Verse 1 In 1833, Cleng Peerson walked the western trail, From Kendall, New York, through Chicago’s muddy veil. He turned down eighty acres for his pipe and coat, Too wet, he said, and kept on toward the prairie’s golden note. He found the Fox and Illinois, tall grass and open sky, And there the first Norwegian families settled by and by. Chorus Oh, Fox River, rolling free, Carry our dreams to the western sea. Through rattlesnakes, wolves, and the eagle’s cry, We cleared the land beneath the prairie sky. From Norway’s fjords to Illinois sod, We made our home where the wild winds nod. Verse 2 They built their cabins, broke the stubborn sod, Kimball’s mill ground hope before it burned to the ground. They lived on berries, fish, and deer the Indians brought, While prairie chickens filled the air and passenger pigeons flew in flocks. Cleng saw the future in the Illinois and Michigan Canal, Mule teams and barges, bringing fortune to them all. Verse 3 In 1842 the Mormon elders came to call, Goodman Hougas led the branch, the first Norwegians of them all. They hosted Brigham Young with open hearts and hands, Then cholera struck in forty-nine across the stricken lands. Yet strong they stood, this mother settlement so bold, Sending families westward as their story was told. Final Chorus (softer) Oh, Fox River, rolling free, You gave us roots and liberty. Through hardship, faith, and pioneer fire, The Norwegian spirit never tires.