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.
Original 1918 Title Page and Preface
Surname, First Name Alphabitized List
SWEDES IN
WORDS AND PICTURES
English Translation
1838 1918
Copyright ©1994
SWEDES IN
WORDS AND PICTURES
English Translation
1838 1918
Translator:
Christine Andreason
Coordinating Editor:
James Christianson
Christine Andreason of
and formerly of Round Rock,
translator of this book. Christine is a native born Swede
from
and is finishing her degree at
Dennis Andreason also of
this text. He is a native Texan
from
and graduated from
James Christianson of
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
New Sweden 88 was a celebration in 1988 of
350 years of Swedes in
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
Hundreds attended a Swedish smorgasbord held at the Balcones
Country Club in
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
The annual Midsummer Day celebrations were held in
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.
Bert Magnuson - Co Chairman
Jim Christianson - Co Chairman
Eric Carlson
Robert G. Carlson
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
Earley Magnuson
Hildegard Hall
Jack Ransom
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
In this text we read the stories of eighteen and nineteen
year old young men and women caught up in “
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
With money raised during
After the translation was completed many volunteers
coordinated by Jim Christianson of
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
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
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
Hildagard Hall
Evert Ryden
Jean Sellstrom
Jim Christianson
Carvin Youngbloom
Gladys Bergstrom
Mrs.Martin Berklund
MAP OF

THE SWEDES IN
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
Sincerely,
The Publisher
Page
The History of
The Physical Geography of
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
Immigration to the
Swedish Churches in
The Lutheran
Church 46
The
Camp Meetings 109
The Epworth
League 110
The Free
Church 112
The
The
The
Swedish Colleges 131
Societies 142
The Pioneer
Society, Aug. Anderson 142
Svea 144
Gota 145
The Southern
Swedish Singing Society, J.M. Ojerholm 147
The
The Swedish Immigration and Earlier Conditions, Severin 151
The First Swedes in
Texas-Swedish Communities and Biographies 182
The Austin
Colony 182
The
The
The Brushy
Colony 444
The
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
The Brady
Colony 791
Melvin 826
The Melvin
Colony 827
The
El Campo 886
The El Campo
Colony 887
The
The
Type 991
Kimbro 1043
The Kimbro
Colony 1043
Manda 1057
The Manda
Colony 1057
The Ganado
Colony 1081
The
Louise 1119
The Louise
Colony 1119
The
Olivia 1146
The Olivia
Colony 1146
The
Swedonia 1162
The Swedonia
Colony 1162
Bishop 1165
The Bishop
Colony 1165
Swensondale 1167
Lyford 1168
The Lyford
Colony 1168
Our Boys Under the Flag 1175-1209
Surname, First Name Alphabitized List
Person/Picture Page Location
|
Elroy Colony |
||
|
Abrahamson, Carl Gustaf |
|
|
|
Abrahamson, M. F. |
Kimbro Colony |
|
|
Abrahamson, Maria |
Austin Colony |
|
|
Adamson, August |
|
|
|
Adling, E. J. |
El Campo Colony |
|
|
Adolphson, Axel Edward |
Ft. Worth Colony |
|
|
Adolphson, John F. |
|
|