The Scandinavian Homesteads section of Old World Wisconsin consists mostly of Finnish, Danish and Norwegian farms. First we’ll visit the Finnish farmstead of Heikki and Maria Ketola. The house and barn were originally located in Oulu, Bayfield County. The cattle weren’t interested in having their picture taken but the chickens came running, which is when I headed swiftly over to the house. The Ketola family were evidently quite well-to-do judging by the fancy stove in the kitchen that even boasted a built-in thermostat, and the telephone nearby. They even had a sauna in the back yard.
The next place we come to is the Danish Pedersen Farm. This particular area of Old World Wisconsin got off to a royal start when Queen Margrethe II of Denmark dedicated the exhibit on May 14, 1976. Both the house and barn were originally located in Polk County. The garden at the Pedersen Farm is used mostly for growing herbs and other natural medicinal remedies and there was a master gardener on hand to tell us all about it.
Our last stop in the Scandinavian Homesteads area is the Norwegian Raspberry Schoolhouse. This one-room schoolhouse was built by three Scandinavian families in 1896 and was named for Raspberry Bay in Bayfield County where it was originally located.
I hope you will join me next time for a look at Life On The Farms at Old World Wisconsin.