Sixth-grade students from Milton Pope School visited the Norsk Museum on Sept. 25 for a tour highlighting local Norwegian-American history.

The museum featured presentations on “How to be a Viking,” the life of Cleng Peerson, and Illinois life nearly 200 years ago. Visitors also saw a notable exhibit of 7th and 8th grade final exams from 1930 and 1931, which were county-wide tests requiring two full days to complete.

Historically, before area one-room schools consolidated into Milton Pope, students gathered annually at the Norway Temperance Hall for 8th-grade graduation ceremonies. The Norsk Teachers Association staged more than 60 theatrical performances over 50 years by 8th graders representing these schools.

The visit ended with a scavenger hunt and traditional Norwegian Kringla treats.

From Oct. 3-5, Norway will celebrate the bicentennial of the Sloopers, the first group of Norwegian immigrants who arrived in America in 1825. Registration for the event is full.

The replica sloop Restauration, which left Stavanger, Norway, on July 4, is retracing the original 98-day voyage and is scheduled to arrive in New York Harbor Oct. 9.

Many Norwegian-Americans from the area plan to attend the bicentennial celebrations in New York City.