Biography

Ole Bull is a famous Norwegian violinist known by James Gordon Bennett of the New York Herald as "the prince of violinists." Bull was always a great admirer of the United States and of its institutions, which led him to make a tour of the US from 1843 to 1845. He was greatly received by his audience, and he had great love for them in return. In 1852, Bull returned to the United States, this time permanently when he purchased 11,144 acres in the heart of the Black Forest in Pennsylvania. Bull referred to this land as "New Norway," and encouraged struggling Norwegian settlers to come live there. However, much of the forest land was not livable, and the process of clearing away trees cost a significant amount of money. Eventually Bull's settlement was shut down and he sold the land back for its original price. In 1857, upset about the failure of his colony, Bull moved back to his hometown of Bergen, Norway. The land that Bull attempted to build his colony is now known as "Ole Bull State Park."