From our correspondent in N-Dakota, Arlan Steinolfson, comes the following:
Hi Hálfdan, Don’t know how many subscribers you have in Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba (likely in the thousands) - (hey, Arlan, NO jokes about the number of my subscribers, it's not the quantity, it's the quality that matters! Anyway we are 322 right now! HH) but one or two may wish to know that there is a genealogy section at the annual Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival a few days down the road (27 through 29 Jun). This is the second year they have had a genealogy area set aside. They have one representative from each of the Nordic groups to answer questions and such and I will again be the Icelander. Note this is only on Friday and Saturday (unless they change the schedule). Note also that this festival is also considered the most authentic of all such types of festivals (both by such groups as the ABA (American Bus Association) and from private talks with many, many attendees and participants). I have taken part in the festival since I returned to Dakota and can assure that it is popular. Plus, the only place you can get authentic Icelandic food anymore.
Regards
Arlan.

Well Arlan, I think it would be really interesting to be able to attend! (HH)

Icelandic women were among the first in the world to gain the vote, on June 19,1915. Women had been able to vote in local and parish elections since 1881, and in 1902 they became eligible for office in these bodies. The extension of the franchise to women was approved by Parliament in 1911, but was twice denied royal assent before finally being approved in 1915.
An Icelandic official, Klemenz Jónsson, was in Copenhagen on government business at the time. According to a tradition in his family, he arranged to have the document signed by the King on June 19, which was the birthday of his daughter, Anna Klemenzdóttir.
The Women's Rights Association, together with many women's societies in Reykjavík, arranged a celebration of this momentous step forward on July 7 that year.
Thousands of women in their finest clothes (probably most of them in the traditional Peysuföt) paraded through the streets of Reykjavík with a marching band to Parliament House, where a delegation of ladies was admitted to address the assembly, and was greeted with four cheers from the men of Parliament. Enfranchisement of women did not bring any immediate revolution on the political scene, but the first woman member was elected to Alþingi (parliament) in 1922.

Ingibjörg H. Bjarnason the first woman to be elected to the Icelandic Parlament

June 19 was marked by the Women's Rights Association as a special festival each year from 1916. At this period, the Women's Rights Association was vigorously campaigning to raise money for a National Hospital, and June 19 was an occasion for fund-raising for this purpose. Thus the day was sometimes called Landspítalasjóðsdagurinn (National Hospital Fund Day) as an alternative to Women's Rights Day. In 1930, the National Hospital became a reality, and Women's Rights Day gradually lost prominence, for a time.
The Women's Rights Association's annual publication, 19. júní (June 19), was published each year from 1917 to 1929. Re-launched in 1951, it has appeared every year since.
The modern feminist movement, which developed in the 1970s and 80s, was disconnected from the old Women's Rights Association and more closely associated with radical politics. Women's groups upheld the importance of May 1 (Workers' Day) and of March 8, International Women's Day, rather than the specifically Icelandic Women's Rights Day. But in recent years, June 19 has been reestablished as an occasion for women's celebrations, and for debate on feminist issues.

In Newsletter #13 I urged you to take part in the search for Icelandic Place names in North America and the following is the first respond on this interesting subject.

Brian Gudmundson writes:
Komdu Sæll Hálfdan,
In your newsletter #13, you asked about "towns like Árborg, Manitoba (who gave the town that name, and why Árborg?)."
The history is well documented in the book, "A Century Unfolds: History of Arborg and District - 1889 - 1987". This book [published in 1987] was researched and compiled by the Arborg Historical Society, Arborg, Manitoba, Canada. The first chapter of the book. entitled "Early Settlement" [of Arborg] (pages 10 - 19) describes the origin of the community.
Pétur Stefán Guðmundsson, my great grandfather, was one of the small number of Icelanders who relocated from the Mountain - Garðar area of Northeast North Dakota in 1901. These families all sought better farmland than they had found in North Dakota. Pétur named his farm, "Árdal" [River Valley] since the land was on the edge of the river [formerly White Mud River, which was changed to the Icelandic River]. Pétur served as the postmaster from 1902 to 1910 at Árdal until the town was established. The railway connection to the town was created in 1910 and the town was created. In 1910 it was decided to change the name to Árborg, [River City, HH] which seemed a better "fit" for a town.

Ruth Ann Larson informs about the name Árbakki, located in South-east of Manitoba, near Vita (what is Vita?)in Piney or Big Piney Icelandic settlement in Canada. The name appears on Postcards held in Ruth-Ann's family, written at Árbakka in 1908. "Árbakki" [River Bank] does appear on list of Canadian placenames. (is that name still in use? HH)

Judy Cooper tells about Tindastoll Creek, which is in central Alberta - south and west of Red Deer in Markerville, Alberta, Canada. This creek that flows into the Medicine River is named for the mountain Tindastóll in Skagafjarðarsýsla, North Iceland. Many Icelanders settled in this area and established themselves as efficient farmers, raising dairy cattle and sheep as well as growing crops. The Icelandic poet Stephan G. Stephansson lived in this area. His house is now an historic site - painted in his original colors of baby pink and lime green!

Erling Davidson informs about Peters Icelandic Lutheran Church in Svold, Pembina, N-Dakota, US. It's located North of Mountain, on the still gravel roads north of Hwy 5. [well, tell me about this Peter :-) HH]

Thank you Brian, Ruth Ann, Judy Cooper and Erling. I find this very interesting and hope that many more will be sending information regarding Icelandic Place names in N-America.

Take a look at
Arlan Steinolfson's pages:
The Icelanders of Dakota and Thingvalla Township - an Icelandic Settlement