1: This is Stavanger

A photographic countdown to July 4th

On July 4th, 2025 — as the Restauration ship prepares to set sail from Stavanger, echoing a journey from another time — the last photograph of the project is published. It captures nearly every resident of Stavanger, Illinois.

For decades, the population hovered around 20–30. Today, just a handful remain. Children Cora and Crayton Chapman were away, and by the next morning, three more had begun packing to leave. Yet here they stand — a living record of endurance, belonging, and the fading echo of a transplanted Norway in America.

From left to right: Connie Wiley, Kris Jackson, Van Jackson, Mike Klugman, Miriam Hauge, Bill Myre, Bill Chapman, Jody Chapman, Jacob Chapman, Brittany Chapman, Phil Peterson, and Nancy Peterson.