History Alive Project, Inc.

History Alive Project, Inc. Our organization creates "out of the box" projects to discover and maintain our areas history for community members of all ages.

NOW YOU KNOW!Just think you will not have to go to Madison to enjoy listening to such an accomplished chorus as the Edva...
09/19/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

Just think you will not have to go to Madison to enjoy listening to such an accomplished chorus as the Edvard Grieg Chorus. History Alive Project invited this Chorus to be part of our year-long celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the first organized group of Norwegians that came to America in 1825.

HAP is so pleased that this Chorus agreed to do a performance for our communities in this part of the State.

You will really enjoy the music that this well known group provides for their audiences. History Alive Project asks that you put this event on your calendar to attend and invite your family and friends to listen to this talented group.

HAP is also working to compliment this group with a possible extra special event at the Church. Stay tuned!

NOW YOU KNOW!What a wonderful donation that we recently received from the relatives of the Bekkedal families! On Saturd...
09/19/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

What a wonderful donation that we recently received from the relatives of the Bekkedal families! On Saturday of last week History Alive Project had these visitors that donated many very old toys that the Bekkedal children had played with plus many rosemaled plates and a few other items that are connected to the Bekkedals.

A big thank you is in order for remembering HAP with these treasures; these, plus Bekkedal family donations from previous visits combined with the many other items that you have donated to History Alive Project in the past, really provides us and the community with a wealth of artifacts that certainly represent the Bekkedal family.

Stop in at the History Alive Hus and try out these toys and listen to the noise that they generate!

NOW YOU KNOW!The day is closer to when the ship "Restauration" arrives in New York as the original ship had 200 years ag...
09/18/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

The day is closer to when the ship "Restauration" arrives in New York as the original ship had 200 years ago. Norway's Crown Prince will also be at the harbor to welcome the ship in. As you can see from the map, the ship is now off the coast of Florida and heading north to arrive in New York October 9.

I think the ship's personel is getting a little tired of just seeing water since July 4th.

NOW YOU KNOW!Laurann Gilbertson, Chief Curator at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah IA, visited Westby rec...
09/15/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

Laurann Gilbertson, Chief Curator at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah IA, visited Westby recently to talk with Beverly and Anna Gilbeck about Beverly's winning design in the Syttende Mai Bunad Doll contest in the past. Gilbertson has been working with History Alive Project to research expressions of heritage and American bunads.

If anyone has information about the judges and judging criteria of this bunad contest, please contact History Alive Project at .

NOW YOU KNOW!It was a great weekend as Dave and Ruth Amundson, Board members of History Alive Project, renewed and creat...
09/15/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

It was a great weekend as Dave and Ruth Amundson, Board members of History Alive Project, renewed and created new friendships. September 13, 2025 the annual Norwegian American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library Friends dinner was held at the Nakoma Country Club in Madison WI.

The Amundsons continued their friendship with former U.S. Ambassador to Norway, Tom Loftus, while dining at this event. Loftus had been the very well-received History Alive Project-sponsored featured Norwegian cultural speaker at Westby's 2025 Syttende Mai event.

This eveing featured entertainment by the Madison WI Edvard Grieg Chorus, currently celebrating its own 100th Anniversary in 2025!

Dave, current President of the History Alive Project organization in Westby, spoke with various of the Choral members about their upconing visit to Westby. HAP is so glad they accepted our invitation earlier this year. The group only does a limited number of performces each year, especially when it involves traveling as far as coming to Westby.

Loftus also addessed the crowd (shown) following the Choral performance noting that this Chorus had sung at the WI Capitol as part of Loftus' offical ceremony on becomng the US Ambassador to Norway years ago.

NOTE: the Chorus will be History Alive Project's-sponsored event on October 18 with the program held at Our Savior's Lutheran Church located at 306 S. Main Street in Westby. Their presentation will start at 1 p.m. with refreshments served after the performance.

Stumper Saturday answers to # 383:1. See photo2. 19683. Bill Brehm4. Bill Terry5. Steve Hougom6. 7 times
09/13/2025

Stumper Saturday answers to # 383:

1. See photo
2. 1968
3. Bill Brehm
4. Bill Terry
5. Steve Hougom
6. 7 times

Stumper Saturday # 384: (This stumper is a day early as the HAP volunteers will be unable to post tomor...
09/13/2025

Stumper Saturday # 384: (This stumper is a day early as the
HAP volunteers will be unable to post tomorrow.)

1. What was the name of this building at the time of the photo?
2. What happened to this building?
3. What date did this damage occur?
4. What was the location of this building?
5. What is located at this location today?
6. Did anyone get hurt at this location at the time of this photo?

NOW YOU KNOW! FLASHBACK! FLASHBACK! FLASHBACK!It is hard to believe that this year's Vernon County F...
09/12/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

FLASHBACK! FLASHBACK! FLASHBACK!

It is hard to believe that this year's Vernon County Fair is 168 years old. Think of all the memories you may have had from years ago.

Early entertainment at the fair included a horse-drawn merry-go-round, foot races, and wrestling matches. As the years went by, there were also hot air balloons, parachute jumps, and the harness racing.

When the fairgrounds moved to the north end of Viroqua, a horse-drawn bus provided transportation from downtown. Twelve people could get on the bus outside the Hotel Fortney and ride to the fair.

History Alive Project wishes all of you a great weekend! If you have memories that you would like to share, please do! Let's make the past COME ALIVE again!

NOW YOU KNOW!History Alive Project is starting to celebrate its 12th year working with all ninth graders at Westby High ...
09/11/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

History Alive Project is starting to celebrate its 12th year working with all ninth graders at Westby High School 2x each month of the year. This school year we meet with 4 different classes that will cover the entire 9th grade! Thr WHS mentor teacher for all classes is Andy Hulst.

The History Alive Project teaching volunteer team feels it is so important as a historical organization, that we work hard to have the Westby High School students know about the history of their area and the rich immigrant stories that built our early history. We feel if we don't, then how will our area history be passed on to the future generations that live in this area?

The curriculum for the course was written by members of the HAP organization so as to be very meaningful to them and thoroughly resrearched for accuracy. We always include each spring, a student inter-active lesson about the very 1st set of immigrants to Amreica.

We offer this presentation to any group that would like to learn about the 1st group of organized immigrants that came to America in 1825. This year is the 200th Anniversary of that daring voyage that is being re-inacted as you read this post. The replica of the "Restauratiion" ship is on the exact course that the original ship took which lasted 3 months.

At this time the ship is in the West Indies area and will be starting to head north to be arriving in New York City on October 9th.

All 4 classes dropped in to tour the HAP History Hus, 218 N. Main Street over the past week and are shown on the front porch of the Hus!

NOW YOU KNOW!
09/10/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

09/10/2025

ANNOUNCEMENT: (Breaking News!)

This year the History Alive Project has brought to the Westby area the Stoughton High School Norwegian Dancers, former Ambassador to Norway (Tom Loftus) and Laurann Gilbertson (Chief Curator at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum which are a few that HAP has brought to you free in 2025.

To celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the 1825 organized Norwegian immigrants to America, NOW History Alive Project is bringing the "Grieg Chorus" from Madison WI October 18th. They will be performing at 1 p.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Westby.

As a historical group, it is our Mission to bring presentations that help people of the area to know more about our Norwegian heritage. We do this for people of all ages so as to not let our heritage's past be forgotten.

Bring your friends and neighbors and share this information with everyone else you would like to. On the October 18th, HAP will be happy to greet you!

Address

Westby, WI
54667

Telephone

(608) 634-3034

Website

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