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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Near Nerstrand in Rice County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
 

Thomas Anderson Veblen and Kari Bunde Veblen Farmstead / History of the Veblen Farmstead

 
 
Thomas Anderson Veblen and Kari Bunde Veblen Farmstead image. Click for full size.
Photographed By K. Linzmeier, October 23, 2011
1. Thomas Anderson Veblen and Kari Bunde Veblen Farmstead
[south side of marker]
Inscription.
Thomas Anderson Veblen and Kari Bunde Veblen Farmstead
From 1866 to 1893 this farmstead was the home of the Veblen family one of the most prominent Norwegian immigrant families of the nineteenth century.

The most distinguishing trait of the Veblen family was its emphasis on education. Of the nine children who lived to adulthood, all but one finished secondary school, several studied on the college level, and three graduated from Carleton College. Both Andrew and Thorstein completed the Carleton curriculum in three years and then pursued postgraduate studies. Emily was reputedly the first daughter of Norwegian immigrants ever to graduate from an American college. Many of the Veblen children were teachers during at least part of their careers.

The most famous of them was Thorstein Bunde Veblen (1857-1929), the internationally recognized economist and social critic. He became a national literary and intellectual figure after the 1899 publication of his first book, The Theory of the Leisure Class. This book, still widely read, coined a number of new concepts, of which "conspicuous consumption" is best known.

The farm house marks a transition from the old world to the new. The exterior is in the Greek Revival style typical in the United States during much of the nineteenth century,
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but the full-length porch and exterior stairs derive from building traditions in the Valdres district of Norway, from which Thomas and Kari emigrated. The interior layout and decoration are predominantly Norwegian. The high level of craftsmanship evident throughout the house and barn are due primarily to Thomas, a skilled carpenter and cabinetmaker who brought his tools and talents to the new world.

History of the Veblen Farmstead
The Veblens lived in Wisconsin from their arrival in 1847 until 1865, when they moved to Minnesota. They were attracted to this area by the good farmland and the presence of several relatives nearby.

In 1864 Thomas Veblen bought 200 acres of unimproved land surrounding this site. In 1865 he purchased another 90 acres of partly cultivated land just east of what is now Nerstrand Woods State Park. The family lived in a house on the smaller farm following their arrival in July 1865.

Work soon began on the new house. Foundation stones were quarried in what is now Nerstrand Woods State Park and hauled to this site during the winter. By the fall of 1866 the foundation walls had been completed and covered with a temporary roof. The family moved in late that year. The shell of the house was probably erected in 1867 and the house assumed its final form about 1870. The barn was erected around 1872.

The site
History of the Veblen Farmstead Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By K. Linzmeier, October 23, 2011
2. History of the Veblen Farmstead Marker
[north side of marker]
operated as a farm until 1970. The homestead was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1981. The survival of the farm buildings is due principally to the efforts of the Veblen Preservation Project, which raised funds to purchase the abandoned buildings and surrounding ten acres in 1982 and which made critical repairs. In 1992 a private individual purchased the property and assumed responsibility for its restoration. Thanks to the dedication and cooperative efforts of many individuals and groups, the house of Minnesota's "disturbing genius" and this remarkable family has been preserved and meticulously restored as a reminder of Norwegian-American immigrant life in the last half of the nineteenth century.
 
Erected 1996 by the Minnesota Historical Society.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Minnesota Historical Society, and the National Historic Landmarks series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1865.
 
Location. 44° 20.887′ N, 93° 2.801′ W. Marker is near Nerstrand, Minnesota, in Rice County. Marker can be reached from Goodhue Avenue, 0.4 miles north of Minnesota Highway 246, on the left when traveling north. Marker
Thomas Anderson Veblen and Kari Bunde Veblen Farmstead / History of the Veblen Farmstead Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By K. Linzmeier, October 23, 2011
3. Thomas Anderson Veblen and Kari Bunde Veblen Farmstead / History of the Veblen Farmstead Marker
cannot be seen from the road; marker is on private property at a private residence. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 16538 Goodhue Avenue, Nerstrand MN 55053, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 16 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Nerstrand City Hall (approx. 1.1 miles away); Old Stone Church (approx. 6˝ miles away); Civil War Monument (approx. 9.4 miles away); Sesquicentennial Legacy Plaza (approx. 9.4 miles away); 1888 Cannon Falls Fire Hall (approx. 13.1 miles away); "We Must Have a Gun" (approx. 13˝ miles away); Colonel William Colvill Monument (approx. 13˝ miles away); Medford's Last Carriage Stone (approx. 15.6 miles away).
 
Also see . . .  Minnesota Historical Society. Veblen Farm. Restoring a national historic landmark. (Submitted on November 10, 2011.) 
 
Thomas Anderson Veblen and Kari Bunde Veblen Farmstead / History of the Veblen Farmstead Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By K. Linzmeier, October 23, 2011
4. Thomas Anderson Veblen and Kari Bunde Veblen Farmstead / History of the Veblen Farmstead Marker
Veblen Farm House image. Click for full size.
Photographed By K. Linzmeier, October 23, 2011
5. Veblen Farm House
Veblen Farmstead image. Click for full size.
Photographed By K. Linzmeier, October 23, 2011
6. Veblen Farmstead
Veblen Farmstead image. Click for full size.
Photographed By K. Linzmeier, October 23, 2011
7. Veblen Farmstead
Veblen Farmstead image. Click for full size.
Photographed By K. Linzmeier, October 23, 2011
8. Veblen Farmstead
National Register Number 75001024
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on March 22, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 10, 2011, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,426 times since then and 48 times this year. Last updated on March 22, 2024, by Dave McGowan of Nichols, Iowa. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on November 10, 2011, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024