It has elsewhere in this volume been shown that Wisconsin early became the objective point of immigrants from Norway. This significant position in Norwegian-American history Wisconsin continued to hold throughout the whole period we have discussed and for a long time afterwards. In 1850, fifty per cent of all Norwegians in the United States were domiciled within the borders of the State of Wisconsin. It was with Wisconsin that the chief events in early Norwegian-American history are associated. The principal scenes in the great pioneer drama were enacted here. As all the paths of the Norwegian immigrant in that early day led to Wisconsin so the threads of all subsequent Norwegian history in America lead back to Wisconsin.[444] Whether in material welfare, in church, in politics or in education it was in Wisconsin that the Norwegian first made a place for himself in America and laid the foundation for all his later progress.[445] [444] Barring the relatively very small Norwegian factor in the cities of the East, which stands practically isolated from Norwegian American life. [445] At the same time we must not forget that the era of settlement began in Illinois, and Illinois has always continued to hold a prominent place in Norwegian-American history. Appendices APPENDIX I TABLE I Showing the growth and distribution of the foreign Scandinavian factor by decades in the Northwestern states and in sections elsewhere 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 Michigan 139 898 5,276 16,445 41,496 40,928 Wisconsin 8,885 23,265 48,057 66,284 99,738 103,942 Illinois 3,631 12,073 44,570 65,414 128,897 144,812 Iowa 611 7,814 31,177 46,046 72,873 72,611 Minnesota 12 11,773 58,837 107,768 215,215 236,670 Nebraska 323 3,987 16,685 46,341 40,107 North Dakota } {34,216 42,578 } 129 1,674 17,868 { South Dakota } {31,372 33,473 Total in Northwest 13,278 56,275 193,578 336,511 670,148 715,121 New England 749 1,507 3,113 11,243 43,606 70,632 New York } New Jersey } 1,897 4,506 12,291 28,492 75,331 105,641 Pennsylvania } The South[A1] 1,084 1,531 3,189 4,081 5,936 7,646 All other states 1,067 8,763 29,497 59,935 138,328 166,525 Total outside Northwest 4,797 16,307 48,090 103,741 263,201 350,444 Total 18,075 72,582 241,668 440,252 933,349 1,065,565 [A1] Not including Missouri. TABLE II