the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D. C. He was a co-founder of "News of Norway" at the embassy. In 1943 he co-authored a book with Bjarne Hoye, "The Fight of the Norwegian Church Against Nazism".
After leaving the embassy in 1945, he joined the staff of the Albert Lea (Minn.) Evening Tribune and became managing editor. He joined the staff of the Minneapolis Tribune in 1949 and served as that newspaper's Wisconsin reporter until 1967 when he became a copy editor. He retired in 1971.
After retirement he taught Norwegian language and culture at the district vocational school in E.C. and edited a district insert for the Lutheran Standard a publication of the American Lutheran Church. He was a member of the library board in E.C. for many years and headed the local chapter of the International Committee "Nordmanns Forbundet" (League of Norsemen). He was also a board member of the Wisconsin Institute of Scandinavian Culture. Trygve died in 1975.
Tusenbeiner 2k/5k Walk Run 2026
Announcing the Fourth Running of the Tusenbeiner!
Join us on Saturday, July 18, for the fourth annual Tusenbeiner, a 2K and/or 5K fun run and walk. "Tusenbeiner" means "thousand legs." Last year, we had 80 participants, and this year we're hoping to reach at least 120!
The event begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Mayo parking lot, located just west of and across the street from the Waldemar Ager Museum. Registration is available online at https://agerhouse.org/tusenbeiner - Be sure to register by July 13 to guarantee your Tusenbeiner T-shirt.
This event reflects the mission of the Waldemar Ager Association, including the concepts of livreise—the effort to understand one's own journey, culture, and ancestral heritage—and friluftsliv, the Nordic tradition of embracing outdoor life and activity. A run, walk, or even a bike ride along Eau Claire's city trails is a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors and celebrate these traditions.
Now is a great time to get your beiner moving, whether or not you plan to ski in the American Birkebeiner ("birch legs") next winter!
Best of all, the event concludes with a light Scandinavian brunch and an opportunity to meet new friends.
The Tusenbeiner is sponsored by the Waldemar Ager Association and Museum and its supporters. Proceeds remaining after expenses will benefit the Ager capital campaign. The Association envisions creating a center for Nordic culture on the land just east of the museum, facing Whipple and West Madison Streets.
More information about this exciting project, along with preliminary drawings, will be announced soon.
UFF Da! Trolly Tours
90 minutes Tour
One Monday per month, June-Sept 2026
6:00 to 7:30pm
Cost: $28
Celebrate 200 years of Scandinavian immigration to the United States on The Uff Da! Scandinavian Trolley Tour, presented in partnership with the Chippewa Valley Museum. Guided by local historian Frank Smoot, you’ll visit key sites from Eau Claire’s Nordic history and see historic photos from the museum’s collection.
Your tour begins at The Local Store, located in an area of downtown Eau Claire once thick with boarding houses catering to Norwegian laborers. As you relax on the trolley, you’ll discover the Scandinavian roots of a popular local restaurant, two present-day churches, and one of the city’s hospitals.
Enjoy colorful stories of Eau Claire’s first Norwegian policeman, roughneck lumberjacks, the last survivor of an 1874 immigrant shipwreck, and many others.
Included in this tour are two short off-trolley experiences:
- The museum’s Anderson Log House, one of the oldest remaining examples of a specific style of Scandinavian architecture in North America. Imagine what life was like for a Norwegian immigrant family in the Chippewa Valley 150 years ago.
- A visit to the Victorian cottage owned by Norwegian newspaper publisher Waldemar Ager during the first half of the 20th century, now owned and operated by the Ager Association.
The Uff Da! Scandinavian History Tour lasts approximately 90 minutes. Depending on weather, be prepared for the trolley to be set up enclosed with sliding windows, or open-air with brass railings (and roll down curtains in case of rain). Pro tip: Wear layers appropriate for heat/humidity, or cool breezes.
The two short walks off the trolley are on sidewalks and grass. Generally safe for all ages. Expect to be off the trolley and walking for about 10-15 minutes at each one. At its length, and its depth of information, this tour is not recommended for children under seven years old.
More Information:
https://chippewarivertrolley.org/tours/scandinavian-history-tour/