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!
12/25/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

NOW YOU KNOW!We are members of the Gausdal Historielag in Norway. Many of you know one of its major volunteers: Arne H...
12/24/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

We are members of the Gausdal Historielag in Norway. Many of you know one of its major volunteers: Arne Halvorsen, who is no stranger to many Westby area folks!

History Alive Project received our Organization's most recent newsletter that Arne puts together. He included this image and text describing current Christmas happenings in Norway.

Enjoy!

NOW YOU KNOW!A Christmas card is a greeting card sent as part of the traditional celebration of Christmas between people...
12/24/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

A Christmas card is a greeting card sent as part of the traditional celebration of Christmas between people of a range of sentiments related to Christmastide and the holiday season.

The first known Christmas card was sent by Michael Maier to James I of England and his son, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales in 1611.

The first commercially available card was commissioned by Sir Henry Cole and designed by John Horsley in London in 1843.

There is a long-standing custom for the American President and First Lady to send White House Christmas Cards eaach holiday season. The practice originated with President Coolidge in 1927. Franklin Roosevelt was the first President to utilize the card format that most closely resembles the Christmas cards of today.

In 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower issued the first official White House Card.

Many countries, also, produce official Christmas stamps.

History Alive Project has a collection of very old Christmas cards. If at sometime you would like to stop in and look at how the cards have changed over the decades, just email History Alive Project in Westby and we will work on a time and date for you to come and see the fantastic decades of Christmas cards we have in our Collection.

Even with the ever-rising price of postage stamps, did you send cards out in 2025?

NOW YOU KNOW!A local Norwegian tradition, Julebukking, that was practiced in our area as well as in many many other Norw...
12/23/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

A local Norwegian tradition, Julebukking, that was practiced in our area as well as in many many other Norwegian communities is well worth sharing.

But, the old bone skull of this goat in the ancient tradition represents the two goats that pulled Thor's chariot, symbolizing life and rebirth.

The rest of the story is posted so that you can bring this saga up to the present.

Have you heard of this tradition?

Did you participate in an activity like this? If so, what are some of your memories?

NOW YOU KNOW!Christmas is a special time! Below are some interesting facts about the Christmas tree that you may have i...
12/22/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

Christmas is a special time! Below are some interesting facts about the Christmas tree that you may have in your home.

NOW YOU KNOW!This is the week to celebrate! It is the time we put up a tree and decorate it. Of all the ornaments that...
12/22/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

This is the week to celebrate! It is the time we put up a tree and decorate it. Of all the ornaments that you place on your tree, do you have a favorite one? Would like to share what that is and why?

The ornament below was given to the History Alive Project. It is so very beautiful and it helps to carry forward a part of this area's Norwegian heritage.

Thank you, Karen, for helping us all to remember our ancestors and how they worked to continue the traditions that they brought to this area!

12/21/2025

Stumper Saturday answers to # 397:

1. Interior of the 1st Our Savior's Church
in Westby.
2. He was the first organist.
3. Rev. Christian Nodtvetd.
4. It is now Mike's Feed Supply building, 201 East State Street,
Westby.

STUMPER SATURDAY # 398:1. At what Church was this live Nativity scene taken?2. What year was this photo taken?3. Name t...
12/21/2025

STUMPER SATURDAY # 398:

1. At what Church was this live Nativity scene taken?
2. What year was this photo taken?
3. Name the three Westby citizens who were this Holy Family's
re-enactors that year.
4. What role did Neil Nelson play in doing this Church's live
nativity each year?
5. Who portrayed this Church's Holy Family in 1973?

NOW YOU KNOW!History Alive Project teaching volunteers finished their December 2025 Westby High School classes on Decemb...
12/20/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

History Alive Project teaching volunteers finished their December 2025 Westby High School classes on December 19, having worked with these two classes using the same designed curriculum that was used in the two December 18th classes. (See previous post for reference)

All classes began digging into the saga of Norwegian immigrants coming to America and also starting to look at those "movers and shakers" of the greater Westby, C**n Valley and Chaseburg areas decades ago.

These students, also, have adopted a name from that past, researched it and arranged themselves in order of their adopted person's birth year to see the spread of the time for these immigrant names.

The curiousity and interest of these students was great to experience as their questions pertaining to the beginning of the Norwegian immigration saga to America came easily!

All students enjoyed their Christmas candy cane treats; some students found out that very colorful tongues can be made with enjoying one little candy cane!

NOW YOU KNOW!To understand ourselves we must understand our past. We need to develop an awareness of the many strands t...
12/19/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

To understand ourselves we must understand our past. We need to develop an awareness of the many strands that make up the fabric of our area's history in which we live. Important among these are the stories and records of the immigrants who settled in our area. Each ethnic group brought its own character to an ever-expanding Norwegian culture in the greater Westby area. The result is a cultural richness unique to our area.

Two of the History Alive Project December 2025 Westby High School 9th grade classes met today and began digging into the saga of Norwegian immigrants coming to America and also starting to look at those "movers and shackers" of the greater Westby, C**n Valley and Chaseburg areas.

Each student has adopted a name from the past, researched it and introduced themselves as that person to the entire class. Each class member arranged themselves in order of their adopted person's birth year to see the spread of time for these immigrant names.

A terrific movie, originally produced by a group of 9th graders in Iowa that were studying our exact curriculum content, was then shown with the entire audio being in Norwegian with English subtitles. The kids were truly locked into the entire program!

One student shared with the HAP teacher volunteers that since he is often exposed to Norwegian being spoken NOW, that he actually picked much of the story NOT needing the English sub-titles!

While learning about everything in the video, the students enjoyed a Christmas candy cane treat with many finding mighty colorful tongues while crunching on them. Learning can be fun!

NOW YOU KNOW!Looking back at some of the history of Westby, History Alive Project volunteers found this old photo of Mai...
12/16/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

Looking back at some of the history of Westby, History Alive Project volunteers found this old photo of Main Street 75 years ago. Many things have changed while many things are still the same.

What are some things that you see that have changed?

What are some businesses that are not present today in 2025?

Please share

NOW YOU KNOW!What an interesting photograph! This is what C**n Valley looked like 133 years ago. If you were standing ...
12/15/2025

NOW YOU KNOW!

What an interesting photograph! This is what C**n Valley looked like 133 years ago.

If you were standing at the same spot that the photographer was, what changes do you see today? The photographic resolution of this image is great for this time in history.

A few vary interesting facts about the C**n Valley Lutheran Church:

* the Church was established around 1853,
* in 1854, the Congregation was officially organized and
incorporated,
* in 1963, there was a vote taken to allow women to vote
on all church matters (vote was 27 to 16).

What do you know about the history of the C**n Valley Lutheran Church?

Address

Westby, WI
54667

Telephone

(608) 634-3034

Website

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