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Welcome to the
“Swedes
In Texas
In
Pictures and Words”
WEB edition – March, 2007
Scanned and edited by David Borg
The
contents of this WEB site is a reflection of the original document published in
1918, by J. M. Öjerholm.
1st
Edition 1918 – Original Swedish Version
2nd
Edition 1994 – English Translation
3rd
Edition 2007 – Web Version
All
family pictures have been removed from this Web version for speed of download
to your PC.
Utilize
the swedesintexas.com database to view the family pictures from the original Swedes
In Texas book.
You
can view the original book’s Table of Contents by clicking on the links below.
To
go directly to the text for a family, click on the first letter of their
surname in the frame on the left.
Please
send your questions and/or comments to borg@swedesintexas.com.
Title Page and Dedication
New Sweden 88
Translation
Original 1918 Title Page and Preface
Original Contents
Surname, First Name Alphabitized List
SWEDES IN TEXAS
IN
WORDS AND PICTURES
English Translation
1838 1918
Copyright ©1994
New Sweden
88 Austin Area Committee
SWEDES IN TEXAS
IN
WORDS AND PICTURES
English Translation
1838 1918
Translator:
Christine Andreason
Coordinating Editor:
James Christianson
Christine Andreason of Mercer Island,
Washington
and formerly of Round Rock, Texas
was the
translator of this book. Christine
is a native born Swede
from Boras,
Sweden. She attended
Göteborg University
and is finishing her degree at Upsalla
University in
Sweden.
Dennis Andreason also of Mercer Island,
Washington
and formerly of Round Rock, Texas
typed
this text. He is a native Texan
from Galveston, Texas
and graduated from Washburn
University.
James Christianson of Austin, Texas
was the coordinating editor and reviewer of this work. He is an attorney and
certified public accountant and is presently the Chairman of the City of Austin
Historic Landmark Commission. He has been a member of
the commission since 1975.
DEDICATION
This
translation project is dedicated to those Texas Swedish Pioneers who took the
long and dangerous journey to settle in a new place called Texas,
where they built churches, homes, businesses and farms. This project is further
dedicated to those Texas Swedish Pioneers who had the vision in 1918 to
preserve the history of our Swedish ancestors so that future generations may
learn of their past.
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New Sweden 88 was a celebration in 1988 of
350 years of Swedes in America
and 150 years of Swedes in Texas.
The celebration began in October 1987 with the signing of a
State of Texas proclamation by Texas Governor William P. Clements.
Representatives from New Sweden 88 Committees in Austin, Dallas and Houston
attended the signing ceremony in the governor’s reception room.
Numerous events were held beginning in December 1987 witha
Santa Lucia Festival at Hutto Lutheran
Church and Julotta, the traditional
Swedish Christmas morning service, at the New Sweden
Lutheran Church.
Hundreds attended a Swedish smorgasbord held at the Balcones
Country Club in Austin in January
1988 with guest speaker United States Congressman Charles Stenholm of Texas.
Special guests included former Austin Mayor Lester Palmer, University
of Texas baseball coach Cliff Gustafson, and Caren Patman, former Democratic
Committee woman from Texas. All
are descendents of Texas Swedish
Pioneers. Our Swedish musical heritage
was highlighted in April 1988 in a Swedish Musik Fest held at Perkins Chapel on
the campus of Southwestern University
in Georgetown. Numerous talented musicians along with the
large Jubilee 150 Choir assembled from area churches of Swedish heritage
performed before a crowd of over 700 people.
A highlight of the Jubilee year was the visit in April to
Dallas and Houston by Swedish King Carl Gustaf and his wife Silva as part of a
Royal Cities tour in honor of New Sweden
88. A national traveling Swedish Heritage exhibit sponsored by the Swedish
Council of America
opened in May in the State Capitol rotunda in Austin,
The annual Midsummer Day celebrations were held in Elgin
and Palm Valley
in June. The jubilee year closed with a Hog Massa program at Decker
Methodist Church
in September and a Grand Finale program on New Year’s Eve at Gethsemane
Lutheran Church in Austin.
These programs were not possible without a host of volunteers.
The following individuals were members of the New Sweden 88 Austin Area
Committee and deserve a special thanks.
New Sweden 88
Austin Area Committee
Bert Magnuson - Co Chairman
Jim Christianson - Co Chairman
Eric Carlson
Robert G. Carlson
Rod Johnson
Margarita Smith
Julibeth Swenson Parrish
Valerie Hawkinson Armstrong
Dorothy Lundgren
Marilyn Samuelson
Alpha Gustafson Cannon
Pastor Karl Gronberg
Johanna O. Wimberley
Carvin O. Youngbloom
Mary Nell Carlson
Clifford W. Carlson
Ruth C. Bengtson Olson
Eric Wahlquist
Caria Lind
Jefferies
Earley Magnuson
Hildegard Hall
Jack Ransom
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Translation
The original preface to the book Swedes of Texas In Words and
Pictures first published in 1918 states “it would have been more
logical to publish this work in the English language, but it was considered
unfair to the many forefathers who are still alive and who better understand
the gamla mordersmal (the old mother tongue).” For many generations following
its publication this book, Swedes in Texas in Words and Pictures,
was simply only pictures because the words were not understood.
This book, however, preserves an important part of Texas
Swedish history. Even though it included
only a fraction of the some 7,000 Swedes who settled in Texas
and although many Swedish families are not included in this book, we can all
learn from the experiences told here and better understand what all our people
experienced in this new land called Texas.
In this text we read the stories of eighteen and nineteen
year old young men and women caught up in “America
fever” who said goodbye to a mother or a father that they probably would never
see again. We read the stories of whole families who sold everything and left
their homeland, never to return again and go to a place they had never seen.
This massive effort to translate this book took almost five
years and involved scores of volunteers who help translate and review the text.
The final product is far from perfect, and yes, you will discover mistakes, but
the original text had many mistakes and in some parts were not well written.
Sometimes the Swedish words in the text were no longer used, and we had to seek
the help of a 1920 Swedish -English dictionary. But one thing can be said regarding
this effort -no one can at least fault us for trying to translate this book and
preserve its history for future generations. That is our legacy.
The idea for
translating this text begin during New Sweden 88, the
celebration in 1988 of 350 years of Swedes in America
and 150 years of Swedes in Texas. The New Sweden 88 Committee of the Austin
Area asked Marilyn Samuelson of Elgin
to contact numerous people in various old Swedish communities in Texas
to see if they would help translate the text. Many supplied translations which
were later used in reviewing the text.
With money raised during New Sweden
88 and with a grant for the Austin Heritage Society, the New Sweden 88
Committee of the Austin Area decided to have Christine Andreason of Round Rock,
a native born Swede, to translate the text. Her husband Dennis Andreason would
type the text.
After the translation was completed many volunteers
coordinated by Jim Christianson of Austin
reviewed the text. One particular volunteer deserves special mention. Her name
is Jean Sellstrom of Austin who volunteered many hours in reviewing the
translation and translated many sections in the original effort.
After the project was completed Bert Magnuson, the President
of the Texas Swedish Pioneers Association, coordinated the effort to sell the
book to those who were interested. At 85 years of age Bert had the enthusiasm
of someone a quarter of his age. Bert died shortly after this text went to the
publisher. For any project that promoted our Texas Swedish heritage, Bert was
always there to volunteer his time and support the effort.
We must also give special thanks to Carvin Youngbloom and
the Hutto State Bank who faithfully kept the financial records of the New
Sweden 88 Committee of the Austin Area and the moneys raised in this
translation project. In addition we would like to thank Cheryl Rae of Austin
who with the help of the computer made all the revisions for this text.
Finally we cannot forget our many volunteers who
participated in some way in this translation project, as translators,
reviewers, or sellers of books. We say thanks to all of the following people.
Dorothy Lundgren
Evelyn Carlson
E. H. Johnson
Astrid Larson
Mildred Magnuson
Ruth Bengston Olson
Judith Palmer
O.C. Olson
Clifford Carlson
Emil Cederblom
Valarie Armstrong
Alpha Gustafson Cannon
Hazel Tholin
Evelyn Lundgren
Agnie Tholin
Dagmar Lind
Mabel Lindell
Quinton Christianson
Rod Johnson
Ruby Christianson
Dorothy Lax Dytrich
Earley Magnuson
Elin Criswell
Margot Peel
Ruth Seth
Dorothy Hermanson
Henry Peterson
Hilma Peterson
Belinda Berkman Oman
Edith Johnson
Bemice Micklethwait
Tina Stallings
Annie Helge
Bert Magnuson
Lydia Hanson
Virginian Lee Malmstrom
Harry Hanson
Hanna Bergstrom Sutton
Ann Mart Lindbloom
Eric Holmquist
Marilyn Samuelson
Christine Andreason
Eric Carlson
Dennis Andreason
Johanna Wimberly
Evangeline Teichman
Doris
Wallin
Hildagard Hall
Evert Ryden
Jean Sellstrom
Jim Christianson
Carvin Youngbloom
Gladys Bergstrom
Mrs.Martin Berklund
MAP OF SWEDEN
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Original
THE SWEDES IN TEXAS
IN WORDS AND PICTURES
1838-1918
A
HISTORICAL-BIOGRAPHICAL WORK
COLLECTED AND
PUBLISHED
BY
ERNEST SEVERIN
EDITED AND COMPILED
BY
DR. ALF. L. SCOTT
PASTOR T. J.
WESTERBERG
EDITED AND OVERSEEN
BY
PUBLISHER
J. M. OJERHOLM
PUBLISHER AND EDITING
STAFF
Pastor T. J.
Westerberg Dr. Alf. L. Scott
E. Severin J.M.
Ojerholm
PREFACE
“The Swedes in Texas”, which is hereby presented “in words
and pictures”, is not a romanticized story of just a few or many, more or less
famous personalities, or some scientific report about the Swedes’ economic,
social and religious standing in this state, but simply a collection of facts
and statistical information as well as true to life pictures and illustrations
covering a timespan of over three quarters of a century of the Swedes’ common
history in Texas, collected with quite some effort and printed so these facts
would not be forgotten in the future.
Our Nordic forefathers took measures to preserve the memory
of their dead for both their contemporaries and descendents with rock-carvings
and rune-stones, which are now highly valued and appreciated, a thousand years
after they were drawn. The value of this historical and biographical
information shall be better understood as time goes on, when those, who with
tenacity and determination in living actions, wrote the first chapters in the
“History of the Swedes in Texas”, have passed on and joined their forefathers.
To better meet the linguistic needs of the younger
generations, it would have been more logical to publish this work in the
English language, but it was considered unfair to the many forefathers who are
still alive and who better understand the old mothertongue than the language of
our new country. When the need arises in the future for a continuation of the
history of the Swedes in Texas,
it should be published in the language of this country to be of greater use to
the public. The publisher has devoted
three full years to collect the statistical information and material for this
historical-biographical work. From Stamford
in Northern Texas to Galveston
in the South, no Swedish home has intentionally been bypassed. The completeness
of this work has been made possible only through the support of the pastors and
leading men of the different Swedish congregations. The publisher expresses his
gratitude to these individuals, to the tireless staff, to the printing firm E.
L. Steck, which has done the printing with such merit, and to the Swedish
public, without whose help it would have been impossible to publish such thick
volumes of “The Swedes in Texas
in Words and Pictures”.
Sincerely,
The Publisher
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CONTENTS
Page
The History of Texas,
Carl Fromen 1
The Physical Geography of Texas,
J.J. Hamilton 15
Location 15
Area 15
Borders 15
Coastline 16
Topography 17
Sea level 17
Drainage 17
Lakes 19
Mountain Areas 19
Climate
Conditions 19
Soil
Conditions 20
Forest 21
Industry in the State 22
Communication and Transport 31
Form of Government 33
Political Division 37
Texas
School System, F.L.
Hagberg 39
Immigration to the United
States and the foundation of
Swedish
Churches, Alf. L.
Scott 44
Swedish Churches in Texas 46
The Lutheran
Church 46
The Methodist
Church 85
Camp Meetings 109
The Epworth
League 110
The Free
Church 112
The Texas
Scandinavian Free Mission Organization 124
The Mission
Church 126
The Baptist
Church 128
Swedish Colleges 131
Texas
Wesleyan College,
T.J. Westerberg 131
Trinity
College, J.A.
Stamline 134
Societies 142
The Pioneer
Society, Aug. Anderson 142
Svea 144
Gota 145
The Southern
Swedish Singing Society, J.M. Ojerholm 147
The Waco
Hundredman Society, F.L. Hagberg 149
The Swedish Immigration and
Earlier Conditions, Severin 151
The First Swedes in Texas,
J.A. Stamline 164
Texas-Swedish Communities and
Biographies 182
The Austin
Colony 182
The Palm
Valley Colony 299
The New
Sweden Colony 371
The Brushy
Colony 444
The Georgetown
Colony 473
The Taylor
Colony 515
The Hutto
Colony 562
The Decker
Colony 605
Ericsdale 638
The Ericsdale
Colony 639
Jonah 698
The Jonah
Colony 699
Elroy 708
The Elroy
Colony 708
Kenedy 750
The Kenedy
Colony 751
Manor 774
The Manor
Colony 775
East
Sweden 790
West
Sweden 790
The Brady
Colony 791
Melvin 826
The Melvin
Colony 827
Forth
Worth 849
The Forth
Worth Colony 849
El Campo 886
The El Campo
Colony 887
Dallas
945
The Dallas
Colony 945
Waco 964
The Waco
Colony 965
Lund 991
Type 991
Kimbro 1043
The Kimbro
Colony 1043
Manda 1057
The Manda
Colony 1057
The Ganado
Colony 1081
Crosby 1095
The Crosby
Colony 1095
Elgin 1109
Louise 1119
The Louise
Colony 1119
Galveston 1131
The Galveston
Colony 1131
Olivia 1146
The Olivia
Colony 1146
The Temple
Colony 1160
Swedonia 1162
The Swedonia
Colony 1162
Bishop 1165
The Bishop
Colony 1165
Swensondale 1167
Lyford 1168
The Lyford
Colony 1168
San
Antonio 1170
Houston 1172
Our Boys Under the Flag 1175-1209