November 21, 1911: 1 acre of land on Pine Street in Solvang costs just $175
August 25, 1913: Santa Ynez Valley Bank opens on Main Street (Copenhagen Drive) with capital of $25,000
June 1929: 6 stops signs installed in Solvang
1931: dial telephone (3 digits) comes to Solvang
Winter 1943: steelhead run in Santa Ynez River estimates at 25,000
Solvang was a town founded by Danes, for Danes: it was the dream of three Danish immigrants, educators and pastors from the Midwest, to begin a new colony in the west with a Danish-style folk school. True to the founders’ plan, a folk school was built and opened in 1911. In 1914, the school moved to a new home in an impressive structure on a hill above Solvang and took a new name, Atterdag College. For years, Atterdag was the heart and soul of Solvang. It was used as a folk school for young adults, a community meeting hall, performing arts venue, lecture hall, gymnastics center, summer school, church facility and boarding house.
Sophus Olsen opened the town’s first general merchandise store at the corner of present day Alisal Road and Copenhagen Drive, in 1911: Solvang’s settlers were enterprising. Danish and Danish-American entrepreneurs supplied the growing community with the business it needed, from tailoring, shoes, baked goods, general merchandise, groceries and meat, to billiards, pool and tobacco.
