PETERSON, Minn. — If you aren’t looking, you might miss the dozens of gnomes hiding in the yards, doorways and windows of Peterson, Minnesota.

“They aren’t mean. They’re not a troll, but they’re hard to spot,” said Becky Stocker. “[Gnomes] are very real and active members of the community in Norway.”

Stocker is a long-time resident and a bit of a gnome expert (some might call her a ‘gnome-it-all’) after plotting to bring Peterson its first gnomes in 2018. These usually tiny, mischievous creatures that feature prominently in Norwegian folklore are tucked away in yards, on front stoops, and in windows — a nod to the town’s Norwegian heritage.

Peterson was founded by Norwegian immigrants in the mid-1800s. The town, which boasts 227 residents today, is burrowed in the hills of Minnesota’s d

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