Icelandic Roots

09/24/2026

Can you help us identify these two young ladies dressed in Icelandic costume?

On the back of the photo are the words "Melsted" and "Minneota"

Photographer is Swain Magnus from Minneota, Minnesota. (1898-1900)

This photo is from the K.G. Kristjanson family album. Mountain, North Dakota

09/23/2026

Another big step at Rootshús!

The steel is up and now the concrete floors are being poured!

Soon, the space will be filled with the Emigration Trail, Saga Hall, Heima Lounge, Children’s Discovery Area, Wild Iceland, our library and our Icelandic stories online and in person!

A huge thank you to the crews at Olaf Anderson Construction, All Finish Concrete, and everyone working to keep Rootshús moving forward. 🇮🇸❤️🌟

www.IcelandicRoots.com

09/21/2026

🇨🇦 From Canada to Iceland 🇮🇸

Hæ Hæ everyone! I’m Marissa, and I’m excited to introduce myself as one of the newest volunteers with Icelandic Roots!

My connection to Iceland goes back to my great-grandparents who immigrated to Canada. In 2022, I had the opportunity to take part in the Snorri Program, which brought me to Iceland to explore my roots and connect with relatives. Little did I know I’d eventually find my way back - this time for much longer!

This August, I made the move from Canada to Iceland to begin my MSc in Sport Science at Reykjavík University. I’m also playing volleyball here, learning Icelandic (slowly! 😅), and taking every opportunity I can to experience Icelandic life and culture.

I’m looking forward to sharing some of that journey with the Icelandic Roots community, along with stories about Icelandic culture, heritage, and what it’s like to return to the country generations after my family left.

And if you’d like to follow along with the slightly more chaotic side of a Canadian figuring out life in Iceland, you can also find me over at Canadian Sprakki 🇨🇦🇮🇸
Instragram 📷️:
Facebook 👤: www.facebook.com/CanadianSprakki

I’m so happy to be here and excited to connect with all of you! ❤️

09/18/2026

The Olaf Anderson crew accomplished a lot this week! So thankful for Jeff Furstenau and his great leadership on this project. https://www.icelandicroots.com/rootshus

09/18/2026

IDENTIFIED!!

This photo is in the May 2026 folder of the Unknown Photos Project.

It has been identified by Karen (Austfjord) Kristjanson. I-3131181

This man is Sigurður Júlíus Magnússon / Melsted I-211294.

Karen recognized the photo as the same photo is published in her Melsted Family Book.

Sigurdur emigrated as a young boy in 1876 along with his mother and five siblings. Sigurdur’s father had passed away in Iceland five years earlier and with them on the voyage was his mother’s new partner and their young daughter. They left a port in Akureyri aboard the S.S. Verona.

They settled in the North Dakota area and Sigurdur eventually married Rosa Torfason. During this time, many families lost a child or children at very young ages. Sigurdur and Rosa had ten children and five of them lived into their nineties. The other five died between the ages of 77 and 89.

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The Unknown Photo Project is volunteer driven with contributions coming from Iceland, Canada and the United States. All Access members can access more images like this one inside the Icelandic Roots Database

09/17/2026

English translation in comments

Vestur-Íslendingafélagið Icelandic Roots stendur fyrir byggingu menningarhúss í bænum Mountain í Norður-Dakóta.

09/17/2026

Golden Shovels and the Rootshús Song

The groundbreaking was celebrated with golden shovels, hardhats, and a special song written to honor this occasion...

Read more: https://www.icelandicroots.com/post/rootshús-ground-is-broken-voices-rise-in-celebration

09/16/2026

The Rootshús is rising! 🇮🇸

Steel is going up in Mountain, North Dakota! The Olaf Anderson Construction crew has been lifting beams into place on the homestead of Rev. Páll Þorláksson, the Father of the Icelandic Settlement in Dakota. Our groundbreaking was August 1. Now you can see the shape of the building from down the hill, with Víkur Church's steeple standing watch beside it and closer shots, too.

Every beam is a promise kept to the generations who came before us and to the ones still to come. This will be a home for our shared story: the Emigration Trail, Library, Saga Hall, a children's area, a gift shop, and a gathering place for everyone connected to Iceland, wherever they live.

Thanks to the crew for their skill and care, and to every donor, volunteer, and friend helping make this real. We'll cut the ribbon at the Deuce of August on July 31, 2027, and there's still time to be part of it.
Photo credits: Monica Heck and Loretta Bernhoft

🔗 icelandicroots.com/rootshus

09/15/2026

Are you able to help us identify this lady?

Photographer is A.P. Holand, Grand Forks, North Dakota, 1892-1912

From the K.G. Kristjanson family album, Mountain, North Dakota

09/15/2026

Argyle and Swan River - Settlements in Manitoba

Sharron Arksey shares the settling and growth of two Icelandic settlement areas in western Manitoba...

Read more: https://www.icelandicroots.com/post/manitoba-settlements-argyle-and-swan-river