Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad, 1907. Virginia This State's coastal towns have been visited by Norwegian seamen for a long time but real settlers have not been found before recent times, which will be seen below. Andrew Elseth, a Telemarking and a veteran of the Civil War, was the first Norwegian who started farming here. He settled 12 miles from the City of Norfolk. The next year came Thomas Osmundsen† from Hardanger. In the aforementioned city these were the first; Karl Tennefoss from Sogn as well as Thomas Narum, Olaf Narum and Albert Lofthus, all from Stavanger and a Trønder by the name of Halland. They work for the most part in shipyards. --------------- James City County C. M. Bergh from Lands Parish was the first Norwegian in this county. He settled in Toano in 1896 and was the founder of the Norwegian settlement there. Now there is a post office called Norge there. Zion congregation, the first Norwegian congregation in the State, was established in that settlement by Pastor H. Rue in 1898 and is served by priests of The United Church. The congregation has its own meeting house. Another congregation was recently established in Barhamsville, where there are also a number of Norwegians now. Also this congregation is served by priests from The United Church. --------------- Princess Anne County A Sogning by the name of Jens Pedersen settled here as a farmer in 1897. But there is no Norwegian settlement. --------------- Places with Norwegian names in Virginia: Norge, James City County; Norland and Norman, Dickinson Co.; Norman, Culpepper Co.; Strom (clearly a form of Strøm), Botetourt Co.; Hagan (Hagen), Lee Co. and Jørgensen, Lunenburg Co. The first of these, however, is the only one in which one finds a gathered number of Norwegians.