Stoughton was founded by Luke Stoughton in 1847, and its first settlers were Yankees from New England. During the late 19th century, waves of Norwegians immigrated to the community, making Stoughton America's Norwegian capital and home of lutefisk and "Syttende Mai." Stoughton's economy relied heavily on agriculture, with wheat farming important at first and later Norwegian farmers making it a major tobacco growing and warehousing center. Women who sorted tobacco in the warehouses inaugurated the national coffee break custom. Targe Mandt pioneered wagon manufacturing there in 1865, and by the turn of the century Stoughton's wagon factories were nationally famous, shipping 33 thousand vehicles per year and employing 1000 men. The present Stoughton Historical Museum was built as the city's first church by Universalists in 1858.