Most of us have little knowledge of the many contributions Norwegians made to American life and culture. Here are a few who made contributions in industry.

T.G. Mandt worked in a Missouri factory during the Civil War that made wagons for the Union Army. After the war he returned to Stoughton, WI with $40. He started his own factory that made wagons, plows and other farm equipment that was sold in the upper Midwest.

John Anders Johnson, who founded the Grisholt Mfg. Company, came from Norway in 1844. He invented the turret lathe that was sold around the world.

In St. Louis, Nelson O. Nelson managed a hardware and plumbing business. He then founded the N.O. Nelson Mfg. Co. This became one of the largest building and plumbing supply companies in the world.

A lumberman, Anton Halter, opened the first sash and door factory in Montana. Later he helped develop the mining in that region of silver, gold and copper.

---by Hal Wilke

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