Swedish American Genealogist
Volume 33 | Number 4 Article 4
12-1-2013 Swedes on the Mississippi of the 1850s John E. Norton
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Recommended Citation Norton, John E. (2013) "Swedes on the Mississippi of the 1850s," Swedish American Genealogist: Vol. 33 : No. 4 , Article 4. Available at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/swensonsag/vol33/iss4/4
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Augustana Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Swedish American Genealogist by an authorized editor of Augustana Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Swedes on the Mississippi of the 1850's
Some of the early immigrants ventured to the far west
BY JOHN E. NORTON
By the mid-1830's unrest between County, IA. His letters home were native Americans and new settlers widely published, and even brought from the east had largely subsided, the first Swedes to Andover, Illinois, and immigration into the American in 1845-46, before the later party led "northwest" had begun, not just by by Rev. Lars Paul Esbjorn in 1849. eastern "Yankee" settlers, specu- Erik Jansson. This remarkable lators, and veterans claiming bounty farmer-preacher led the single larg- land, but even by European im- est mass migration ever to leave Swe- migrants. Sweden was no exception. den, using eastern Swedish ports like The first midwestern Swedish Gavle and Soderhamn, beginning in seed communities appeared in the late 1845, and continuing through early 1840's in places like Pine Lake, 1850. It involved some 1200 followers Wisconsin. seeking religious freedom and eco- In our part of the Midwest, they nomic opportunity. Their letters began in 1845, as immigrant farmer home, published in regional news- Fetter Cassel brought a small group papers, were often critical of Jans- from Kisa in Ostergbtland to what son's leadership, but almost uni- became the New Sweden settlement versally praised the opportunity of near Burlington, Iowa. It, in turn, America. Their prairie Utopia of spawned other communities along Bishop Hill remains almost un- the Des Moines River to the north, Fredrika Bremer (1801-1866). Painting in changed today, and is a National in places like Swede Bend, now 1843 by J.O. Sodermark. Historic Landmark. Jansson and his Stratford, Iowa. observer of America, Fredrika Bre- followers used the Mississippi to ex- The floodgates were opened in mer, made a U.S. tour, leading to her port goods to thriving river com- 1846-50 by the flight of some 1200 writing Homes in the New World, munities like St. Louis, and to bring "Erik Janssonist" perfectionists from recommending the Northern Mid- products, and even Durham cattle, north-central Sweden, who created west to her countrymen as a possible from Shaker Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, what became the "Prairie Utopia" of "new Scandinavia." back to Bishop Hill. They had a Bishop Hill in Henry County, Illinois, Until the 1854 crossing of the Mis- fishing camp on what is today Arse- in 1846. sissippi by its first railroad bridge nal Island, where Jansson's first wife These settlements brought news- between Rock Island and Davenport, died of cholera, but which also sup- paper stories, letters, and great pub- rivers had been considered among plied the colony's Civil War soldiers lic interest back in Sweden. The the safest and most pleasant ways to with occasional salt fish to supple- experience of the Erik Janssonists at travel through our region, later en- ment government rations. Bishop Hill also brought the decision couraged by newspaper accounts of Rev. Lars Paul Esbjorn was of a pietistic Swedish Lutheran cler- the 1854 "Grand Excursion," pro- moved by the plight of many former gyman, Lars Paul Esbjorn of Hille moting the Midwest along the Mis- Erik Janssonists who had fled the (Gast.), to minister to those Swedes sissippi as a place to tour, settle, and Bishop Hill Colony to settle nearby by emigrating. He took leave of his prosper. communities like Victoria, Galesburg duties in Sweden, and in June 1849 Petter Cassel. The earliest immi- and Moline. Finally, in June of 1846 led a party of about 140 from the grant organizer to our area arranged he led his own flock of some 144 emi- Gavle area to settle in Andover, Illi- the group migration of some 20 farm- grants from Hille near Gavle, Swe- nois, a speculative Yankee communi- ers from Ostergotland, Sweden, den, to Illinois. His work at Andover ty near Bishop Hill and Moline. sailing on the Superb from Goteborg in establishing the first Swedish Then, in 1849-51, a remarkable in August 1845, and settling in what Lutheran congregation in the Mid- Swedish author, feminist, and keen became New Sweden, Jefferson west, then others in Galesburg, and
8 Swedish American Genealogist 2013:4 ana College and Theological Semi- parish, Dalarna, and member of the nary became the builders of the Swedish home guard, emigrated in Augustana Synod, now part of the November of 1850 with his wife and Evangelical Lutheran Church in four children from the western city America. of Gb'teborg, Sweden, bound first for Erik Norelius. One of Esbjb'rn's New Orleans, in a party of 36 im- discoveries was a 16-year old emi- migrants, all hopeful of escaping grant of 1850, Erik Norelius, who left summer diseases by their late de- with a group of 115 pietistic "Luther parture. They headed upriver, where Readers" from Gavle, in November, Erik was struck by cholera in St. 1850. He came to Andover, then to Louis, but survived. Moline. At Esbjorn's urging, Erik A fellow emigrant, Anders Svens- completed his education at Capitol son from Kattilstad (Ostg.), also ar- University in Ohio. After ordination, rived in St. Louis penniless due to a he headed north on the Mississippi transportation error, and appealed to begin a remarkable career in Min- successfully to the famous "Swedish Lars Paul Esbjorn (1808-1870). nesota, as both church organizer, Nightingale" Jenny Lind, who was founder of the newspaper Minnesota singing there, for a gift of $75.00, to Moline, led to what became the Fasten, organizer of Gustavus Adol- complete his family's trip, ending Augustana Synod. This is considered phus College, and historian of the successfully in Chisago, Minnesota. the largest and most successful early Swedish Lutheran church in After recovering from cholera, Swedish creation in the New World. North America. Other members of Erik headed for our area, settling It also brought the founding of his immigrant group went north on first in Galesburg where he worked Augustana College, first in Chicago the river to found immigrant com- for a short time as a tailor for $0.25 in 1860, then for a short time in munities near the St. Croix River, per day, then in Moline, and finally Paxton, IL, and finally in Rock Island later made famous by novelist-his- to Bishop Hill by 1852. In 1859 he in 1875, where it thrives today. torian Vilhelm Moberg in his classic organized the "Swedish Union Esbjorn returned to Sweden in immigrant novels. Guard" at Bishop Hill. The unit later 1863 from his leave of absence, but Erik Olsson Fors(se). This 34- volunteered for Civil War service as the young clergy trained at August- year-old farmer, born in Malung D Company, Illinois 57th Volunteer
A settler's first home. (From Svenskarne i Illinois 1880, by Eric Johnson and C.F. Peterson).
Swedish American Genealogist 2013:4 Infantry, which served with dis- in April 1854, and written by brick- tinction at battles like Shiloh. He maker Jan Jansson from Carlskoga resigned his commission as major in parish, Orebro County." October, 1864. He returned to farm- ing in Henry County, then in 1869 he For more reading: organized a colonization company headed for railroad land in Kansas. Conrad Bergendoff, Augustana, a He founded the city of Falun, where Profession of Faith, Rock Island, he continued farming. He later 1969. became postmaster of Falun, a county Fredrika Bremer, Homes of the New trustee, and was elected state rep- World, Part II, New York, 1853. resentative in 1873. Following his Fredrika Bremer, America of the 1889 death, his old home town news- Fifties: Letters of Fredrika Bremer, paper Tidning for Falu Ian och stad, New York, 1924. noted that Forsse, in order to fund his William E. Connelley, A Standard immigration, had apparently burned History of Kansas and Kansans, his farm home for insurance, and may 1918. also have embezzled Swedish Army Olov Isaksson, Bishop Hill, A Utopia funds intended to buy horses! Augustana College, Rock Island, IL. in on the Prairie, Stockholm, 1969. Erik Pettersson from Herrnas 1880 ((From Svenskarne i Illinois 1880, Eric Norelius, The Pioneer Swedish farm in Bjurtjarn, (Varm.), left by Eric Johnson and C.F. Peterson). Settlements and Swedish Luther- an Churches in America 1845- Sweden in 1849 with his two brothers cago, on what became perhaps the and a friend, heading for California's most infamous voyage in Swedish im- 1860, Augustana Historical So- gold fields. Erik, however, stayed in migrant history. It was immortalized ciety, Rock Island, IL (1984). the midwest, working first as a lum- by a song of warning, "We Sold our (Originally published in Swedish berjack on the St. Croix River in Homes." Stricken by cholera en route 1880). Stefan Nilsson, ed., Kultur & Histo- northern Wisconsin. Struck by the to Chicago, about half of the group beauty of the Mississippi River, he died before arriving at Lake Pepin in ria, Karlskogaemigrationen (web registered Wisconsin claims in 1852 July of 1854 aboard the steamer War edition, in Swedish). and 1853 on Lake Pepin. Erik and Eagle. Robert L. Wright, Swedish Emigrant brother Anders returned to Sweden That emigrant song, "We sold our Ballads, Lincoln, NE 1965. to recruit immigrants for their homes" is based on letters about their pioneer community, following a small ill-fated migration. It was published group of 16 which had already left, in Kristinehamn, Sweden, in 1854, John E. Norton, editor Augustana to winter in Moline. They recruited with this introduction, "Excerpts from Historical Society Quarterly some 210 persons, sailing in April two letters from America, describing 4015 36th Ave. Ct., Moline, IL 1854 for Quebec, then continued by the unfortunate, deluded, and mar- 61265, steamer to Detroit and rail to Chi- tyred Swedes who immigrated there E-mail: [email protected]
Swedish genealogy seminars in Lindsborg, KS, during 2014 There will be two Swedish genealogy Swedish church records, using Swed- seminars held in Lindsborg, KS, ish records for your Family History during 2014, organized by Lorna Nel- Project, Tips for planning to visit son and Lenora Lynam of the Old Sweden, Finding ship records, Find- Mill Museum. ing living relatives, and Estate inven- The first one will be the weekend tories. of March 29/30, and the number of The next seminar will be Septem- attendees is limited to 30, as there is ber 27/28. The curriculum will be the no more spaces at the Vision_Tek same as in March, with the addition not forget to visit the Old Mill Mu- computer library, 121 Main Street in of a lecture on military records. seum which has many interesting Lindsborg, where all classes take Computer stations for all, hands- collections and even the McPherson place. The topics will be on How to on learning every session, and as- County Archives in the house. get started in Swedish genealogy, sistance from experts. Register soon as the seminars will How to do research with Arkiv Digi- This looks like a very good learning quickly be filled! tal, a case study of working with and networking opportunity. But do Link on page. 30.
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