Norwegian immigrants founded a settlement southwest of Cambridge, Iowa, in June 1855 and a second colony east of Story City in June 1856. Twenty-five years later 6,500 Norwegians were living in central Iowa. This book traces their migration from hillside farms along fjords in southwest Norway to the prairie of northern Illinois and westward to Iowa. Discover why Lisbon, Illinois, 60 miles southwest of Chicago, was an attractive initial destination. Read early histories of the two central Iowa settlements. Learn about what life was like in 1860 for the 97 families living in log cabins and dugouts in Story, northern Polk, and southern Hamilton Counties. Follow the experiences of 46 of these new Americans who volunteered for the Civil War.