Yfrr the fiumting if a. ColUgt_iniAts,C<>!<>ny»\ j_ ' >Y^LE°¥MWHIESinr¥o BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME Alfred E. Perkins Fund HISTORY SCANDINAVIANS SUCCESSFUL SCANDINAVIANS United States Compiled and Edited BY O. N. NELSON VOLUMES I AND II SECOND, REVISED EDITION Minneapolis, Minn. O. N. NELSON & COMPANY 1900 CM j «3 D . IT V- Copyright, 1893, 1897, 1899, by O. N, Nelson All Eights Reserved LIST OF COLLABORATORS Tols. I. and II. of History of the Scandinavians in the United States EdITOE-IN-CHIEF AND MANAGING EDITOE, O. N. NELSON, LL. B. Associate and Revising Editoes, KNUTE GJERSET, Ph D. J. J. SKORDALSTOLD, B. A., B. L. Assistant Editoes, ADOLPH BREDESEN, B. A. Norwegian Synod Clergyman. LUTH JAEGER, Journalist. G. N. SWAN, Vice-Consul of Sweden and Norway. H. STOCKENSTROM, Editor of Sv. Am. Posten. Editobial Revisees of the Biogeaphies of Clebgymen, T. H. DAHL, C. J. PETRI, A. M., United Norwegian Church Clergyman, Swedish Lutheran Clergyman. GEORG SVERDRUP, O. P. VANGSNES, B. A., President of Augsburg Seminary. Norwegian Synod Clergyman. CONTEIBUTOES AND BEVISEES, Jos. A. Andeeson, A. M., ¦wedish Lutheran Clergyman. J. Cheistian Bay, Bacteriologist, Des Moines, Iowa, G. O. Bbohough, B. L.. LL. B., Professor in Red Wing Seminary. Emma Sheewood Chestee. Adam Dan, Danish Lutheran Clergyman. P. G. Dietbichson. C. M. Esbjoen, Ph. D., Swedish Lutheran Clergyman. Andeew Esteem, Ph. D., Professor in Wartburg College. John Geeenfield, Moravian Clergyman. John Halyobson, B. A., Norwegian Synod Clergyman. J. J. KlLDSIG, United Danish Church Clergyman. N. M. Liljegeen, Swedish Methodist Clergyman. C. Neumann, Victoe Nilsson, Ph. D., Author of History of Sweden. Julius E. Olson, B. L., Professor in the University of Wisconsin. J. T. Petees. Fbank Peteeson, Baptist Clergyman. F. A. Schmidt, D. D., Professor in the United Church Seminary. S. Sigvaldson, B. S. Ebnst Skaestedt, Author of Svensk-Amerikanska Poeter and Vara Pennfaktare. E. A. Seogsbebgh, Swedish Mission Clergyman. C. H. Spalding, LL. B., Attorney at Law, Goldendale, Wash. P. O. Steomme, B. A., Author of Hvorledes Halvor blev PreBt. Majoe John Swainson. P. S. Yia,_ Professor in Trinity Seminary. B. L. Wick, A. M., LL. B„ Attorney at Law, Cedar Rapids, Iowa III CONTENTS Vol. I. of History of the Scandinavians in the United States Page Characteristics of the Scandinavians and Review of their History, O. N. Nelson 1 History of the Scandinavian Immigration, O. N. Nelson 35 The Icelandic Discoveries of America, S. Sigvaldson 77 The First Swedish Settlement in America, Emma Sherwood Chester. 87 The First Norwegian Immigration, or The Sloop Party of 1825, O. N. Nelson 125 -The Swedish Colony at Bishopshill, Illinois, Major John Swainson . . 135 The 15th Wisconsin, or Scandinavian, Regiment, P. G. Dietbichson. . 153 Historical Review of the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Rev. Adam Dan 167 Historical Review of Hauge's Evangelical Lutheran Synod in America, Prof. G. O. Bbohough 173 Historical Review of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod in America, Rev. John Halvorson 183 Historical Review of the Scandinavian Baptists in the U. S. and in the North, Rev. Frank Peterson 197 Historical Review of Scandinavian Methodism in the U. S. and in the North, Rev. N. M. Liljegren 205 Historical Review of the Swedish Evangelical Mission Covenant of America, Rev. E. A. Skogsbeegh 211 Historical Review of the Swedish Lutheran Augustana Synod, Rev. C. J. Petri 217 Historical Review of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church in America, Proe. Kndte Gjerset 225 ¦ Statistics Regarding the Scandinavians in the United States, O. N. Nelson 243 Bibliography of the Scandinavian-American Historical Literature of the Nineteenth Century, O. N. Nelson 265 Historical Review of the Scandinavians in Minnesota, O. N. Nelson. . 297 Historical Review of the Scandinavian Schools in Minnesota, J. J. Skordalsvold 317 Historical Review of Scandinavian Churches in Minnesota, O. N. Nelson and J. J. Skordalsvold 335 Historical Review of the Minnesota District of the Norwegian Synod, Rev. John Halvorson 351 Historical Review of the Minnesota Conference of the Augustana Synod, Rev. C. J. Petri 361 Biographies of Scandinavians in Minnesota, Editors, Contributors, and Revisers 365 IV CONTENTS Vol. n. of History of the Scandinavians in the United States Page The Nationality of Criminal and Insane Persons in the United States, O. N. Nelson 1 Historical Review of Luther College, Proe. Andrew Estrem 23 Social Characteristics of the Danes and a History of Their Societies, O. N. Nelson and C. Neumann 39 Historical Review of the United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, O. N. Nelson 49 Historical Review of the Moravian Church and its Scandinavian- A merican Work, Rev. John Greenfield 57 Historical Review of the Scandinavians in Iowa, O. N. Nelson 61 Historical Review of the Scandinavian Schools in Iowa, J. J. Skordalsvold 75 Historical Review of the Scandinavian Churches in Iowa, O. N. Nelson and J. J. Skordalsvold 83 Historical Review of the Iowa Conference of the Augustana Synod, Rev. Jos. A. Anderson 91 Historical Review of the Iowa District of the Norwegian Synod, Rev. Adolph Bbedesen , 99 Historical Review of the Scandinavians in Wisconsin, O. N. Nelson. . 105 Historical Review of the Scandinavian Schools in Wisconsin, J. J. Skordalsvold 129 Historical Review of the Scandinavian Churches in Wisconsin, O. N. Nelson and J. J. Skordalsvold 135 Historical Review of the Eastern District of the Norwegian Synod, Rev. Adolph Bredesen 145 Biographies of Scandinavians in Iowa and Wisconsin, Editors, Con tributors, and Revisers 153 LIST OF BIOGRAPHIES Page Vol. Aaker, Lars K 365 I Ager, Wm 237 II Akermark, G. E 237 II Almen, Louis G 366 I Anderson, Abel Ii38 II Anderson, Abel 366 I Anderson, Andrew G 153 II Anderson, Berudt 368 I Anderson, Daniel 369 I Anderson, J. A 238 II Anderson, J. E 239 II Anderson, Mons 193 II Anderson, R. B 195 II Anundsen, B 154 II Arctander, J. W 369 I Arosin, 0. H 370 I Askeland, H. T 371 I Bendeke, Karl 371 I Bengston, C. J 240 II Bennet, C. C 372 I Berg, Albert 373 I Bergh, J. A 240 II Bergh,K. E 156 II Bergh, Martin 241 II Bergsland, H. H 373 I Biermann, Adolph 374 I Biorn, L. M 375 I Bjorgo, K 375 I Bookman. M. O 376 I BoeckmaDn, E 377 I Boen, H. E 377 I Borcksenius, H 241 II Borup, C. W. W 378 I Bothne, Gisle 242 II Boye,N.C 157 II BoyeBen, A. E 379 I Brandt, Christian 380 I Breda, O.J 381 I Bredesen, Adolph 242 II Brohough, G. O 382 I Brown.F.P 382 I Brnsletten, C. L 383 I Brydolf.F 158 II Bull, Storm 243 II Burg,P.N 244 II Burnquist, Sam 159 II Cappelen. F. W 383 I Carlsen, L. A. K 384 I Carlson, Anton 244 II Carlson, J. S 385 I Carlson, O. W 245 II Cassel, P 161 II Cnantland, P. W 245 II Chriatensen, F. S 386 I Clausen, C. L 387 I Clausen, Pet«r 391 I Colbera, A. P. J 392 I Dahl, J. M 246 II Dahl.T. H 247 II Dahle.O. B 247 II Dan, Adam 248 II Darelius, A. B 392 I Davidson, J. 0 249 II Dnndas, J. C 199 II Ezge, A. E 249 II Eggen, J. Mueller 393 I Engstrom.A.E 394 I Erdall. J. L 250 II Erickson, Halford 250 II Ericson, C. J. A 164 II VI Page Vol. Estrem, A 251 II Falstrom, Jacob 395 I Felland.d.G 396 I Fielde, Jacob 396 I Fleischer, F 251 II Fliesburg, Oscar A 397 I Fosmark, O. N 399 I Fosnes.C. A 399 I Foss,H. A 400 I Fobs, Louis O 400 I Fremling, John 401 I Frich, J. B 401 I Gausta.H. N 402 I Gjertsen, H. J 402 I Gjertsen, J. P 201 II Gjertsen, M. F 404 I Granberg, O 252 II Grinager, Mons 405 I Grindeland, A 406 I Gronberger.R 406 I Grundtvig, F. L 253 II Guttersen, G 407 I Halgren.C G 408 I Halland, B. M 253 II Halvorsen, H 254 II Halvorson, John 408 [ Halvorson, Kiltel 409 I Hansen, Oesten 410 I Hatlestad, O. J 166 II Haugen.G. N 254 II Haugen, N. P 202 II Heg.H.C 204 II Hendrickson, P 255 II Hilleboe, H. S 410 I Hobe.E. H 411 I Hoegh, Knut 412 I Hokanson, M. F 167 II Holmes, Ludvig 255 II Holst.M 256 II Holt, Andrew 413 I Homme,E.J 257 II Hougen, J. O 257 II Hoyme, G 207 II Husher.F.A 413 I Jackson, Andrew 414 I Jacobsen, J. D 175 II Jacobson, J. F 415 I Jaeger, Luth 416 I Janson, Kristofer N 418 I Jeanson, R. E 258 II Jenson, Andrew 258 II Jensson.J.C 419 I Jensvold, John 420 I Johnseu, Thomas 421 I Johnson, C. J 421 I Johnson, E. P 259 II Johnson, Gnstavus 422 I John.-on, J. A 209 II J ohnson, Marcus 423 I Johnson, O. C 260 II Johnson, Tosten 423 I Johnston^ L. A 424 I Kildahl, J. N 425 I Kildsig, J. J 426 I Kittelson, Charles 427 I Knatvold, T. V 428 I Koren, U. V 176 II Knmlien, T. L.T 210 II Lagerstrom.R 428 I Langeland, K 213 II LIST OF BIOGRAPHIES Page Vol. Langum , Samnel 429 I Larsen, Iver 260 II Larsen, Laur 178 II Larson, Ole 261 II Lil jegren, N. M 429 I Lind, Alfred 429 I Lind, John 430 I Lindholm, A. T 434 I Linn, John 184 II Listoe, Soren ; 435 I Lobeck, E. E 435 I Lokensgaard, O 436 I Lomen.G.J 437 I Lund, E. G 438 I Lund, L 262 II Lundeen, J. A 438 I Lundholm, E. M 440 I Lunnow, Magnus 441 I Lysnes.David 186 II Magnus, Daniel 441 I Mattson, Hans 441 I Megaarden.P. T 444 I Mohn.Th. N 445 I Muus.B. J 446 I Myran, Ole H 448 I Naeseth.C. A 262 II Nattestad, O. K 218 II Nelsenius, J. D 263 II Nelson, Andrew 448 I Nelson, Andrew 449 I Nelson, Knute 449 I Nelson, Oley 263 II Nelson, Otto 264 II Nelson, Peter 452 I Neumann, C. F 452 I Nielsen, A. S 219 II Ndsson. F. 0 453 I Nilsson, Victor 457 I Nordberg, B. V 265 II Norelius, E 458 I Norrbom, A 265 II Oden, M. P 266 II Oftedal, Sven 464 I Oleson, Ole 266 II Oisen, Johan 187 II Olson.C.O.A 465 I Olson, Julius E 267 II Olson.OleBr 268 II Olson.S.E 466 I Ostrom, O. N 467 I Ostlund, O. W 468 I Ottesen, J. A 188 II Paulson, Ole 268 II Peders.m, Knud 469 I Petersen, Ole P 469 I Petersen, W. M. H 469 I Peterson, Andrew P 470 I Peterson, Atley 269 II Peterson, Frank 470 I Peterson, James A 472 I Peterson, John .472 I Peterson.J.W 473 I Peterson, O. C 270 II Peterson, Sewell A 271 II Petri.C.J 475 I Petri, G. A 476 I Pettersen, Wilhelm M 474 I Preus.H. A 220 II Ovale, S. A 271 II Kailson, Andrew 477 I Page Vol. Rast, Gustaf 478 I Reimestad, Th. S 479 I Reque, L. S 271 II Rice, A. E 480 I Ringnell, C. J 481 I Roe.O.O 272 II Roos, Oscar 482 I Rosing, A. G 482 I Rosing, L. A 483 I Sagen, A. K 272 II Sandberg, G. P 4S3 I Sandberg, J. H 484 I Saugstad, C 484 I Searle.O.O 485 I Shaleen, John 486 I Sjoblom, P 487 I Skaro. J. G 487 I Skogsbergh, E. A 488 I Skordalsvold, J. J '. 489 I Smith, C. A 490 I Soderstrom, A 492 I Sohlberg, 0 492 I Solem, A 493 I Soreosen, S 494 I Stark, L.J 494 I Steenerson, H 495 I Steensland, Halle 228 II Stockenstrom, H 496 I Stromme, Peer O 273 II Stub,H.G 497 I Sunwall, G. F 504 I Sverdrup, G 498 I Swainson, J 500 I Swan.G. N 274 II Sward.P.J 501 I Swenson, John 502 I Swenson, Lars 502 I Swenson, L. S £03 I Tharaldsen, 1 505 I Thompson, R. E 506 I Thorpe, L. O 506 1 Thorsen, John 230 II Thorson, A 507 I Thorvilson, T. K 275 II Thrane, Markus 232 II Thygeson,N. M 508 I Tollefsrude.C. H 275 II Torgerson, T. A 190 II Torrison, Osuld 233 II Torrison.T. E 276 II Trandberg, P. C 509 I TrBnsdal,F.L 276 II Turnblad, M 510 I Turnblad, S. J 511 I Ueland.A 512 I Valder, Hans 513 I Vangsnes, O. P 277 II Veblen, A. A 278 II Vig.P. S 278 II Vinje.A. J 279 II Waerner, Ninian 514 I Wahlstrom, M 515 I Warner.H. B 235 II Werner, N. 0 516 I Wick, B. L 279 II Widstrand, F. H 517 I Xavier.N. P 280 II Ylvisaker, J 517 I Ytterboe, H. T 518 I VII LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Page Vol. Anderson, A 153 II Anderson, Berndt 363 I Anderson, Rev. J. A 153 II Anderson, Prof. R. B 81 I Anondsen, Brynild 152 II Augsburg Seminary 193 I Augustana College 222 I Bendeke, Dr. Karl 377 I Bergh.Rev. J. A 233 II Bergh.M 249 II Bergsland, Prof. H. H 369 I Biorn, Rev. L. M 369 I Bbckman, Prof. M. 0 425 I Boyesen, A. E 376 I Brandt,C 369 I Bredesen, Rev. A 217 II Brusletten, C. L 369 I Burg, P. N 249 II Carlson, A 153 II Carlson, Prof. J. S 384 I Chantland, P. W 169 II Clausen. Rev. C. L 425 I Dahl, Rev.T.H 201 II Darelius, A. B 489 I Egge, Prof. A. E 169 II Erieson, C. J. A 168 II Fliesburg, Dr. O. A 40) I Fosnes, C. A 409 I Frich, Piof. J. B 481 I Gjertsen, H. J . 385 I Gjertsen, Rev. M. F 383 I Granberg, O 233 II Grindeland, A 409 I Gustavus Adolphus College.. 223 I Halvorsen, Rev. H 201 II Haugen, N. P 200 II Hobe, E. H 416 I Hokanson, Rev. M. F 184 II Holmes, Rev. L 1S4 II Hoyme, Rev. Gjermund 216 II Jaeger, Lath 449 I Jenson, A 233 II Jensson, Rev. J. C 393 1 Johnsen, Rev. T 481 I Johnson, C.J 513 I Johnson, E. P 169 II Johnson, Prof. G 513 I Johnston, Rev . L. A 425 I Kildsig.Rev. J. J 393 I Koren Rev. U. V 185 II Langeland, Knud 225 II Larsen, Prof. Laur 185 II Lind, Dr. A 513 I Lind, John 432 I Lindholm, A. T 249 II Listoe, Soren 417 I Lokensgaard, Prof. O 409 1 Lund, Prof. E. G 249 II Lund.Rev.L 201 II Luther College 192 I Magnus, Prof. D 408 I Page Vol. Mattson. Pol. Hans 401 I Megaarden, P. T 440 I Myran.O.H 465 I Nelson, Knute 44S I Nelson, O 265 II Nilsson, Rev. F. O 449 I Nilsson, Victor 449 I Norelius, Rev. E 425 I Norrbom, Rev. A 153 II Of tedal, Prof. Sven 4=i6 I Old Swedes' Church, The 80 I Olsen, Rev. J 265 II Olson, CO. A 489 I Olson, Prof. Julius E 217 II Ottesen, Rev. J. A 265 II Peterson, A 248 II Peterson, Rev. Frank 472 I Peterson, J 513 I Peterson, J. A 489 I Peterson, O. C 264 II Petri, Rev. C.J 424 I Petri.G A 489 I Preus, Rev. H. A 224 II Reimestad, Prof. T. S 393 I Rice.A.E 480 I Rice.C.A 465 I Ringnell, Dr. C. J 464 I Rosin?,L. A 433 I Sandberg, Dr. G. P 465 I Ssane.O.O 488 I Shaleen, J 465 I Skaro.Dr. J.G 392 I Skogsbergh, Rev. E. A 473 T Smith, C. A 496 I Soderstrom, A 401 I Sohlberg, Dr. Olof 400 I Steensland, H 201 II Stockenstrom. Herman 497 I St. Olaf College 193 I Stromme, P. O 217 II Stub, Prof. H. G 481 I Sunwall, G. F 441 I Sverdrup, Prof . Georg 457 I Swnn, G.N 272 II Sward, Rev. P. J 504 I Thompson, R. E 409 I Thorpe, L. O 449 I ToBefsrude, 0. H 235 II Torgerson, Rev. T. A 273 II Torrison, Osuld 232 II Torrison, T. E 217 II Tconsdal, F. L 233 II Turnblad.S J 512 I Vangsnes, Rev. O. P 273 II Veblen.Prof. A. A 273 II Viking Ship, The 80 1 Wahlstrom, Prof. M 505 I Wick, B. L 169 II Xavier, Rev. N. P 273 II Ylvisaker, Prof. J 481 I VIII PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION For nearly ten years I have devoted all my time to the investigation of Scandinavian- American history; and the first edition of my first volume, which appeared in 1893, was far more favorably received than I ever anticipated or dared to hope. Yet it was by no means faultless ; and as the pages from 1 to 276 were electrotyped, it was no easy task to correct every mistake. But at great expense of time, labor, and money, all errors of facts and most of the gram matical mistakes have been corrected. Several pages, and even whole articles, have been rewritten. The article on The First Norwegian Immigration, or The Sloop Party of 1825, is a new production. Nearly twenty pages of Bibliography and some valuable statistical tables have been added. Pages 291-364, dealing with Scandinavian settlements, churches, and schools, in Minnesota, are new matter, prepared for this edition ; and the balance of Vol. I. consists of biographies of Scandinavians in Minnesota, most of which appeared in the first edition; but all of them have been rewritten, rearranged, and brought up to date. In fact, the revision and reconstruction of the whole first volume have been so thorough and complete that in many respects it is an entirely new history of the Scandinavians in America, brought up to the beginning of the twentieth century. The first edition of the second volume was issued so recently (in 1897) and prepared with such great care that hardly any changes were made up to page 236, except in regard to the arrangement of the biographies. The rest of IX PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION the work was reset altogether. But owing to the lack of space, several biographies which appeared in the first edition had to be omitted, and some were very much abridged. It must be admitted that, excepting the church organ izations, there are hardly any Scandinavian institutions in this country. Whatever is accomplished in the political, social, or financial spheres by any Scandinavian-American, is accomplished by the individual. Hence, the record of such individuals necessarily has to be an important feature of Scandinavian-American history. Partly to sell my work, and partly to secure the most reliable information on his torical and biographical topics, I have personally visited all the counties and cities in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin where any considerable number of Scandinavians reside. In selecting and editing the biographies — as well as in preparing everything else for this work — I have endeavored to be impartial. It has been my aim not to be influenced by any religious belief, national prejudice, political conviction, or personal friendship or dislike. In cases where I felt that I might be liable to lean toward one side or another, some of the editors or revisers, whose opinions differed from mine, were consulted. To state the unadorned facts, without lite rary display or expression of judgment, has been the con stant endeavor in regard to the biographical sketches. Yet sometimes it was almost necessary to pass judgment on a man's standing within a certain sphere, and I have not shrunk from doing so, or from permitting it to be done, when ever it seemed advisable or desirable, and when the opinions expressed were by general consent considered to be true. No one has been allowed to write his own biography, even the editors of, and contributors to, this work having been subjected to this rule. The parties themselves, how- PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION ever, when living, have been permitted to examine their biographies in regard to the facts; but the language used, the views expressed, and the method of treatment, are strictly our own. The proper equilibrium of modesty and self-esteem is a difficult virtue to attain, and some of our Scandinavian-Americans are sadly deficient in this respect. One man, whose chief merit apparently consisted in having been in the lower branch of the legislature a couple of terms, was indignant because his biography did not begin thus: "Hon. is one of the most popular and active Repub licans in the state of ." A much larger percentage, however, go too far in the other direction. For an historian to avoid the sins of commission and omission under such circumstances, and at the same time not to offend people, is a Herculean task. Consequently, the biographies of living men are more or less unsatisfactory. At the same time the great pains which have been taken with the biographies, some of which have been revised by half a dozen different parties, ought to make them exceptionally reliable. In regard to the spelling of the geographical names in the Scandinavian countries, the postoffice directories of Den mark, Norway, and Sweden have been carefully consulted, and in most cases the latest mode of spelling has been followed. The radical changes in spelling which have been adopted by the government of Norway in recent years has a comical side in connection with this work, namely, that several educated Norwegian-Americans do not know how to spell correctly the name of their own birthplace. When ever possible, not only the fbrsamling or prestegjeld where a person was ' born has been mentioned, but also the stift or province, and of course the country ; this was neces sary because several places in the North have the same name; for example, there are in Sweden over 50 places XI PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION called Saby, and 75 Berg. Whenever it is stated that a person has received a college education in one of the Scandi navian countries, it is meant that he has completed a course at one of the elementar Ta.rova.rken in Sweden or the Latin schools of Denmark or Norway— the names of these institutions cannot be properly translated, but the best equivalent for them is college. Nearly all the names of newspapers and books, as well as foreign words, have been printed in Italics. For fifty years past numerous attempts have been made by different parties, both in the English and the Scandina vian languages, to elucidate certain features of the life of the Scandinavian-Americans. Many of these productions were meritorious, and a few of them are standard works as far as they go. Among the men making these attempts were several who by intellectual endowment and thorough ness of education were well prepared to undertake and suc cessfully complete their task. Yet, apparently, none of these productions have received sufficient recognition and support to enable any one of the many Scandinavian- American writers to devote time and talent to extensive historical research concerning their countrymen on this side of the Atlantic. That I have been enabled to devote several years to historical investigations, to meet the various and often heavy expenses connected with the prep aration and publication of such a large work, and to make a living out of the sale of the book, seems to indicate that my labors are appreciated. This appreciation has not only been manifested by a courteous reception of the author wherever he has traveled, and by a flattering endorsement of his work, but by a generous financial patronage, some times involving considerable sacrifice on the part of the admirer of the enterprise. The keen interest which the XII PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION educated Scandinavian-Americans, especially the clergy, have taken in the history, has incited the author to greater exertion in the prosecution of his labor. I am indebted to so many people for the successful com pletion of this edition that it is beyond my power to give full credit to all those who have assisted me in the under taking. Special mention, however, should be made of Consul G. N. Swan, Rev. Adolph Bredesen, Ernst Skarstedt, Rev. C. M. Esbjorn, and J. J. Skordalsvold, who have carefully and critically revised several important articles and rend ered valuable assistance in the completion of the Bibli ography. The last mentioned has also revised and read proof of the whole work, and without his able aid it might not have appeared in its present form. Elias Ander son and F. L. Tronsdal have taken more than ordinary interest in the enterprise. My wife has looked after the purely artistic part of the work. I am also under obliga tion to the Lumberman Publishing Company, the typesetter; the Tribune Job Printing Company, who have done the press work; Bramblett & Beygeh, the engravers; and A. J. Dahl & Company, the binders. Owing to the magnitude of the labor and expense involved in completing this edition, a few years may pass before I shall be able to prepare and publish the third vol ume, which no doubt will deal with Illinois and some neighboring states. Partly on account of having different writers to pre pare the various articles, no absolutely uniform system of capitalization and punctuation has been maintained throughout this work. Yet the exceptions to the rigid "Rules of Nelson and Skordalsvold" are few and unimport ant. Sometimes in quoting from another author, it was inconvenient to use his exact language. In such cases the XIII PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION single quotation mark ( ' ) has been employed to indicate that the expression is not my own. As has been said before, no literary brilliancy has been attempted. Hamlin Garland remarked recently: "I believe the well-educated descend ants of the Scandinavian settlers of the Northwestern states are closer to Webster's dictionary to-day than are the languid Southerners, or the erudite Easterners." If his assertion be true, I may entertain the hope that the Ian- guage used in this work is tolerably correct, because the classes of people he refers to have written or revised a large portion of it. The greatest master of history, Edward Gibbon, says, "Diligence and accuracy are the only merits which an historical writer may ascribe to himself." Another celebrated writer, James Clark Ridpath, asserts, "The his torian must either lay down his pen or cease to be a parti san;" and on the altar of Diligence, Accuracy, and Impar tiality I have laid down the best fruits of my labor. 0. N. Nelson. Minneapolis, Minn., January, 1900. XIV HISTORY SCANDINAVIANS SUCCESSFUL SCANDINAVIANS United states VOLUME I Compiled and Edited BY 0. N. NELSON Characteristics of the Scandinavians AND REVIEW OF THEIR HISTOEY. O. N. NELSON, This is an age of classification, and mankind has been divided into different races, or types, of men. But history. with a few exceptions, deals only with one race — the Cau casian — because hardly any others have succeeded in becom ing civilized. The Hindoos, Persians, Greeks, Latins, Slavonians, Kelts, and Teutons, all belong to the Indo- European branch of the great Caucasian race. The English, the Germans, the Dutch, the Scandinavians, and their descen dants in other countries, are all members of the Teutonic family. It may seem strange that the theoretical Greek and the practical Englishman, the fanatical Hindoo and the philosophical German, the rude Russian and the polite Frenchman, should all have, if we go far enough back, a common ancestry. Yet the resemblance of their languages and their mythologies proves that they were once one people, who lived together somewhere. But when or under what circumstances they separated, and migrated to different countries cannot be determined. But if the different nations 2 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. of the Indo-European branch differ greatly in physical ap pearance, mental culture, social conditions, religious beliefs, and political attainments, the closest relation exists between the different nations of the Teutonic family. Physically, the Teutons resemble each other; mentally, they are equally endowed. The development of the political history of Sweden is similar to the development of the political history of Eng land. Blackstone, the father of English law, and Stjernhook, the father of Swedish law, agree on many of the finest points in jurisprudence. Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, Germans, Dutchmen, and Englishmen have a common mythology and common superstitions; but it is only the Scandinavians — Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes — who have, almost, a com- monlanguage. TheDanesand the Norwegians write virtually alike, but differ a little in their pronunciation; nor is it, at all, difficult for a Swede to understand a Norwegian, or for a Dane to understand a Swede. All the Scandinavian people, with the exception of the Icelanders, understand each other's languages When and under what circumstances the Scandinavians first came to their northern homes has always been a mat ter of dispute among scholars. Different theories have been advocated. Learned men have maintained that the human race first saw daylight in the Land of the Midnight Sun, and that the Paradise of the Bible was located near Upsala, Sweden. The Icelandic sagas claim that Odin, the god and king of the Teutons, taught his people the art of writing and the science of war, and led them out of Asia, through Russia, and colonized the Scandinavian countries. It is only one hundred and fifty years since a noted scientist endeavored to SCANDINAVIANS — CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 3 prove that the greatest part of the North could not have been inhabited at the time of the birth of Christ, because most of the land there was then covered with water. Others again assert that Scandinavia has been the cradle of the Indo- European branch of the human race. A well-known Nor wegian-American educator and author says: "There is a strong probability that their (the Scandinavian tribes) inva sion of the countries which they now inhabit must have taken place during the second century preceding the Christian era." But the latest and most celebrated Scandinavian anti quarians and historians have — by comparing the old skulls, as found in the graves, with the skulls of the present people — come to the conclusion that the same race of people which now inhabit the Scandinavian countries, have been there for thousands of years, at least, before the Christian era commenced. The Scandinavians entered late upon the historical arena. The Grecian history had begun eight hundred years before even their existence was known. Grecian literature, philoso phy, and art had flourished centuries before they could write their own names. The Romans had conquered the fairest part of the earth, legislated for the world, made good roads through the whole empire, and civilized a large portion of mankind, before the Scandinavians occupied houses or fixed habitations, but wandered through the dense forests as semi- savages. The French, English, and Germans had been Chris tianized four or five hundred years before the Northern peo ple accepted Catholicism astheirnationalreligion,andaslate as in the sixteenth century some of them still worshiped Odin. This late development, which is no doubt due to the 4 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. severity of the climate, and the great separation from the higher civilization of the South, must be taken into con sideration when we compare the Scandinavians with other nations, and endeavor to determine the quantity and quality of influence which each nation has had upon the general his tory of mankind. That the Northmen, in spite of their lateness, have had a great influence, and taken an active part in the world's busi ness, no one can successfully contradict. They have not merely been savage plunderers and rude conquerors, but also discoverers, civilizers, and organizers. They assisted in over throwing the magnificent Roman power, conquered France, enslaved England, discovered America five hundred years before the voyage of Columbus, organized the Russian Em pire, and liberated Germany from religious and political thraldom. Of course the greater part of their contact with other nations and their influence upon other people have been accomplished through war; but war, until recently, has been the mainspring of nearly all undertakings. The very fact that the Scandinavians have, by the might of their swords, crowned and dethroned foreign rulers; dictated terms to popes and emperors; fought, both for and against, the liberties of men; and in many other ways taken an active part in the affairs of the world, must have had a great influ ence upon civilization. The Scandivanian countries were first referred to in Grecian literature as early as three hundred years before the birth of Christ. "But," says Geijer, "if the Greek ever knew anything about them, the Roman again forgot them." But if the Roman had forgotten them, he was soon to be re- SCANDINAVIANS— CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 5 minded of their existence in a forcible and positive manner, for, under the name of Goths, the Scandinavians became the principal participants in undermining and destroying the Roman power in the third, fourth, and fifth centuries of the Christian era. By a chain of successful conquests; by good management through very capable and honest men; by establishing pub lic order, law, and justice; by encouraging literature, science, art, and the accumulation of wealth, the Roman Empire had, in the second century of this era, reached a state of greatness, power, and civilization, which has hardly been equalled, never surpassed by any nation, either of the ancient or the modern world. The Romans, who had at first assailed the domains of the barbaric Teutons beyond the river Rhine, were in the third and fourth centuries of this era called upon to defend their own territories against the invasion of the very same bar barians whom they had been unable to conquor or subdue. For this purpose a line of military posts had been estab lished along the river to protect the Roman citizens against the invading hordes, being similar to those which the United States keeps on the western borders to protect the whites from Indian outrages. Of the many different tribes, all belonging to the Teu tonic family, who pressed upon the Roman frontier, none were so powerful or intelligent as the Goths. These Goths dwelt on both sides of the Baltic Sea, and it is said that those who joined their kinsmen to participate in the plunder of the Mistress of the World, crossed the sea from the Scan dinavian countries in three ships. But, as later was the 6 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. case with the Vikings, they were not formidable in numbers, but in courage, endurance, and ferocity. These wild men are described as being very tall, strong, and robust; having white bodies, yellow hair, broad shoulders, wiry muscles, florid complexion, and fierce blue eyes that during excite ment gleamed with fire and passion. Physically, they, in general, resembled the people of the whole Teutonic family of today; but, more specifically, they came nearest to the people who now live in the southern part of Sweden and on the Danish islands. Little or nothing is known in regard to the semi-civilization which they had attained to at the time they first came in contact with the imperial power; but they probably had reached a fairly high standard of moral devel opment, and enjoyed some luxuries. It was with these men, "Who astonished the nations of the South by their reckless courage and gigantic stature, ' ' that the imperial army of Rome had to measure swords. It was ancient renown against barbaric ferocity, disciplined order against natural courage, law against anarchy, Christianity against Odin, Latin against Teuton. The Roman fought by prescription, his movements were as regular as clock work. The Teuton obeyed the commander, but the com mander was chosen for his fitness. If the Teutons could not stand their ground, their wives and sisters assisted them. The women fought and screamed with a fierceness never witnessed before or after, save during the French Revolution. The Romans feared the wild yells of the women almost as much as they feared the swords of their husbands and brothers. Rome was doomed. It was to no avail that the barbaric warriors were engaged to defend the Roman SCANDINAVIANS— CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 7 territories against barbaric invasion; they, of course, turned traitors. It delayed, but did not change the result. In the latter part of the fifth century of this era a Teutonic savage sat on the throne of Rome. At about the same time Spain, France, and in fact all western Europe fell into the hands of the Northern hordes. Now an exhibition was made on the grand stage of the historical theatre that has never, in all the various dramas of human actions, had its likeness. Side by side, on apparent social equality, walked the refined Roman — dressed in his toga — by the rude man from the North — dressed in a goat-skin suit — his long, yellow hair combed towards the four winds. The citizen carried centuries of learning in his head, the luxuries from many countries on his back. He was the poet, the artist, the statesman, and the phi losopher. The Goth possessed nothing; he only knew how to eat, drink, and fight. But he carried the sword of state, before which the proud Roman bowed in humble subjection. By the fall of Rome, civilization had been thrust backward many centuries. Anarchy reigned supreme. Time rolled on; for centuries the Roman world — yea the world itself— was hidden in darkness. For this wholesale barbarization the Romans themselves were partly responsible. They lacked the frankness, manliness, honesty, and virtue requisite to pre serve sufficient moral power to govern decently a great state. The old civilization which Rome represented had lost its force. The Roman believed in nothing. Right and wrong were only relative terms. To him anything which succeeded was right, everything which failed was wrong. The Romans 8 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE TJ. S. had become greatly degenerated, debauchery and licentious ness were the common practice. The new race was ignorant, but had strong convictions and high moral principles. To the Goth falsehood was a great vice, secret stealing was a cowardly act, for which no torment was too severe. He robbed openly, he faced his victims boldly. He was honest and frank, living up to his rude ideas of life. The Persians, the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Romans had their liberties on account of belonging to a powerful, free state. The Teuton was a free man be cause he was a man ; individuality was his strongest char acteristic. The native population out-numbered, by far, the invaders, who, nevertheless, swayed the scepter of power. In time the Goths adopted the Christian religion and became some what civilized. The slaves became their master's instruc tors. Out of the Roman confusion rose the modern states. In the eighth and ninth centuries western Europe had been somewhat organized and Christianized, only, however, to be thrown into confusion again by the kinsmen and partly countrymen of the Goths— namely, the Vikings. Before the fall of Rome little is known of the history, customs, or characteristics of the Scandinavian people; but it is certain that they were tribes of the great Teutonic family, and had, probably, not advanced much above the condition of the semi-civilized races at that time. The Teutons, however, unlike some people, had the talent to adopt new ideas, to assimilate with other people, and to ad vance. History proves sufficiently that they have been very progressive. The Goths had been the principal participants SCANDINAVIANS — CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 9 in the destruction of Rome, but the Goths were not exclu sively Scandinavians, because part of the tribe, in all prob ability, lived in Germany. The Teutons constituted many tribes, no nationalities existed, which, however, commenced to develop shortly after the fall of Rome. In the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh centur ies — at the time when the foundation of the European king doms were in process of construction — the inhabitants of the Scandinavian countries became famous as Vikings. But the Viking practice had been in operation ever since the Teutons and Romans came in conflict with each other. The Scandi navian Viking age is only a continuation of the barbaric flood that deluged the classical civilization. The two may differ in the particulars, but not in the essentials; it is im possible to understand one, without having a clear concep tion of the other. "All wars hang together," Gustavus Adol phus used to say. According to Sars,the Scandinavian Viking age is divided into three periods; but it might be more correct to say that there were three kinds of Vikings, as no sharp divisions, in regard to time, can be made. No one can tell when the age commenced. Northern Vikings had, no doubt, practiced their trade ever since the Christian era began, and, perhaps, before. The First Period: A small number of chieftains, or one alone, would, at irregular times, gather together crews for a few ships and sail over to England, Ireland, France, or Flanders, where they would plunder a city or a monastery, and quickly return home with their booty. The Second Period: An advance was made, not only in the art of war and military management, but even in the systematic plan of 10 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. robbing defenceless people. Several Vikings club together, take possession of some exposed point— for example, a small island near the coast— erect fortifications, and thus control a large extent of territory. They may remain at one place for years, and forage the surrounding country accord ing to a regular plan, then proceed to their native lands. The Third Period: Plundering, robbing, and piracy have been abandoned. The Vikings came as conquerors. Their fleets counted from one to five hundred vessels. Cities were stormed and sacked. They conquered territories, settled them, and governed them. They treated with kings and rulers. Of course the third period, during the ninth, tenth, and eleventh centuries, is without comparison the most im portant and fascinating. It has had a very great influence both upon the Scandinavian countries and abroad. The Vikings, who had at first occasionally plundered the western European countries for the sake of pleasure and small profits, commenced "Piracy as a trade" on a wholesale scale in the first part of the ninth century. "These bold sailors and admirable foot-soldiers " had made a general and perpetual declaration of war on all mankind, but especially on those who possessed any kind of tangible property that was worth having. The seas swarmed with their sails. The miserable people along the coasts of the North Sea, who had lately been Christianized, fled in terror. Priests prayed in vain: "Deliver us, 0 Lord, from the rage of the North men." The world, it was thought, would soon come to an end. Germany, Holland, Belgium, England, Scotland, Ire land, France, Spain, and Italy were all punished with fire and sword, sacked and robbed, drenched in blood and tears. SCANDINAVIANS— CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 11 That time has been called the heroic age, the age of individ ualism. Princes had to buy their freedom in gold and cede their torritories to the conquerors. Paris was beseiged, Dublin was taken by storm, and in the very heart of London, not far from the celebrated St. Paul's Cathedral, have been found skeletons of old Northern warriors. Many scattering Scandinavian settlements were made in foreign countries during these terrible times. The Northern people intermarried and mixed with the native population. In a comparatively short time the fierce pirates became Christianized and civilized, giving new vigor and energy to the degenerated people of western Europe. Besides the many smaller settlements, scattered through nearly every European country, the Norwegians colonized Iceland in the latter part of the ninth century; the famous Rolf— also a Norwegian, though several of his followers were Danes and Swedes — wrested Normandyfrom the weak French king in the first part of the tenth century, and the Danes conquered the whole of England a hundred years later. The colonization of Iceland, and the conquest of Normandy and England were the last and greatest acts of the bloody drama of the Viking age; these were beneficial to civilization, and may be said to have palliated the former atrocities of the Northmen. The Ice landers created a classical literature from which is received the .best information we have in regard to the mythology of the Teutons in general, and of the Scandinavians in particular; established a humanitarian, free republic, on the basis of the Northmen's conception of a civil government, which lasted for nearly four hundred years; discovered America five hun dred years before Columbus sailed from Spain, and perhaps 12 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. his knowledge of what they had accomplished partly induced him to undertake the voyage. The followers of Rolf found Normandy in poverty and distress. In a short time they made it the richest, most populous, and most civilized pro vince in France, where the best French language was used. The Normans, being virtually independent of the French monarch, conquered England in 1066, and founded the king doms of Naples and Sicily. Danish kings reigned over Eng land, as well as in their native country, of course, for several years, and to-day many English words, laws, and customs are purely Scandinavian. The names of many cities, lakes, rivers, etc., in France, England, Scotland, Ireland, and other countries , have a Scandinavian origin . Several of the greatest noblemen in the western European countries — notably Lord Nelson of England — are descendants of the Northmen. During the Viking age the boundary lines between the Scandinavian countries were not sharply drawn. In fact the people were at first tribes; then a great number of petty kingdoms were formed. It was not until the latter part of the ninth century that the present divisions of the Northern nationalities were established, and the Scandinavians con tinued to speak one and the same language for two or three hundred years later. Even after the stronger kings had suc ceeded in defeating the weaker and adding their territories to their own dominions, which resulted in laying the founda tion of the present Northern powers, it was yet a long time before the present boundary lines were established. A large part of southern Sweden, which is now the richest and most populous portion of the country, belonged to Denmark, and some of its western land belonged to Norway. It is, there- SCANDINAVIANS— CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 13 fore, incorrect to speak about a Danish conquest or a Nor wegian colonization, for things were rather mixed up in those days. Yet it is certain that the Swedes participated less in the destruction, and later in the upbuilding of the western European countries than the Danes and Norwegians. The Danes confined themselves principally to England and France. The Norwegians attended to Scotland, Ireland, and other northern islands. The Swedes, being closed out from the North Sea, went east, where they founded the Russian Empire in the middle of the ninth century, and served in large numbers in the imperial army at Constantinople. The descendants of the Swedish founders of Russia ruled that country until the sixteenth century. In certain parts of Switzerland the people claim, at least they did half a century ago, that they are descendants of the Swedes. What were the causes which produced the Viking age ? The answer is : First — Although there is every reason to believe that the Scandinavian countries were a great deal less populous than at present; yet, being poorly tilled, and one man often having children by several women, there were more people than could be supported. Some had to seek their fortune in foreign countries. Frequently a father was com pelled to drive all his sons away from home to make their own living, save one who inherited his estate. Second — The religion, the desire for adventure, and the spirit of the times, induced many to leave their native coun tries to court dangers and turn the wheel of fortune in for eign lands. It was believed that only those who died a vio lent death were entitled in the next life to associate with the 14 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. gods in Valhalla. It was considered a high honor to have fought successfully in foreign countries. Young princes received their first education on board of a war vessel. In a short time the Viking business became a fashion. Third— The love for freedom and the passion for inde pendence, or the strong individuality, induced many to leave the North rather than submit to a superior, which they were especially called upon to do during the latter part of the period when the stronger kings at home subdued the weaker. But at the bottom it was essentially a question of economy. Men's religion often coincides with their business interests, and that was sometimes the case with the Vikings, for several of them believed a great deal more in their own strength than in the powers of the gods. We must not look at the Vikings through the glasses of the twentieth century, or judge them according to the stand ard of modern civilization, but examine them in accordance with the spirit of the times, and measure them by the in fluence their deeds have had upon general history. They honestly believed that "War was the natural condition of man," and that a legitimate reason for declaring hostility was, that those who were attacked had valuable property. After all, this robbery did not differ much from the English opium war, the plundering of Denmark and France of their provinces by the Germans, and the treatment of the Indians, Mexicans, and Spaniards by the United States. The Northmen were in a kind of continual state of hostility. The modern wars are so terribly destructive to life and property that their continuation for a longer period would annihilate the whole human race. It is true that modern warfare is con- SCANDINAVIANS — CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 15 ducted on a more systematic plan, but the struggles of the Vikings were not altogether irregular. For if anyone be sides the great noblemen and kings indulged in the plunder ing business on a small scale, they were at once driven off the sea as a set of lawless robbers, whom the Vikings them selves considered it to be a moral duty to exterminate. Therefore, according to the spirit of the times, the operation of the Vikings was a perfectly legitimate, honorable, perpet ual state of war, limited to certain persons, who made it their profession for the sake of pleasure and profit. It must also be remembered that the description of these fierce outrages has always been recorded by their enemies. Very often crimes were charged to the Vikings which in reality were committed by, what may be termed, their camp- followers, or the worst element of the respective countries in which the Northmen might happen to be. In regard to the ultimate results, and the benefits to the human race which was the consequence of these bloody times, reference has already been made to the state of affairs at and after the fall of Rome. The same was the case shortly after in the western European countries. For as Prof. Worsaae says, who, perhaps, is the best authority on the his tory of the Vikings : ' In the first ages Christianity pro duced among the people, as was the case in other countries besides England, a sort of degeneracy and weakness. In stead of the dire battle of the heathens there were now heard songs and prayers, which, joined with the constantly increas ing refinement, made the people dull and effeminate, so that they willingly bent under the yoke of their masters, both spiritual and temporal. In the ninth, tenth, and eleventh 16 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. centuries the Anglo-Saxons had greatly degenerated from their forefathers. Relatives sold one another into thraldom; lewdness and ungodliness had become habitual; and cow ardice had increased to such a degree that, according to the old chroniclers, one Dane would often put ten Anglo-Saxons to flight. Before such a people could be conducted to true freedom and greatness it was necessary that an entirely new vigor should be infused into the decayed stock. This vigor was derived from the Scandinavian North, where neither Romans nor any other conquerors had domineered over the people, but where heathenism with all its roughness, and all its love of freedom and bravery, still held absolute sway.' This admirable description of the condition in England applies, perhaps, with greater truth and force to other western European peoples; for they are in no small de gree indebted to the old Northmen for whatever freedom, honesty, virtue, and heroism they now possess. The founda tion of the present European states was laid by our ances tors. Out of the confusion, disorder, and anarchy arose a new civilization. From the union of the degenerated western European peoples and the courageous Scandinavians sprung a new, a better, a nobler, a manlier race. During the Viking periods great changes had taken place at home in the Scandinavian countries. The smaller king doms were conquered and united with the larger, thus laying the foundation of the modern Northern states. The many wars degraded the Northmen's honesty and simplicity; for eign corruption, deceit, and luxury were introduced. The old religion had lost its force. Many Vikings asserted that they believed in nothing, save their own strength. The more SCANDINAVIANS — CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 17 prudent men did not believe in the old gods. Harold the Fairhaired, of Norway, acknowledged only one suoreme being in heaven, the creator of the universe and of manidnd. The attention of the Roman church had been directed towards the North by the atrocities of the Vikings, and she sent missionaries thither. The men who had been a terror to Christendom, and the savage olunderers of Europe, be came sons of Mother Rome. It is true that they never were very obedient children, and they took the first opportunity offered to be their own masters, yet something had been accomplished. The Viking age ceased, partly because many of the boldest, the bravest, the most independent, and the most turbulent had settled in foreign lands; leaving the weak, the cowards, and the contented at home, who either did not care or did not dare to attack foreign countries, which were now to a great extent defended by their former compatriots; partly because the people in the Scandinavian countries had, at least in name, become Christianized and bowed to the dic tates of a pope, who now opened a new field for their bar barity, and gave them a new employment for their swords — namely, the crusades; partly because at home the internal disputes, conflicts of principles, and the struggles connected with the formation of new states, kept the Northmen busy with their own affairs. From the eleventh to the sixteenth century Catholicism swayed the religious faith of the North. There was, consid ering the times, a great deal of advance and contact with the more highly civilized nations of the South; yet rude, savage manners were in general practice, and Odin, in many places, was still worshiped. During the greater part of the four- 18 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. teenth and fifteenth centuries Denmark, Norway, and Sweden were united under one government. But their history is merely a record of internal strife, war, and bloodshed. Den mark, which by means of its superior civilization was the acknowledged leader, became the seat of the govern ment, but the unwise and cruel Danish kings created, by their bloody acts, a hatred between the Scandinavian people, which even the time between then and now has been unable to eradicate. Guided by popular leaders the Swedish peasants rebelled successfully twice, and Sweden separated forever from Denmark in 1521, while Norway for about four hundred years remained virtually a province of Denmark. Ever since the first part of the sixteenth century Luther- ism has been the national religion of the Scandinavian coun tries, and a hundred years later the famous Gustavus Adol phus became the prime defender of Protestantism, intellect ual freedom, and German liberty. The rebellions of the com mon people of Sweden in the fifteenth and sixteenth centur ies, during the Kaltnar Union, gained for them a great influ ence and a confidence in their own strength which they have never since ceased to exercise upon the national affairs. In Denmark, on the contrary, the peasants became almost slaves of the great landowners. But since 1849 the Danes have virtually enjoyed full universal male suffrage, which none of the other two Northern countries possess. * Yet the king of Denmark has a greater veto-power than the king of Sweden-Norway; consequently the people of the former country have, in reality, less political rights than those of the two latter. In Norway nature has divided the country into great valleys; each valley managed its own local affairs; *In Norway the suffrage was greatly extended in 1893. SCANDINAVIANS — CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 19 the common people knew and cared nothing about the Danish rulers or the doings of the world, and retained their personal independence. In Denmark and Sweden feudalism, aristocracy, and patriotism became more general than in Norway. It is only in this century that the Norwegians have in any sense indicated a desire for nationalization; since 1814, however,— when a very liberal constitution was adopt ed, and Norway was separated from Denmark and joined with Sweden — they have, perhaps, had a stronger national spirit, and certainly possessed more political freedom than either of the other two Northern people. The most prominent of the characteristics of the Viking was his strong individuality. His love for freedom , his desire for personal independence, amounted to apassion. He would endure the rigid climate of the north, the burning sun of the south. He would sleep beneath no other roof than the arch of heaven, use bark for bread, drink rain-water as a bever age, make the forest his habitation, and have the wild beasts for his companions. But he would never give up one inch of his rights as a free man. The people of the classical countries were free men, because they belonged to a powerful and free state; they boasted of their citizenship. The Northman was a free man because he was a man, he boasted of himself and the deeds he performed. The same passion for freedom has run through the whole Scandinavian race from the earliest time to the present day. A great portion of the Vikings left their native lands because they refused to submit to a superior chief. No king or ruler has been able, for any length of time, to be the absolute master of the Scandinavian peo ple. No foreign nation has been powerful enough to subjugate 20 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. them. Sweden and Denmark have dethroned their obstinate monarchs, Norway dared to draw the sword against Europe and demand national independence. The Scandinavians were the last people who submitted to the Catholic yoke; they were the first to cast it off. Today the Swedish-Nor wegian and Danish kings have as little authority and power as any rulers in Christendom. To be free and independent has always been the greatest ambition of every true North man. The second characteristic feature of our savage ances tors is courage. Bravery, however, sometimes turned into a fierceness that could hardly be distinguished from in sanity. War was their profession. They hunted men as well as wild beasts, but prefered men who possessed some kind of valuable property. "For they deemed it a disgrace to acquire by sweat what they might obtain by blood." And whether we wander with the Goths when they plunder and destroy Rome, or sail with the Danes and Norwegians when they dethrone English kings and humble proud French monarchs, or live in the camps of the Swedes when Gustavus Adolphus and Charles the Twelfth dictate terms to popes and emperors, or accompany the Northern immigrants when they clear the dense forests of Wisconsin and subdue the wild prairies of Dakota, we find that they all excelled in en durance, heroism, and courage. In fact the Scandinavian warriors have been so noted for their fearlessness that they have conquered by the very terror of their names. Honor on earth and salvation in heaven, joy in this life and happi ness in the next, could only, according to their religion, be gained by physical, brutal prowess. Their doctrine was SCANDINAVIANS — CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 21 that only the brave warriors who died a violent death were in the next life entitled to associate with the gods, fight in the celestial abode, enjoy the companionship of youngmaids, drink wine, and eat pork. Stubbornness, £rmness, and determination are qualities which the follower of Odin has been largely blessed with . To him no defeat was final. Failure meant only delay. He over came all opposition, conquered every obstacle, defied every dif ficulty. Mountains, oceans, deserts, rivers, must not hinder his purpose. Charles the Twelfth during his childhood examined two plans. Under one plan, which showed how the Turks had taken a town in Hungary from the emperor, were written these words : "The Lord hath given it to me, and the Lord hath taken it from me; blessed be the name of the Lord." After the young prince had read this, he wrote under the other plan, which showed how the Swedes had taken Riga about a century before: "The Lord hath given it to me, and the devil shall not take it from me." Charles the Twelfth was a good representative of Scandinavian stubbornness. Besides being independent, stubborn, and courageous the old Viking was, on the whole, honest and truthful, but terribly revengeful. Mercy seldom entered his harsh breast. He never forgave an offense. "He had a sense of honor which led him to sacrifice his life rather than his word." Apromise once given, either to a friend or an enemy, had to be carried out unconditionally. Yet deception and cunning might be practiced in war, but the highest honor was bestowed upon those who were open and frank towards their enemies, kind and merciful towards the weak and those who sought pro tection. Deception and cunning they never tolerated 22 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. among each other. One of the noblest characteristics of the Northman was the brotherly union which he entered into with a friend or antagonist whom he could not conquer or subdue. This union, which was the most sacred that could be entered into, was effected by opening each other's veins, mixing their blood, and taking an oath that they would share each other's joy and sorrow in this life, and revenge each other's death. Hospitality was an essential part of the North men's religion. There was a kind of unwritten social law which compelled every person to entertain, to the best of his ability, the time not being limited, and free of charge, anyone, either his best friend or his worst enemy, who should ask or be in need thereof. And no guest needed to fear to be molested or imposed upon. This custom of hospitality is yet to a great extent practiced in the rural districts of the Scandinavian countries. The Northmen had a higher respect for women than most heathen nations. It is true that they bought their wives of their fathers-in-law. The Romans sometimes stole their wives. But after the bargain had been once made the women were generally treated with respect and dignity, and their place in the house was that of free beings, not slaves. The men were attached to home and family, and, of course, enjoyed the wine and the feast. It is true that civilization has changed their manners, cus toms, mode of thinking, ideas of right and wrong, and to some extent even their appearance. Yet at bottom the Scan dinavians of today are the same as their ancestors were a thousand years ago. "Civilization," says Carlyle, "is only SCANDINAVIANS — CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 23 a wrappage through which the savage nature bursts infernal as ever." The diverse influences of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden have developed different characteristics of the people in the respective countries. But the people of the northern part of Sweden differ more from the inhabitants of southern Sweden than the latter do from those who live on the Danish islands — the last two having a very fair complexion, being the purest descendants of the Goths; the former are often as dark as Frenchmen, which is also the case with many Nor wegians, and those residing in Danish Jutland. The Danish islanders and the southern Swedes in par ticular, and all the Danes in general, are open and frank, easy to become acquainted with, polite to strangers, not specially witty, but refined and polished in their intercourse with other people. They are industrious, frugal, peaceable, and possess a great amount of push, energy, and business shrewd ness. They are not so much of agitators and extremists as the Norwegians, nor as aristocratic and conservative as the northern Swedes, but a combination of both. In business they are democratic, in social affairs they prefer the class dis tinction. Both in politics and commerce they are conserva tive. Risky speculations, and radical reforms are repugnant to their very nature. They will answer you by yea and nay, but prefer the ifs and buts. Their motto is; "In the sight of our Lord all men are 'Smalanningar.' " This part of the North is by far the most populous and wealthy; the peo ple are more business-like and cosmopolitan in their ideas than any other Scandinavians. In their social intercourse they pay less attention to the form than the substance; thev 24 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. are less earnest, but more courteous than the Norwegians. They have been called the Germans of the North. A northern Swede, and especially a Stockholmer, is re served, hard to get acquainted with, conservative, but above all, an aristocrat. He is proud of his country, its history, and himself. Business is not in his line. He is the poet, wit, historian, statesman, philosopher, and patriot. He must dress well, comply rigorously with the latest rules of eti quette, and drink the most expensive wine. He has a large assortment of bows, bobs, courtesies, and hat-liftings, vary ing according to the age, sex, condition, and class distinc tion. Theclass distinction is greater and more varied in Swe den than in any of the other Scandinavian countries. The northern Swedes have been called the Frenchmen of the North. The Norwegians are less ceremonious than the Danes or Swedes, as no class distinction exists among them; they treat strangers with a certain kind of cold courtesy , and do not ap pear to be anxious to make anybody's acquaintance. They are independent, somewhat haughty, radical, progressive, ex treme, and above all, Norwegians. Religious, political, and social changes must not be hindered, but promoted. They are more earnest and turbulent than any of the other Scandinavian people, but lack that smoothness and courtesy which the Danes especially master with great perfection. They are bold sailors and daring adventurers, resembling more than anyone else the old Vikings. The Norwegians have been called the Englishmen of the North. These different characteristics of the Northmen are of course, as has always been the case, largely due to "The climate, the soil, and the general character of the countries." SCANDINAVIANS — CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 25 The southern part of Sweden, and Denmark are largely pro ductive prairies, where the climate is rather even the whole year round; no great changes occur in the seasons to compel the people to make any extraordinary exertions. The coun try is rich, productive, and thickly settled; consequently, social and financial intercourse is so frequent that the people out of necessity become courteous, refined, enterpris ing, and broad-mined. This part of the North was first civi lized and Christianized. Later, the introduction of feudal ism and the enslavement of the peasants could easily be ac complished here, where, unlike Norway and northern Sweden, no great mountain walls and deep fjords defended the weak against the encroachment of the strong. But the same European influence which in the middle ages compelled these people to submit to the spirit of the times, has at pres ent made them the broadest and most cosmopolitan of all the Northmen. In the northern part of Sweden nature is stern, the win ters are severe, existence must be obtained by hard toil, and activity becomes a necessity. It was the brave people from Dalarne who in olden times often insisted upon their rights of free men, and twice enforced their demands by the sword. It is due to the population of northern Sweden that she has one of the most brilliant histories in Christendom, and that the peasants have never, as was the case in Denmark, been chained to the soil, but have always exercised a great in fluence upon the political affairs . But the grand careers of Gus tavus Adolphus and the Charleses have had a tendency to make the Swedish people proud, which is but natural, for few countries, and certainly neither Denmark nor Norway has 26 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. such a renowned history. The nearness of Russia, French influence, and a brilliant history have been the chief agencies in making the Swedes a conservative, a polite, and an aris tocratic nation. "Sweden," a Dane says, "is the one of the three kingdoms which, according to its whole history and present position, is called upon to take the leadership in all for eign Scandinavian politics. The nation has still a vivid memory of its participation in the great European strifes in the days of the Gustaves and the Charleses, and takes continually the greatest interest in all great political questions. That country has, furthermore, what the other two kingdoms have not, a class especially adopted to be the bearers of such a policy. It cannot be denied that the great foreign questions are the most difficult to grapple with for the democracies. Sweden, more than Norway and Denmark, has something of an able national aristocracy. Norway has no noblemen at all, and the few in Denmark are too fresh from absolute gov ernment, and it seems also — although some of them are very wealthy — that they are hardly to the same extent as in Sweden, interested in the economic life of the country. While in Denmark we only find few names like those of Moltke, Bille, and Frijs, prominent in its foreign politics; in Sweden we still find a number of names from the great European wars— skjolds, svards, hjelms, stjernas, kronas (or all the names ending in words as shield, sword, (helmet, star, crown, etc.)— as leaders in agriculture, mining, banking, or other important interests of the country. Nor can it be denied that such a class, as a rule, has a better understand ing of the great questions than a pure democracy of peas ants or of workingmen in the cities." SCANDINAVIANS— CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 27 In Norway "The ocean roars along its rock-bound coast, and during the long, dark winter the storms howl and rage, and hurl the waves in white showers of spray against the sky. The Aurora Borealis flashes like a huge shining fan over the northern heavens, and the stars glitter with keen frosty splendor." The many deep cut valleys, protected by mountains and fjords, are by nature independent princi palities. Even when the country was a province of Denmark each valley governed its own local affairs. The Norwegians are, like the elements that surround them, daring, indepen dent, radical, and turbulent. An educated Danish-American speaks about the Scandi navians at home in the following manner: "If we look for the differences in character between the Scandinavians and the Anglo-Saxons, we find that our countrymen, with all their solid qualities, are lacking in that energy which prob ably, more than anything else, characterizes the English and American nations. The average Scandinavian has at bot tom a good deal of the same nature as the Anglo-Saxon. He is rather cold and taciturn. Southern people even find a certain kind of brutality in his nature, but they admire his strength of character. Outward, as well as inward, the Scandinavian and the Anglo-Saxon are probably more alike than men of other nationalities. It is only when it comes to activity that the Scandinavians fall back compared with the pushing and enterprising Anglo-Saxons. This difference has not always existed. Energy, individuality, and love of free dom were just as characteristic of the old inhabitants of the Scandinavian north as they are at present of the English speaking race, especially in the greatest period of their his- 28 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. tory, that of the Vikings, when the Normans, Danes, and Swedes conquered half of Europe, and the Danish blood on French soil, the Normans of Normandy, instituted the great est development of the mediaeval epoch. "But the old Scandinavians did not keep up this great evolution of force at home, whether this was due to the mol lifying influence of Christianity, or to the destruction of the small independent communities by the larger kingdoms, or to both together which ended the old life of continuous fight ing. The northern empire of Canute the Great, as well as the later of the Valdemars, were even more short lived forma tions than the Frankish empire; and at no later period of their history have the Scandinavians been able to make any great extension of their power. They have developed a re spectable civilization, but no great enterprise, and they are not counted among the leading nations of the world. Only the poet can now sing, 'Again shall the glorious race of the North lead to victory the freedom of nations.' In actual life they are at present a more modest people. "There is certainly in this respect a great difference be tween the three Scandinavian nations. The Swedes have formerly been more apt to go to extremes. Although they are not lacking in any of the more solid qualities of the Danes and Norwegians, they have in their composition more of the French elan than their brethren; and they have at least a certain kind of pushing energy. We shall not attempt to de cide whether this is due to the difference in climate— there being in Sweden more of the stirring, continental difference between the seasons, more frequent changes from heat to cold than in Denmark or Norway; or to the accidental his- SCANDINAVIANS — CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 29 toric development which connected Sweden, more than Den, mark-Norway, with general European politics; or, finally, to the old difference in race between the remarkably gifted people of the Svear north of the great Swedish lakes, and the Goths and other Scandinavian tribes farther south. The Danes are certainly a people of extreme moderation. They are unbearably conservative in business, where they work respectably, but seldom exert themselves very much. In their religion they rarely show much zeal, although, as a rule, on the other hand, they are far from being professed free-thinkers. In art, their national school copies with truth fulness the characteristics of the country and of the people, but lacks all brilliancy in colors and in ideas. Molesworth, an English ambassador of two hundred years ago, in des cribing the country and the people, speaks of their extraor dinary moderation in virtues as in vices; and thus it certainly cannot be their absolute government which has produced all this respectable mediocrity in the nation. The temperate climate makes one day like another, and their isolated loca tion allows the people to live their own life free from the great European movements. The Norwegians have more earnestness, as their soil and climate are harder and more severe than the fertile Danish country and the moderate Danish climate. But their location has kept them still more apart from general European matters, and their greatness as a seafaring nation can hardly keep up with the changes of the times. It was in the former Danish-Norwegian state largely due to the Norwegians that the sea was called the 'Path of Danes to praise and might.' Lately came the epoch of steam, which made even navigation a question of 30 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. machinery and money rather than of personal prowess and ability. Already when navigation and commerce went over distant parts of the world and through greater seas, the very location of England and Holland gave them an advantage over the natives of the North. Nature contributed its part, and together with free government made the Anglo-Saxons the real successors of the Scandinavian Vikings in enterprise and energy. Today this natural advantage in the location of Great Britain is again neutralized by the marvelous develop ment of the railway systems of the world; and not only the political preponderance, but also the new changes of com munication by land, that is making Germany — and especially the Prussians, these able German colonists on Slav territory — the successful competitor of England. This, too, is one of the main causes of the greatness of the United States; and it is especially — as everybody knows — the railways which at this moment make the great American West the main field of development of the whole Teutonic race. This is now, more than any other part of the world, what in olden times the northern and western seas were in Europe. Here there is room for the individuality and energy of our race ; for the free development of co-operation of all human forces. "This feature of moderation, so prominent in the charac ters of the present Scandinavians, also shows itself in their internal policy. Honest administration and justice are characteristics of their national life." In a letter to Prof. Hjarne, of Upsala, Sweden— pub- in The North in 1893— Bjonstjerne Bjornson characterizes the Norwegians in this manner: "The Norwegians are, in my opinion, not that people in the North which is SCANDINAVIANS— CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 31 least gifted or has the weakest character. But its fate has brought it to such a pass that it has not had enough cohesive power, not enough sense of national honor; therefore its aims are not far reaching. It is not so grand as the Swedish people (not so flippant either, per haps). It is not so industrious and faithful as the Danish people (not so zealous either, perhaps). It takes hold and lets go, it lets go and takes hold of persons and aims. It will exert itself to the utmost; but it demands speedy and signal success.; its ambition is not so great as its vanity. Hot-headed, impetuous in small things, it is patient in great ones, so that with all its faults it has talents for a noble deed, provided the conditions are present. But the condi tion of conditions is the right of self-determination in order that it may concentrate its bias for adventure and its talents in forming new things and, if possible, in making these an example for others. The Norwegian people must needs take the lead in certain things. If its craving for honor and its character can be marshaled in a spontaneous exertion for the accomplishment of a certain purpose, you may see that it is capable of something, and the North shall be benefited by us." It is, however, not fair to blame the Scandinavians at home for their lack of energy and enterprise. Nature is against them. The countries, on the whole, are barren and unproductive, the opportunities for safe investments are scarce, and a speculator after having once failed will find it extremely difficult to re-establish himself in business. Con sequently the people become conservative in business, as well as in politics and in religion. Diligence and frugality has to 32 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. be adopted, not as a matter of choice, perhaps, but as a matter of necessity. In the United States the country is new, undeveloped, and rich; a failure, or even several, can be amended, which induces us to become bold speculators, and daring advocates of new social, religious, and political theories; changes and excitement become a passion; every thing is conducive to activity; the air we breathe is commer cial. In the North all this is reversed. Yet it would be wrong to accuse the people of sluggishness. For whoever has seen Stockholm, hewed out of the rocks, or Kristiania — both located nearly a thousand miles farther north than the northern boundary line of the United States, and having about the same latitude as the central part of Alaska and the extreme southern portion of Greenland — must admit that they possess all the energy and enterprise which nature permits them to exercise. Taking into consideration the harshness of the climate and the barrenness of the soil in the greater part of the Scandinavian countries, no one can deny that the people have shown more push and perseverence in supporting themselves by cultivating these districts than any of the other nations — all of which, as a general thing, have been more favored by nature. It is not difficult to live in splendor when one has plenty, but it takes skill and prudence to manage to make a comfortable livelihood out of a small income. The Scandinavians at home have not only sup plied their physical wants, but are among the most civi lized nations on earth. Their lower schools— the bulwark of a nation— are excellent, and certainly better than the much- boasted-of American common schools. Denmark, Norway, and Sweden are among the five European states, which vir- SCANDINAVIANS — CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY. 33 tually have no illiterate classes of people. In Russia only 21 persons out of a hundred can read and write, in Italy 58, in Hungary 61, in Austria 75, in Ireland 76, in the United States 78, in Great Britain 91, in Holland 92, in Germany 99, and in the Scandinavian countries 99%. It is true that the people of the North are somewhat in clined towards drunkenness, and crimes and vices are, of course, as is the case in every country, committed. Yet in the Northern countries, where large cities can hardly be said to exist, where the poorer classes of the community are scattered through the farming districts and not congregated in dirty quarters of great cities, morality naturally stands high. And whoever has, by actual observation, compared the facial expressions of the lower strata of humanity in the country districts of the North with those of the same grade in the large European and American cities, must certainly come to the conclusion that the former are morally so far superior to the latter that no comparison can properly be made between them. History of the Scandinavian Immigration. O. N. NELSON. The Icelanders discovered America, as is well known, about the year 1000, and the Scandinavians have, in all probability, emigrated to the United States ever since the country began to be colonized. For example, Hans Hansen Bergen, of Ber gen, Norway, came with the Dutch emigrants to New York as early as 1633, and became the ancestor of a large Ameri can family by that name. In the Dutch colonial and church records he was variously called Hans Hansen von Bergen, Hans Hansen de Noorman, etc. He married a Dutch lady, was quite a noted character in those early days, and his name has, perhaps, been mixed up with the supposed Danish- Norwegian colony at Bergen, N. J., which should, according to some questionable authorities, have been founded there in 1624. Although there is every reason, and some historical evidence for assuming that there were Danes and Norwegians in America at that time, they were not numerous enough to establish a distinct settlement. The well-known Swedish colony was founded at Delaware River in 1638 , and a Swedish clergyman preached in his native (35) 36 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. tongue in Philadelphia as late as 1823. United States min ister to Sweden -Norway, W. W. Thomas, writes : "New Sweden as a distinct political organization under the Swedish flag, existed but for seventeen years. Yet, brief as was its life, this little colony occupies a memorable place in American histor3', and has left a lasting impress upon this continent. Most of the Swedish colonists continued to live on the banks of the Delaware, and their descendants have ever been, and are today, among the most influential and honored citizens of the three states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. The man who, as a member of the Continental Congress, gave the casting vote of Pennsylvania in favor of the Declaration of Independence, was a Swede of the old Delaware stock — John Morton. And when the civil war burst upon the land, it was a descendant of New Sweden, the gallant Robert Anderson, who, with but a handful of men, calmly and bravely met the first shock of the rebellion at Fort Sumter. Surely, love of freedom, and patriotism, and state-craft, and valor came over to America, not only in the Mayflower, but also in that Swedish ship, the Kalmar Nycl^e!.'' The brave Captain Bering, a Dane, entered the service of Peter the Great, and discovered the strait which bears his name, in the first part of the eighteenth century. It was on his discovery that Russia based its claim to Alaska, which afterwards was bought by the United States. The early Swedish immigrants in this century found countrymen of theirs in Charleston, S. C, who had come to this country during the previous century. In the first year, 1820, when the United States com- HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 37 menced to record the number of immigrants who arrived, 20 are registered from Denmark and only three from Sweden- Norway. It is a remarkable fact that the total sum of the Danish emigrants from 1820 to 1840 equals in number the total sum of both the Norwegians and Swedes during the same time; yet the Danish immigration has never been very heavy, reaching its maximum of nearly 12,000 in 1882, when, on the other hand, 30,000 Norwegians and 65,000 Swedes arrived. Since, the immigration of all the Scandinavi an countries has declined. The Norwegians never exceeded a thousand a year until 1843, the Swedes not until 1852, and the Danes not until 1857. It seems that the early Danish immigrants in this coun try and the Swedish colonists at Delaware River should have been the means of spreading reliable information in re gard to America in their respective countries, and thus be come factors in making the emigration from Denmark and Sweden much earlier than from Norway. But it is just the reverse. The Danes, however, have been too busy in re-con structing their affairs at home, and on that account have, probably, been prevented from participating in the move ment towards the West. The common people in Sweden knew nothing about the colony at Delaware River, the rela tion between these settlers and their father-land had virtu ally ceased before the present century commenced. Such ad venturers as Kleng Person came in direct contact with the laboring classes of Norway, and thus hastened the American fever in that country. The Kleng Persons of Denmark and Sweden appeared on the scene much later. Nor must wefor- get that before the middle of this century a citizen of Sweden 38 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE XJ. S. was required to have a special permit from the king and pay three hundred kronor* before he could leave the country, while the constitution of Norway granted that freedom to every man. It must also be remembered that the conservatism of the Danes and Swedes has somewhat hindered their westward march, while the passion for radical changes among the Norwegians has been the means of pro moting their emigration. The emigrants of today have a great deal of trouble with their baggage, steamship agents, hotel runners, and impos- ers of all kinds. Yet their annoyance and inconveniences are small in comparison with the misery which the early pio neers passed through. Before the middle of this century no regular steamers plowed between the North and this coun try, no Western railroads existed. The Scandinavian emi grants rode after a horse team to a seaport at home, where they often had to wait for weeks before a chance could be se cured to embark for England, France, or Germany, where they again had to rest in patience for a while until a sailing- vessel brought them across the stormy Atlantic. Some times several emigrants clubbed together and hired or bought a small, old ship; others again took passage on a merchant- vessel. Generally the journey lasted from two to six months. Provisions often failed, sickness and suffering always occurred, and more than once starvation and hun ger stared them in the face. From New York they generally proceeded to the Northwest by slow boats up the Erie Canal and continued the tedious journey on the Great Lakes. "In early times migrations consisted of movements of whole tribes in a career of conquests, and differed radically *In "Sjelfbiografi", p. 10, by Rev. S. B. Newman, it is asserted that emigrants had to give bonds for the amount mentioned. HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 39 from emigration, which is a movement of individuals." The wandering of the Goths and other barbarians at the time of the fall of Rome, and to a certain extent the conquests of the Vikings, were migrations. The early colonies of America, for example, the Swedish settlement at the Delaware River in the first part of the seventeenth century, were not private affairs, but national, under the direction of the respective governments; they also differed from emigration. Thegreat stream of human beings who have sought and seek homes on the American continent and in Australia in the nineteenth century are emigrants. But if migration, colonization, and emigration have differed in their nature, the causes which have lead the Scandinavians, and to a great extent other people, to participate in these movements have always been the same. What have been the chief motives and main causes which have induced the one-and-a-half million Scandinavians to exchange their northern homes and settle on the wild prairies and in the thick forests of the Western continent in the nineteenth century? First: The Northern countries, on the whole, are barren and unproductive. The wealth, and especially the best part of the land, has been, to a great extent, concentrated in a few hands. And although the Scandinavian countries in many places are not thickly populated, yet the land being poor, unequally divided, and not always culti vated to its fullest capacity, a large portion of the intelligent, industrious, and prudent classes have been compelled to drag out their lives in poverty. The idea of dependence was repug nant to their very nature. But revolution against the powers that be and the property of other people was al- 40 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. most equally objectionable, for civilization has made the fierce and turbulent Northmen law-abiding people. Yet revolutionary movements, on a small scale, of the laboring classes were attempted during the first part of this century, both in Denmark and Sweden. In Denmark these move ments of the people resulted in important changes. Prop erty was revolutionized. The greater part of the land be fore 1849 belonged to the large estates; the laboring people and tenants, being bound to the soil, were virtually slaves of the great land owners; but since most of the land has passed into the hands of small and middle-sized farms; and the people now exercise a great influence upon all affairs per taining to the government. This reconstruction of Den mark has, no doubt, hindered the Danish emigration, which before 1880 did not reach 5,000 in number a year, and has never exceeded 12,000 annually. In southern Sweden, how ever, an attempted revolution failed totally; some of the leaders got drunk when action was necessary. But on the whole little has been attempted or accomplished by revolu tionary movements to better the economical conditions of the Scandinavians at home. Nor can it be denied that feud alism, a strong central government, a mistaken idea of pat riotism, the great distinction between the classes, the religi ous belief that the superiors must be obeyed in all things, and the continuous preaching of contentment by the clergy to the masses, had induced the descendants of the independ ent Vikings to submit slavishly to the condition of things. But the spirit of freedom was not dead, it only slept. Kin dle the spark and the old Viking blood will again boil with fire of passion and seek for adventure, conquests, and liber- HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 41 ty. And when the report reached the North that beyond the Atlantic Ocean, freedom of conscience, liberty of thought, and, above all, independence in life, could be attained by honest toil, struggle, and self-sacrifice, they were at once ready to embrace the opportunity. But as a people they move slowly, they are more conservative than radical; con sequently their emigration began late, which, however, was largely due to the fact that no reliable information in regard to the Western World could reach the poorer and middle classes, scattered, as they are, over a large tract of terri tory thinly populated. Secondly— A. few Scandinavian sailors and adventurers had settled in the United States in the early part of this century. Some of them were educated men. In letters to relatives, contributions to newspapers, and, above all, by personal visits to their old homes, they pictured in fine colors the economic, social, religious, and political advantages to be gained in the New World. They created a sensation among the laboring and middle class, which has resulted in changes at home that maybe said to be revolutionary in theirnature. When Scandinavian-Americans visited the North, the people would travel on foot, during the cold winters, long dis tances to hear their wonderful tales — some are said to have been a professional expert in the art of tale-telling. Ole Rynning's book, A True Account of America, which was published in Kristiania in 1839, was read by everybody. Gustaf Unonius, who with his wife and a few others arrived in America in 1841, and may be said to have given the first impulse to the Swedish emigration, was looked upon in America as a curiosity, and his letters to the press in Sweden 42 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. created a great excitement. Col. Hans Mattson, who came to this country in 1851, says: "At this time the Swedes were so little known, and Jennie Lind, on the other hand, so renowned in America, that the Swedes were frequently called Jennie Lind men." When he visited his native country in 1868, the people flocked to see him, the servant girls drew lots who should wait upon him, and the one who succeeded in having the honor, expressed her disappointment that "He looked just like any other man." In the early times the opinions in the North regarding America differed. Class opposed class. The clergy, the school, the press, and the upper classes leagued together in opposing the whole emi gration movement. The clergy maintained that to emigrate to a foreign country was a sin against the fourth command ment : "Honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God commandeth thee ; that thy days may be long, and that it may go well with thee upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. ' ' But these pious men omitted to mention that their God had brought his chosen people out of the bondage of Egypt. In the public schools, children were taught that to emigrate was a crime against patriotism . The press ridiculed the whole movement and published the contributions from Scandinavian-Americans only as a matter of curiosity, and as a specimen of American mendacity. Scandinavian travelers, tourists, and those who had ruined their financial and social conditions in the old country, often went to the United States and described in the newspapers at home the sufferings and horrors which awaited the emigrants, and the barbarity of the American nation. Frequently these accusa tions were true. In the early part of this century the emi- HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 43 grants were swindled, defrauded, ill-treated, robbed, mur dered, and even sold as slaves into the Southern states. According to the Constitution of Norway, which is one of the most liberal in Europe, those who were convicted of a penitentiary offense, and those who had emigrated to a foreign land, were put on an equal footing. To emigrate in those days was considered a crime by all the Northern powers. Henrik Wergeland wrote : " Did ind hvor Fyrren suser ind Tor ingen Nidding vandre, Som har forglemt i trolost Sind Sit Faedreland for andre." Thirdly— Religious persecution and military service have not compelled many Northmen to leave their native lands. For, excepting Eric Janson's party from Sweden, few have emigrated on account of direct religious oppression. On the whole, and especially in later years when the Northern emi gration has been heaviest, the religious laws of the Scandi navian countries have been very liberal. But it cannot be denied that indirectly the religious narrowness, the un favorable and unjust religious laws, have had a great in fluence in promoting the movement, especially in starting it; yet sometimes the emigrants have mistaken law and order for oppression, and left their native lands on accourit of their wrong notion of liberty. Quite frequently the very opposi tion of the clergy and the educated classes lead the working people and farmers to cast the dice in favor of the Western World. Fourthly — After the pioneer immigrants had succeeded, by 44 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. sending letters, newspapers, and special information for em igrants published by steamship and railway companies, to their relations and friends in the North, but, above all, by per sonal visits to their old homes, in giving a true, but sometimes an exaggerated, account of the condition of things in the United States, then the emigration assumed enormous proportions. It became a fashion . Smith, in his book Emigration and Immigration, says : " Emigration is sometimes spoken of as if it were simply the operation of an individual coolly and rationally measuring the advantages to be gained, and thus advancing his own ecconomic condition and that of the country to which he comes. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Emigra tion proceeds now under the numerous influences, the efforts of steamship companies, the urging of friends and relations, the assistance of poor law authorities and charitable socie ties, and the subtle but powerful influence of popular delusion in regard to the New World." Another authority, speaking especially in regard to the ScandinaNian emigration, which Smith does not, although his assertions apply to it as well as to others, writes : "With a few minor exceptions the whole movement has been unorganized, though agents of steam ship and railway companies, and even some of the states, have systematically worked up immigration sentiment in the Northlands." There are certainly very few Scandinavian paupers and criminals, who have, as has been the practice in other European countries, and especially in England, been sent to foreign countries by the government, local communities, or charitable associations. Yet, in by-gone days, philanthro. HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 45 pic societies in Sweden have paid the passage to America of K liberated criminals. To sum up the causes which have induced one-and-a- half million Northmen to emigrate to the United States in the nineteenth century, the main reason has at bottom been the same as that which produced the Viking age, namely, ma terial betterment. Yet, as was the case with the Northmen, the love for freedom and adventure, especially as the unjust rehgious, social, and political conditions have been rather oppressive to the middle and laboring classes, has, during the whole history of the Scandinavian emigration, been a pow erful factor in promoting the movement. It was adventur ers, and those who were hostile to all class distinction, that gave the first impulse to the movement, and may be said to have directed the Northern immigrants towards the North west. While, as was the custom in the heroic age of the ninth and tenth centuries, the spirit of the time and the fash ion of the age have in latter years induced many young peo ple in the Scandinavian countries to court dangers and turn the wheel of fortune in foreign lands. The man who dared to leave his native country has always been admired for his courage and bravery, although his motives have often been questioned. To emigrate has of late been looked upon as the proper thing to do for those who were ambitious and pos sessed sufficient energy to become successful in foreign lands. It has always been considered a great shame to return to the North, even for a short visit, before a person has been suc cessful abroad, and few have done it. In recent years, letters, newspapers, and printed informations for immigrants, which have been sent to relatives at home, visits of prosperous im- 46 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. migrants to their native lands, and inumerable prepaid pass age tickets "Have been the most powerful preachers of the New World's advantages." Age, sex, and occupation prove that the Scandinavian immigrants are the cream of the working classes. According to the United States statistics, 62 per cent are males, 65 per cent arrive between fifteen and forty years of age, 11 per cent are over forty years of age, and 24 per cent are children under fifteen. During the years between 1881 and 1890, 1 person out of 5,914 was a clergyman, 1 out of 5,089 a musician, 1 out of 7,236 a physician and surgeon, and 1 out ' of 3,074 a teacher — in other words only 1 out of 1,017 had a profession, while 1 out of 12 was a skilled laborer, and one-half of the Scandinavian immigrants were either farm ers, merchants, or servants. Nor is there any reason to assume that they change their occupations a great deal when they arrivein this country, for, according to the United States census of 1870, 1880, 1890, 25 per cent of the Scandinavian population were engaged in agriculture, and 50 per cent labored at what was called "All classes of work." It is a notable fact that 1 out of 4 of every Scandinavian engages in agriculture, while only 1 out of 6 of the native Americans, 1 out of 7 of the Germans, and 1 out of 12 of the Irish, follow the same profession. It is partly on account of their great love and fitness for farming that the Scandinavians have been considered by nearly every American political economist to be the best im migrants which the country receives. "It is," says an au thority, "to the Scandinavian immigrants from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, that the Northwest is largely indebt- HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 47 ed for its marvelous development." "The Scandinavians," adds another, "especially, take to farming. They have suc ceeded where the Americans with better start have failed. They have acquired farms and now live in a state of great comfort. In a certain sense it is the survival of the fittest." A fair proportion, however, of the younger element of the Scandinavian immigrants pursue studies in this country, either at some of the Scandinavian institutions or in Ameri can colleges, and later attend to the professional need of their countrymen. And although not very many, propor tionally, of the highly educated classes emigrate; yet un questionably, taken all in all, the people who exchange the North for the United States are, on the aggregate, mentally better endowed, and morally superior to those who remain at home. In the first place, as a general thing, criminals, paupers, and idiots are cared for by the Northern govern ments, and are not permitted to leave. The poor and the vicious classes cannot pay for their own passage, nor receive a ticket on credit. Cowards dare not, and fools have not sense enough to emigrate. It is the old story of the Vikings. Gathering together hap-hazzard a thousand Scandinavian emigrants on any vessel which is destined for the United States and an equal number of those who remain in the North, and the former will, in regard to age, sex, physique, mental endowment, and moral purity and courage, be superior to the latter. Smith, the latest and one of the best authorities on the emigration question, says: "It is often the poor and degraded who have not the courage nor the means to emigrate. When emigration is brought about by the free action of a man's own mind, without extraneous 48 HISTORY OF THB SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. aids or influences, it is naturally the men who have intelli gence, some financial resources, energy, and ambition that emigrate. It requires all these to break loose from the ties of kindred, of neighborhood, and country, and to start out on a long and difficult journey. On account of that the best people emigrate, therefore the government objects." Secondly, a well school-trained man is not always the best naturally endowed. Besides, even educated emigrants must possess courage, energy, and perseverance in order to suc ceed in foreign lands. It is only the liberal and broad- minded people of the higher classes who in any sense can ex change their native customs and manners, and adopt the habits of other nations. It is harder, perhaps, for a cult ured man, who has acquired a permanent character and fixed ideas, to forget his native soil than it is for an illiterate person — the former's patriotism is founded on reason, the latter's on sentiment. The fact that the majority of the educated Scandinavians at home have been hostile towards and not participated much in the emigration movement has been an important factor in hastening the Americaniza tion of the Northern people. Those having had a home training, and especially the clergy, whose duties it is to guide the intellectual improve ment and moral conduct of the people have generally been men of broad culture and liberal views.who have founded, or promoted, great Scandinavian-American educational insti tutions, where the younger elements of the people have been educated, and the latter became the leaders of the Northern race in the New World. It is true that these institutions have been managed somewhat according to a different HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 49 method than most American colleges, yet they have been, and are, the stepping stones towards Americanization. And it certainly is, from an American standpoint, far better that the clergy and other men of learning have been educated in Scan dinavian-American schools than that they should have been imported — which otherwise would have been absolutely nec essary — from the Northern countries. The different location of each country and the diverse historical connections with foreign countries have made a little variation in the character of the Northmen at home. But these differences are slight, being on the whole merely artificial, and can hardly be said to apply, to any great ex tent at least, to the Scandinavians in this country. For the immigrants upon their arrival in the United States generally discard their artificial acquirements and begin to practice their natural endowments, namely : courage, determination, industry, frugality, and perseverance. It is remarkable how quickly, for example, a northern Swede will dispense with his elaborate system of bows, bobs, courtesies, hat-liftings, and adopt the practice of simpler manners ; this he often does in spite of himself, for quite frequently he is not a believer in the American simplicity of intercourse; especially is the cold and unceremonious business relation, which is in such contrast to what he has been used to, repugnant to him. Yet even on the streets or in the stores in Stockholm you can easily detect a person who has been in America, perhaps, only for six months; the man has been simplified. But in spite of the fact that the Scandinavians become quickly Americanized, only retaining their original boldness, frankness, and firmness, yet their different training shows itself in many ways. For 50 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. example, the great political agitation which has been in operation in Norway ever since the beginning of this century, has created among the Norwegians a taste and ability for politics in which neither the Swedes nor the Danes can, or will not perhaps, compete with them, not even in this country. Between the years of 1880 and 1900 there were, according to the United States census, from ten to one hundred and fifty thousand more Swedes in America than Norwegians, yet during that period only one Swede was elected to the United States congress, while at the same time seven Norwegians 'had a seat in the national House of Representatives. It may be argued, which of course is true, that the Norwegian immigration is older than the Swedish, consequently the younger elements of the Nor wegians have had a longer time and a better chance to become acquainted with the political machinery of the na tion than their brethren ; but even granting this, it yet remains a fact that in Minnesota, where the immigration of one nationality is just as old as the other, about 170 Nor wegians and only 80 Swedes have represented their districts in the two legislative bodies of the state from 1857 to 1900; and although the population of the former has, until lately, outnumbered that of the latter, it is not in proportion to their political preponderance. Yet it must also be remem bered that only 21 per cent of the Norwegians live in cities of over 25,000 inhabitants, where 32 per cent of the Swedes are to be found. The Norwegians thus scattered throughout the farming districts and smaller towns have a better chance to be elected to local offices and to the state legislature than those residing in large cities. The greater political activity HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 51 of the Norwegians in comparison with the Swedes is also apparent by the former's greater variation in the choice oj political parties. Some of the best educated Scandinavian- Americans are Democrats, Prohibitionists, or Populists ; yet the great majority of the Swedes have always been, and are, Republicans, which is also, but to a less extent, the case with the Norwegians. Two of the seven Norwegian-American con gressmen were elected by the Populists. The difference in the characters of the two people shows itself also, to look at it from an historical standpoint, in their religion. For, while the Swedish-American Lutheran Church has progressed smoothly, uninterruptedly, and undi vided, the Norwegian-Americans have wrangled about the ological dogmas, and divided Lutherism into six different and distinct organizations ; some of which, however, have again been united into one body. The Danish immigration is more recent, consequently they do not stand out so prominently in political and relig ious matters as the other two nationalities, but on the whole they resemble the Swedes in being conservative. Thirty-two percent of the Swedish- American population, twenty-three of the Danish, and twenty-one of the Norwe gian, reside in cities of over 25,000 inhabitants each; this does not, however, sustain the general opinion, that the Swedes and Danes are better business men than the Norwegians ; but as the Danes and southern Swedes at home seem to have a natural instinct for financial undertakings, it is probably correct. But on the whole the difference in the character between the three Scandinavian-American nationalities is small and 52 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. short-lived. After a few years residence in this country, and very often not even among the emigrants on board of the ship that brings them, can any distinction of the separate .Northern nationalities be detected. In the second generation only the old Northmen's fearlessness, energy, and strong will-power, ciothed in American manners, are visible. Of course, the physical features often change considerably in a few generations. The Scandinavians are justly proud of their Viking age. The kings of Sweden have always styled themselves "King of the Swedes, Goths, and Wends." The Danes and Nor wegians point with pride to their conquests in France, Great Britain, and Ireland. Prof. Worsaae says : " The greatest, and for general history the most important, memorials of the Scandinavian people are connected, as is well known, with the expeditions of the Normans, and the Thirty Years' War." It is true that Rolf, Knute the Great, and Gustavus Adolphus, have had, either directly or indirectly, a great in fluence upon civilization. But, excepting the Thirty Years' War, the greatest, and for the human race the most import ant, memorials of the Scandinavian people are connected with their discovery of, colonization in, and emigration to the United States. John Ericsson, the greatest Scandinavian- American, was more of a benefactor to humanity than either Rolf, or Knute the Great, or both together. (We refrain from mentioning other influential Scandinavian-Americans be cause many of them are living at present). 'The emigrants coming from the narrow valleys of Norway, the mines and forests of Sweden, the smiling plains of Denmark, the rocky shores of Iceland, with hearts of oak and arms of steel, HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 53 are building empires in this Western continent.' They have torn themselves away from home, country, relatives, friends, brothers, sisters, and parents. They have cleared prairies and forests, built railways, and mined the earth in a foreignland. They have by hard and honest toil, struggle, prudence, fru gality, industry, and perseverance succeeded against adverse circumstances in creating comfortable homes for themselves on American soil. They have in war and peace, in commerce and literature, in the pulpits and legislative halls, dis tinguished themselves, done their duties towards their adopted country, and been an honor to their native lands. But these peaceable and industrious emigrants from the North have not received the same recognition, either at home or abroad, as the savage and plundering Vikings. How long will it take before the victories of peace shall be more renowned than those of war ? The well-known Col. Hans Mattson uses the following language in the conclusion of his Minnen : " Yes, it is verily true that the Scandinavian immigrants, from the early colon ists of 1638 to the present time, have furnished strong hands, clear heads, and loyal hearts to the republic. They have caused the wilderness to blossom like the rose ; they have planted schools and churches on the hills and in the valleys ; they have honestly and ably administered the affairs of town, county, and state; they have helped to make wise laws for their respective commonwealths and in the halls of congress; they have with honor and ability represented their adopted country abroad ; they have sanctified the American soil by their blood, shed in freedom's cause on the battlefields of the revolutionary and civil wars ; and though proud of 54 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. their Scandinavian ancestry, they love America and Ameri can institutions as deeply and as truly as do the descendents of the Pilgrims, the starry emblem of liberty meaning as much to them as to any other citizen. "Therefore, the Scandinavian-American feels a certain sense of ownership in the glorious heritage of American soil, with its rivers, lakes, mountains, valleys, woods, and prairies, and in all its noble institutions ; and he feels that the bless ings which he enjoys are not his by favor or sufferance, but by right; by moral as well as civil right. For he took pos session of the wilderness, endured the hardships of the pioneer, contributed his full share toward the grand results accomplished, and is in mind and heart a true and loyal American citizen." But not only have the Northern immigrants created per manent monuments in the New World, but they have also exercised a great reflex influence upon the affairs of the Old World. For, while Gustavus Adolphus defended Protestant ism and German liberty, which resulted in the intellectual and religious freedom of the world, it was Swedish-Ameri cans who introduced in Sweden the faith of the Baptists in about 1850, and Methodism fifteen years later,* and were largely instrumental in securing that religious toleration in their native land which their ancestors had fought for in foreign countries. A Norwegian-American introduced Meth odism in his native country in 1849, and Danish-Americans commenced to preach that doctrine in Denmark shortly after. It certainly shows a great amount of bigotry, narrowness, and ignorance, not to say villainy, of the governments at home, that Baptists should, on account *The -work of the English Methodists in Sweden in the early part of the nineteenth century was interrupted, but wa.. resumed by Swedish-Americans in 1S65. HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 55 of proselyting, be sent out of the kingdom by the civil authorities of Sweden as late as in 1851; that Norwegian Lutheran clergymen should endeavor, by force, to prevent the Methodists from worshiping God according to their own conscience, and bury their dead according to their own rituals, as late as in 1860; or that Swedish ministers should refuse to grant the permission of burying a Methodist pas tor, who was a citizen of this country, in the state cemetery because, they said, he had beena false prophet, and the widow was compelled to appeal to higher authorities in the name of the American nation, as late as in 1867. Nor were these atrocities simply the result, or relic, of barbarian laws, for until forty, or even twenty years ago, religious intolerance was the accepted theory and common practice of the major ity of both the educated classes and the masses in the Scan dinavian countries. It must, however, be remembered that the clergy of the state church thought it was their religious duty to prevent what they deemed to be false religions to be imposed upon the people under their charge. Often the missionaries who represented the new sects were uneducated men whose procedure was unwise. For example, the Jan- sonites in Sweden publicly burned all religious books, except the Bible. This, of course, was unlawful and they had to sufferthe consequences. But the numerous letters and news papers which the immigrants have sent to their relatives at home, and the frequent visits of Scandinavian-Americans to their native lands, have had an immense influence in moulding the public sentiment in favor of more political, social, and religious freedom. And public sentiment not only governs republics, but even shakes monarchs on their 56 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. thrones, and bends the will of bishops. Today the Northmen at home enjoy, virtually, full religious freedom and possess a great amount of political liberty — blessings which they ought, at least to a great extent, to be thankful for to their countrymen across the Atlantic Ocean. The Scandinavian-Americans, however, have not con fined themselves to the political, social, and religious con version of the old folks at home, their influence has also been of a more material nature. About fifty per cent of the Scandinavian emigrants arrive by prepaid passage tickets secured by relatives here. During each year of 1891 and 1892 — according to the estimate of A. E. Johnson of the great emigration firm, A. E. Johnson and Company — six- and-a-half million dollars in actual cash was sent from this country to the North by well-to-do immigrants to their relatives. It is impossible, however, to arrive at anything like a correct conclusion in regard to what amount of wealth in the shape of presents, prepaid passage tickets, and actual cash which Scandinavian-Americans have transferred from the United States to the North. Smith, in his excellent book Emigration and Immigration, estimates that each immi grant sends to his native country $35, and from 1820-99, according to United States statistics, not far from 1,500,000 Northmen have settled in this country. If each of them re turned $35, the total sum transfered from here to the Scan dinavian countries, would, during that period, amount to $52,500,000. Each immigrant, however, brings with him a certain amount of capital, which Smith estimates to average from $68 to $100, but in 1898 the Scandinavian immigrants HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 57 did not average that, according to the estimate of the com missioner of immigration. "It costs," to quote Smith, "about $652.50 to bring up a child in Europe till 15 years of age, and twice that amount in the United States. But this estimate does not mean the real value of men; they are not valued in dollars and cents. But every immigrant must represent labor capacity worth at least the value of a slave, which was $800 or $1,000 before the war, but being a free man he may not choose to work. But it is figured that each immigrant is worth $875." Assuming that each Scan dinavian immigrant has brought $75, which added to $875, the value of his labor capacity, amounts to $950, and multi- plying that amount by 1,500,000, the number of immigrants we find that the Scandinavian countries have sent — or rather permitted to be transferred — to the United States one billion four hundred and fifty million dollars ($1,450,000,000) worth of property in the form of human beings and what valuables these have brought with them. Even subtracting the $52,500,- 000 which have been returned in the shape of prepaid tickets, presents, and cash, it yet leaves the United States in a debt of $1,397,500,000 to the Scandinavian countries. The Chinamen are, perhaps, intellectually equal to any people, yet China can never reach a higher civilization than it has attained to until the population is, in some way, reduced. Civilization and luxury go hand in hand. A highly cultured people must have elbow room for their activity. Simply a bare physical existence cannot elevate a nation, no matter how well intellectually the individuals may be endowed. That the Scandinavian countries have had a heavier popula tion than could be decently supported will, perhaps, not be 58 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. seriously disputed; consequently the emigration has fur thered their development. Facts prove the assertion. The social and political aspects, the relation between the em ployer and employe, have been revolutionized in Norway since emigration began. It is true that other causes have assisted in extinguishing class distinction, yet emigration has been the main factor. But then the emigration has also been so heavy that, taking into consideration only the im migrants themselves and their children, there is now (1900) half as many Norwegians living in this country as there are in the whole of Norway. In Denmark and Sweden, where the emigration in proportion to the population has not been so heavy as in Norway, the effect has been less marked. Yet it has had great influence upon the social and political con ditions. Wages have certainly been raised in both countries as the direct result of the emigration. Besides Scandina vian-Americans often import, and introduce to the trade in this country, goods manufactured in the North; some of them have returned home and established new industries; thus the manufacturing interests of the Scandinavian coun tries have been extended, furnishing new employment to their people, and increasing their national wealth. Yet in spite of this widened commercial activity, and ben eficial political, social, and religious influences, the govern ments of the Northern powers have always looked upon emigration as a loss to their countries. A Danish- American wrote in 1885: "At present the official world, the press, and, on the whole, the higher classes, are rather hostile to the whole movement. At the best, they ignore it. They have not yet arrived at the same conclusions in regard to it HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 59 as have the leading statesmen in England. They regard emigration as a loss to the old countries. They have the Greek-German view of the state as having interests apart from and above those of the individual. The existing state is, in their eyes, sacred, and not — as it is understood in Eng land and America — identical with the interests of the indi vidual members of the body politic. Secondly, they do not recognize the wholesome influence of the emigration on the people at home. It takes away from the rising population in a good many districts from one-eighth to one-fourth of its laborers. Such a decrease has considerable influence in rais ing wages ; and employers in the first instance only look on what they lose ; they do not recognize that the better-paid workingmen, as a rule, give more valuable, and, therefore, not at all dearer, work. It is true that the great political influence of the emigrants on their old home at present con tributes largely to strengthen the elements of opposition to the powers that be ; but a self-conscious, independent people makes actually a stronger community." It is impossible to determine, either by statistics or by any historical records, the exact causes which have induced the majority of the Scandinavians to settle in the North west. It is, no doubt, partly due to chance, climate, the direction which the early Scandinavian pioneers, especially Rev. 0. G. Hedstrom, gave to the movement; but, perhaps, more on account of the Northwest being just opened for set tlement at the time when their emigration began. When some Norwegian emigrants arrived at Milwaukee, Wis., in 1839, in search of suitable land, an old settler warned them against the climate of Illinois. He placed two men before 60 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. them, one strong and healthy, the other weak and lean. Pointing towards the former, he said: "There you see a man from Wisconsin ; the other is from Illinois." The Nor wegians remained in Wisconsin. Slavery might, in the early days, have prejudiced them from going south. It is certain that movements of Scandinavians in that direction have at different times been attempted, but always failed. Prof. Babcock, of the University of Minnesota, who has made a special study of the Scandinavians in this country, and being a native American his opinions have a specific value, writes in The Forum for September, 1892, as follows: "The passion for the possession of land and for independence that goes with it have characterized the Scandinavians from the earliest times, and it is that which has made them so valuable as citizens of the Northwest. Had they preferred to huddle together in villages or, still worse, to crowd into large cities, the progress of this section would have been materially slower. Until within the last eight years the towns have claimed only a small percentage, and now proba bly not more than ten per cent come to settle in towns . Scanty means, a spirit of economy, and a fearlessness for hard work and temporary privation, have made them frequently pioneers in settling new territory. With the extension of new rail roads into northwestern Minnesota and the Dakotas, and the opening up of Government and railroad land, great num bers of Scandinavian immigrants, and Scandinavian settlers from older portions of the West, have settled here. All of the eighty counties of Minnesota, save possibly two, have representatives of all three Scandinavian peoples; whole townships and almost whole counties are tilled by them. HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 61 In the newer counties of Minnesota and the Dakotas thirty and even forty per cent are of Scandinavian parentage. In the older portions it is said to be possible to travel 300 miles across Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota without once leav ing Scandinavian-owned land. Though in every large city and town in the Northwest there are Scandinavians en gaged in commercial enterprise and the professions with marked success, it yet remains true that the great majority are farmers. " One of the most important indirect results of the love for land-ownership is the hastening of naturalization. To take up homestead claims one of the first conditions for a foreigner is a declaration of intention to become a citizen ; so the prospective farmer at once takes out his first papers ; and the first step in naturalization is made. This done, natural inclination leads him to perfect his title of full citizenship. But the Scandinavian immigrant hardly needs any great incentive to citizenship. In politics he is as much in his element as an Irishman in New York City. His aptitude for politics and his interest in public affairs are natural. Be he Norwegian, Swede, or Dane, he hastened and moved in an atmosphere electric with inde pendence and individualism. The Norwegian celebrates the Fourth of July all the more loyally, because on the seven teenth of May he commemorated in the same way the es tablishment, in defiance of all Europe, of the Norwegian con stitution of 1814. The Dane is fresh from the constitutional struggle begun in 1849 ; the Swede has had popular repre sentation since 1866: consequently the Scandinavian immi grants have had some considerable political education when 62 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. they arrive. The ballot and independence are not meaningless terms to them ; the exercise of them is their right, not merely their privilege. Certainly no class makes greater effort than the Scandinavian to become naturalized ; none enters upon the rights and duties of American citizenship with more en thusiasm or honest, intelligent appreciation of its high privileges. Statistics from Minnesotashow some interesting facts bearing upon this question, comparison being made with the Germans, who rank among our best immigrants. By the census of 1885 the Scandinavian population was 43.2 per cent and the German 30.1 per cent of the total foreign- born population. Of the increase of foreign-born population for five years ending with 1885, the Scandinavian was 48.2 per cent, the German 30.9 per cent. For the same period, of the total naturalizations (first papers) the Scandinavians took out 56.3 per cent and the Germans 23.2 per cent. Or, looking at the matter in another way, for the same half-dec ade the Scandinavians who were naturalized were 35.4 per cent of the increase of Scandinavian population for the same time, the Germans 22.9 per cent. Similar statistics for other half-decades give approximately the same results. "The political affiliations of the Scandinavian voters till about 1886 were almost invariably with the Republican party. The opposition to slavery rallied every son of the Northland, and no soldiers were braver or more patriotic., than the Scandinavian Fifteenth Wisconsin regiment and Scandinavian companies in other Wisconsin and Iowa regi ments. The suppression of the Rebellion, the abolition of slavery, the passage of the homestead law to which they owed so much— all appealed powerfully to their political HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 63 senses. ,New-comers found their predecessors in the Repub lican party ; they found it the party in power in the State and generally in the Nation ; its principles were acceptable, and so they too became Republicans. Since 1886, however, less reliance can be placed upon a solid Scandinavian vote, though this element has never been the ready tool of " boss es." It has ever been a ruling rather than a ruled element. The immigration of the last eight years has had a larger percentage from the cities, and a larger percentage has set tled in the cities, so that "labor questions" have affected them ; local political issues have, to their credit, sometimes shaken their old allegiance more or less, as, for example, prohibition in Iowa and North Dakota, high license in Min nesota; the Bennett law in Wisconsin temporarily drove them out of the Republican party ; the Farmers' Alliance, People's party, etc., have drawn Scandinavian recruits from both of the old parties ; the tariff and other national ques tions have divided them as well as other thinking men in both great political parties. However, the majority of them are still and will continue to be Republicans, though no party can mortgage their vote for any election. "Coupled with the love for politics among them is the , love for religion and the Church. The vast majority are Lutherans of one branch or another. At any rate, they are Protestant enough to satisfy the most fastidious Catholic- hater, for a Catholic in Norway or Sweden is a rare, suspi cious object. The dissenting movement among the Scandi navian Lutherans in America is comparatively strong. At one time there were six divisions of the Norwegians alone, though recently three of them united . The rigid adherence 64 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. to the forms and practices of the mother-state Church is weakened, while, on the other hand, the liberal and atheistic movements have made slow progress, even among the dis senters. The churches, with a few exceptions, have not maintained regular elementary schools. Poverty, Isolation of the families of the great farming class, and the desire to conform to American customs have all lead to a very general patronage of the common schools. The church school is usually open during public-school vacations, if at all, and instruction confined to religious teaching and the use of the mother-tongue. All this has contributed to the rapid Amer icanization of the second generation. For higher education, the church maintains numerous and well-patronized semi naries and colleges, while the high-schools and the State universities throughout the Northwest have a large Scandi navian attendance, auguring well for the future. In the University of Minnesota, for example, located in the same city with two Scandinavian colleges, during the past year one hundred and seventy-five students, out of thirteen hun dred and seventy-four were of Scandinavian parentage. " The Scandinavians, with all their virtues, are not with out faults. They are often narrow-minded, in the city some times clannish and given to making demands, political and social, as Scandinavian-Americans. The Swede is frequently jealous of the Norwegian, and vice versa. But as a class they are sober, earnest, industrious, and frugal. They are not driven here ; they come of their own accord and come to stay, not to get a few hundred dollars and return to a life of idleness. They come not to destroy our institutions, but to build them up by adopting them. They come from countries HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 65 not potent or glorious in European affairs, and therefore the more readily denationalize themselves, that they may be come entirely American. The most of them are plain, com mon people, strong, sturdy, and independent, required to unlearn little, ready and able to learn much and learn it well. They still have the same powers of adaptability and assimilation that made Rollo and his Northmen such good Frenchmen, and Guthrun and his Danes such excellent Eng lishmen; and using these powers among us today, the}' are, or are rapidly becoming, irreproachably and unimpeachably American." The well-know Prof. H. H. Boyesen writes in the North American Review for November, 1892: "The Chicago pa pers, at the time of the trial of the Anarchists, complimented the Scandinavians of the West on their law-abiding spirit, and the counsel for the accused emphasized the compliment by requesting that no Scandinavian should be accepted on the jury. He declared his intention of challenging any talesman of Norse blood on the ground of his nativity. Although this man probably had but slight acquaintance with Norsemen, the instinct which bade him beware of them was a correct one. "There is no nation in Europe that is more averse to vio lence, and has less sympathy with Utopian aspirations than the people of Norway and Sweden. They have been trained to industry, frugality and manly self reliance by the free in stitutions and the scant resources of their native lands ; and the moderation and self-restraint inherent in the cold blood of the North make them constitutionally inclined to trust in slow and orderly methods rather than swift and violent 66 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. ones. They come here with no millenial expectations, doomed to bitter disappointment; but with the hope of gaining, by hard and unremitting toil, a modest competency. They demand less of life than continental immigrants of the corresponding class, and they usually, for this very reason, attain more. The instinct to save is strong in the majority of them, and save they do, when their neighbors, of less fru gal habits, are running behind. The poor soil of the old land and the hardships incident upon a rough climate, have accustomed them to a struggle for existence scarcely less severe than that of the Western pioneer ; and unilluminated by any hope of improved conditions in the future. The qual ities of perseverance, thrift, and a sturdy sense of independ ence which this struggle from genergtion to generation has developed, are the very ones which must form the corner stone of an enduring republic. "It is therefore a fact which all students of the social problem arising from immigration have remarked that the Scandinavians adapt themselves with great ease to Ameri can institutions. There is no other class of immigrants which so readily assimilated, and assumes so naturally American customs and modes of thought. And this is not because their own nationality is devoid of strong character istics, but because, on account of the ancient kinship and subsequent development, they have certain fundamental traits in common with us, and are therefore less in need of adaption. The institutions of Norway are the most demo cratic in Europe, and those of Sweden, though less liberal, are developing in the same direction. Both Norsemen and Swedes are accustomed to participate in the management of HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 67 their communal affairs, and to vote for their representative in the national parliament ; and although the power given them here is nominally greater than that they enjoyed at home, it is virtually less. The sense of public responsibility, the habit of interest in public affairs, and a critical attitude towards the acts of government are nowhere so general among rich and poor alike as in Norway and Sweden, not withstanding the fact that the suffrage is not universal. No great effort is therefore required, on the part of Norwegian and Swedish immigrants, to transfer their natural interest in public affairs to the affairs of their adopted country, which now must concern them closely^ With increasing prosperity comes a sense of loyalty to the flag, and a disposition, per haps, to brag in the presence of later arrivals. To be an old settler is a source of pride and is recognized as a title to con sideration. A large majority of the old settlers participated in the war, and naturally shared in the sentiment of militant loyalty and devotion to the Union which animated the Fed eral army. This is, perhaps, the chief reason why the Scan dinavian element in the United States is so overwhelmingly Republican; for the newly-arrived immigrant, having no comprehension of the questions dividing American parties, is apt to accept his politics from the respected "old settler" and veteran, and feels safe, at the end of five years, in voting as he votes. Thus it happens that the war feeling with its at tendant hostility to the South, is transmitted to those to whom the war is but a dim tradition, and the militant poli tics of the veteran survives amid a peaceful generation that never smelled powder. "It is notable that, though in many of the earliest Norse 68 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. settlements the descendents of the first settlers are still living, there is very little but their names (often Anglicized) and a certain Norwegian cast of features to indicate their Scandi navian origin. They speak English, and, if they have ever learned Norwegian, have usually forgotten it. They have intermarried with American families, and live, think, and feel as Americans. I have had letters from many of these people, asking me to suggest Norwegian names for their children, or inquiring about certain localities in Norway from which their parents or grandparents came. It would seem, judging by the rapipity with which they have adopted American speech and modes of life, that the problem of the assimilation of the immigrant may be safely left to time, without the interfer ence of artificial agencies. But it must be remembered that fifty or sixty years ago, the Scandinavian nationalities were completely lost in the ocean of American life, which beat upon them on all sides, and they had no choice but to drift with the current. I am far from believing now that they, or any other nationality, are strong enough to remain perman ently alien in our midst ; but they are surely able to resist, for a whole generation, the influence of our national life, and make the process of national assimilation extremely diffcult for their children. " The Scandinavians have been accused of clannishness, and not without cause. It should, however, be considered that the immigrant, of whatever nationality, has no choice but to be clannish, unless he chooses to associate with those who look down upon him, or dispense with social intercourse altogether. Native Americans are not in the habit of wel coming the immigrant with cordiality ; and they have often HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 69 good reason for regarding him with eyes not altogether friendly. Social intercourse can only be agreeable among people who recognize each other as equals, and no man can be blamed for shunning the society of those who refuse to grant him this recognition. It is, therefore, inevitable that alien communities should grow up in our midst as long as we permit the stream of immigration to pour unimpeded down upon our shores. Each new arrival is attracted to the locallity where he has friends or kinsmen ; and when he has laid aside a little money his first desire is to draw more friends and kinsmen after him. Around this nucleus a con stant aggregation of homogeneous alien elements will gather. "There is continual complaint in the Scandinavian papers of the West that the nationalities which they repre sent are not recognized in the distribution of offices ; and it is alleged that in the cities and counties, where the Scandi navians twice' out number the Irish, the later have a larger representation in municipal and county offices. The reason of this is not a lack of aptitude for public affairs on the part of Norwegians and Swedes ; for, on the contrary, they take as naturally to politics as goslings do to water. But it is rather because they have not learned to suspend personal spites and resentments for the sake of a larger end to be gained. They have not learned party discipline nor the faculty to assert themselves as a unit. From the American point of view this is perhaps not a matter of regret, but rather of congratulation. For we have already a pestifer ous abundance of alien nationalities which have the inso lence to claim recognition, not as bodies of American citizens, but as Irish, Germans, Bohemians, and Poles ; as if in that 70 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. capacity they have any right to participation in the govern ment of the American republic." Smith in his book, Emigration and Immigration, says that the American traits are : First, " The fiee political con stitution and the ability to govern ourselves in the ordinary affairs of life;" second, " The absence of privileged classes;" third, "The economic well-being of the masses;" fourth, "Love of law and order, ready acquiescence in the will of the majority." In a political sense these peculiarities are virtually common to both the Americans and Scandinavians ; for even if the latter have had privileged classes in their na tive lands, they certainly are not in favor of such an arrange ment. It is no wonder then that the Scandinavians become — according to all authorities on the subject — quickly Amer- canized in regard to all political affairs. What then is the reason that the majority of the Ameri can people and many of the educated Scandinavian-Ameri cans accuse the Northmen of clannishness ? In the first place those people differ from each other socially. The American has a broad knowledge of men and things. He can and does approach a stranger with the same ease with which he meets a friend of several years' standing. He questions everybody. He recognizes no class distinction, but associ ates with everyone who is worthy of his confidence. He is energetic, ambitious, excitable, and extreme. He is remark ably liberal and tolerant on all religious, political, and social questions ; but equally narrow-minded and bigoted in regard to his patriotism. America, in his estimation, is the only country under the sun fit for civilized man to live in. He points with just pride to the rapid development of the na- HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 71 tion. He boasts of, and sometimes exaggerates, the natural, undeveloped resources, and of the great future of his coun try. He jokes with everything, even the most sacred. A city council will grant a license to a saloon or house of ill- fame one day, the next Sunday all the individuals who com pose the council will attend a revival meeting and pray for the conversion of mankind. If a foreigner, who knew noth ing about the life in America, should attend a political mass- meeting, or a large religious revival gathering, he would cer tainly come to the conclusion that the whole nation was either drunk or insane, or perhaps both. The Scandinavian, on the other hand, is less excitable, enterprising, and ambitious, but more solid, reserved, and conservative. He does not live by jerks, but progresses slowly and surely. He is more moderate in his virtues as well as in his vices. He will attend church once or twice Sunday, and perhaps devote part of the day in visiting a friend or taking a walk. The latter practice is considered to be a great sin among the Puritans. The Scandinavian- American seldom meets the Yankee except in business rela tions, or at apolitical convention, although he may occasion ally attend a woman's sufferage meeting or an American church sociable, and make a short, formal call at the Yankee's house to be introduced to the family. The superior social aptness, the great religious and social activity of the American woman leads the Northman to con clude — as a Norwegian wit expressed it — that all she does is to dress herself, attend church, and take care of her nerves. The United States statistics show that the Scandinavians are less apt to marry American ladies than any other foreig- 72 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S,. ners, although they more frequently inter-marry with other nationalities than any other immigrants. The Scandinavians seldom see the admirable home life for which the Americans are justly noted. They judge the latter as he appears in business life, and conclude that the Yankee is simply a financial and political boomer who is too shrewd and unscrupulous to be depended upon. Their conclusion in regard to business is, on the whole, correct, but in regard to society it is utterly wrong. For no nation is more sympa thetic, humanitarian,devoted to kindness, and liberal towards charitable objects than the Americans. Secondly, the con servatism and slowness of the Northmen is often mistaken for clannishness. They settle in large bodies, not with the intention of being exclusive, but because it is con venient, and often their only choice ; here they attend to their own affairs without thinking anything about Americaniza tion. Struggle for existence, in many cases, requires all their strength. But the American nation has nothing to fearin regard to the foreignism of Scandinavians. They very rapidly adopt the virtues as well as the vices of their adopted country. It is, perhaps, better that a people is a little slow in becoming Americanized, than to hasten too much. A person who takes out his naturalization papers on the day he arrives at Castle Garden, either does not know his obligations to the new country, or doesn't care to perform any duties to any land ; in either case he is not likly to be a desirable citizen. All the Scandinavian immigrants use American furniture and machinery, their style of dress and mode of living are essen- ^'"lly American — all of which has a powerful influence in HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 73 Americanizing them. It is true that there are Northmen who have lived in this country thirty years, yet are unable to speak fifteen English words correctly ; but this class of peo ple are an exception, not the rule. Of course their manners, customs, and language are often a strange combination of Scandinavian-Americanism and would make an excellent theme for a novelist. They some times talk about, "spika English," "travla pa stimbaten," "maka monni," "mova avej," "go to mitingen," "been chitad," "got a yobb," and, "sinja Yankee Doodle." But most of them agree with H. Stockenstrom : " Men jag mest prisar den nya Svenska, Som ar sa olik den fosterlanska." The bad habit of having a feast of eating and drinking at funerals, which is customary in the Scandinavian countries, is sometimes practiced here also. For example, we read about the early Norwegian settlers in Wisconsin how they astonished the minister at a funeral by presenting to him a glass of whisky between the singing of the first and second stanza, saying: "It is customary in our country to take a glass between the singing of each stanza." And with the hymn book in one hand, a glass of whisky in the other, and the corpse before them, themourners shed tears over their de parted friend. Half-way between the house and the cemetery they repeated the act. This, however, is an extremecase. Itis seldom carried to such excess in the North, and far less — if practiced at all,— among the Scandinavian -Americans. For, on the whole, the Northmen in this country adopt American manners and customs. The more progressive element of the first generation speak English from choice, the second from 74 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE XJ. S. necessity, and the third knows little about the language of their grandparents. Yet it is to be hoped that the Scandi navian-Americans of today will never become so completely transformed that they lose their character, courage, earn. estness, frankness, strong convictions, self-possession, and indomitable will-power. According to theUnited States census of 1870, 1880, and 1890 the Scandinavians have the best records of any nation alities in the country, either foreign or native, in regard to crime, vagrancy, pauperism, deaf and dumb, and blind. In addition they take most readily to farming, become quickly Americanized, and possess a better education and have more money at their arrival than any other immigrants. It is no wonder then that nearly every political economist admits that they are the best immigrants which the country receives. W. W. Thomas, United States minister to Sweden-Nor way, wrote in 1891 as follows: "Probably not less than 2,000,000 Swedes and their descendants are now living in our country and call themselves Americans. In fact the day will soon come when the United States will contain more citizens of Swedish descent than Sweden herself; and we will be not only the newer, but the greater Sweden, as we have already become the greater England." Col. Hans Mattson, in his Minnen, published in 1890, says: "When we take into consideration the numerous Swedish colo nists that settled in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey in the seventeenth century, and their descendants, together with the descendants of Scandinavian emigrants of the last seventy years, I think it is safe to estimate the total population of Scandinavian descent at over four mil- HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. 75 lions, or fully one-sixteenth of the entire population of the United States." These estimations, however, appear to be simply assertions and not based upon any kind of sta tistical figures or computations, and are, perhaps, too high. Yet in 1900 there were in this country about one-fifth as many Danes as in Denmark, one-third as many Swedes as in Sweden, and one-half as many Norwegians as in Norway. In 1890 one person out of every twenty -five in the United States, was a Scandinavian, either by birth or by descent in the second generation. By the most careful computation of statistical figures, it is a conservative estimate to assume that, in 1900, there are in this country three million Scandi navian-born or having Scandinavian parents. The Icelandic Discoveries of America. S. SIGVALDSON. The origin and cause of the movement that led to these discoveries seems to have had their birth in Norway in or about the year 872, when King Harold Fairhair, in a naval battle, overcame the jarls, or independent princes, of that country, and subdued them to his vassalage. Such a subjuga tion could not be tolerated by the haughty and heroic Northmen, and they were forced to seek relief in other coun tries more congenial to their free and independent natures. In support of this the histories tell us that a general move ment took place ; the jarls and Vikings took to their ships, invoked their God of Storms and set sails for distant shores. Some steered to the South and founded homes for them selves in the sunny climate of sourthern Europe. But we are especially concerned with the northern branch of this army, which discovered and settled on the islands in the North Atlantic, especially Iceland. This noble and historic island is said to have been first discovered in 874 by the heroic Viking Ingolf. It was on this island, especially, that a strong and free republic soon grew up, and to its sturdy sons, we claim, belongs the im mortal honor of the discovery of America. (77) 78 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. This republic, entirely independent, and consisting of the bravest and boldest of the Northmen, soon developed into a community of wealth and culture; now renowned the world over for its rich literature in old sagas, poetry, and chronicles. It is thus evident that all these combined afford the most reliable authority for the early settlements, achieve ments, and discoveries of the Northmen. Hence it is mainly from these, as authorities, that we relate the following his torical facts, undisputed by the best modern historians. In 876, about two years after the discovery of the is land, we are told by the chronicles, that a certain settler, by the name of Gunnbjorn, was driven on to the coast of Green land in a storm, that his ship was fettered in ice all through the winter, but as soon as spring came they were able to return to Iceland. A great many years after, about 983, another settler, by the name of Erik the Red, got into a quarrel with his foe, and a homicide was the result. For this Erik was condemned by the court, according to the laws of the land, and to escape punishment, as well as to satisfy his nature for exploration and discovery, he fitted out a vessel, and with a few companions set sail for the land of Gunn bjorn. After a few days sailing he discovered Greenland and explored it along the coast each side of Cape Farewell dur ing the next three years. He finally settled down on a grassy plain near the coast, which he was pleased to call Greenland, and from thence the whole country has derived its name. After three years, however, he returned to Iceland, but only to induce a greater number of emigrants to embark for Greenland. We are thus told that in re-crossing he had a THE ICELANDIC DISCOVERIES OF AMERICA. 79 fleet of twenty-five ships, but, unfortunately, eleven of them perished in the high seas of the North, and but fourteen reached Greenland. However, the remainder built up a pros perous colony in the country, which lasted for 400 years. One of the men who came over to Greenland with Erik, Hjerulf by name, had the distinguished honor of being the father of the first white man, who saw the main land of North America. This man's name was Bjarni. The event came about thus: during the summer that Hjerulf went over to Greenland with Erik, his son Bjarni had been absent in Norway; and being unconscious of his father's journey, Bjarni sailed home to Iceland the following autumn to pass the Christmas with his father. But on arriving in Iceland he found that his father had emigrated to Greenland ; he there fore immediately set sail to follow his father to that country. On the way over, a cloudy sky and foggy weather at tended his voyage, the crew lost their way, and were for many days borne before the wind without knowledge of their course. At length the weather brightened up somewhat, and Bjarni sighted land in the distance, but to his disappointment, he soon discovered that it was a coast without mountains, covered with woods, instead of the great mountains of ice that he had been told he would see on the coast of Green land. They therefore put the ship about and sailed for two more days, when they again sighted land, but neither this answered the description of Greenland. Again they went to sea, and having sailed for four days more with the same wind, the coast of Greenland was seen to loom up in the dis tance. Fortunately enough, Bjarni landed on the very promontory where his father lived. He then assumed control 80 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. of his father's estate, and dwelt with him the remainder of his life. This accidental finding of land by Bjarni excited little curiosity until it came to the ears of the famous Leif, the son of Erik the Red, who at this time, about 999, came over to Greenland from Norway. This Leif Erikson, the real discov erer of America, bought the vessel of Bjarni and manned it with a crew of thirty-five men, leaving Greenland in the autumn of the year 1000, and sailing to the South, for the express purpose of discovering the lands previously seen by Bjarni. Good fortune attended. Some distance to the south ward, Leif discovered a barren coast, now known to be the northern coast of Newfoundland. Having rested here for some time, the discoverer again put to sea, sailing farther southward, and in the space of a few days came upon anoth er coast, covered with thick woods. Here he landed and inspected the country around, now known by the name of Nova Scotia. But soon he once more set to sea, and, having now sailed for two more days, with a northeast wind, he for the third time sighted land, and pulled ashore "At the estuary of a certain river." Here they found the country pleasant, the river full of fish, and the land abounding in grapes. With this Leif was so pleased that he called the land he had discovered, Vinland. The location of the third discovery corresponds the closest to that about Massachu setts Bay. Pleased as they were with the country, Leif determined to pass the winter here, his men accordingly built up some huts at this place, and in them they dwelt through the winter. In the spring Leif and his men started home for THE VIKING SHIP EXHIBITED AT WORLD'S FAIR, CHICAGO, 1893. THE OLD SWEDES' CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA. BUILT 1700. PROF. R. B. ANDERSON. MADISON, WIS. A THE ICELANDIC DISCOVERIES OF AMERICA. 81 Greenland with a cargo of timber, and reached the abode of his father, Erik, in safety. This discovery of Leif created much talk in Greenland, and Thorvald, his brother, thinking the land had been "too little explored," begged leave of Leif, and obtained his ships for another voyage, made in 1002. Thorvald succeeded in finding the lands, and the huts that Leif had built. Here it is said they made their winter quar ters, supporting themselves on fish through the winter of 1002-3. In the spring they went on exploring along the coast. But having sailed some distance they fell in with "savages," and in a fight that followed Thorvald was killed. Shortly after that the remainder returned to Greenland. Again it is said in the sagas, that in the summer of 1006, there came from Iceland a noble and a wealthy man, Thorfinn Karlsefhi by name. This man, we are told, fell at once in love with the beautiful woman, Gudrid, the widow of Thorstein Erikson, brother to Leif, and as a natural con sequence they were united in marriage, and the event was celebrated by a merry wedding. This woman Gudrid is said to have persuaded her hus band, Karlsefni, to sail for Vinland, and that she succeeded to such a degree that Karlsefni left for Vinland in the spring of 1007, with a sufficient force to found a colony, having three or four ships, with 160 men, some women, and a cargo of cattle on board. America was safely reached. In this very year Gudrid gave birth to a child, and they named him Snorro. He was thus the first white child born in America. By way of remark, it may "be noted here that such men as the learned antiquarian, Finn Magnusson, and the renouned 82 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. sculptor, Thorvaldsen, have taken pride in tracing their ancestry to this first white American boy, Snorro. But to continue : this company of Karlsefni is said to have dwelt in the country for the three following years, but then to have returned again to Greenland. Karlsefni had to give up his enterprise on account of the hostility of the natives. Many of their crew had lost their lives, when the remainder returned home, 1010, with a cargo of timber, skins, and furs. The latter |two of which they had obtained from the natives. Yet another party sailed for Vinland, 1011, but with even less success. A quarrel arose among their number, which ended in cruelty and bloodshed within their own flock. After their return to Greenland, 1012, ends the account of all the important attempts to explore and colonize Vinland, or America, as far as the Northmen are concerned. As previously stated, this gives the outline of discoveries and voyages made by the Northmen in the tenth and eleventh centuries, as related by the sagas and annals of Iceland. And in saying this, as much is said, as if these great histor ical events were backed by the strongest authority. Any one that is thoroughly acquainted with the spirit of the old sagas, their simple and unambitious style, together with their minute detail and accuracy of statement, cannot for a moment hesitate to accept their narrative as undisputable history. This in fact, is the conclusion that the learned world has arrived at. Besides this verifying power of the spirit and accuracy of the sagas themselves, innumerable coincidental facts, and important finds in Greenland and even in America, absolutely THE ICELANDIC DISCOVERIES OF AMERICA. 83 prove that the Northmen were the first and last true discov erers of America. This seems a very strong statement to make without giving sufficient arguments to prove the as sertion. But it is here taken for granted that a detailed ac count of all the coincidental proofs now revealed by the best authorities on this subject, is unnecessary, and could not come within the scope of this little essay. Let it rather be sufficient to say that these discoveries of the Northmen were known to some of the learned Europeans up to 1350, at least. A passage here quoted from the Antiquitates Ameri- canae, clearly proves that the native Indians, also, pos sessed some traditions about the Northmen in America. This is the passage: "There was a tradition current with the oldest Indians (in these parts) that there came a wooden house and men of another country in it, swim ming up the river Assoonet, as this (Tonton river) was then called, who fought the Indians with mighty suc cess, etc." Besides all this, an appeal to common sense ought to tell us that the Vikings, the boldest navigators of ancient times, men who visited or plundered every nook and corner of Eu rope, so to speak, could not help but to discover America, after once having discovered Greenland. To support that the history of these disc overies was known through Europe, we have the account of the French author, Gabriel Gravier, (together with many others,) in his work, Decouverte de l'Amerique par les Normands, that Gudrid, wife of Karlsefni, made a journey to Rome, where she was well received, and that she here certainly told about her voyage in America, and it is also here said that the facts thus 84 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. revealed by Gudrid, although kept as a profound secret by the papal authorities, had without a doubt a great influence on subsequent discoveries. We have thus shown that the discoveries in America by Leif Erikson are proven by accurate records in Iceland, that the history of these discoveries was known through Europe, and especially in Rome, that this history of the Northmen is verified by subsequent coincidental discoveries, and the re mains of ruins and relics, and finally, that the old traditions of the Indians in America must necessarily remove every shadow of a doubt. What then can be the value of the so-called discovery of Columbus? Columbus himself professes to have gone to, and beyond Iceland, whether he got any information there in regard to America is not certain, but a great sailor and a rover that he was, together with his genius for geography and ambition for discovery, make it very probable, and indeed almost certain, that he did obtain the necessary infor mation for his great subsequent voyage. If not, what did he go to Iceland for? Two facts are certain, and that is, that he would naturally endeavor to obtain any information con nected with his conceived enterprise, and since there was nothing to hinder him from getting this information, either from the people in Iceland or their sagas, what are we to in fer but that he did? Secondly, if he did obtain some knowl edge there about America, it is equally certain that a man of his ability and sagacity, would have sense enough to remain tacit about it, if for his silence he would be rewarded with the immortal glory of discovering the better half of the world. Or how could the man help but to get the necessary THE ICELANDIC DISCOVERIES OF AMERICA. 85 information from his advisors in Rome, who knew all about it? This indeed is so strongly hinted at in one of the ac counts of Columbus that nothing but the blindest prejudice can dismiss its significance. The fact of it all is that Leif Erikson is the true discoverer of America, while Columbus was merely the first emigrant to America from Spain. The First Swedish Settlement in America, EMMA SHERWOOD CHESTER. [Published in the Scandinavia in 1884.1 To the human trait of avarice may be attributed the world's most rapid advance in every department of com merce and its subsequent arts. The alluring sparkle of gold has led men to dare all latitudes and seas, however strange, however obstinately closed, however strewn with deadmen's bones ; and from the new world of North and South America there has streamed for centuries the light of a beacon such as this. The Northmen, the Spanish, the French, the English, the Dutch — an army of adventurers — have come, have seen, have generally conquered. To their magnificent courage or insatiable greed, the doors of knowledge and of wealth have opened, and the majority of these early colonists have gained their ends, — the acquisition of territory at any risk, the ex tortion of gold at any cost. But higher motives and more enduring principles were brought to us across the seas when religious intolerance drove the spirit of martyrdom to our shores. The Puritans, the Huguenots, the Swedish fugitives from the Protestant-Catholic wars colonized those states in (87) 88 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. which slavery with its attendant evils found its most inse cure footing; and on the banks of the Delaware, the only humane policy ever devised for dealing with the Indian race, was instituted by the pious Swedes. "Slaves," said Gustaf Adolf, "cost a great deal, labor with reluctance, and soon perish from hard usage; but the Swedish nation is indus trious and intelligent, and hereby we shall gain more by a free people with wives and children." This would appear to be a stroke of economy rather than a principle of morality, but in the instructions of the Swedish government to Gov ernor Printz, with regard to the Indians, the genuine piety of the Swedish administration is exhibited. Article IX reads as follows : " The wild nations bordering on all sides, the gov ernor shall treat with all humanity and respect, and so that no violence or wrong be done to them by Her Royal Maj esty, or her subjects aforesaid ; but he shall rather * * * exert himself that the same wild people may be gradually instructed in the truths and worship of the Christian relig ion, and in other ways brought to civilization and good gov ernment, and in this manner properly guided. Especially shall he seek to gain their confidence, and impress upon their minds that neither he, the governor, nor his people and sub ordinates are come into these parts to do them any wrong or injury, but much more for the purpose of furnishing them with such things as they may need for the ordinary wants of life." Religious dissensions, the most bitter and cruel of all an imosities, had scattered broadcast over Europe, in the seven teenth century, the seeds of fermentation and unrest. So that when William Usselinx, a native of Antwerp, Brabant, THE FUIST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 89 proposed to Gustaf Adolf in 1624, the despatch of a Swedish colony to America, it was as if he had provided an outlet for the bursting national heart. Gustaf seized upon the plan with enthusiasm. He concentrated upon it all of his talents as a statesman, and the result was a scheme which for bril liancy and liberality of design has had no parallel in the an nals of colonization projects. Usselinx was the founder of the Dutch West India Company, of which he was also for several years a director. Becoming dissatisfied for some rea son with the management of the company, he severed his connection with it, and proceeded to Stockholm. He appears to have been a man of more than ordinary ability, which was exhibited in the projection more than in the execution of great enterprises. He was the agitator of more conserva tive men, and to him is accredited the first conception of a Swedish colony in America, at a time when Europe was absorbed in the seriousness of home affairs. The Thirty Years' War was at its height, and Protestant Danes and Germans were exposed to the fury of the storm. Gustaf Adolf was as yet but a looker-on, conscious of the inevitable part which he must soon assume, and burdened with anxiety for his unhappy subjects. Usselinx appeared at an oppor tune moment. He proposed the founding of a trading com pany in Sweden, whose operations should extend to Asia, Africa, and America, the territory included in the project being, indeed, almost unlimited, He expatiated to the king upon the advantages certain to accrue from the enterprise, that carried objections before it. He appealed to his philan thropy by depicting the opportunities for spreading the Christian religion among heathen nations. He asserted in 90 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. positive terms the pecuniary gain which would eventually be added to the Swedish crown ; and, as a clinching argument in favor of the immediate undertaking of the scheme, he pointed to the suffering condition of the Protestants in the kingdom, and the horrors to which they were exposed. The king foresaw in it a benefit not to be defined by Usselinx's terms. While he recognized in it the direct solution of a problem which had long vexed his mind, he also perceived moral and political blessings as likely to arise from it, which the eye of a great statesman only can descry through centu ries. In the warrant for the establishment of such a corn- pan}', we find these words : " Know ye, that by a petition, the honest and prudent William Usselinx has humbly shown and proved to Us how a general trading company here from our kingdom of Sweden, to Asia, Africa, America, and Ma gellan could be established," etc. * * * " Such being the proposition which he made, we have taken it into considera tion, and that we cannot disapprove of it, nor do we see, but what it is sure, that if God will give success, it shall tend to the honor of His holy name, to our and the state's welfare, and the advancement and advantage of our sub jects. We have, therefore, graciously received, and with pleasure approved of it, and consented that the said com pany be organized and established," etc. * * * "Given and signed in our royal palace at Stockholm, the 21st of December, 1624. Gustavus Adolphus." A commercial company endowed with the privilege of founding foreign colonies, was therefore incorported at Stock holm, May 21, 1627. The charter provided the existence of the company for twelve years from May, 1625 to May, 1637, THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 91 during which time no capital was to be withdrawn, nor new stockholders admitted. Usselinx was to have for his ser vices, past, present, and future, "one per mille of all goods and merchandise which were bought and sold in the com pany." It was decided that the contributions of capital should not proceed from any single country, but that all Europe should be invited to share in the enterprise, both with the subscription of means and the despatch of colonists. Prof. Odhner regards this as a move of expediency rather than disinterestedness, as the finances of Sweden were then in a state of depletion. But the character of Gustaf Adolf would surely admit a more generous construction, namely, that he wished all suffering people to share in its possible ad vantages. The persons who took part in this remarkable company were his majesty's mother, the Queen Dowager Christina, the Prince John Cassimir, the Royal Council, and the most distinguished of the nobility, the higest officers of the army, the bishops and other clergymen, together with the burgo masters and aldermen of the cities, as well as a large num ber of the people generally. For the direction and execution of the plan, there were appointed an admiral, vice-admiral, chapman, under-chapman, assistants, and commissaries, and a body of soldiers fully officered. Such was the plan pro posed by the greatest man of his time. But God disposed otherwise. Upon the eve of the fruition of his designs, Gus taf was summoned to his supreme mission as defender of the Protestant faith in Europe. Brilliant triumphs distinguished him in other spheres, but through them all he preserved an un diminished interest in the plan which had been thus tempora- 92 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. rily, as he believed, frustrated. At the battle of Liitzen he lost his life, bequeathing to his chancellor, Oxenstierna, who was also his beloved friend and cooperator, "the jewel of his crown," i. e., the project which had lain so near his heart. Oxenstierna exerted himself to the utmost to carry out the intentions of the king, but his efforts were unsuccessful, chiefly on account of an impoverished treasury. The final outgrowth of his exertions was a conception far inferior to that of Gustaf. "I think it to be regretted," said Provost Stille, upon the occasion of the presentation of a portrait of Queen Christina to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, " I think it to be regretted that while we possess the portrait of Queen Christina, we have not those of her great father, Gustaf Adolf, and of Oxenstierna. I firmly believe that those two men, in their scheme for colonizing the shores of the Delaware, are entitled to the credit of the first attempt in modern times to govern colonies for a higher purpose than that of enriching the commercial and manufacturing classes of the mother country. No doubt the expectation of extend ing Swedish commerce was one of the motives which led to the founding of the colony, but it seems always to have been a subordinate one." Some Swedish historians claim that an emigration took place as early as 1627, under Gustaf Adolf; but this is no where substantiated. TheCabots had sighted Delaware as early as 1496, but they had in all probability passed it by. That Hudson saw the Delaware Bay, on Aug ust 28, 1609, is confirmed by the log-book of his mate, Juet. And in 1623 the Dutch took possession of the shores of the Delaware. But there is no authority for stating that the Swedes ever visited this locality before 1638. At the age of THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 93 six Christina succeeded her father, and from that time until she was eighteen, the kingdom was under regency, thus giv ing to Oxenstierna an opportunity for deliberating upon the best methods for advancing the plans of Gustaf. In May, 1635, he visited Holland on political business, and there saw Samuel Blommaert, Swedish commissary at Amsterdam, and a partner in the Dutch West India Company. Prof. Odner, of the University of Lund, had the good fortune a few years ago to discover, in the Royal Archives of Sweden, a package containing letters from Blommaert to Oxenstierna, concern ing the first expedition to Delaware. In these letters Blom maert broaches the subject of a Swedish expedition to the coast of Guinea. About one year later a Dutchman named Spiring visited Oxenstierna in Sweden. He had recom mended himself to the chancellor by a certain shrewd busi ness capacity, and was employed in the Swedish service. Upon his return to Holland, after this visit, he wrote to Oxenstierna regarding commercial matters, and the letter is now in the Oxenstierna Collection of the Royal Archives at Stockholm. He had talked with Blommaert of the Guinea scheme, and had heard through him of a man who could give reliable information on the subject. This man was Peter Menewe, destined to become the second governor of the State of Delaware. Menewe was a native of Wesel, in the county of Cleves, Holland. He was a member of the Dutch West India Company, and had served as governor of New Netherlands, in America, from 1626 to 1632. This territory of which the Dutch held stout possession, extended from the Delaware to the Hudson, and in the capacity of governor, Menewe resided at New Amsterdam (now New York City) . 94 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. As the result of some disagreement, he was dismissed from his office in 1632, and returned to Holland, where he was brought to the notice of Blommaert by Peter Spiring. His prolonged residence in America had . no doubt given him a thorough knowledge of the locality, and he was, of all avail able persons, the one best qualified to lead the enterprise now proposed. These three Blommaert, Spiring, and Menewe, met at the Hague, early in 1637, and held a consultation, which it was deemed best, should be private, on account of the possible interference of the Dutch West India Company. It was found that the Guinea plan would involve too heavy an expenditure of means, and they therefore turned their thoughts to North America. Prof. G. B. Keen has trans lated in full a letter from Menewe to Spiring, then in Sweden, in which he offers his services to the Swedish government, as the founder of a colony in "New Sweden," on the banks of the Delaware. The letter is extremely interesting, and Prof. Keen's translation may be found in the Pennsylvania Magazine, No. 4, Vol. VI. It is dated "Amsterdam, June 15, 1636," and contains an estimate of the expense of such an expedition as was proposed; "half of which," he says, "I myself, will guarantee, Mr. Spiring assuming the other half, either on his own account, or for the crown, the same to be paid at once in cash." To this plan the Swedish government gave its cheerful consent. Half of the mone}' was subscribed by Menewe, Blommaert, and their friends; half by the three Oxenstiernas, Clas Fleming (virtual chief of the admiralty), and Spiring. " The consequences, of this design," said the chancellor, "will be favorable to all Christendom, to Europe, to the whole THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 95 world." He, too, like Gustaf Adolf, possessed the eye of a seer. (On August 9, 1637, the admiralty issued a passport for two ships, the Kalmars Nyckel, and the Vogel Grip. The former was a man-of-war, the latter a sloop. Both were well supplied with provisions, and merchandise for traffic with the Indians. Besides Menewe, the only person ex pressly named as taking part in the expedition are Henrik Huyghen, probably Menewe's brother-in-law, a Swedish sur veyor named Mans Kling, and a religious instructor named Reorus Torkillus. The remainder of the emigrants, in the neighborhood of fifty, were largely composed of criminals — Swedes and Finns. That New Sweden was used as a place of banishment for miscreants, we have evidence in "A Proceed ing of the Fiscal against and sentence of Gysbert Cornelissen Beyerlandt," in these words : "Thursday being the 3d February, 1639, Ulrich Leo- poldt, fiscal plaintiff, against Gysbert Cornelissen Beyer landt. Plaintiff demands that defendant be sent to Fatherland and condemned, as quarrelsome persons usually are, who wound soldiers in the fort, as defendant has lately done in Fort Amsterdam. "The fiscal's demand on and against Gysbert Corne lissen Beyerlandt having been seen, and everything being maturely considered, he is condemned to work with the company's blacks until the first sloop shall sail for the South River, where he is to serve the company and pay the wounded soldier fl. 15, the surgeon fl. 10 for his fee, and the fiscal a fine of fl.10." ^Various causes conspired to hinder the embarkation of the littlecompany until late in the autumn, when bad weather 96 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. at sea still further opposed them, so that the voyage was not continued until near theclose of 1637. Little is known of the details of this voyage. That it was very circuitous is im plied from the course taken by Governor Printz several years later. Printz sailed south past the Portugese and Barbary coast, until he found the " Eastern passage" when he veered directly across toward America, landing at Antigua, where he spent Christmas. He then proceeded on his voyage past Virginia and Maryland, to Cape Henlopen, and landed at Fort Christina about six months from the time of leaving Stockholm. As Printz stopped at Antigua, it is probable that Menewe, who is supposed to have come directly here, was not so long in making the voyage. In 1630 the Dutch had taken possession of the banks of the Delaware, and early in the spring of 1631 planted a colony of more than thirty persons, just within Cape Hen lopen, on Lewes creek. Here they built a little fort, and erected the arms of Holland. They named the country Swaanendale, and the water Godny's Bay. The care of the little settlement was entrusted to Gillis Hosset, first gov ernor of Delaware. But Hosset soon fell into altercations with the Indians, who revenged the murder of one of their chiefs in the established Indian fashion, destroying the fort and all its occupants. From which period the Dutch aban doned this particular locality of Delaware. Menewe landed at Cape Henlopen, and purchased of the Indians the same land which the Dutch, almost the same day, eight years before, had bought. He named the cape Paradise Point. The grant of land included all of that territory on the west side of the river from Cape Henlopen to the Falls of San- THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 97 tickan, and extending several days journey inland, — accord ing to some authorities, "to the great falls of the river Sus quehanna, near the mouth of Conewaga creek." The land was surveyed by Mans Kling, and stakes were driven into the ground as landmarks. The deed was written in Dutch, as the Swedes were not yet familiar with the Indian lan guage. It was subscribed to by five Indian chiefs, and sent to Sweden for preservation. Unfortunately the deed was destroyed by the fire of the royal palace in 1697. The Dutch at Fort Nassau protested against the invasion of the Swedes, and Governor Kieft, of New Amsterdam, formally objected, saying: "The whole South River of New Netherlands has been many years in our possession, and secured above and below by forts, and sealed with our blood. Which even hap pened during your administration of New Netherlands and is well known to you, etc. Thus done (Thursday being the 6th of May, Anno 1638." The South River trade was very important. Two vessels, leaving there in 1644, are said to have had a cargo of twenty-one hundred and twenty pack ages of beavers, and thirty-six thousand four hundred and sixty -seven packages of tobacco. There was, therefore, con sidering the circumstances, reasonable ground for dispute in the matter. Menewe, however, seems to have disregarded the protest of Kieft, and to have made no allusion to it in his letters home, for he says in a letter to Blommaert that he "traveled some miles into the country to discover whether there were any Christian people there, and made signals by firing cannon, but received no response to indicate their pres ence." He continued his course up the river to a place called by the Indians Hopockahacking, but named by the Swedes 98 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Christina, after their queen, who was then eleven years old. At this point, on Minquas (Christina) Kil, Menewe appears to have determined to remain, from the first ; although Van- der Donk states that he (Menewe) represented to Vander Nederhorst, the agent of the Dutch West India Company in the South River country, that he was on his way to the West Indies, and had stopped to take in wood and water, after which he should continue his voyage. But upon the return of the Dutch, somewhat later, they found the Swedes cultivat ing a little garden, the seeds of which had already sprung up. Upon their third visit they perceived Menewe's intentions to be unmistakable, for he had commenced the erection of a fort. In vain Governor Kieft protested, and at last suc cumbed. Various reasons are given forthis submission, which on the face of it is unaccountable, considering the superior numbers of the Dutch. One writer states that the charter of the Dutch West India Company forbade declaring war with a foreign state or the native Indians, without the consent of the states general of the United Netherlands. Another rea son given for Kieft's uncharacteristic mildness on this occa sion is the Protestant amity which existed between the Dutch and Swedes, and which found a bond of union in that period of disintegration. The Kalmars Nyckcl cast anchor at a natural wharf of rocks (foot of Sixth street, Wilmington), and upon these rocks a fort was built, whose southern rampart extended within a few feet of the creek. Directly under its walls, on one side of the creek, was a basin called the harbor, where vessels might lie out of the current, the creek at this point be ing navigable for large craft. Owing to alluvial deposits, THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 99 this basin is now filled up, although the original outline as drawn by Lindstrom, surveyor to the Printz's expedition, is still perceptible, and accords with Lindstrom's plan. The fort was built on an elevation, accessible, as has been said, to large vessels on one side, but otherwise surrounded by bogs and sand-banks. The siteis now occupied by theexten- sive workshops of Wilmington. The fort served for the residence of the garrison, and there was also a structure for the storing of provisions and merchandise. Both were of logs. Subsequent investigations have brought to light an iron bridle from which a portion of the head-stall is broken, and an irregular fragment of a common tin plate. Both of these articles are now in the possession of the Historical Society of Delaware. Here the Swedes seem to have prospered, for there exists a letter from Governor Kieft, dated July 31, 1638, in which he accuses Menewe of monopolizing the fur trade of the Dela- ware by underselling the Dutch and conciliating the Indians ; and, indeed, the Swedes are said to have exported thirty thousand skins during the first year of their residence in New Sweden. Upon the completion of the fort, and about three months after entering the Delaware, Menewe prepared to re turn to Sweden. Kieft's letter mentioned above, also speaks of Menewe's leaving, which would imply that he went some time in that month (July, 1638). He had taken all precau tions for the welfare of the colony in his absence, and left < twenty-three men under command of Mans Kling, and Hen- rik Huyghan. To Kling was consigned the duties of a mili tary commander, and to Huyghen the care of civH matters. They were directed to defend thefort, and continue the traffic 100 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. with the Indians. The Vogel Grip was sent to the West Indies in advance to exchange a cargo brought from Gothen burg, and Menewe followed in the Kalmars Nyckel. He ar rived at the island of St. Christopher in safety, where he exchanged his cargo, and, possibly, met his death. Con cerning his fate there is much conflicting evidence. Nearly all writers agree in declaring that he returned to Fort Christina, where, after serving the colony for three years, he died, and was buried. But Prof. Odner has recently announced that this is incorrect, for which statement he presents what he believes to be indisputable evidence. In a letter to Blom maert, dated June 8, 1639, Clas Fleming speaks of the necessity of providing a successor to Menewe at Fort Christina ; and for his theory that Menewe was lost at sea, Prof. Odner refers to Blommaert's letters to the chancellor, dated November, 13, 1638, and January 28, 1640. The inferences are as follows : While exchanging his cargo at St. Christopher, Menewe was invited to board a Dutch vessel called The Flying Deer, and while thus entertained one of the terrific hurricanes known to that country arose, dismantling and foundering many ships. As neither The Flying Deer nor any of her crew was ever seen again, it would seem that Menewe perished in this manner. The Kalmars Nyckel escaped, and took every means for the recovery of her com mander, but he was seen no more, and the vessel pursued her way to Sweden. Encountering rough winds which disabled her, she retired to a Dutch port, to await repairs and further orders. The sloop Vogel Grip returned to Fort Christina, took in a cargo of furs, and procceeded to Sweden, where she arrived at the close of May, 1639, making the voyage THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 101 from Christina to Stockholm in five weeks. The little colony, then left to itself, became discouraged, and was about to abandon the settlement, when Peter Hollendare was ap pointed the successor of Menewe, and Clas Fleming assumed the direction of the work in Sweden. In 1639, the ship Kalmars Nyckel, which had suffered damages at sea, was repaired and equipped in Holland, with the view of despatching a second Swedish colony to Am erica. Cornelis Van Vliet, a Dutch captain, who had been for some time in the Swedish service, was selected as a man well qualified to take command of the vessel ; but upon his appointment, there arose an unexpected difficulty in obtain ing emigrants. This was supposed to be due to the fact that the long and, at that time, dangerous voyage, antecedent to settlement in a country inhabited by savages, presented inadequate attractions. But there seems to have existed, from the first, a personal prejudice against Van Vliet, which, as was eventually proved, was not without grounds. No one volunteered to accompany him, and it was at last found necessary to make a draught upon such married soldiers as had evaded service, and others, guilty of evil offences, to gether with their wives and children. Thus provided with emigrants, the perplexity of raising funds presented itself, the country having been drained of its resources by wars. But at this juncture, Blommaert and Spiring, with their custom- ar}' zeal, came forward, and advanced the requisite means. The Kalmars Nyckel was accordingly equipped, and provided with another crew, concerning whom little is known. The governor appointed to accompany the expedition, as succes sor to Menewe, was Peter Hollendare, who signs himself 102 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Kidder (knight) . Having thus far vanquished her obstacles, the Kalmars Nyckel left Gothenburg in the autumn of 1639, destined, however, to meet with still further discourage ments. Upon entering the North Sea, she sprang a leak, and was obliged to put into Medemblik for repairs ; again she started, only to encounter fresh disasters, until the growing dissatisfaction with both crew and vessel was vehemently oppressed. Van Vliet was accused of dishonesty in victual ling the ship, and was convicted of the charge, upon the exa mination which was immediately ordered by Blummaert. Mr. Spiring thereupon commanded Van Vliet's discharge, and appointed Pouwel Jansen (probably Dutch) in his place, a new crew also having been hired. But continued misfor tunes beset them at sea, and it was not until February 7, 1640, that the Kalmars Nyckel made the successful effort to sail from Texel. At this point, the name of Blommaert, so distinguished in the records of the earliest exposition, dis appears from the current chronicles ; and it is supposed that he either died, or retired from the Swedish service, the former supposition being the more credible. HoUendare's colony- landed at Christina, April 17, 1640, a little more than two months after leaving the Texel. They found the settlement left by Menewe in good condition (Kieft's letters being the only authority to the contrary), but, for want of an executive head, and having heard nothing from home, they appear to have entertained doubts, at this period, as to the expediency of trying to maintain their national independence. It is probably that they would have allied themselves to the interests of the Dutch, had it not been for the HoUendare's arrival. Professor Odhner who has THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 103 prosecuted the search with much zest, declares that he has been unable to discover any record as to the way in which Menewe's colony occupied their time after his departure, with the exception of a partially destroyed Schuldt Boeck, kept by Henrik Huyghen, from the year 1838, the contents of which are meagre and afford little information. Concern ing the people whom Hollendare found upon his arrival, and he himself took with him, he says in a letter to the chancel lor: "No more stupid or indifferent people are to be found in all Sweden than those which are now here." He appears to have encountered the opposition of Mans Kling, whose rough experience had taught him the impracticability of cer tain theories advanced by Hollendare for dealing with the Dutch, and who may have found subordination to a novice in these matters hard to brook. Hollendare purchased land of the Indians for a distance of eight or nine Swedish miles above Fort Christina, erecting three pillars for a boundary. (These continually renewed purchases of land from the Indians remind one of an American child-expression, "Indian- giver," meaning one who presents a gift and then takes it back). Incipient protests were made, from time to time, by the Dutch, but none of serious consequence. About this time the Swedes also purchased of the Indians a considerable tract of land on the east side of the river, having already bought, as has been stated, the territory on the west side. According to Hazard's Annals, a general sickliness prevailed among both Swedes and Dutch, during HoUendare's ad ministration, and it was deemed expedient to take measures at once for the strengthening of the colony. In May, 1640, therefore, Mans Kling was sent to Swe 104 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. den in the Kalmars Nyckel, for the purpose of laying before the government the necessities of the settlement; and in May, 1641, Kling left Stockholm in the Charitas, a vessel which had been prepared at the above place, at a cost of about thirty-five thousand florins. He took with him a company of mining-people and "roaming Finns, "the later being a race inhabiting the Swedish forests. They numbered thirty-two persons, four of whom were criminals, the remainder going either as servants to the company, or to better their condi tion. Mans Kling was accompanied by his wife, a maid, and a little child. He was appointed to serve as lieutenant on the pay of forty rix-daler a month, beginning May 1, 1641, and was also granted by Clas Fleming, as a present, fifty rix- daler expectancy money. Sailing from Stockholm, Kling re paired to Gothenburg, where he was joined by the Kalmars Nyckel, and (probably) other emigrants. The two vessels left Sweden, in 1641, constituting the third expedition to the Delaware. Soon after their arrival at Christina, a new com pany, under the name of the West India or America com pany, was formed, and it was decided that the crown should pay the salaries of a governor and such other officers as might be needed for the advancement of the colony. HoUendare's last letter to the chancellorwas dated December 3, 1640, and little more than the writer has stated is known of his admin istration. The fourth expedition, under Governor Printz, proved to be the largest, and in point of numbers, the most important of the expeditions sent to Delaware. The chief personages who took part in it were the governor, his wife, and daughter Armgott, the Rev. Johan Campanius (Holm) , and Mans Kling, THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 105 who had returned to Sweden, in 1641. Johan Printz, lieut enant-colonel in the Swedish army, was appointed Governor of Delaware, August 15, 1642. He was granted four hun dred rix-Daler for traveling expenses, and two hundred dol lars silver for his annual salary, to commence January 1, 1643. His " Instructions" were dated at Stockholm, August 15, 1642; and on the 30th of the same month, "a budget for the government of New Sweden" was adopted. Herein are mentioned a lieutenant, a surgeon, a corporal, a gunner, a trumpeter, besides twenty -four private soldiers; also, in the civil list, a preacher (Campanius), a clerk (Knut Persson), a provost ( Johan Olafsson) , and a hangman, the whole estimate of salaries amounting to three thousand and twenty rix-daler. The Company's "servants, "and those who went to improve their condition, were called freemen ; while the malefactors were retained in slavery, and occupied ground appropriated for them, there being no intercourse between the two classes. According to Campanius, it had proved greatly to the detri ment of the colony for criminals to be permitted to share in its advantages, and the embarkation, for this purpose of any person of bad repute was forbidden in Sweden. Such as had already come out were required to return, many of whom died at sea. The official "Instructions" instructed Printz to go to Gothenburg by land, as being more expeditious. Whether he did so, or whether he went in the ship Fama, which sailed from Stockholm and was joined at Gothenburg by Svanen and (acording to Acrelius) the Cbaritas, is un certain. He was instructed to be governed by the skippers and officers of the ships, as to the course he should take; whether "to the north of Scotland, or through the channel 106 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. between France and England." According to Acrelius, and other authorities, he sailed south. The expedition left Goth enburg, November 1, 1642, and arrived at Christina, Febru ary 15, 1643. The first official report sent by Printz from New Sweden is lost, but in a private letter to the chancellor, dated April 14, 1643, he says: " It is a remarkably fine land, with all excellent qualities a man can possibly desire on earth." Yet, during this first year, there was great mor tality among the Swedes, which Printz, in his report for 1647, attributes to hard work and insufficient food; for upon receiving board and wages they did well enough. In this year, on the 7th of September, Reorus Torkillus, the clergyman who accompanied Menewe, died at Christina. In this year also, came Johan Papegaja, with a letter to the governor, recommending his "employment, protection, and advancement." He afterwards married the governor's daughter Armgott, a haughty lady, who exercised a tyran nous disposition over the Swedes. On the 6th of November, 1643, Queen Christina granted Tinicum Island to Printz, and here he established his residence. His mansion, which he named "Printz Hall," is said to have been "very handsome." Adjacent to it were an orchard and pleasure house; and here also, Fort Gothenburg was erected, the whole island being frequently spoken of as New Gothenburg. While the governor's arbitrary temper rendered him, in time, odiusto the people, his executive ability must command the highest praise. Neither Menewe nor Hollendare had done more than to break the roughest ground of the enter prise, and it remained for their successor systematically to establish means for the permanent protection of the new set- THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 107 tlement, Fort Christina having been repaired, and Fort Gothenburg completed. Of the forts projected and finished by Printz, the following are the chief: (1) Elfsborg. This was on the eastern side of the river, about two miles below Christina. It was usually garrisoned by twelve men commanded by a lieutenant, and had eight iron and brass guns. At this point of vantage, Printz is said to have exercised great authority over the Dutch, whose movements were thus worried and frustrated by him. The statement of most historians that he weighed at this time, upwards of four hundred pounds, is regarded by Hazard as a mistake, and probably refers to a relative of the govern or's. Certainly, were it Printz himself, the active duties of a Soldier must have soon reduced the formidable bulk. Al though Elfsborg was considered a very valuable site, it became uninhabitable on account of the mosquitoes which infest New Jersey, and was soon abandoned. (2) Manajunk. This was a "handsome" little fort on the Schuylkill. It was made of logs, filled up with sand and stones, and surrounded by palisades cut very sharp at the top. It was mounted with great guns. (3) Korsholm. This fort was at Passajunk, in the neigh borhood of Chinsessing, and was commanded by Swen Schute. On the other side of it was a substantial house called Wasa, built of hickory, and two stories high. It was defended by freemen, although not strictly a fort. About a quarter of amile further up, on the" Minquas Road," Printz built a similar strong house, and also the first mill in Dela ware, calling the place Mondal. Private residences and plan tations rapidly sprang up, centering chiefly upon Tinicum 108 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Island. The place of Olaf Stille, a Swede who was much beloved by the Indians, is indicated on Lindstrom'smap,and was probably on the Schuylkill, southwest of Philadelphia. From him is descended Provost Stille, of the University of Pennsylvania, the name being one of the very few which re main uncorrupted . Thus the colony was strengthened and enabled to control the Indian trade of the Schuylkill. That Printz was not always scrupulous in his methods of gaining an end, is certain, but that he endeavored to serve his coun try in the best way compatible with his vindictive and ambitious temperament must be conceded. This much may at least be said of him. He was the first real pioneer which the State of Delaware had seen, and upon his retiring from the service the prosperity of the colony steadily declined. The Indian policy pursued by the Swedes, in accordance with the instructions given to Printz, cannot be over estimated. The important paragraph contained in Article 9 has already been quoted. Article 5 reads : " The governor, God willing, have arrived in New Sweden, he must, for his better information, bear in mind that the boundaries of which our subjects have taken possession, in virtue of the articles of contract entered into with the wild inhabitants of the country, as the rightful lords, extend," etc., etc. That this policy, steadily pursued by the Swedes, and afterwards imitated by Penn, was ever abandoned by the American nation, remains a lasting shame. In the financial burden and moral obloquy attachingto our Indian Bureau, we have the legitimate fruits of the course we have pursued. In the year 1644, the ship Fama returned to Sweden with a cargo, which we give in Printz's own words: "One THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 109 thousand three hundred whole beavers, 299 half beavers, 537 third parts of beavers; great and small together, 2,139 beavers; again, tobacco, 20.467 pounds (Swedish), in 77 hogsheads ; again, my own tobacco — which partly I received from foreigners and partly I planted myself — 7,200 pounds, in 28 hogsheads, sent home to the shareholders in Sweden, that they may either reimburse me at 8 styfver per pound, or graciously allow me to sell it elsewhere." On the 25th of November, 1645, a great calamity befell the colony, which may best be described in the governor's words: "Between 10 and 11 o'clock, one Swen Wass, a gunner, set Fort New Gothenburg on fire ; in a short time all was lamentably burnt down, and not the least thing saved except the dairy. The people escaped, naked and destitute. Thewinter immediately set in bitterly cold" (as cold, he says elsewhere, as he had ever experienced in northern Sweden). "The rivers and all the creeks froze up, and nobody was able to get near us (because New Gothenburg is surrounded by water). The sharpness of the winter lasted until the middle of March ; so that if some rye and corn had not been unthrashed, I myself, and all the people with me would have starved to death. But God maintained us with that small quantity of provisions until the new harvest. By this sad accident the loss of the com pany is 4,000 riks-daler." His personal loss was estimated at 5,584 riks-daler. Whether his own house was destroyed I am unable to discover. According to his own account it would be inferred that it was, while Ferris states that it remained standing for more than one hundred and twenty years, "when it was accidentally destroyed by fire." What might have been the motive of Swen Wass for committing 110 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. such a deed can only be surmised. He was sent home in irons and remanded to the Swedish government for justice. The buildings were reconstructed as soon as possible. On the 1st of October, 1646, the Swedish ship Haij (sometimes called The Golden Shark) arrived, bringing the first news that had been received from home in two years and four months. She was sent back in the following February with a cargo of "24,177 pounds of tobacco, the whole in 101 casks, of which 6,920 pounds were planted in New Sweden, 17,257 pounds were purchased." The governor and other officers of the colony had received instructions to draw their salaries from the duties on tobacco; but as the revenues from this product had not been large, it was found necessary for them to obtain their subsistence from other sources. It was probably with regard to this period that Stuyvesant wrote to the commissary at the Delaware River: "The Swedish governor receives no succor, nor has he to expect any for the present, as I have been informed, trustworthily." During the year 1646, violent altercations with the Dutch occurred, and, according to Acrelius, the arms of Holland, which had been erected at Santickan, were torn down by the Swedes. In this year also, a wooden church deco rated in Swedish fashion, and situated on Tinicum Island, was consecrated September 4, by the Rev. Johan |Cam- panius. Concerning the year 1647, we obtain an inferential account from Printz's Report, dated February 20th of that year, and sent to the chancellor with Johan Papegaja. The entire number of souls in the colony at that time was one hundred and eighty -three. The quarrels between the Dutch THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. Ill and the Swedes had continued, and Printz writes with exas peration : "It is of the utmost necessity for us to drive the Dutch from the river, for they oppose us on every side. ( 1.) They destroy our trade everywhere. (2.) They strengthen the savages with guns, shot, and powder, publicly trading with these, against the edict of all Christians. (3.) They stir up the savages against us, who, but for our prudence, would already have gone too far. (4.) They begin to buy land from the savages, within our boundaries, which we had purchased eight years ago, and have theimpudence in several places to erect the arms of the West India Company, calling them their arms ; moreover, they give New Sweden the name of New Netherland, and dare to build their houses there." Hudde declares that when he sought to present the earlier claims of the Dutch, the governor replied that "the devil was the oldest possessor of hell, but that he sometimes admitted a younger one." As to the English, the Report says: "I have at last been able, with the authority of Her Majesty, to drive them from hence." In the same Report he announces that the trade has declined, and that some of the most useful members of the colony have intimated their wish to return home; among others, Henrik Huyghen, whose services were very valuable, and the clergyman, Cam panius. He himself begs to be released from his post, and to return to Sweden, in the next ship. The chancellor's reply is to the effect that Printz could not yet be spared, and that it would be advisable to raise the salary of Campanius, as an inducement for him to remain. In this year, the Svanen ar rived with goods from home, although the chancellor had been unable to fulfill all of the governor's requests thus soon. 112 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. The reply of the chancellor was brought back by Lieuten ant Johan Papegaja. The jrear of 1649 recorded the murder of two Swedes by the Indians, the first occurrence of the kind that had been chronicled. As a rule the relations of the savages with the Swedes were of the most friendly nature, although Printz complained at times that when the latter no longer had what the Indians wanted, they were liable to trouble with them, there being, apparently, no other mode of expressing amity. Campanius gives a quaint account of an Indian council called to discuss the advisability of destroying the Swedes, who no longer had "cloth, blue, red, or brown ;" nor "kettles, brass, lead, guns, nor powder." The verdict, how ever, was, that "We, native Indians, will love the Swedes, and the Swedes shall be our good friends. * * * We shall not make war upon them and destroy them. This is fixed and certain. Take care to observe it." The same writer accords to Printz "a complete suit of clothes, with coat, breeches, and belt, made by these barbarians, with their wampum, curiously wrought with the figures of all kinds of animals" — the extravagant cost being "some thousand pieces of gold." For the next two or three years, the struggle be tween Swedes and Dutch for supremacy, was a pretty even matter, the declining strength of the Swedes being supplied by re-enforced aggressiveness, while the Dutch remained supe rior in numbers. In 1651 the Dutch built Fort Cassimer ( now New Cas tle, Delaware), against which Printz protested withont effect. The name of the fort was a singular selection, inas~ much as it is Swedish rather than Dutch. The governor's THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 113 desire to return to Sweden had been steadily increasing, and he renewed his appeal to be recalled. The colony was degen erating, less because of the relaxation of Printz's efforts than of the insufficient response from home. Clas Fleming died in 1644, and his successor had not been appointed. Queen Christina, contemplating the abdication of her throne, and inheriting none of her father's love for the enterprise, mani fested little interest in the welfare of the colony. In Stuy ve- sant, Printz had found his match for love of power and unyielding determination. Under his administration, the strength of the Dutch was augmented, and, impatient at the delay of the government in recalling him from a situation which was becoming highly preplexing, Printz sailed for home before the arrival of his order to return, which was dated December 12, 1653. He left his administration in the hands of his son-in-law, Lieutenant Papegaja, who, from prolonged residence there, must have been familiar with the requirements of the office. Some of the colonists applied to Stuyvesant for permission to come under the jurisdiction and protection of the West India Company, a request which, for reasons politic, was not granted. Upon his return to Swe den Printz was made a general, and in 1658 he was appointed governor of the district of Jonkoping. He died in 1663. Johan Papegaja, Vice-Governor of Delaware for a period of eighteen months, was succeeded by Johan Claudius Rising, in 1654. On the 12th day of December, 1653, the College of Com merce of Sweden nominated Johan Claudius Rising as Com missary and Assistant Councillor to the Governor of New Sweden. Rising was a native of the then Swedish province 114 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. of Pommerania, and had been court-martialed for some mili tary offense during the Thirty Years' War. He was accom panied on his expedition to New Sweden by Peter Lindstrom, royal engineer, a clergyman named Peter , and various officers, both civil and military. He was allowed 1000 rix daler for traveling expenses, and an appropriation of 1,200 dollars silver per annum, together with such emoluments as might be derived from the South Company. He was also to have as much land in New Sweden as could be cultivated by twenty or thirty peasants. Although appointed as assist ant-councillor, or lieutenant-governor, Rising at once received precedence from Papegaja, who had served as vice- governor since Printz's departure; so that in Rising was vested the office of fifth governor of Delaware. He was directed to strengthen the Swedish possessions on South River, and to subjugate the Dutch by measures of amity, as far as possible. He sailed from Gothenburg early in the year 1654, in the ship Aren, Captain Swensko. Acrelius states that so great was the number of emigrants desirous of accom panying this expedition, that hundreds were left behind for want of sufficient passage-room for them. They arrived in the Delaware, or Southriver, on Trinity Sunday, in the latter part of May, 1654. Sailing up the river as far as the Dutch Fort Cassimir — now New Castle, Delaware — they fired a salute of two guns, in response to which two men came down to learn the character and inten tions of their visitors. They returned to their commandant, one Gerrit Bikker, and informed him that it was a Swedish vessel, with a new governor, who demanded the surrender of Fort Cassimir, claiming that the ground upon which it stood THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 115 was Swedish property. Astonished at this presumption, Bikker took time to digest it, during which Rising informed himself with more certainty as to the condition of the Dutch garrison. Assuring himself that it was feeble he landed with thirty men, who, dispersing themselves over the fort, again demanded its surrender at the point of the sword. Bikker, stupidly bewildered at the unexpectedness of the attack, and commanding but ten or twelve men, yielded his side-arms, and attempted no defenee. The gallant Lieutenant Gyllen- gren took possession of the guns, and, striking down the Dutch flag, raised the Swedish colors in its stead. The fort was named Fort Trinity, in memory of the day of its surren der. Bikker complained bitterly to Stuy vesant of the ruth less and inhuman manner in which he and his men were driven from the fort; while Acrelius, on the other hand, declares that a correct inventory of the property was taken, and that each man was permitted to remove his own at dis cretion. They were at liberty to leave the place, or to swear allegiance to the Swedish crown. Fearful of the consequences of falling into the hands of the Dutch, after his surrender, Bikker took the oath of allegiance. Concerning this affair, the Dutch records state: "We hardly know which aston ished us more, the attempt of the newly arrived Swedish troops to make themselves masters of the Southriverandour fort, or the infamous surrender of the same by our command ant." Of strategic genius Rising made no exhibition on this occasion, but for prompt and audacious sang froid , he maybe heartily commended. He rebuilt the fort, and a plan of it was drawn by Engineer Lindstrom, a copy of which was, and may still be, in the possession of Mr. Thomas Westcott, 116 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. of Philadelphia, although the original was destroyed in the fire at Stockholm in 1697. Rising now found it incumbent to renew the former treaties with the Indians, and a meeting was therefore appointed for June 17, 1654, at Printz Hall, on Tinicum Island; when, flattered and pacified with gifts, the Indians reiterated their promises of friendship and the council closed with feasting and firing of guns. ,The energies of Rising and Lindstrom were largely directed to investiga tion and classification of the resources of the country, which were duly reported to the home government. Rising, who came to New Sweden without a wife, and subsequently appealed to the chancellor for such a commodity, took up his residence in the fort at Christina. In August, 1654, Oxenstierna, Chancellor of Sweden, died ; and, upon the abdication of Christina, the reins of govern ment fell into the hands of her cousin, Charles Gustaf. In the meantime, the Dutch, who had never recovered from their indignation at the seizure of Fort Cassimir, meditated re venge ; and it was not long before the instruments of retali ation were placed by auspicious circumstances in their hands. In the latter part of September, 1654, the Swedish ship Haij, a small and weather-worn vessel of forty tw fifty tons burthen, met with a curious misadventure. She was com manded by Hendrik Van Elswyk, of Liibeck, Factor of the High Crown of Sweden, and by some error or culpable intention of the pilot, was guided out of course into the North River, to a position behind Staten Island. Elswyk was compelled to send to New Amsterdam for a pilot to re lieve them of their difficulty, and thus gave the Dutch infor mation of his presence. The Haij, with its cargo, was seized THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 117 on suspicion of evil intentions, and while the crew were per mitted to remain on the vessel, Elswyk was sent to the Southriver with instructions to Rising to settle the difficulty with the Governor of New Netherland. At a meeting of the Director-General and High Council, at New Amsterdam, on the 20th of October, 1654, a formal offer of the restitution of the ship Haij, with its effects, was made to Rising, on the condition that Fort Cassimir should be restored to the Dutch. Assurance was also given that in such an event, friendly and neighborly intercourse would be resumed. A pass was accordingly issued for Rising to visit New Amsterdam, but, tenacious of Fort Cassimir, he refused to make such a settle ment. Elswyk addressed the following protest against the seizure of the Haij, to the Director-General and Council : " Noble, Honorable Director-General," etc : " On the 22d of September last I landed, either through the carelessness, or perhaps wanton malice of my pilot, in this river of New Netherland, with the ship Haij, intrusted to me by the Royal Swedish General Chamber of Commerce, on behalf of the Hon orable South Company. I sent some of my people in a boat here to New Amsterdam, as to good friends and neighbors," [The gloss of amity between the Dutch and Swedes at this time appears to have been very thin, and an illustration of the saying, " A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still."], "to engage a pilot, who, for a money con sideration, would bring us to the Southriver. Arrived here, my men, both bom Swedes, were taken to the guard-house, and I was fetched from the place where I was by the Honor able Vice-Commander with eight musketeers, and placed here in the house of Sergeant Daniel Litschoe, but the ship 118 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. itself was also brought up from the Raritan Kil, by the Honorable Director-General, our flag hauled down, and the ship continually occupied by soldiers and people. Now, although it is asserted that his noble Honor, Johan Rising, Director of the Government of New Sweden, had taken your Honor's pretended Fort Cassimir, and that, therefore, your Honors have seized this ship with its cargo, such a pretext has no basis or foundation whatever, because the said Fort was erected in 1651 by his noble Honor, your Director-Gen eral, rather by overwhelming force than with right and equity, upon the territory of H. R. M. of Sweden, our most gracious Queen ; the then Swedish governor protesting against it, so that the aforesaid Honorable Governor, Johan Rising, has not taken it from your noble Honors, but has only repossessed himself of what belongs to Her Royal Maj esty of Sweden, herself," etc., etc. This the Dutch regarded as a mere begging of the ques tion, and they continued to reiterate their grievance in the unlawful and insufferable taking of Fort Cassimir. They relaxed none of their claim to their legitimate possession of it, and openly expressed their suspicion that the ship Haij had " lost her way" with no friendly intentions. They now, accordingly, took measures for hostile advances against the Southriver Swedes. The ship Balance, armed with thirty- six guns, and commanded by Frederick de Coninck, was in structed to proceed directly from Holland to New Nether land, and there to await further orders. She arrived on the 15th of August. On the 19th a call for volunteers was issued. "If some lovers of the flourishing, well-being, and safety of this newly-opened province of New Netherland are THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 119 willing and inclined to serve the Director-General and Council, either for love or a reasonable salary and board money, they will please address themselves to his Honor, the noble Direct or-General himself,, or to one of the honorable gentlemen of the Council, and inform them," etc. Signed, "P. Stuyvesant, "NlCASIUS DE SlLLE, 'Cornelius van Tienhoven." An order to captains of vessels in the harbor was also issued, to furnish men, ammunition, and provisions. Such as refused were impressed. Van Tienhoven and Coninck were ordered to board ships, and request amicably, or, if refused, com mand from each ship two men, two hundred pounds of cod fish, two or three small barrels of groats, one barrel of meat, with one barrel of bacon, and three hundred pounds of bread; also as much powder as they conveniently could spare. The French privateer, UEsperance, was also char tered. Jews were exempted from service, owing to the antipathy of other soldiers to do service in conjunction with them. A tax of sixty-five stivers per month, "until further orders," was, however, imposed upon each Jew over sixteen and under sixty years. " When your Honors shall have car ried the expedition to a successful end," says a letter in the Dutch Records, dated May 26, 1665, "the land upon which Fort Christina stands, with a certain amount of garden land for the cultivation of tobacco, shall be left to the peo ple, as they seem to have bought it with the knowledge and consent of the Company, under the condition that the afore said Swedes shall consider themselves subjects of this State and Company. This for your information and government." 120 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. On the 5th of September the expedition sailed for the Southriver. It consisted of seven vessels and between six and seven hundred men. Upon arriving at Fort Cassimir they at once took measures for seizing the fort. SwenSchute, was the commander in charge, and had been informed of the intentions of the enemy. Rising had instructed him to hold the fort, and above all, not to allow the Dutch to pass with out firing upon them. Schute disobeyed the latter injunc tion, and permitted the Dutch fleet to pass the fort without molestation, the force of his own garrison convincing him that discretion was the better part of valor. Upon being commanded to surrender he begged time to consult with Ris ing, but this was refused. Meanwhile fifty Dutch sailors had established themselves in the passes between Fort Cassimir and Fort Christina, thus cutting off Swedish communication and hope of relief. At this, Swen Schute claimed the privi lege of sending an open letter to Rising, but this also was denied, and accordingly, on Saturday morning, September 16, 1655, Schute boarded the Balance, and signed the capit ulation. He was severely censured by Rising for allowing the Dutch to pass the fort, without firing, and for subscribing to the capitulation on board a Dutch vessel, instead of in "some indifferent place." The surrender was allowed to be inevitable, owing to the overpowering strength of the Dutch forces. The entire population of Swedes on the Southriver at that time numbered something like four hun dred, including women and children, in opposition to whom the Dutch presented six or seven hundred armed men. Swen Schute, together with other Swedes, took the oath of alle giance to the Dutch. THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 121 Perceiving that designs were entertained against Fort Christina, Rising sent Elswyk to remonstrate with Stuyve- sant, for seeking to obtain possession of the entirely legiti mate property of the Swedes. Not to be dissuaded, how ever, the Dutch besieged Fort Christina, in the rear. The Swedish garrison consisted of but thirty men, with insuffi cient ammunition and provisions. Hopeless of immediate success, and unable to sustain a prolonged resistance, Rising, therefore, after a gallant defence, surrendered Fort Christina on the following terms : 1. "That all cannon, ammunition, provisions, and sup plies, together with other things belonging to the Crown of Sweden, which are in and around Fort Christina, shall belong to and be preserved as the property of the Swedish Crown and the Southern Company, and shall be under the power of said Governor, to take it away or deliver it to Governor Stuyvesant, with the proviso that it shall be given up on order. 2. " Governor John Rising, his superior and inferior offi cers, his officials and soldiers shall march out of the fort with drums and trumpets playing, flags flying, matches burning, with hand and side-arms, and balls in their mouths. They shall first be conducted toTinnecuck [Tinicum] Island, to which fhey shall be taken in safety, and placed in the fort which is there, until the Governor sets sail upon the ship Waegh, [ The Balance] upon which said Governor Rising, his people and property, shall be conducted to Sandy Huck, situ ated five Holland miles the other side of New York, under safe conduct, within at least fourteen days. Also the Gov ernor and Factor Elswyk shall in the meantime have allowed 122 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. them four or five servants for attending to their business, whilst the others are lodged in the Fortress. 3. "All writings, letters, instructions, and acts belong ing to the Crown of Sweden, the Southern Company, or pri vate persons which are found in Fort Christina, shall remain in the Governor's hands to take away at his pleasure, with out being searched or examined. "4. None of the Crown's or Company's officers, soldiers, officials, or private persons shall be retained here against their wishes, but shall be allowed to go without molestation along with the governor, if they so desire. 5. "That all the officers, soldiers, and officials of the Crown and of the Southern Company, and also all private persons shall retain their goods unmolested. 6. "If some officials and Freemen desire to depart, but are not able to go with the Governor and his party, they shall be allowed the time of one year and six weeks in which to sell their land and goods, provided that they do not take the oath of allegiance for the period that they remain. 7. " If any of the Swedes or Finns are not disposed to go away, Governor Rising may take measures to induce them to do so ; and if they are so persuaded, they shall not be forcibly detained. Those who choose to remain shall have the liberty of adhering to their own Augsburg confession, as also to support a minister for their instruction. 8. "Governor Rising, Factor Elswyk, and other supe rior and inferior officers, soldiers, and Freemen, with all their property which they wish to take away, shall be pro vided by the • Governor-General with a sound ship, which shall receive them at Sandy Huck and convey them to Texel, THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENT IN AMERICA. 123 and thence immediately by a coaster, galliote, or other suit able vessel to Gothenburg, without charge; with the proviso that said coaster, galliote, or other vessel shall not be de tained, for which the said Governor Rising shall be an swerable. 9. "In case Governor Rising, Factor Elswyk, or any other official belonging to the Swedish Crown, or the South Company, has incurred any debts on account of the Crown or of the Company, they shall not be detained therefor within the jurisdiction of the Governor-General. 10. "Governor Rising has full freedom to make himself acquainted with the conduct of Commander Schute and that of his officers and soldiers in regard to the surrender of Sandhuk Fort [Fort Cassimir]. 11. "Governor Rising promises that between the 15th and the 25th of September, he will withdraw his people from Fort Christina, and deliver it up to the Governor- General. "Done and signed the 15-25th of September, 1655, on the parade between Fort Christina and the Governor-Gener al's camp. "Peter Stuyvesant, "John Rising." secret article. "It is further capitulated that the Captain who is to convey Captain John Rising and the Factor Henry Elswyk shall be expressly commanded and ordered to put the afore said Governor Rising and the Factor Elswyk on shore, either in England or in France ; and that the Director-Gen eral shall lend to Governor Rising, either in money or bills of exchange, the sum of three hundred pounds Flemish, which 124 history of the Scandinavians in the u. s. the said Governor Rising engages to repay to the Governor- General, or his order, in Amsterdam, within six months after the receipt. In the meantime he leaves as a pledge and equivalent the property of the Crown and Southern Com pany now given up. Hereof we give two copies signed by the contracting parties. "Concluded September 15-25th, on the parade between Fort Christina and Governor-General Stuy vesant's camp. "Perer Stuyvesant. "John Rising." Nineteen Swedes subscribed to the oath of allegiance to the Dutch. Rising did not immediately return to Sweden, and the arms and ammunition of the Crown were not re deemed. Thus fell, after an independence of seventeen years, the Swedish political power on the Delaware. Had it not been for the rashness of Rising in stirring up the enmity of the Dutch, it might still have survived. Yet the chief cause of its subjugation, doutless, lay in the magnificent maritime re sources of Holland, as opposed to the poverty of Sweden in that respeet. Help came slowly and insufficiently to the Swedes from home, at this time, while Holland had but to beat the drum in her streets, and the colony of New Nether land was promptly re-enforced. Not thus ignominiously perished the seeds of moral in tegrity and thrift planted by the Swedes upon the Delaware river. Scattered broad-cast, they bloom today in countless American homes. The First Norwegian Immigration, OR The Sloop Party of 1825. — BY— O. N. NELSON. Many writers have discussed the origin, cause, and effect of the first Norwegian immigration to the United States in the nineteenth century. It would be difficult, indeed, to find a subject which has been treated so extensively, and at the same time in such an unsatisfactory manner, as that topic. This is not to be wondered at, considering the chaotic condi tion of the material which had to be relied upon. Hardly any of the very first Norwegian immigrants, say from 1800 to 1840, were educated men ; and, of course, they never kept any kind of diaries or written memorandums. "Kleng Peerson looked upon himself as the pathfinder and father of the Norwegian immigration." But the "father" does not seem to have left behind him any productions of his own in regard to his relation with the early Norwegian immigrants; and not a single one of the members of the Sloop family, 125 126 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. who sailed from Stavanger in 1825, appears to have pub lished anything with reference to the journey from Norway to America until nearly fifty years later, and then only a brief and unimportant communication in a Norwegian- Amer ican newspaper (1). As far as is known, it was not until 1839, eighteen years after Kleng Peerson's first landing in America, that any account of the Sloop party appeared in print. This was the little book by Ole Rynning, who came to this country a couple of years before its publication. The work was in tended to be an emigrant guide rather than a history, and hardly more than two pages are devoted to the Sloop folks. The author asserts, however, that some of the people sent letters to Norway during their first years of residence upon American soil ; but none has ever been made public, and, in all probability, not even preserved. From forty-five to seventy years had passed before any serious attempts were made to gather materials with reference to the Sloop party, and all publications dealing with the subject are based upon the assertions of the immigrants themselves or their chil dren (2). The lack of documentary evidence in the case is so obvious that no writer on the topic has been able to reproduce, or even to mention, a single original document in support of his assertions or theories. A few newspaper notices referred to the Norwegians at the time of their arrival in New York (1) R. B. Anderson's "First Chapter of Norwegian Immigration," p. 79. (2) Prof R. B. Anderson, in his history, "The First Chapter of Norwegian Immigra tion,'* claims, on page 93, 'to have talked with eight of the Sloop passengers, and corres ponded with two more.' But some of these were infants when they crossed the Atlantic, and consequently their assertions in regard to the journey can only be taken as hearsay evidence. This volume was published in 1895, nearly three-quarters of a century after the people had left their native land, THE FIRST NORWEGIAN IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA. 127 in 1825, and these notices are contradictory in detail. In 1896 the writer of this article received a letter from Rev. Emil Riis, Lutheran clergyman at Skjold, who had examined Kirke-bbgerne at that place and at Tysvar, from which places several of the passengers on the sloop hailed. But there is no record in these books of any persons having removed to America during the years of 1820-28. The entire absence of any official account of the movement is remarkable, especially as it was not unlawful to emigrate in those days. Could it be possible that the Quakers objected to comply with the civil law of the land in regard to secur ing permission to discard their citizenship, which they con sidered to be a very heavy burden ? But, apparently, all the emigrants were not Brethren, or even dissenters from the state church ; and their motive for secretly deserting their native land, as they must have done, is even more mysterious than the conduct of the followers of George Fox. A copy of Stavanger's Toldbog for 1825 has been secured through the courtesy of N. R. Bull, secretary of the government statistical department in Kristiania, who positively asserts that there is no record in Toldbbgerne of the sloop Restau- ration after the year 1825. But the 27th of June of said year the sloop, owned by Johannes Stene and belonging to the Stavanger district, but built in Egersund, was registered to sail for America and elsewhere with a cargo of iron, shipped by three or four different firms. L. 0. Helland is reported as being captain, but no mention is made of any passengers. In this connection it should be observed that Helland is not mentioned at all in Prof. Anderson's First Chapter of Nor wegian Immigration, although all the people who are 128 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. supposed to have participated in thejvoyage are enumerated, and it is claimed that Lars Olson was captain, and Lars Larson the principal owner of the sloop. Under such circumstances it is not strange that the wri ters on the subject should disagree, at least in detail; for in the absence of authentic records, and during the lapse of a quar ter to three-quarters of a century, what a chance for imagina tion and misrepresentation to supplant the real facts ! Per haps all who have had any experience in gathering historical data on settlements, have found that different individuals, who have all participated in the affairs of the settlement, give conflicting accounts of comparatively recent events. A large number of people are unable to recall incidents of their own lives which happened a few years before. Several of the men consulted by the writer of this article have for gotten when they were married, and some do not know when or where they were born. In 1807 Denmark and England were at war with each other. During that year some Norwegians, who of course were subjects of the king of Denmark, were captured by the foe. During their confinement on a prison ship near London they received pamphlets containing Barclay's Apol ogy ; and at one time, in 1814, Stephen Grellet preached to seven hundred prisoners, most of whom were Danes and Nor wegians, and about forty of them appear to have been con verted to Quakerism. After peace had been declared in 1814, the prisoners returned to their native land, and the Friends began to advocate the humanitarian doctrines of George Fox among the descendants of the savage Vikings of the North, especially in and around Stavanger and Kristiania. THE FIRST NORWEGIAN IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA. 129 One of them, Lars Larson, had remained in London one year after his release, employed in the family of the noted Quaker and philanthropist, William Allen. Larson, on his return to his native city, Stavanger, became very active in promul gating the new doctrines [in the vicinity of his birthplace. During their seven years of harsh imprisonment by a pro fessedly Christian nation, the Norwegian Friends had become attached to the religion of peace, which they tried to hand down to their children, and to spread among their neighbors. But in doing so they came in conflict with the civil and ecclesiastical powers of the land. It must be remembered that rehgious tolerance was just then becoming a virtue, or a fashion, in Europe, and a necessity in America. Norway had not quite reached that stage. Skandinaven, com menting on this subject, said, among other things : " The fact that no state church was established in this country at the time of the adoption of the constitution, was simply due to an historical necessity, and was not the result of greater religious toleration than was found in other countries at that time. Most of the different church denominations were represented in the colonies, and the only religious dogma on which they could agree, was that no state church ought to be established." The constitution of Norway, adopted in 1814, has been much praised for its liberal and humanitarian principles. But at least certain parts of it seem to have been prepared with too much haste, and approved without due considera tion. This especially appears to have been the case in regard to the stipulation about religion. By a large majority the convention at Eidsvold adopted the following, which 130 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. was intended to be the constitutional creed of the na tion: "The Evangelical Lutheran religion shall remain the official religion of the state. All Christian religious sects shall be granted liberty of religious worship ; but Jews and Jesuits shall be kept excluded from the kingdom. Monastic orders must not be tolerated. Those inhabitants of the country who profess the public religion of the state shall be obliged to educate their children in the same." But when the constitution became public property, article II., which contains the legal religious dogma of Norway, reads as follows : "The Evangelical Lutheran religion shall remain the official religion of the state. • Those inhabitants who profess it shall be obliged to educate their children in the same. Jesuits and monastic orders must not be tolerated. Jews shall be kept excluded from the kingdom." It may be proper to remark that the prohibition in regard to the Jews was removed in 1851, principally through the efforts of Henrik Wergeland. But what became of the sentence, "All Christian rehgious sects shall be granted liberty of religious worship?" Who was responsible for the change? Where did the members of the convention have their ears when the constitution as a whole was adopted ? These questions have been and are just as much of a conundrum in Norway as what the Silverites call "the crime of 1873 " and " Section 22 of the Dingley bill" are in this country. In the absence of any constitutional provision in regard to the free exercise of religion outside of the state church, recourse was had to older laws on the subject, which greatly perplexed the gov ernment and became a hardship to the few Friends who resided in Norway. The Quakers, as is well known, not THE FIRST NORWEGIAN IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA. 131 only reject the sacraments and confirmation, oppose rehgious ceremonies at weddings and funerals, and object to pay taxes to the state church; but they also refuse to take judicial oaths, to perform military duties, and to contribute to the maintenance of military establishments. It is evident that even if the constitution of Norway had granted full religious freedom to every individual upon the face of the earth, yet the Friends would have come in conflict with the funda mental laws of the kingdom, which prescribe that every citizen, without regard to birth or fortune, shall perform mili tary service in defense of his country. But it is natural that the clash should first occur in regard to the mode of wor ship, rather than with reference to the oath and martial duties. To many people religion is an earnest reality and an every-day concern ; while judicial oaths and wars are gener ally considered to be more of necessary evils than indispen sable articles. It cannot be disputed that the Quakers suffered considerably, especially during the years of 1830 to 1845, on account of their refusal to comply with the ecclesi astical and civil laws of the kingdom. They were compelled to have their children baptized and confirmed, as well as to observe all the outward requirements of church and state, including the payment of taxes. They were forbidden to propagate the doctrines of their sect, ordered to abstain from all proselyting, and prohibited from allowing any con verts to join their society. On the failure to observe these conditions they were fined, and even the dead who were not buried in consecrated places were exhumed, and interred in accordance with the legal prescriptions. On the other hand, the Friends were often treated with leniency ; exempted from 132 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. paying the fines imposed upon them ; and their marriages, entered into contrary to law, permitted to remain in full force. Their life and property received the same protection as that of any other subject, notwithstanding that they objected to pay the same taxes as other people. Perhaps no country has been so little cursed with religious bigotry and persecution as the Scandinavian peninsula. No institu tion of inquisition was ever planted among them, no blood of heretics ever stained their soil. Nor does it appear that the Norwegian government intended to oppress the few defense less Friends within its dominion ; for already in 1817 a com mission was appointed to devise means by which they could be permitted to worship God in their own fashion. It took many years, however, before that result was obtained ; but what they suffered in the meantime seems to have been more in consequence of meanness, on the part of certain officials, than of any intended persecution on the part of the government (3). Even if some of the Friends emigrated on account of the lack of religious freedom in their native places, they appear to have been more than willing to return to the ills they knew of after having enjoyed the liberty of America for only a few years. For according to Sandfardig Beret- ning om Amerika,hy Ole Rynning.the emigrants who had settled at Kendall, N. Y., suffered greatly during the first four or five years for the very necessities of life, and desired to return to old Norway, but did not have the means to do so. By a large number of writers, notably Prof. R. B. Ander- (3) Most of the facts mentioned in the two paragraphs above have been deducted from "W. A. Wexels's Liv og 'Virken," by Rev. A. Mau, published in Kristiania, 1867, and it is considered to be very reliable by Prof. Georg Sverdrnp, who has made a special Study of that interesting period of Norwegian history. THE FIRST NORWEGIAN IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA. 133 son, religious persecution has been given as the main cause of the movement from Stavanger to America in 1825. Conse quently it was deemed wise to discuss that part of the emi gration problem somewhat extensively. But there is no authentic record to show that a single man, woman, or child of the fifty-two persons who emigrated in 1825, ever came in conflict with the laws of Norway on account of their religion. The only Quaker in the Stavanger district who suffered for his belief, prior to 1826, was Elias Tastad, and he did not emigrate. The main hardships of the Norwegian Friends befell them from 1830 to 1845. At the latter date religious freedom was virtually established in the kingdom. Stephen Grellet and William Allen were very zealous Quakers, and both became famous as philanthropists. The former was a French nobleman, who had been compelled in early life, during the French revolution, to seek refuge in the United States, where, shortly after his arrival in 1795, he joined the society of Friends. After having resided continu ously in this country for a period of twelve years, he for over a quarter of a century wandered from one European coun try to another, visiting palaces and dungeons, and urging everybody to practice "peace on earth and good will among men." He even preached to the Pope in Rome, who listened with respect to his exhortations. He kept a diary, which afterwards was published in book form. In 1818 he writes : " I had been under great apprehension as to how I could be of the least service in the great work of my dear Lord in Norway and Sweden, for neither dear Allen nor myself under stand their language." And again: " Enoch Jacobson, a Norwegian, one of those I saw during my last visit to this 134 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. nation, on board the prison-ship of war, and who there became convinced of the Friends' principles, having heard that I proposed to return from America to visit Norway, etc., has just arrived in London. He has come under the apprehension that he would find me here, and that it was his duty to come and render me any service in his power." This Enoch Jacobson together with another man had tried, but failed, to organize a society of Friends in Kristiania. Grellet, Allen, and Jacobson sailed directly from London to Stav anger, where they arrived in 1818. In their journals the two former speak highly of the morals of the people, and of the courtesy and intelligence of the officials ; but do not by a single word refer to any persecution of their co-religionists in Norway. The Lutheran clergymen received them with open arms, and attended some of their meetings. They both mention, as an illustration of the virtue of the people in the vicinity of Stavanger, that during a quarter of a century only one person had been sentenced to death, although the district contained 40,000 inhabitants ; that the prison was kept by an old woman, and she had only one man in it, who was a perfect model of a culprit. Grellet and his companions remained in Stavanger for about one week, visited families, assisted the half a dozen or more Quakers in securing a suitable hall to meet in, and helped them in perfecting the organization. It should be remem bered that Lars Larson, the founder of the society of Friends in Stavanger in 1816, had served for some time in the family of William Allen. Considering the familiarity with which Grellet for a whole week associated with the people, it is almost impossible to conceive that they should not know THE FIRST NORWEGIAN IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA. 134A that America was his adopted country, especially when, as before noted, Enoch Jacobson was well aware of the fact that Grellet resided in the United States. According to George Richardson's Society of Friends in Norway, Lars Larson also, it seems, met in 1822 a young man from North America, who probably was a Norwegian by birth. It is hard to believe that the Quakers were so absorbed in think ing about heavenly things as to neglect to inquire of visitors from beyond the Atlantic in regard to the location and con ditions of the continent to which they departed a few years later. The Scandinavian common people are generally very inquisitive about such matters. In fact B. L. Wick — his ar ticle appeared in The Friends, Philadelphia, 1894 — who in vestigated the subject a few years ago in London, maintains that it was Grellet who first advised the peasants to emi grate, partly on account of their poverty, and told them that America offered many advantages; for example, a better economical future, free exercise of religion, and relief from military duties. The reason they did not at once act upon his advice is easily explained. The cautious and some what slow Norwegian peasants needed time to think about the matter, and to arrange their small affairs. There were persons in the North who really decided to emigrate a quarter of a century before the feat was actually accom plished. Perhaps the Norwegian prisoners during their con finement in London harbor, or some Norwegian sailors during their travels, had heard something about America, and circu lated the rumor among their countrymen at home years before Grellet' s visit. At any ra.te it must be admitted that if the Quakers at Stavanger selected, in 1821, Kleng Peerson and 134B HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. another man to go to America and investigate with a view to establishing a colony of Friends in the New World, as some writers seem to believe, then it is absolutely certain that the people must have had some information about the Western continent, as it is purely nonsense to suppose that any rational beings would try to send men in search of a suit able place in which to locate a settlement, to a country never heard of. But even though it is virtually certain that the Quakers in Norway knew something about America before Kleng Peerson emigrated in 1821, it does not necessarily follow that they sent him and another man thither for the pur pose of finding a suitable place to establish a Norwegian settlement. Kleng was not a highly respected character in the vicinity of his home, partly on account of his marriage with a very old but rich woman, whom he expected to support him, being too indolent to earn his own bread and butter. It was the same shiftless individual, who during the greater part of the remainder of his life wandered on foot through a large por tion of the Western states, living upon charity, sleeping under the open arch of heaven, or cheating people for his lodging; and who in 1843 was thoroughly whipped in New York because he had defrauded some of his poor country men, whom he pretended to assist (4). His companion on the supposed trip of investigation had an exceedingly bad reputation (5). Both of these men probably pretended and were considered to be Quakers, or at least favoring the ten ets of that sect. But if they had any religious conviction (4) J. R. Reiersen's "Veiviser," p. XXVI. * (5) "Billed-Magazin," Vol. I., p. 102. THE FIRST NORWEGIAN IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA. 134c at all, it did not, perhaps, in any way affect their thoughts or actions, except "to imbue them with a strong belief in the devil." Even assuming that most of the Friends around Stavanger were not of a high intellectual order, yet they could hardly have been so stupid as to expect to be able to deduce honesty from the united action of two rascals — to use one of Carlyle's expressions. But there are also other reasons, besides probabilities, for believing that Kleng Peerson and his companion were not sent out by any one to examine the New World. It is positively asserted in Billed-Magazin (6) that both Kleng Peerson and his companion secretly deserted their families and went to Gothenburg, Sweden. It may be proper in this connection to remark that at the ripe age of sixty-five, Kleng also wedded, and again abandoned, a Swedish woman at the Bishop Hill colony in Illinois, where he remained a very short time as member of Eric Janson's religious communistic organization (7). In Gothenburg the two men heard about America, which country they undoubtedly also knew something about before, and proceeded thither on a merchant vessel. Kleng Peerson returned to Stavanger in 1824, after having remained in the state of New York for three years, and gave a glowing description of the New World, by which he gained a reputa tion as an excellent story-teller, not to say as a perverter of the truth. But in spite of his shortcomings, he, no doubt, exercised some influence in hastening the departure of some of the peasants. On the other hand, it is claimed that Kleng Peerson possessed many good traits, and evidently was a (8) Vol. I., p. 102. (7) Anderson's "First Chapter of Norwegian Immigration," p. 189. 134 D HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. fairly faithful guide to several parties of Norwegians in search of suitable land where settlements could be estab lished. Prof. Th. Bothne, in his Lutherake Kirkearbeide blandt Nordm'andene i Amerika, calls him a tramp, and it cannot be denied that he possessed many of ,the faults and virtues of a genuine tramp. But it should be remembered that this class of people often treat each other with an altruism that even a Tolstoi might admire, and possibly Kleng Peerson gratified the better part of his nature by enduring and enjoying his wanderings in order to serve his compatriots on this side of the Atlantic. He died in Texas in 1865, and it seems that the contradictions of his life fol lowed him to the grave. The inscription on the small stone monument, which his countrymen in that state raised to his memory, reads as follows: "Cleng Peerson, the first Nor wegian Emigrant to America. Came to America in 1821." Now it is a fact, as has already been stated in the first vol ume, page 35, that Hans Hansen Bergen came to this country as early as 1633, and there are many reasons and some evidence for believing that other Norwegians also came at the very dawn of the immigration period. At least one Norwegian, Thomas Johnson, who had served under the famous Paul Jones in his naval victories, was in Amer ica during the Revolutionary era, and sat among the gods in the gallery in the congressional hall, Philadelphia, 1781 (8). In 1818 Soren Gustavus Norberg, a native of Kristian- sand,came to the United States and settled at Salem, Mass., where he took out his naturalization papers five years later, calling himself Andrew Peterson. He married an (8) Anderson's "First Chapter of Norwegian Immigration," p. 27. THE FIRST NORWEGIAN IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA. 134E American woman, and one of his sons, an American Metho dist clergyman, has produced copies of original documents in regard to his father. Undoubtedly other Norwegians, besides those mentioned, came to this country years before Kleng Peerson arrived, but enough has been said to prove that he was not "the first Norwegian immigrant to America," even in the nineteenth century. Most authorities agree that on July 4, 1825, Restaura- tion, a small sloop, loaded with emigrants, iron, and brandy, left the wharf of Stavanger, destined for America. As has been asserted on pages 107-11 in the second volume, the first shipload of Norwegian emigrants who came directly from their native land to the state of Wisconsin, embarked at Skien the 17th of May, 1839. It seems rather strange that the departure of these two noted emigration parties should have occurred on the two great national holidays of the United States and Norway. This coincidence might, accidentally or purposely, have happened; but probably the apparent agreement of dates is to be found in the human desire to try to harmonize their past actions, no matter how insignificant, with more important events. The Sloop party consisted of 52 persons, including women and children. The majority of them were probably Friends, although there were in 1821 only six men and five women in the whole vicinity of Stavanger, Skjold, and Tysvar (9)— where all the Sloop folks hailed from— who professed to believe in the doctrines of George Fox. But some of these did not emigrate in 1825, notably, Elias Tastad, the only person in that district of the kingdom of whom there is, up (9) Man's "W. A. Wexels's Liv og Virken," p. 174. 134 F HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. to 1826, any record of having come in conflict with the law of the land on account of his religion. According to Prof. R. B. Anderson, "Six heads of families converted their scanty worldly possessions into money and purchased a sloop which had been built in the Hardanger fjord, between Stavanger and Bergen, and which they loaded with a cargo of iron. For this sloop and cargo they paid $1,800 (Norwegian money). While six of the party owned some p'k.ock in the vessel the largest share was held by Lars Larson, who was in all respects the leader of the enterprise." The forerunners of civilization, both in the eastern and the western states of this country, have generally been reckless men of questionable moral character. The brute courage and vices of our trappers and hunters have been more conspicuous than their virtue or humanity. This does not imply that they have not been useful and necessary elements; in fact, they have been indispensable to a higher development of mind and matter. They have been necessary vanguards of the miners, loggers, and farmers; these, in turn, have been followed by the merchants and professional men, who have supplied the former with luxuries, and attended to their spiritual and intellectual needs. What has been said about the trappers and hunters is also true, at least in most cases, of the very first immigrants from every European country. The cruelty and bloodthirstiness of the first Spaniards is too well known to need repetition. The English Puritans came to this country in order to be allowed to worship God in their own fashion, and to deprive every one else of the same privilege. The majority of the passengers on the first vessel THE FIRST NORWEGIAN IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA. 134G which carried Swedish colonists to Delaware in 1638 were transgressors of the law. During the whole emigration period it has, in general, been the courageous and discon tented classes who have participated in the movement; for the simple reason that the contented always stayed at home, and the timid never dared to go. But before the movement had become somewhat regular, and the knowledge about America certain, the courage of the emigrants bordered upon recklessness, and their discontent was closely allied to anarchy. It was, with few exceptions, the extreme and radical element of all countries, those persons who had little to lose and everything to gain, who first cast the die in favor of the New World. There is no reason for believing, and still less for asserting, that the first Norwegian emigrants, the Sloop party, were either above or below the first emigrants from other countries at that time. One writer on the subject says: "They were men of the poorest classes of the communities whence they came, but not paupers or criminals. They were squeezed out from the bottom of society, escaping, as it were, through cracks and crevices. The average quality, however, steadily improved from the first." Most of them were Quakers, and B. L. Wick claims that there were three classes of persons who had accepted, or pretended to accept, the teachings of the Friends: First, those who honestly believed in the doctrines; secondly, those who did not care for Quakerism, but disagreed with the teachings of the state church; thirdly, those who were poor and hoped to be assisted, and were helped by the society of Friends. He adds: "There are perhaps many to-day in Norway who were not Friends, if it were not for 134 H HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. the pecuniary assistance derived." To the second class should be added those who did not care for any religion, but joined any new movement out of curiosity or to gain notoriety; in other words, they were mere religipus tramps. It is, of course, impossible to ascertain the proportionate number of these respective classes. But the second class, especially, must have been quite large, considering that in later years a great number of Quakers around Stavanger joined the Baptists and Methodists when the latter denomi nations began their work in Norway. In this country many of the Friends became Mormons and infidels, and some returned to the Lutheran fold. While there is no method by which it can be absolutely ascertained which of the three classes mentioned predominated on Restauration, yet the actions of those people during the voyage indicated, at least to a certain extent, their character. The Quakers have gen erally prohibited their members from using liquors or tobacco, and they have in most cases practiced what they preach. Not so, however, with Sloop party Friends. For, they not only unlawfully sold liquor in the English harbor Lisett in passing through the British channel; but after hav ing found a cask of wine floating in the ocean near the island of Madeira, on the coast of Africa, they all became so drunk that the vessel drifted into one of the harbors of the island without any visible sign of life on board, and without hoisted flag (10). The officials at the fort, supposing that some dreadful contagious disease had killed all the people on board, aimed their cannons at the sloop; but the party got a chance to sober up before entering the other world, one of the (10) "Billed-Magazin," vol. I., p. 71. THE FIRST NORWEGIAN IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA. 134 1 passengers staggering up and hoisting the Norwegian flag. It is reasonable to assume that while in this intoxicated state they did not address each other in the usual Quaker language of thee and thou, nor answered all questions by yea or nay, but had recourse to some more forcible Norwe gian expressions. The stupidity and carelessness manifested on this occasion by the so-called captain and officials deserve the severest condemnation. Their negligence amounted to a crime, and if such a case had been tried before any maritime court in Christendom, the offenders would undoubtedly have been sentenced to several years' imprisonment. The leader and principal owner of the sloop, Lars Larson, was the one who had fished up the cask (11), notwithstanding that he had been converted to Quakerism in England, and had been the first one in Stavanger to open up his house for Friendly meetings; but this time he, with the rest, seems to have drowned, or perhaps intensified, his religious enthusiasm with some excellent wine. It is generally maintained by all writers on the subject that before the party left the harbor of Fun- chal, into which they had drifted during their state of in toxication, they were well supplied with provisions by the American consul at that place, who also bestowed other favors upon them. In Prof. R. B. Anderson's history, page 72, it is claimed that J. H. March, who was appointed con sul in 1816, was the man who showed the Norwegians such courtesies. But in a recent letter to the writer of this article from the department of state, Washington, D. C, it is asserted that the consul at Funchal was absent from 1824 (11) Anderson's "First Chap, of Nor. Immigration," p. 58. 134j HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. to 1827, during which time the duties of the office were per formed by his brother, Francis March. Some authorities, however, assert that the party were not at the island of Madeira at all, but in the harbor of Lisbon, Portugal (12). Fourteen weeks after their departure from Stavanger they reached New York. Here they attracted considerable atten tion, especially as the so-called captain was arrested for hav ing a larger cargo .and more passengers than the law per mitted such a small vessel to carry; but he was released. They were also duly referred to by the American newspapers. But they were in such destitute circumstances that the New York Quakers had to assist them financially before they could proceed any farther. Besides the Friends, some other persons, who came to the wharf out of mere curiosity, gave the impoverished Norwegians some money. The sloop and cargo had cost them nearly $2,000; they sold it all in New York for about a quarter of that amount. Most stories, real or fictitious, have a hero or a heroine; and a large number of writers have represented Kleng Peer- son to be the hero of the Sloop party. Although no mention has been made of the means by which he first found out that such a continent existed; yet from the general trend of the presentation it appears as if these authors wanted mankind to believe that Kleng Peerson in some mysterious way, perhaps by his "inner light," dis covered some information about the New World, and then imparted part of his wisdom to some Norwegian peas ants, who at once dispatched him thither. After three years of thorough study of the new country, he, according to the (12) Wiet's " Norske Indvandring," p. 15. THE FIRST NORWEGIAN IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA. 134k general version, returned and conquered a portion of the kingdom of Norway with his tongue, and then again hurried across the Atlantic ocean to make final preparation for the arrival of the Sloop party. It is the unpleasant duty of the historian to cut through and destroy the delicate veils which have been woven around events and individuals, and present them to the world in their naked trutliftuness, as far as it is possible to do so. The improbability, and even impossibility, of Kleng Peerson having been the evangelist who first preached the new gospel about America to the Nor wegians, and the object of his first visit there, have already been discussed. But the meager and questionable evidences in regard to what part he played, after his return to Norway in 1824, in effecting or hastening the organization of the Sloop party, are neither positive nor negative, being about so equally balanced as to prevent any certain conclusion. He came to Norway one year before the party sailed, and prob ably returned to New York shortly after, without having any knowledge whatsoever of the preparations for depar ture going on in the vicinity of Stavanger. When the Sloop folks arrived in New York in the fall of 1825, they appear to have met him there by accident, rather than by previous arrangement. If he had been the real instigator of the movement and the chief organizer of the party, it seems he would have accompanied the emigrants across the ocean. They needed him. Prof. R. B. Anderson says : "In stead of risking his life in the sloop he had again gone by the way of Gothenburg, Sweden, and was already in New York ready to receive his friends and to give them such assistance as he was able." But whatever might have been the motive 134 L HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. of Kleng in proceeding before the other emigrants, cowardice or prudence could hardly have been the cause. His whole life is a protest against the assumption. The same author cites a New York newspaper notice of 1825, which appears to justify the theory that Kleng was sent in advance. But for historical accuracy newspapers are, in general, not very reliable, and this seems to be the case at the beginning of the nineteenth century as much as at the beginning of the twen tieth century, because all the newspaper citations which said writer quotes in regard to the Sloop party are contraditory in detail. On the other hand, some of the ablest Norwegian- American scholars who have studied the subject, question the justice of the honor accorded to Kleng Peerson, refusing to ascribe to the Sloop party any special credit for having promoted the subsequent Norwegian emigration. For example, J. B. Wist not only doubts the particulars, as generally stated, about Restauration, but boldly asserts that the passengers on the same had little or no influence, either directly or indirectly, on the Norwegian immigration, or in any way directed its course. Nicolay Grevstad says : "What gave the first impetus to emigration from Norway may be put under the category of historical accidents. It was also an accident that the first emigrants were dissatisfied with the religious conditions under which they had been living. At that time rumors about America began to spread among the people along the coast of Norway. And if Kleng Peer- son had not emigrated, others would have done so, either at that time or a little later on. Popular migrations always have an economical root. The emigration from Norway, as well as from other European countries, is a result of the THE FIRST NORWEGIAN IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA. 134 M strained economical conditions prevailing in the Old World, and the hope of doing better in the New World. All other conditions are only tributary circumstances of compara tively subordinate importance." From New York harbor the majority of the Norwegians proceeded, late in the fall of 1825, to Kendall, then called Murray, in Orleans county, N. Y., where, it is asserted, most of them bought land. Prof. Anderson says : " Kendall is in the northeast corner of Orleans county on the shores of Lake Ontario. Here land was sold to the "Norwegians by Joseph Fellows at five dollars an acre ; but as they had no money to pay for it, Mr. Fellows agreed to let them redeem it in ten annual installments. The land was heavily wooded, and each head of a family and adult person purchased forty acres." In order to be absolutely certain in regard to this transaction, the writer of this article sent a list of names, which included most of the adult males of the Sloop party, to the district attorney of Orleans county, Thomas A. Kirby, and requested him to make a careful investigation of the county records in relation to the supposed real estate deal between Joseph Fellows and the first Norwegian immi grants. He answered as follows : " From my examination of the records of the Orleans county clerk's office I do not find that Joseph Fellows ever deeded any property about the year 1825, situated in the town of Kendall, or Murray, to any of the individuals named in your communication to me of October 15th, 1898. Later on, in 1835, a Joseph Fellows, of Geneva, deeded property to different individuals, but not any of them corresponded with any of the names that you have given me. The records do not disclose, as far as I can 134 N HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. ascertain, that Kleng Peerson bought any land or had any thing to do with the transaction ; but our early records, of course, are not absolutely accurate." It is useless to theo rize about the failure of the Norwegian settlers at Kendall to secure proper titles to their farms, or to discuss their trials and triumphs at that place, as nearly everything in regard to them is clouded in obscurity. Joseph Fellows, who was a Quaker, appears to have been very generous to them, and it would be unfair to assume that he tried to defraud them out of their property. Consequently, they themselves must have been unable to comply with the stipulations about the bar gain, and probably he, on that account, sold the land to other parties in 1835, and at about that time several of the original settlers sought new homes in some of the Western states, especially in La Salle county, 111. With probably one or two exceptions, not a single descendant of the Sloop folks now reside at Kendall. There are some Norwegians today, but they are later arrivals. In conclusion it must be said that the real historical facts about the Sloop party are few and contradictory. Taken all in all, the sum and substance of the whole affair seems to be this : The Stavanger Quakers had through Grellet, as well as by other means, learned about America and discussed the desirability of emigrating some time before Kleng Peerson's first departure or return ; but, being poor and slow to decide, the execution of their wishes had of necessity to be delayed. Parts of the story, at least, have apparently been invented by the participants for the sake of gaining notoriety. Judg ing from the course which they pursued, it would be more reasonable to believe that the Cape of Good Hope was their THE FIRST NORWEGIAN IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA. 134 O intended ^destination, instead of New York. Considering their unlawful trade in England ; their idiotic conduct at the island of Madeira; and their extreme poverty, it is useless to argue about, or specify, the cause or causes which led to the departure. The Sloop party desired to get out of Norway in order to improve, in some way, their material condition, and to taste the sweet experience of adventure — exactly the same motives which underlie the whole Viking and emigra tion periods. Religious persecution may have been the pre text, but in reahty was not the cause. The temperament of most of the people on the Restauration was such that they would have tried to emigrate, even if the whole universe had been blessed with the utmost religious freedom. The pro geny of the Sloop people seem to have been as completely lost in the ocean of cosmopolitanism as the doings of their forefathers are obscured by uncertainties. Even the com monly strong cohesive power of religion has been unable to hold any number of them together either in regard to faith or habitation. Considered as a unit, the immigrants of 1825 have practically exercised no influence ; as individuals they and their offspring have, no doubt, been peaceful citizens and desirable subjects ; but, apparently, hardly any of them have possessed those marked characteristics of push and energy so common to the Norwegians in the nineteenth century. Many Norwegian-Americans have made a wide reputation for themselves in a few years. But with the possible excep tion of Col. Porter C. Olson, a brave Illinois soldier during the Civil war, not a single descendant of the Sloop party appears to have distinguished himself in any line during the seventy-five years that have passed since the Restauration 134 P HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. sailed from Stavanger to America with the first party of Norwegian immigrants. Swedish Colony at Bishopshill, Illinois. -by- MAJOR JOHN SWAINSON. [Published in Scandinavia in 1885.] In a spirit of patriotic exultation one, of the poets of Sweden proclaims his native land the " Homestead of free dom on earth." In a political sense this boasting expression may be justified. From the earliest dawn of fable-mixed history, when Sigge Fridulfson first founded the embryo Swedish commonwealth, up to the present time, the king dom of Sweden proper has never been conquered by a foreign foe. Provinces beyond the sea were won and lost, but the sea and mountain-girt eastern part of the Scandinavian peninsula, the ancient Swea and Gotha-land was, from time immemorial, inhabited and possessed by a people governed by laws of their own making and by constitutional kings either of their own choosing or inheriting the throne by con stitutional succession. The practice of entailing estates — that pernicious inheritance from the feudal middle-age — which at onetime prevailed to a rather alarming extent, was checked in its growth by the "reduction" of Charles XL, and was finally abolished by legislation in the beginning of this (135) 136 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. century. As a consequence, the bulk of the land always re mained in the hands of a class of independent yeomen, the owners in fee simple of small freeholds, subject only to taxes to the crown and to the municipality, and the owners them selves entitled to representation in the national legislature. But in this so much praised and cherished freedom of the Swedish people, there was one essential element wanting. Religious liberty did not exist. According to the law of the land every native Swede must belong to the established Lu theran church, whether or not his religious convictions agreed with the doctrines of that denomination. The pen alty for apostacy was exile. It may seem surprising, almost incredible, that such a law — until within the last twenty years, when it was abolished, or, at least greatly modified — could prevail among such an enlightened and progressive people, but such was nevertheless the fact, and to explain how such a law could remain in force so long is both difficult and would require a more extended review of the history of the reformation in Sweden than space here will permit. It may, however, not be out of place to say a few words on the subject. Gustavus Vasa, the father of modern Sweden, also be came its religious regenerator. Under his auspices, at the Diet in Westeras, in the year 1527, the Swedes severed their connection with the Church of Rome, and adopted the prin ciples of Martin Luther. This was effected quite peaceably, the only opponent being the primate of Sweden, Gustavus Trolle, archbishop of Upsala, who made war on the king, but was speedily put down, captured and sent out of the country. With this exception the whole clergy, more or less SWEDISH COLONY AT BISHOPSHILL, ILLINOIS. 137 willingly, it may be supposed, consented to the change. Ro manism was done away with, but the church organization was retained. The bishops and clergy, now suddenly trans formed into good Lutherans, were in most instances permit ted to remain in charge of their offices ; a new archbishop, a disciple of Luther, was appointed, and thus the church of Sweden became the oldest Protestant Episcopal church in the world, with its clerus comitialis, successio apostolica, and every other concomitant for a complete organization . During the reign of Gustavus Vasa and that of his old est son and nearest successor, Ericus XIV., the work of strengthening the reformation went on peaceably. Monas- taries and nunneries were abolished and their rich estates turned over to the crown ; the Bible was translated into the Swedish language, and every measure adopted to put the new-born Protestantism on a firm basis, But King Ericus, being taken prisoner dethroned and finally murdered by a conspiracy headed by his own brother, John, the latter ascended the throne. His spouse, Queen Catherine, a Polish princess, was a devoted Roman Catholic, and by her influ ence the king became a secret convert. Their son and heir, Sigismund, was educated in the Roman church, and strenu ous efforts made to re-establish Romanism in the kingdom. In the meantime Prince Sigismund, on account of his mother's family connections, had been elected king of Poland, and at the death of his father returned to Sweden at the head of a Polish army with the avowed purpose to crush Protestantism and once more put the Swedes under the rule of the papacy. The designs, however, were frustrated. The Protestants gathered under his uncle, Duke Charles, the 138 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. youngest and most able son of Gustavus Vasa, and after several bloody encounters Sigismund had to return to Po land, having been unable to effect his purpose, was debarred from the Swedish succession and lived and died as king of Poland. Duke Charles, a staunch and devoted Lutheran, was now elected king, and the Lutheran Protestant church with an episcopal organization, became the established church of the kingdom. But against the secret machina tions of the court during the long reign of John III. and the open attempts of Sigismund to re-establish the dominion of the papal power, the young Protestant church doubtless had a hard struggle to maintain itself, and since it issued from the ordeal victorious, it is reasonable to suppose that strin gent measures were taken forever to prevent a recurrence, and to this source, in our opinion, must be traced the laws against religious freedom in Sweden, which until quite re cently, have remained in force and both at home and abroad have attracted so much criticism ; mostly, however, abroad, for the Swedish people were, and we think, are yet, most de voted Lutherans. Any apostasy from the established church finds little favor or sympathy among the Swedish community at large, and there is not in the whole Roman calendar a saint, whose memory is held in higher veneration among the faithful than is among the Swedish Lutherans that of the Great Reformer. But while these laws were still in force, they were in reality a dead letter and almost unknown, because there was no occasion for their aoplica- tion ; and we cannot remember many instances where the penalty of exile has been inflicted. Public worship among the Swedes in any other form than according to the estab- SWEDISH COLONY AT BISHOPSHILL, ILLINOIS. 139 lished church, or conducted by other persons than the regu lar clergy, was forbidden, and if attempted, would doubtless be prohibited. While such a state of things existed, there lived, some forty years ago, in one of the Middle Provinces of Sweden, a man by the name of Eric Janson. He was born December 19, 1808, the son of a small farmer. On account of the poverty of his parents he was prevented from attendance in the pub lic schools, and consequently his book learning was of the most limited kind, being principally acquired by the aid of the minister of the parish while preparing for his first com munion. The tendency of his mind was religious. He main tained that already at an early age he had experienced a deep repentance of sin and become a convert, feeling at the same time the greatest desire to gain knowledge in matters spiritual. For this purpose he read with avidity all books on such topics within his reach, but he soon threw them all away as unsatisfactory, and thenceforward the Bible became his only study for guidance and consolation. Eric Janson remained with his father until he was twen ty-seven years old, when he married and first rented but afterward purchased a small farm. He was distinguished for honesty, sobriety, and the most untiring industry, and in the whole neighborhood he was recognized as the hardest worker in the field. During this ceaseless toil his interest in religious matters, far from diminishing, was constantly in creasing. He felt an unconquerable desire, a glowing enthu siasm, which exhorted him to make known his thoughts out side the immediate circle of his home. With this end in view, in the spring of 1842, he made an excursion to the adjoining 140 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. province of Helsingland, where he put himself in communica tion with some piously disposed people and held a number of religious meetings. This visit he repeated and in the course of two years he returned time and again to the field of his missionary work without any molestation. Those who heard him, among whom often were found several of the more progressive of the regular clergy, assert without hesi tation that Janson was a most forcible preacher, that his rer Kgious tenets in no essential respect were different from the fundamental principles common to all Evangelical churches, and that his style of delivery and mode of teaching and ex hortation nearest resembled those of the Methodists. The movement swept over the Province with the strength of a tornatlo. People by thousands flocked to hear the new preacher; the churches stood empty; families became sun- ' dered, some adhering to the old church, others following the new, and finally the Jansonites, as they were called, disdain ing any other book but the Bible, publicly burned all other books of religious content, including the Common Prayer- book of the Church of Sweden. This brought matters to a crisis. The authorities, fearing serious disturbances, had Eric Janson arrested in the spring of 1844. After a short imprisonment and a hearing before the governor of his Prov ince, he was discharged with instructions to again appear whenever wanted. During the following two years he made repeated attempts to continue his religious work among the people, but was each time arrested and suffered imprison ment on three or four occasions. Finally, disheartened and despairing of success in his native land, Eric Janson, with a few faithful followers, escaped over the mountains into Nor- SWEDISH COLONY AT BISHOPSHILL, ILLINOIS. 141 way, in January, 1846, from whence he repaired to Copen hagen, where he embarked on a vessel which landed him in New York in the spring of the same year. In the month of July following he finally arrived in the hamlet of Victoria, Knox county, Illinois. Prompted by these repeated annoyances and persecutions, Eric Janson and his followers resolved to forsake their native iand and find new homes in America, for it was not Eric alone who suffered. Several of his adherents had been sub ject to fine and imprisonment for the most trifling offenses against the old and obsolete "Conventicle-law." Eric, pre vious to leaving the country, had made all necessary prep arations, and appointed four trusty friends as leaders of the movement. But it is safe to s'ay, that in his colonization plan, did not enter any of those communistic and socialistic principles, which afterwards found a practical application in the colony. These were the fruits of necessity. In preparing to leave, those of the Jansonites possessed of any property, converted this into ready cash, retaining only necessary clothing and bedding. But now it was found that one thou sand one hundred persons wished to join the intended col ony, and of these only a smaller number were able to defray the necessary expenses. The aggregate of their means was now made a common fund and put in the hands of trustees, with the object of assisting the needy to follow their breth ren. Every one contributed his all, some as much as from two thousand to six thousand dollars. Some of the emi grants had debts, and these were paid from the common treasury. Some were soldiers, and their release from the army was purchased with means from the same source. 142 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. In our days of perfect communication by rail and steamer, when a trip from Sweden to America can be easily and comfortably made in about two weeks, it is hard to imagine the hardships of such a voyage forty years ago. Emigration was then unknown and no vessels found fitted for that purpose. The only Swedish ships trading on America carried cargoes of iron and were often old hulks of inferior quality. In several such vessels, temporarily fitted up to receive emigrants, the first parties of Jansonites left their native land in the spring and summer of 1846. One of these vessels, with fifty passengers, was never heard of; another was wrecked on Newfoundland, but the people saved; a third was five months on the way, during which time the unhappy emigrants suffered greatly from both sickness and famine. But one after another these several parties joined their leader in Victoria, Illinois, so that by the end of the year 1846 their number amounted to about four hundred. In the meantime, Eric Janson, anticipating the arrival of his friends, had purchased several pieces of land in the neigh borhood, some of which had improvements ; but as town- site for the new settlement was selected the southeast quar ter of section 14, in Weller township, Henry county, which was bought of the government for two hundred dollars, and the intended town was named Bishopshill, which is a- literal translation of Eric Janson's native place (Biskopskulla) in Sweden. The first care now was to prepare shelter for all this peo ple. For this purpose were built several large log houses and two tents of large dimensions, besides which a turf house SWEDISH COLONY AT BISHOPSHILL, ILLINOIS. 143 served as a kitchen and dining-room; but these accommoda tions proving inadequate, resort was had to what in the west is popularly called "dug-outs," which are merely cellars with a roof over, and a door and window in front, the most suitable place for such a resort being a sloping hillside. Of these twelve were built, generally twenty-five to thirty feet in length, eighteen in width, furnished with bunks on the sides, a fire-place in the rear, and rooming twenty-five to thirty persons. It may easily be understood that among a people with whom religion was paramount, the first thought was to pre pare a place of worship, if ever so primitive. With this end in view they first dug a ditch two feet deep, and in this, on a foundation of timber, a middle wall of logs was built, from which a roof of canvas was stretched to both sides. On the north side was thepulpitand entrance; on the south the fire place; the whole seating eight hundred to one thousand peo ple. In this tabernacle, during the fall and winter, service was held twice a day on week days, and three times on Sun days. Eric Janson himself rose at five o'clock in the morn ing and roused the people to morning prayer, which often lasted two hours. The second service was in the evening. During the summer these meetings were discontinued and supplemented by an open-air midday meeting in the grove. Nor was school instruction neglected. At such times, when the weather did not permit outdoor work, instruction by competent teachers, was given to the full-grown people, of whom many were ignorant in reading and writing, the above church-tent being used as a school-room, while for the children school was kept in one of the dug-outs. Besides 144 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. these there was also another institution of learning of far greater pretentions. The Jansonites, being convinced that the depository of all the saving truths of the Christian re ligion was found within their little community, considered it their duty to let their light shine before men by missionaries sent out from the colony. For this purpose twelve of their brightest young men were selected to devote themselves to the ministry and put in system the Jansonian theology, but first and foremost to learn the English language, their studies being led by the more advanced members of the society. One of the earliest difficulties the colonists had to con tend with was to provide flour for bread, the nearest grist mill being twenty-eight miles distant, and this, as well as some others, still farther out of the way, often out of order. To obviate this trouble a watermill with a large wheel was built at the creek running through Bishopshill. Unfortu nately, however, the water supply in the creek was often so small that it could not furnish the mill with necessary power. This new trouble was overcome in a manner both ingenious, simple, and practical; the health of the young theologians, the elders thought, might suffer by the effects of a too sedentary life, and to obviate this they were, at inter vals between their studies, invited to step inside the wheel of the mill, and put this in motion by tramping at such occa sions when the water supply was short in the creek. Some what later a windmill was put up in the other end of the village, and between the wind power on one side and the tramping theological candidates on the other, the needs of the people for bread were pretty well filled. Some years after- SWEDISH CQLONY AT BISHOPSHILL, ILLINOIS. 145 wards, however, a fine steam mill was built which supplied not only the colony, but the whole surrounding country with breadstuff. Several additional pieces of land were now purchased for the colony, and on two of these were found timber as well as sawmills, so that hereafter the colony had ample supply of lumber. Nor was the farming interest neglected. Three hundred and fifty acres of prairie land was broken the first year, of which part was sowed with flax, and the remainder with wheat. In the native province of a majority of these people the cultivation of flax and the manufacture of linen is one of the leading industries, and soon became of the same importance to the colonists in their new home. In the summer of 1847 the colony received an addition of four hundred adult emigrants, besides children. To pro vide shelter for these became of prime necessity, and several more dug-outs were built. But the consequences of living in the unhealthy, ill-ventilated dwellings, showed themselves soon. Sickness set in, mostly chills and fevers, and many fell victims to these diseases. But better buildings were, after some time, provided — first small frame tenements and houses of sun-dried brick, and later, large and substantial brick houses. In the summer of 1849 a party of Norwegians, on their way to join the colony, was attacked by cholera be tween Chicago and Bishopshill, and brought with them the disease, to which one hundred and forty-three fell victims, among them Eric Janson's wife and children. The following year another party of Jansonites, numbering one hundred and fifty, was assailed by the same fell destroyer, on a steamer between Buffalo and Milwaukee, and hardly one- 146 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. half of the number reached their destination. But while the number of colonists was thus increased by accessions from the old country, their ranks were constantly diminished by the influence of Jonas Hedstrom, a Swede, and zealous Meth odist missionary, who persuaded between two and three hundred of the Jansonites to leave the colony and join his communion. We have above alluded to the cultivation of flax and the manufacture of linen by the colonists. The weaving was the exclusive work of the women, who devoted themselves to the work with the most untiring energy, as evidenced by the fact that during a period of ten years, from 1847 to 1857, 130,309 yards of linen and 22,569 mats, besides what was used for home consumption, were disposed of at highly remunerative prices, the manufacture finding a ready sale in the surrounding country. After the last named period the manufacture was discontinued, except for their own use, on account of competition from the eastern states. Another and still more important industry was the cultivation and adaption for sale of broom-corn, which has proved one of the greatest sources of income for the people of Bishopshill. Even to this peaceful and religious community did the California gold fever penetrate. Their old fundamental prin ciple, "Godliness with a content mind is winning enough," had given way for a desire to make money, and in the spring of 1850 an expedition consisting of nine men, with necessary outfit, was sent to dig gold in California. After many hard ships the party reached the gold-land, but all, except one who died and another who remained on the Pacific coast, SWEDISH COLONY AT BISHOPSHILL, ILLINOIS. 147 returned the year following, the trip merely paying expenses. In the fall of 1848 there arrived at Bishopshill a man who called himself Root, although many suspected that this was an assumed name. He was a man of education and good address, but a base adventurer and desperado withal. Having gained the good will of the community, he applied to be received as a member of the society, which was granted. Later on he married a young woman of the colony, a cousin of Eric Janson, the express ante-nuptial agreement being, that if Root ever wanted to discontinue his connection with the society, he should also part with his wife and the latter be allowed to remain at Bishopshill. Dissatisfaction with the new member soon was apparent. In this industrious hive he was a drone, and spent his time either in hunting or absenting himself from the colony at short intervals. On his return from one of these trips he found that his wife had pre sented him with a son. He wished now to take her away from Bishopshill, which was resisted. Thwarted in an attempt of forcible abduction, and after twice without suc cess attacking the colony at the head of a mob, he finally sued Eric Janson for the possession of his wife. One day, while the litigation was going on, at the May term, 1 850, of the court in Cambridge, while all had left the court -room for dinner except Eric Janson, Root entered, and calling Janson by name, shot him dead. The murderer was arrested, and he was sentenced to three years in the penitentiary. Having served out his term he went to Chicago, where he soon after died in great misery. The gloom which the death of Eric Janson had thrown •over the colony did not slacken its industry. The material 148 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. progress hastened forward with large strides. The annual earnings were considerable. Large tracts of land were pur chased, but the colony not being incorporated, such lands must be bought in the name of some member, which, in case of death of the nominal purchaser, often caused great trouble at the probate court. In the meantime everything re mained without any legal organization. The same men who had been nominated as leaders by Eric Janson upon leaving Sweden, still had charge of all the affairs of the colony, and administered the same according to their own sweet will. It had, however, always been considered only a temporary ar. rangement, which in time must be supplanted by something permanent. In the year 1853 the colony was incorporated under a charter of the legislature of Illinois. By its provisions the management of all the temporal affairs of the colony was vested in seven trustees, who were to retain their offices for life, or on good behavior. It seems the community, whose interests were at stake, was never consulted or even given an opportunity to express a wish in regard to the choice of these trustees. As a matter of course the same persons who had in their keeping all the resources of the colony ever since they left Sweden, had their names put in the charter to fill these responsible positions. They were : Jonas Olson, Olof Johnson, Jonas Erickson, Jacob Jacobson, Swan Swanson, Peter Johnson, and Jonas Kronberg. Of these five were from the parish of Soderala, and related ; and the rest of the parishes from Sweden were represented by the other two trus tees. Nobody at the time seemed to understand the danger of this charter. At least nobody protested. The men had SWEDISH COLONY a¥ BISHOPSHILL, ILLINOIS. 149 hitherto enjoyed unlimited confidence, why not hereafter? Besides, the spiritual interests were pafamount in the hearts and minds of the colonists. Temporal matters were of sub ordinate importance to the religious idea which was the foundation of the colony, and kept its members together. We had occasion this year to visit the colony, and were received with the greatest kindness and hospitality. Every thing, seemingly, was on the top of prosperity. The people lived in large, substantial brick houses. We had never before seen so large a farm, nor one so well cultivated. One of the trustees took us to an adjacent hill, from which we had in view the colony's cultivated fields, stretching away for miles. In one place we noticed fifty young men with the same num ber of horses and plows cultivating a cornfield, where every furrow was two miles in length. They moved with the regu larity of soldiers. In another part was a field of a thousand acres in broom corn, the product of which, when baled, was to be delivered to Boston parties at Peoria, and was sup posed to yield an income of fifty thousand dollars. All their live stock -was exceptionally fine, and apparently given the best care. There was a stable of more than one hundred horses, the equals of which would be hard to find. One evening I was brought to an inclosure on the prairie, where the cows were milked. There must have been at least two hundred of them, and the milkmaids numbered forty or fifty. There was a large wagon, in which an immense tub was sus pended on four posts, and in this each girl, ascending to the top by a stepladder, emptied her pail. The whole process was over in half an hour. On Sunday I attended service. There was singing and prayer, and the sermon, by one of the 150 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. leaders, contained nothing that a member of any Christian denomination might not hear in his own church. Altogether, I retain the most agreeable remembrance of this visit. It would be pleasant to stop here, for the rest of this lit tle sketch is a mournful tale, and I shall pass through it as quickly as possible. The first account of the affairs of the colony was given by the trustees in the year 1855. According to the same the real and personal property amounted to about $500,000, and the debts to $18,000. Now the trustees, having under their absolute control all the resources of the colony, gave themselves up to speculation. They made the new town of Galva, a station on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, near Bishopshill, the principal place of their oper ations. Here they built a large warehouse and also opened a store of general merchandise. They dealt in grain and lumber, speculated in railroad and bank stock, and carried on a large pork-packing house. On all these different under takings, it is asserted, they lost heavily; on the pork-pack ing alone about $60,000. Thus the resources accumulated by the hard labor of the colonists were squandered in a short time. The next report of the trustees, delivered in 1860, showed assets to the amount of $846,277, from which must be deducted debts of $75,645, leaving a balance of $770,- 632 This statement was not satisfactory to the colonists, and the accounts being given in the hands of a special Mas ter in Chancery, he discovered a further liability of $42,- 759.33, which the trustees tried to conceal. This discovery, of course, made the colonists lose confidence in their trustees. SWEDISH COLONY AT BISHOPSHILL, ILLINOIS. 151 Added to this came religious dissensions. A party of Shak ers from Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, had gained entrance in the colony and found not a few adherents to their peculiar doc trines. Marital relations were interfered with, the young people were forbidden to enter matrimony, families were sun dered, the whole colony was broken up in warring factions, and of the strong religious feeling that kept them together in the days of Eric Janson, hardly a vestige was left. Disso lution was inevitable and was at hand. It took place on February 14, 1860, and was still further perfected in 1861. Property to the value of $592,793 was divided among 415 shareholders. The remainder of the property, according to the statement of 1860, amounting to $248,861, was put in the hands of the old trustees to pay the accrued debt of $118,403.33, and five years time given them to effect the liquidation ; but it being soon apparent that the sum thus put aside for paying the debt was not sufficient, on account of a number of worthless items, a further amount of $52,- 762 was delivered to the trustees by the colonists. At the expiration of five years the trustees informed the. people that $100,000 were still needed to pay the debt, and actually col lected in cash $56,163.71. Time rolled on. The trustees never gave any statement about payment of the debt, but instead of this, in the beginning of the year 1868, came no tice that a still larger amount was required to settle the obligations of the colony. This brought matters to a crisis. Forbearance ceased to be a virtue. The unfortunate colon ists appointed a committee to wait upon the trustees and demand an account, and the latter flatly refused anything of the kind, litigation commenced, which lasted five years, 152 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. when a verdict was given by which the colonists were made to pay $57,782.90, of which amount $46,290 were expenses for the suit and lawyers' fees. Besides this the colonists dur ing the litigation assumed responsibility for the whole of the old colony debt with interest amounting to $158,000 minus the amounts paid in between the years 1860-1868. Thus, to pay a debt in 1860 of $118,403.33, these ill-fated people have actually expended in cash $413,124.61, and in prop erty $259,786, or in the aggregate $672,910.61. This seems absurd and increditable, but the above are all official figures. Finally, it may be remarked that the majority of those now dwelling in this at the outset so ultra-religious colony, do not belong to any church organization. That they are utterly indifferentto theological dogmas is hardly to bewon- dered at when we remember the chaos in this respect prevail ing and the number of schools they have passed through without finding anything tenable. But from this we must not conclude that the moral standard is low. It may, on the contrary, truly be said that the general morality is no where better, and that the population in and around Bish opshill is distinguished for honesty, strict sobriety, peaceful- ness, and enduring industry. This article, published in "Scandinavia" in 1885, was carefully revised, especially in regard to facts, by Skordalsvold and myself in 1899. We found it was largely based upon, often being a literal translation of, a chapter of "Svenskarne i Illinois," by John son and Peterson. The same is true of M A. Mikkelsen's history, issued in 1892. In the latter work it is asserted that the majority of the Jansonists became Methodists ; that the shops, mills, and factories in the town are empty ; that everything presents the appearance of a deserted village, with only about 330 inhabitants. The third volume will contain a biography of Eric Janson, and additional information on the colony.— Editoe. The Fifteenth Wisconsin, or Scandinavian, Regiment, — BY — F». G. DIBTRICHSON. [Published in Scandinavia in 1884.] Already from the very outbreak of our late civil war, a great many Scandinavians in the northwestern states enter tained the idea of forming a volunteer regiment, and, as soon as the public appeal had been issued by the Governor of Wisconsin, Honorable Alexander W. Randall, our coun tryman, responded with hearty promptitude. The formation of this regiment, which became known as the Fifteenth In fantry of Wisconsin, was commenced at Camp Randall, Madison, in December, 1861. Its members were chiefly com posed of the Scandinavian population of that state. The Honorable Hans Heg, formerly state-prison commissioner, was appointed colonel of the regiment, and, under his super vision; the organization was effected. He had previously been renominated as commissioner, but a desire to serve his country in the field led him to choose the duties of a soldier. The regiment roster was as follows : (153) 154 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Hans C. Heg, Colonel. K. K. Jones. Lieut.-Colonel. Charles M. Reese, Major. Hans C. Borchsenius, Adj. Ole Heg, Quartermaster. Stephen 0. Himoe, Surgeon. S. I. Hansen, 1st Assist. Surgeon. G. F. Newell, 2d Assist. Surgeon. C. L. Clausen, Army Chaplain. CAPTAINS. FIRST LIEUTENANTS. Company A— Andrew Thorkildson. Company A— Emanuel Engelstad. B— Ole C. Johnson. " B— Joseph Mathiesen. C— Frederik K. Berg. " C— Hans Hansen. D— Charles Campbell. " D— Albert Skofstad . E— John Ingmundson. " E— William Tjentland. E— Charles Gustavson. " F— Thor Simonson. G— John A. Gordon. :" G— Henry Hauff. " H— Knud J. Sime. " H— Andrew A. Brown. " I— August Gasman. " I— Reynard Cook. K— Mons Grinager. " K— Ole Peterson. SECONIl LIEUTENANTS. Company A— Oliver Thompson. Company F— Svend Samuelson. " B— George Wilson. " G— Will. A. Montgomery. C— John T. Rice. " H— John E. Johnson. D— Christian E. Tandberg. " I— Martin Russell. " E— John M. Jolmson. " K— Olaus Solberg. On the 2d of March, 1862, the regiment left Madison amid the cheers of the people, having been escorted to the depot by the Sixteenth Regiment, Colonel Allen, who gave them their good wishes and an earnest farewell with the voice of a booming cannon. The Fifteenth had nearly nine hundred men, a few of them Americans, while some of the Norwegians had been in America less than a year. The material of the regiment looked hardy and 'active, and some of its number had served in foreign armies. On their route to Chicago, they encountered a snow-storm, and, at one point, were obliged to shovel their way through it, THE 15TH WISCONSIN, OR SCANDINAVIAN, REGIMENT. 155 but, at their arrival in Chicago, they were cordially met by the Scandinavian society, Nora Lodge, and by them pre sented with a flag, having, on one side, the American colors, and on the reverse, the American and Norwegian arms united, the Norwegian being the picture of a lion with an axe, on a red field. The committee that made the presenta tion consisted of Messrs. S. T. Gunderson, G. Roberg, A. An derson, A. Loberg, and C. Dietrichson. From Chicago they proceeded to St. Louis, where they were ordered to Bird's Point, Mo., opposite Cairo, and at that place they disem barked for the purpose of going into encampment. How ever, the regiment did not engage in any action of import ance until they joined an expedition of fifteen hundred men to Union City, Tenn., where a force of rebels were to be cap tured. They left Hickman, Kentucky, on the 11th of June, in the afternoon, and went to within four miles of Union City, where they camped for the night. The march was very rapid. Everybody was arrested on the road who was likely to advertise their approach. The next morning, shortly be fore seven, the first shots of the pickets were heard, and soon after our forces opened on the rebels, who fired their camp and fled, leaving swords, pistols, and much clothing behind them. Among other trophies taken was a secession flag, captured by Company G, on which was inscribed: "Hill's Cavalry; Victory or Death," from which it would be legiti mately inferred that the whole regiment was killed, since that was the only alternative of victory. Thence the regiment moved to join Davis' division, and entered Florence, Alabama, on the 26th of August. But, already on the twenty-eighth they joined in the march to 156 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Nashville, to intercept General Bragg in his raid into Ken tucky, and his threatened invasion across the Ohio. Beyond Nashville they proceeded with Buell's army through Bowl ing Green and Murfordsville, reaching Louisville late in Sep tember, wearied, worn, ragged, and hungry, on account of their long and trying march, during a part of which they had subsisted on half-rations, and suffered greatly for want of water. In common with the Union army, they moved next to Chaplin Hills, near Perryville, and of their part in that bat tle a brief relation will be in order. The Fifteenth Wisconsin, of General Gilbert's corps, formed in line of battle in the woods, at some distance from the severest fighting. One company was sent forward as skirmishers, and was soon engaged with the enemy in force. The brigade, which was commanded by Colonel Carlin, supported Sheridan's division. They had scarcely emerged from the woods before the rebels begin a retreat to the protection of their artillery. The sur face of the country being broken, some shelter was afforded to the brigade, and, by passing exposed positions with rapidity, it suffered but little loss. This advanced regiment continued to press the enemy, who were constantly retreat ing, and planted their batteries where they found it conven ient. After the advance had been made in this manner for about a mile, a brief halt was ordered, but, upon ascertaining that the rebels were yet in retreat, the Union soldiers again rallied and pursued them. Another halt was ordered within a quarter of a mile of the village, and the men lay down behind a small elevation of ground. The rebels kept up their fire upon them with canister and shell, while the Union troops THE 15TH WISCONSIN, OR SCANDINAVIAN. REGIMENT. 157 replied with their rear artillery, which threw shell over the heads of their advanced troops into the line of the enemy. At length, after a running fire of about two hours, the bri gade was ordered to retire. In accomplishing this they cap tured thirteen wagons loaded with amunition, and succeeded in bringing with them over one hundred prisoners. The bat tle continued until darkness closed the scene, being extremely fierce in the latter part of the afternoon. But, as daylight passed away, our flag was triumphant, our troops occupy ing the ground held by the enemy in the morning, with his right wing turned. The destruction of life had been apalling. The woods, cornfields, and open spaces were, in many places, strewn with the slain. The remaining soldiers slept on their arms, with their dead comrades around them, and the next morning only the rear gaurd of the enemy was within reach of our guns. The Fifteenth Regiment was next employed at Crab Orchard, as a provost guard, for a week, and thence pro ceeded to Edgefield Junction, where, in November, they joined an expedition, commanded by Lieutenant McKee, fifty miles down the Cumberland river, in search of Morgan's guerrillas. They returned, after five days, with half a hundred prisoners, many horses, mules, and wagons, having destroyed guerrilla premises, a distillery, whiskey, salt, and grain. General McCook complimented them in high terms on their success. The regiment moved then to Nashville, where they were occupied with skirmishing and guarding forage trains until December 25th. On Christmas eve, 1862, the decision was made to advance the next day- At dawn the troops broke up camp, 158 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. and poured along the highways with shouts of joy, thegreat mass little thinking how many of them, or who, were soon to fall in battle. McCook's three divisions advanced on the Nolinsville pike, meeting the enemy's artillery and cavalry, skirmishing all the way, and closing the day with a sharp fight. The Fifteenth Wisconsin was in this force, and gradu ally drove the rebels to a strong and nearly impregnable gorge in a mountain (Knob Gap), which they had fortified by a force of dismounted cavalry and eight pieces of artillery. The order was given to Colonel Carlin to capture that bat tery. He commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel McKee, of the Fifteenth regiment, to undertake the desperate task. Accord ingly, Colonel McKee led the brigade line of skirmishers. They approached to the very mouths of the artillery, which opened upon them with shot and shell. But these intrepid men steadily advanced, followed by the brigade, which soon poured in a tremendous fire, which caused the rebels to yield, leaving one brass six-pounder behind, marked "Shiloh," they having captured it in that battle. In this charge Col onel Heg was conspicuous in his gallant attempt to reach the before-mentioned cannon ; and he took possession of it in the name of the Fifteenth Wisconsin. On the morning of the 30th, the regiment was formed in line-of-battle, made a cautious advance, and Company E, under Captain Ingmund- son, was sent out to skirmish, and encountered the enemy about noon. The regiment was soon ordered to support the skirmishers, and in the engagement Captain Ingmundson was slain. Colonel Heg retreated slowly, and his men, tak ing refuge behind a fence, held the position until dark, and rested upon their arms during the night, in the severe cold, THE 15TH WISCONSIN, OR SCANDINAVIAN, REGIMENT. 159 without fire. On the next morning, at four o'clock, the regi ment was in line-of-battle. They first supported a battery, and then took a position from which they at length were forced to retire, the rebels advancing upon the Fifteenth in solid columns. At this point, Colonel McKee and some others were killed, and several wounded. Colonel Heg then with. drew his men to avoid an overwhelming force of the enemy. Again he posted his troops behind a fence, within four or five hundred yards of the Murfreesboro' pike, and poured some destructive volleys into the rebels. Still they were too many for him to withstand, and he crossed the turnpike, rallied his men, and remained there the rest of the day. The losses on the 30th and 31st of December were: Killed, fifteen; wounded, seventy ; missing, thirty-four ; total, one hundred and nineteen men. The report of Brigadier General Carlin testified to the great bravery, both of privates and officers, in these engagements. The Scandinavian blood was thor oughly tested, and found to be inferior to none in point of courage and endurance. After the Stone River battle the regiment partook of the suffering of Rosecrans' army for want of clothing, provis ions, and tents. January 31, 1863, they went on a scouting expedition against Wheeler's and Forrest's forces, tarried a few days at Franklin, and returned. Other expeditions and outpost and picket duties engaged them until the movement of Rosecrans' army, June 24th, toward Chattanooga. In August they crossed the Cumberland mountains, and en camped at Stevenson, Alabama. Their brigade laid the pon toons across Tennessee river, and they were the first to pass over. They crossed Sand and Lookout mountains, and 160 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. joined the main part of the army, near Chicamauga creek, on the 18th of September. The next morning, at eight o'clock, they were in motion, and soon after noon hurried forward at a double-quick into line-of-battle, to fill a gap through which the rebles were striving to pass and cut our armyin two. ColonelHeg's brigadewas formed in two lines, the Fifteenth Wisconsin and Eighth Kansas in front, the former having the right. They were at once pushed forward through dense underbrush, and had not advanced more than fifty yards when they met and drove the rebel skirmishers. Still advancing, they encountered a heavy fire from the enemy's main line. After a severe fight, the Eighth Kansas wavered and left the Fifteenth unsupported, which was soon compelled to fall back also, bearing with them most of their wounded. Captain Johnson, of Company A, was killed in this action. An Illinois regiment was now sent forward, with the Fifteenth for its support. After a short but hard strug gle, the Illinois regiment was forced back, and retreated over the Fifteenth, which was lying down. The regiment now became hotly engaged. The troops in line of their rear, sup posing that the regiment which had fallen back was the last of the Federals in front, opened fire upon the Fifteenth. Thus, placed between the fire of friends and foes, there was no alternative except to break up the regiment and escape as they best might manage. The enemy now attacked and routed the rear line, continuing the pursuit across a field, where the Federals rallied, reformed, and checked the elated foe. The regiment was, however, not organized again that day, but the men in detachments joined other commands near them and remained on the field. At night, Lieutenant- THE 15TH WISCONSIN, OR SCANDINAVIAN, REGIMENT. 161 Colonel Johnson collected his scattered men. Throughout the day Colonel Heg was intensely active in encouraging his brigade, and himself set an example of noble valor. Unfortu nately he was wounded by a shot in the bowels, near the close of the day, and died in the field hospital during the night. In his report, General McCook mentions with special honor the name of this fallen hero. The regiment was called up next morning at three o'clock, and placed in a commanding position on the Chattanooga road, to the right, and in reserve. At ten o'clock in the morn ing the battle commenced with terrible fury. The brigade, now commanded by Colonel Martin, was ordered to fill the gap made by the withdrawal of General Wood. Hardly had they got into line before they were hotly attacked. The men, protected by rude defenses of logs and rails, twice repulsed the rebels, with great slaughter, after which, both flanks being turned, they still held out, hoping for reinforcements, until nearly surrounded, when they broke and attempted to save themselves. They were the last to leave their position. Many were captured, including Lieutenant-Colonel Johnson. All efforts to rally the men near the Chattanooga road prov ing fruitless, the retreat was continued a mile, when a tena ble position was reached, and the scattered men of the regi ments were gathered and consolidated into one force. They held a position here until five o'clock in the afternoon, when they were ordered five miles further to the rear, where they bivouacked for the night, and the fragments of their regi ment were brought together. Captain Johnson, of Company A, and Captain Hauff, of Company E, were killed. Major Wil son and Captain Gasman had received some severe wounds. 162 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Captain Hansen, of Company C, and Second Lieuten ant C. E. Tandberg, of Company D, were both fatally wounded. The Fifteenth Regiment subsequently engaged on the fortifications at Chattanooga; a part escorted a supply train to Stevenson, the rest cut and rafted timber for pontoon bridges, and, all united, moved out of Fort Wood, at Chat tanooga, under command of Captain Gordon, on the 25th of November, tc engage in the assault on Missionary Ridge. On the same morning, Hooker set out for Lookout Mountain toward Rossville, driving the enemy before him down its east ern declivity, and across the valley toward the ascent of Mis sionary Ridge at our right. He was detained three hours by building a bridge across the Chattanooga creek, but at half- past three in the afternoon was approaching on the Rossville road. That approach was to be the sign for the other forces to move. At twenty minutes to four o'clock, six signal guns are fired, and the long-waiting, ardent troops leap forth first to carry the rifle-pits at the foot of Missionary Ridge. As they arrived at the base of the mountain, the rebel pickets swarm out of their pits in great amazement, and flee before them. As yet no command had been given to go beyond the base, but they stop not for orders. A few moments' delay is caused to re-form the line, and then they start up the ascent. Front and enfilading shots from musketry and fifty cannon are plunging down upon them. Some fall; the rest press dauntlessly on; they clamber up the side, leaping ditches, jumping logs, advancing in zigzag lines, rushing over all ob stacles, dodging, if they can, the missiles of heavy stones thrown upon them by the rebels, and thrusting aside their THE 15TH WISCONSIN, OR SCANDINAVIAN, REGIMENT. 163 bayonets, until they reach the top, beat back the enemy, and take the ridge. The Fifteenth Wisconsin then proceeded to reinforce Burn- side, at Knoxville, marching one hundred and ten miles with scanty rations. From that place they made various short marches, and December 25th moved to Strawberry Plains, seventeen miles from Knoxville, and there aided in building a railroad bridge. January 15th, 1864, at Dandridge, they were joined by a party of convalescents, who, on their route from Chattanooga, had just taken part in a severe engage ment with Wheeler's cavalry at Charleston, Tennessee, rout ing the rebels, whose loss was ten killed and one hundred and sixty-seven wounded and prisoners. In January they had orders to proceed on a veteran furlough to Wisconsin, but the threatening movements of the enemy forbade their going, and they still kept at duty in the field. Early in April they moved southward to join the Army of the Cumberland, and, encamping at McDonald Station, Tennessee, made prepara tions for the spring campaign. The first design was to reach Atlanta, one hundred and thirty-eight miles southwest of Chattanooga, one of the most important towns of Georgia, a large manufacturing place, where an immense amount of arms, amunition, and clothing for the rebel army was made. The route to Atlanta lay, in part, over a rough, mountain ous country, but the charm of spring was then upon it, and the desolation of war had not yet come. On the 8th of May, Howard's corps (Fifteenth and Twenty-fourth Wisconsin Infantry) carried a ridge near Buzzard Roost, but found it too narrow for operation in order to carry the pass near it. The Rebel-General Johnson soon saw that if he remained in 164 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. the entrenchment around Dalton,his communications would be cut off, and he therefore left his cherished position on May 12th, retreating on a short line to Resaca, which was eight een miles farther toward Atlanta. On the morning of the 14th, the Federal spies set upon the enemy in their entrench ment at Resaca. During the battle two of the enemy's guns were silenced by the Fifteenth Wisconsin, and a desperate charge made by the rebels was repulsed with heavy loss to them. Five of the regiment were killed and twelve wounded. Yet our troops were making such inroads upon the enemy's works that, during the night of the 15th, they quietly evacu ated Resaca, and retreated toward Kingston, thirty-two miles farther south, and thence to Dallas. The cavalry division, under Sherman and McCook, pur sued the enemy on their retreat from Resaca, and the whole army quickly followed, crossing the Ostanula river. The roads were very rough, the marching careful and slow. Johnston, meanwhile, took a shorter route, and, with the larger part of his army, reached Dallas first. The Fifteenth became engaged in the heavy skirmishing and fighting on the 27th, and, as they were crossing a ravine, exposed them selves to a heavy fire from the enemy's artillery. They made a desperate charge, and came so near the rebel breast-works that some were killed within a few feet of them. They found it impossible to dislodge the enemy, but succeeded in estab lishing our line within fifteen yards of their fortifications. They held this position for more than five hours, although exposed to a severe fire of musketry. The enemy, having been reinforced, charged upon their weakened ranks, until at length they were forced to retire, leaving the dead and THE 15TH WISCONSIN, OR SCANDINAVIAN, REGIMENT. 165 wounded on the field. On the next day, May 28th, the Fed erals, having thrown up defenses four miles from Dallas, were attacked by the enemy in force. Our men saw the attack as it was coming, and, throwing up some slight defenses, re served their fire until the rebels were within sixty feet of them. The heavy shot of the enemy crushed through the Union ranks, but they firmly held their ground. At given signal, a thousand muskets sped their deadly bullets with unerring aim at the yelling, exulting foe, and volley after vol ley, in rapid succession, mowed down their deep and thick ranks. The Federal artillery joined their fire, and the ground occupied by the foe was soon strewn with the mangled, the dying and the dead. Once driven back, they rallied and rushed forward again; three times they came, three times they were repulsed, and then fled, leaving a great number of wounded and dead. This was the principal battle of Dallas. On June 23d the Fifteenth Regiment was actively engaged in the assault upon the rebel position at Kenesaw mountain, where it suffered a loss of six killed and wounded. From this time to the 3d of July, when the enemy evacuated, it partici pated in advancing, skirmishing, and driving the enemy from line to line of their works on Pine, Lost and Kenesaw mount ains. Afterward they pressed forward in pursuit of them toward the Chattahooche river, and captured a number of rebels. Again, and sadly, the rebels took up their retreat, leaving their perfected and expansive defenses on the Chata- hooche, removing their heavy guns seven miles to Atlanta, and falling back with their main army toward the fortifica tions of that city. Then Sherman moved a part of his own forces across the river, took possession of the rebel works, 166 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. and of certain important strategic points in that direction. The Fifteenth was in reserve at the battle of Peach Tree Creek on July 20th, and marched then toward Atlanta, and joined in the siege. The regiment was engaged in picket and fatigue duties until August 25th, when they joined in the movement to the south of that city, and participated in the engagement at Jonesboro, returning to Atlanta the 9th of September. During the fall they were ordered to perform provost guard duty and various functions of a similar na ture, until their final muster out, February, 1865, at Chat tanooga. The recruits and veterans of the regiment, seventy-two in number, were transferred to the Twenty -fourth, and sub sequently to the Thirteenth Wisconsin. Three hundred Scandinavian soldiers, or just one-third of the entire Fifteenth Regiment were killed on fields of bat tle or died in our army hospitals. Their names will be a roll of honor in all times to come ! As far as facts are concerned, this article was carefully revised by Skordalsvold and myself in 1899. In regard to other Scandinavian Oivil War soldiers from Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, see pp. 3034, Vol. I., and pp. 66-8 and 119-21, Vol. II. Soldiers from Illinois and some Eastern states will be referred to in the third volume.— Bditob. Historical Review of the Danish Evangel ical Lutheran Church in America. — by- REV. ADAM DAN. The Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is an independent organization, and not connected with any of the Scandinavian, German, or American synods in this country. The church has its own government and constitu tion ; but as many of her ministers have received their edu cation in Denmark, and have been assisted financially, by an annual sum appropriated by the Danish Parliament, as well as by private contributions of some church people at home, the Danish-American Lutheran Church considers herself as a branch of the Church of Denmark, and is so considered by her. And in the interest of our church in this country a com mittee exists in Denmark called Udvalget, consisting mostly of theological professors from the Royal University of Den mark, and clergymen of high rank. But no laws are dictated to us from abroad, the mother church has never made any attempt of ruling in purely local matters ; yet it has always been our practice to regard Udvalget as the highest au- (167) 168 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. thority from which we look for a decision in all matters of controversy, in fact the authority of Udvalget is recognized by our church constitution. Consequently the church govern ment of the Danish-American Lutheran Church is neither episcopal nor synodical. The first beginning of our church in this country was made in 1871. Many Danish-Americans had previously sent letters home wherein they had stated their longing after church services in the mother tongue, which at that time could not be satisfied, as there existed no Danish Lutheran church in this country.* Norwegian ministers tried to meet the religious wants of the Danes, but only a few could be reached by them, and the Norwegian clergymen joined the Danes in sending a " Macedonian cry " to the mother church at home. This gave the impulse to the formation of Udvalget in 1869, with the purpose of helping the Danes in this country to secure ministers. In 1871 one clergyman and two laymen were sent to the United States. The clergyman visited and held meetings in many Danish settlements, and investigated other matters in regard to the Danes in this country, then returned to his native land. One of the laymen, A. S. Nielsen, was ordained shortly after and became pastor at Cedar Falls, Iowa, then preached in Chicago for fourteen years. The other layman, R. Ander sen, became a student at Augsburg Seminary, was ordained in 1872, and has for many years been pastor and missionary among the emigrants and seamen in New York and Brook lyn. In 1871 both Rev. N. Thomsen and the writer of this article arrived and took charge of Danish Lutheran congre gations in Indianapolis, Ind., and Racine, Wis., respectively. ?Apparently, two or three purely Danish Lutheran congregations existed before 1871. For example, Rev. M. F. Wiese, a Dane, organized one at Indianapolis, Ind., in connection with the Norwogian Synod, April 17, ISfi?.— Editok. / HISTORY OF THE DANISH LUTHERAN CHURCH. 169 Both these men had been missionaries, the former in East India and the latter in Jerusalem, in the Holy Land. The above named four persons were the first clergymen of the Danish Lutheran Church in this country. In 1872 the Danish ministers, together with some lay men, organized the Church Mission Society, at Neenah, Wis., and at the same time commenced the publication of Kirkelig Samler, which has ever since been the official organ of the church. In 1874 the society changed its name to The Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, effected a stronger organization, and adopted a constitution. At first the work was missionary in its nature, and the ministers often had to make long and troublesome journeys on foot or on horseback, in order to reach the scattered Danish settlements. In latter years the clergymen have had more regular charges. In 1880 the church became the owner of a school, pat terned after the Danish high schools, which had been founded at Elk Horn, Iowa, two years before; but in 1887 the whole plan of the institution was changed, and we lost control of it in 1890. Two or three smaller schools are controlled by members of our church. For some years we had a theological seminary at West Denmark, Wis., but in 1896 we established a theological seminary and college combined in Des Moines, la., at a cost of about $20,000. We have also an orphans' asylum in Chicago, where many poor children are cared for and educated. During the twenty-nine years of church life of our church there have been many controversies of different nature. The first and one of the most important disputes arose about 1872, between the Church Mission Society and the Norwe- 170 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. gian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Conference, together with other Norwegian Lutheran church organizations, in regard to some local church property, but more especially in regard to theological questions. The property question was settled by the judicial courts in Racine, Wis. But the teaching of Grundtvigianism, the doctrine held by the renowned Danish bishop and poet, N. F. S. Grundtvig, permitting, among other things, a more liberal interpretation of the Bible — as ad vocated especially by the writer of this article— has never died out.* For in late years the same question has been agitated in our church and has called forth man}' articles in the papers and hot words at the aunual meetings. Today there are two factions among us, the followers of Bishop Grundtvig, and the so-called Mission People; both are recognized by the Church of Denmark as belonging to the Lutheran church, and they are about equal in strength.! Our church as a body is small, having only in 1900 about 50 ministers, 80 congregations, and 8,000 communicant members, more than half of whom are to be found in the states of Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Yet we have organizations in all the central Northwestern as well as some of the Eastern and Western states. The value of the church property amounts to about $250,000. We have a mission among the Mormons in Utah, where a great number of Danes have settled and believe that faith. We in this country do not have any mission of our own among the heathens, but we contribute annually a fair sum to the dif- * It should be observed that the well-known Rev. C. L. Clausen, also a Dane, who for many years was one of the most prominent Lutheran clergymen among the early Danish-Norwegian settlers in this country, leaned also, at least atfirst, to wards Grundtvigianism. — Editor. tThe controversy and separation of the two parties are discussed in Vol. II., pp. 52-5, The statistics on this page are brought up to date by myself , and the last half of page 169 has been rewritten for this edition.— Editor. HISTORY OF THE DANISH LUTHERAN CHURCH. 171 ferent Danish missions in East India and among the Jews in the Holy Land. Every congregation has a Sunday school. Some congre gations support permanent teachers who every day give re ligious and secular instruction, both in Danish and English, to the children. In other places Danish students teach dur ing the summer vacation, and in some instances the clergy men keep school every Saturday the whole year round. The church has successfully tried to establish Danish colonies or settlements in Shelby county, Iowa; in Lincoln county, Minn.; in Clark count}*, Wis.; and in the southern part of Texas. Historical Review of Hauge's Evangelical Lutheran Synod in America. -by- PROF. G. O. BROHOUGH. Every effect has its cause. When the church had the most temporal power, the distinctive Christian doctrines were the most neglected. Thisseeming paradox becomes clear when we remember that Christ's kingdom, though in the world, is not of the world. Religion is an individual rela tion and cannot be forced into existence by the mandate of a temporal ruler. During the Dark Ages church life had sunk to its lowest ebb. Bishops robbed, priests swore, the Bible was replaced by the " Picture-book," and prayers were mum bled in a foreign tongue. The lethargic soul could not lift its drowsy gaze beyond the symbol. But the onward sweep of the glad tidings was not to be stopped, only retarded. " Truth crushed to earth shall rise again." The great move ments of the crusades had given an opportunity to compare, and comparison educates. The people had become conscious of their own strength and the scarecrows of the tyrants had become exposed. Scholasticism, which for centuries had (173) 174 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. skirted the ocean of free thought, breaking every wave of advancing opinion, was rapidly giving way. There was seeming uniformity and peace, but not the quiet that results from the equipoise of the elements. It was the calm that pre cedes the storm. The ship of progress simply drifted. The ominous storm-swallow circled about the mast-head. The sky was overcast by portentious clouds, and the dark but quiet sea gave indications of an approaching storm. Tide after tide came rolling shoreward, until finally, at the close of the fifteenth century, the crashing wave of the Reforma tion burst with a terrifying roar against the timeworn in stitutions, tumbling them out of the way. This cleared the close and stifling atmosphere. As the dead- weight of igno rance and superstition was lifted, the human mind expanded. Thought advanced and colossal figures came upon the stage to give direction to that thought. The Reformation gave to the world an open Bible. The effect was wonderful. When that Bible was again in danger of being closed, Gustavus Adolphus, " the greatest Teuton of them all," on the plains of Liitzen , sealed with his own blood the religious liberties of Teutonic Europe. The pendulum of progress swings from one extreme to another. During the Middle Ages, the "Age of Faith," an appeal lay to authority only. At the close of the eighteenth century, reason and experience were considered supreme arbiters. This tendency is called rationalism. The term was first used by Kant. " Rationalism is that tendency in modern thought which claims for the unaided human reason the right of deciding in matters of faith. It asserts the prerogative of the intellect to be supreme arbiter in all departments of re- HISTORY OF HAUGE'S SYNOD IN AMERICA. 175 vealed truth. It requires certainty, as the condition of its favor, and, with Wolf, promptly rejects what does not come before it with all the exactness and clearness of a mathemat ical demonstration." The sources of rationalism were va rious, embracing different countries as well as different de partments of investigation. The pantheism of Spinoza was a welcome substitute for the heartless doctrine by which God was excluded from his own creation. The deism of England was industriously propagated in Germany, where the works of Herbert, Hobbes, Tyndal, and Woolston were circulated among the people. In France the influence of Voltaire and the encyclopedists was unbounded. It was not till the latter half of the last century that a reaction set in, heralded by such men as Jacobi and Schleiermacher. Rationalism, like a huge billow, had swept over the whole of Christendom attacking everything that impeded its progress, leaving moral slime and desolation in its wake. It even dashed up against the rock-ribbed shores of old Nor way, lashing its filthy scum far into her peaceful valleys. The clergy of Norway enjoy the reputation of being hospit able and intelligent ; but at this juncture they seem to have partaken of the" deep sleep "that had fallen on the Christian church. Rationalism was rampant at the University and thence spread to the country districts. On Christmas morn ing, the worthy pastor took occasion to inform his flock on improved methods of constructing stables and mangers. In expounding the text about the " sower and seed " new or im proved methods for tilling the soil came in for consideration. This was excellent information, no doubt, but it was not the Gospel of Christ, which he was commissioned to preach. 176 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. As the last century drew to its close, a peasant lad, Hans Nilsen Hauge (pronounced Howgey) appeared on the scene. Being thoroughly aroused and converted at an early age, he felt impelled to preach the Gospel to his kinsmen and neighbors. For a layman to preach was not only unusual, but unlawful. He was warned— he wavered. Being of a mod est and retiring disposition, he seriously doubted his own fit ness. His conscience, however, would give him no peace, and soon his fearless and persuasive testimony had been heard in every hamlet and valley in the country. Persecutions followed thick and fast. Meetings were broken up, the worshipers were rudely dispersed, and Hauge himself was dragged into prison. Ten times was he incarcerated; he literally rotted in a common jail. All this for no other crime than admonishing his countrymen to lead a Christian life according to the teachings of the established church, and assisting his followers to gain a livelihood by developing the resources of the country. In our age of toleration, we are astonished that such a man should be persecuted. And yet, humanity has always been prone to abuse its benefactors. Every age has starved its Homer, poisoned its Socrates, banished its Aristides, stoned its Stephen, burned its Savano- rola, or imprisoned its Galileo. The imprisonment of Hauge did not have the desired effect. The spark soon kindled into flame. Other laymen arose to continue the work and a mighty impulse, that no human power could check, swept over the land. This persecuting attitude of the church toward the revival movement created a wide cleft between the state clergy and the more zealous Christian element of the laity. The difficulty was augmented by the fact that HISTORY OF HAUGE'S SYNOD IN AMERICA. 177 many of the clergy held the tenets of Grundtvig, a Danish divine of considerable influence, who differed from the estab lished faith in many points. This naturally created distrust, as the laity were sticklers for pure doctrine as well as for holy living. It should be stated, however, that in spite of these diffi culties Hauge and his friends never entertained the idea of leaving the state church. They did not desire to form a new and separate church organization. All they wished was a spiritual revival — the introduction of spiritual life into the dead forms. Consequently, in Norway, they all worship and commune in the same church. The revival movement, on the other hand, has had a salutary influence on the state church and the chief professors of theology at the University of Norway have of late been the friends and allies of the movement. In 1839, Elling Eielsen, a lay preacher and a staunch supporter of Hauge, came to the United States and settled in the Fox River settlement, 111. In Chicago, then but a traders' post, he preached his first sermon on American soil. The first Norwegian Lutheran " meeting house " was erected under his care at Fox River, shortly after his arrival in this country. Eielsen was an energetic man and a zealous preacher. The burden of his discourse was, "Repent and believe." Soon he had visited all the places in the Northwest where his countrymen had settled. As an itinerant he suf fered untold hardships, but his zeal never flagged. As an evangelist, he was emminently successful; and had he pos sessed the talent for organizing that he had for preaching, the future church historian might have had a different story 178 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. to tell. As an organizer he was sorely deficient. The peo ple, however, soon began to feel the need of a formal orga nization. His friends at Fox River, therefore, requested Eielsen to "seek holy orders." Accordingly, Eielsen repaired to Chicago and was ordained, Oct. 3, 1843, by Rev. F. A. Hoffman, D. D., pastor of a German Lutheran congregation at Duncan's Grove, 20 miles north of Chicago.* The ordination of Eielsen satisfied a long felt want of a clergyman, and, save Eielsen's uncompromising warfare against sin, peace and order reigned throughout the congre gations. This condition of affairs, however, was not long to continue. Soon after Eielsen's ordination, Rev. J. W. C. Diedrichsen, ordained in Norway, and C. L. Clausen, a Dane, and ordained by Rev. L. Krause in this country, appeared on the field and commenced preaching among the Norwegian and Danish settlers. Both of these men leaned, more or less avowedly, toward the teachings of Grundtvig,! Clausen, however, renouncing these tenets in later years . Diedrichsen, in a patronizing way, offered to "affirm" Eielsen's ordina tion. This was rejected as an imposition. $ Eielsen and his followers did not seem to trust the late comer who appeared in the insignia of state church, vaunting its authority. Eiel sen soon regarded Diedrichsen as a rationalist and the lat ter retorted by accusing Eielsen of fanaticism. As to the truth of these mutual accusations, future historians will have to judge. It seems plain, however, that the two op- • See copy of credentials of ordination at Chicago, Cook cotmty, ill., tinder date of October 3, 1843. tSee Wisconsinisme, by H. A. Preus, p. 5, also Syv Foredrag by him : quoted by O. I. Hattlestad in Historiske Meddelelser, p. 32. ISee El. Eielsen's Lir., by Brohough and Eistensen, p. 65. HISTORY OF HAUGE'S SYNOD IN AMERICA. 179 posing factions of Norway had been transplanted to Ameri can soil where the contest between true piety and stifling formalism was to be continued. If this be true, it gives us a reasonable clue to the schism in the early Norwegian Lu theran church in America. In 1846, on Jefferson Prairie, Wis., Rev. Elling Eielsen and his friends organized a society called The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, adopting what has been called the "Old Constitution." In 1875 this constitution was somewhat modified and the name changed to Hauge's Nor wegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod in America. But Eiel sen and a few of his friends, being displeased with the new name and the new constitution, withdrew, continuing to labor in accordance with the " Old Constitution " and re tained the old name of the organization. The need of a school was soon felt, and in 1854 some property was bought at Lisbon, 111., with a view of found ing an institution of learning. On account of disagreement among the leaders, however, the project was abandoned. In 1865, another effort was made in the same line in Dane county, Wis., and cand. theol. Aaserod was engaged as prin cipal. He did not seem to possess the sympathy of the peo ple and the school failed for want of support. In 1867 the Synod purchased three acres of land in Red Wing, Minn., and commenced breaking ground and procuring materials for a school building. Meanwhile flattering offers were made by parties at Chicago, and operations were transfered to that place. A feeble attempt was made at setting the machinery of the school in motion, but the wheels soon clogged and the Synod lost whatever means it had invested. During all this 180 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. time the Synod had grown, and the increasing demand for ministers and teachers made the want of a school more keenly felt from year to year. In 1878, by the aid of H. M. Sande, of Goodhue county, a handsome and convenient school property was bought at Red Wing, Minn. It had formerly been a first class boarding school, and owned by a corporation. In the fall of 1879 Red Wing Seminary opened its doors to students, and classes were organized both in the collegiate and theological departments. During the school year of 1898-9 there were seven instructors and about 150 students. Since the school opened, 180 young men have graduated from the two departments. This is the only school controlled, directly or indirectly, by the synod. During its nearly 55 years of existence the Synod has given freely to the cause of missions. A modest but steady stream of contributions from its congregations and mission ary societies has poured into the coffers of the Mission Society of Norway to be distributed over a not insignificant mis sionary field. Of late a great interest has been aroused in the missionary work in China. Several persons are already in the field and are supported wholly, or in part, by contri butions from the Synod. The home mission work has also come in for a modest share of attention. It is difficult to give accurate statistics as the officers are remiss in sending in the required reports. The last United States census has palpable errors. According to the official report of 1899 there are about 100 ministers and pro fessors in the Synod. It numbers nearly 230 congregations, scattered over several of the states in the Union, but one- third of the members reside in Minnesota. The Synod has, HISTORY OF HAUGE'S SYNOD IN AMERICA. 181 in 1900, in the neighborhood of 30,000 members ; probably 18,000 of them are communicant members, the remaining being children not yet confirmed. The total value of the church property amounts to about $600,000. Budbaereren is the official paper of the Synod ; a child ren's paper is also published. Sunday schools are maintained in nearly every congre gation and three or four months parochial school is usually taught during the summer season . Of late the aspect of the Synod has somewhat changed. Many peculiarities have been modified. From the seminary at Red Wing have come many able and earnest young men to fill up the serried ranks of the clergy. With these young clergymen have come renewed zeal, more liberal ideas, and broader views. In the main, however, the organization has maintained the characteristics of its youth — a vigorous on slaught, both from pulpit and in private, on the common foibles of humanity and the popular forms of vice ; such as drunkenness, swearing, Sabbath breaking, etc. Lay preach ing, under proper safeguards, week-day prayermeetings, and great simplicity in the forms of worship, are favored. The old questions, however, so hotly contested in earlier days, have lost their spell. It is doubtful if the magical words of Slavery, Predestination, Priestly Robes, etc., can ever again become the rallying cry of any Lutheran body in America. The dream of the younger element in all these bodies is a strong, united, Lutheran church, lifting up the war cry, "Christ is risen! " — advancing in solid phalanx to do battle for Christ and His Kingdom. Historical Review of the Norwegian Evan gelical Lutheran Synod in America. -by- REV. JOHN HALVORSON. Although a few persons had previously arrived in this country from Norway, the regular Norwegian emigration to the United States did not commence before 1836, when two ships from Stavanger brought about 160 people who settled at Fox River, La Salle county, 111. From this year onward the emigration continued steadily and most of the immigrants settled in Illinois and southern Wisconsin ; later in Iowa and Minnesota. For a number of years, however, they were without religious instruction, and had no minis ters of the Gospel who could preach to them in the language they understood, and according to the faith in which they had been baptized and confirmed. The first ordained Nor wegian Lutheran clergyman who" came to attend to the spiritual wants of his countrymen in the Northwest was Wilhelm Dietrichson. He arrived in 1844. C. L. Clau sen, a Dane, who had previously studied theology in Denmark, was ordained by a German Lutheran pastor, Rev. (183) 184 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Krause, of Milwaukee, and commenced to serve Norwegian and Danish congregations in 1843. The next arrivals of ordained ministers were H. A. Stub, and A. C. Preus, from Norway. In 1851 the first endeavors were made to combine the scattered Danish and Norwegian congregations into one or ganization; but as the first constitution which had been adopted was found to contain Grundtvigianism, then preva lent in Denmark, the organization was dissolved the follow ing year. A new constitution was adopted in 1853, at Koshkonong, Dane county, Wis. The Synod of the Norwe gian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was thus or ganized. Seven ministers and 28 congregations united in forming the new body. The constitution was revised in 1865, and ratified two years later. The Synod adheres to the old biblical faith and Chris tianity as taught in the Holy Scripture and confessed in the three ancient symbols, the Apostolic, the Nicene, and the Athanasian creeds, in the unaltered Augsburg Confession, and in Luther's smaller catechism. It is strictly orthodox and conservative in matters of faith, and no friend of new forms of doctrine. It holds to the plenary inspiration of the Bible, not only as to contents, but also as to its words, and believes that it is the only perfect rule and guide of faith and conduct. The total depravity of man by the fall in Adam, justification by faith in Christ alone without the works of the Law, and the efficacy of the Word of God and the two sacraments as means of grace, by which the Holy Spirit potently calls, regenerates and sanctifies sinners, are the three distinctive doctrines which it constantly holds forth without fear and without compromise. HISTORY OF THE NORWEGIAN SYNOD IN AMERICA. 185 Although the first clergymen in the Synod were grad uates of the theological department of the University of Norway and were ordained ministers in their native land, the Synod was never financially supported by, nor was it organically connected with, the church in the fatherland. It at once became independent in its management. In matters of church government the Synod is democratic ; the congre gations alone have the right to call and depose pastors ; the pastor is called not for a definite term of years, but to serve for life or during good behavior, unless called away to places of greater need or importance. The Synod in its relation to the congregations is purely advisory. Its object is, accord ing to the constitution, " To keep watch over the purity and unity of doctrine, as well as of the development of Christian life; to superintend and examine into the official conduct of its members, (professors, pastors, and religious instructors) as well as into the religious standing and work of the con gregations ; to reconcile in matters of dispute in regard to church questions ; to erect and manage institutions of learn ing for the education of ministers and religious instructors; to establish and carry on home and foreign missions; to pro mote the use and distribution of the Bible, religious text books, hymn-books, and devotional literature." Owing to the union of church and state in Norway, many different religious tendencies were held together by external ties in one church. When these tendencies were transplanted to a free soil, they soon caused the formation of distinct church parties, or synods, all claiming to adhere to the Evangelical Lutheran faith and confession. Lay preaching, quite prevalent in Norway in the early part of 186 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. this century, was first carried on among the Norwegians in this country by Elling Eielsen, who became the founder of Hauge's Synod; but the Norwegian Synod, in accordance with Article XI Y of the Augsburg Confession, believes, "That no man should publicly in the church teach or administer the sacraments, except he be rightly, or regularly, called." During the Civil War, when the slavery question was everywhere agitated, the question arose in the Synod, if slavery, or the relation of life servitude, was an injustice and sin in itself, or if it ever could exist, or had existed in a lawful manner. The Synod took the position, accepted at its annual meeting in 1861 : " That, although according to the Word of God, it is not sin in itself to hold slaves, still slavery is in itself an evil and a punishment from God, and we condemn all the abuses and sins connected with it, as we are also willing, when the duty of our calling requires it, and when Christian love and wisdom demand it, to work for its abolition." This biblical question concerning the life servitude, permitted according to the Old and New Testa ments, could not be quietly considered in such a time of na tional agitation ; and much excitement with accusations and threats, especially against the ministers of the Synod, was the result. Hauge's Synod and the Swedish-Norwegian Augustana Synod held the view that slavery was sin in itself. On account of the controversy arising out of this dis cussion, the Norwegian Synod suffered the loss of Rev. L. C. Clausen and several congregations. In the controversy regarding the Christian Sunday the Synod adhered to Art. XXVIII of the Augsburg Confession, which explains the Lutheran view. In the controversy on HISTORY OF THE NORWEGIAN SYNOD IN AMERICA. 187 absolution the Synod held that absolution is the proclama tion of the Gospel, to many or to one individual, potently administering forgiveness of sins to sinners, but requiring faith for its acceptation and proper effect. In connection with this doctrine the question was also raised if forgiveness of sins was prepared for all sinners, in Christ Jesus, and the whole world thus might be said to be justified in him. This expression the Synod defended according to the Bible : Rom. 5, 18, " Even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." The other bodies claimed that justification could only be used with regard to those who accepted Christ by faith, which is the generally accepted meaning of justification. The doctrinal controver sies on these questions were carried on in conferences and public meetings as well as in the secular and religious press. In 1871, the parties dissatisfied with the strictly conserva tive policy and confessional rigor of the Synod, together with seceders from the Augustana Synod, organized a new relig ious denomination, the Danish-Norwegian Evangelical Luth eran Conference. But even during these years of controversy the Synod was constantly increasing. Numerous congregations were or ganized all over the Northwestern states, especially in Wis consin, Iowa, and Minnesota. The number of ministers also increased rapidly, and it was found expedient to divide the Synod into three districts. This was effected in 1876 at the meeting of the church held in Decorah, la. The districts com prise within their limits all the states and territories in which Norwegian Lutherans have settled. At the district meetings each congregation is represented 188 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. by one lay delegate and by its minister, as voting members ; only such ministers having the right to vote as serve a con gregation formally united with the Synod. Every third year the Synod holds its meetings, presided over by Rev. H. A. Preus, who has held the office of president uninterruptedly for thirty-two years,* being first elected in 1862. Between the synodical meetings the management is exercised by the church council, consisting of the four presid ing officers, and of four lay members, elected by the three dis tricts, and one member elected by the Synod at large. During the first years of its existence the Synod was dependent for its pastors and instructors upon the university and seminaries of Norway ; and from 1848 to 1858 received fourteen theological candidates from the university at Kris- tiania, who accepted charges as pastors in the Northwestern states. Three of them, however, returned to Norway, and during the troubled times of the war but few accessions were made from the mother country. For this reason, and also in order to obtain men better acquainted with the con ditions and needs of our church in America, it was found necessary to provide a theological seminary for the educa tion of ministers in our midst. As both the means and men for such an undertaking were scarce, the Norwegian Synod in the year 1855 sent delegates to visit and confer with sev eral English and German Lutheran synods in the United States. In the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Mis- rouri, Ohio, and other states, they found a church that adhered strictly to the Lutheran faith and principles, with a college and theological seminary at St. Louis, Mo., under the management of the noted Prof. C. F. W. Walther. Here •At his death in 1891, Rev. V . Koren succeeded him. HISTORY OF THE NORWEGIAN SYNOD IN AMERICA. 189 the delegates met with a hearty welcome, and the German Synod invited the students of the Norwegian Synod to at tend their seminary on the same conditions as their own. With great love and fraternal good feeling the German brethren assisted and encouraged the struggling Norwegian Lutherans in the infancy and poverty of their church ; and their aid was gratefully accepted. In 1859 Rev. Laur. Larsen, then a pastor in Wisconsin, was appointed by the Norwegian Synod as its professor at Concordia College and Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. When the classical department of Concordia College was removed to Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1861, the Norwegian Synod had so far gained in strength that it determined to conduct a college of its own, which began its work the same year in the parson age at Half Way Creek, near La Crosse,- Wis. Prof. Laur. Larsen was appointed president, which position he has filled with great fidelity through all the changes and improve ments in the college till the present date. In 1862 the college was removed to Decorah, la., where land had previously been secured. In 1864 the cornerstone was laid to a large build ing, and the next year the present Luther College was dedi cated with imposing ceremonies in the presence of 6,000 Nor wegian Lutherans from far and near. This was the first higher institution of learning erected by the Norwegians in the United States. That a building of such proportions, at a cost of $75,000, could be completed during a period of such internal and external strife was due mainly to the untiring faith, energy, and self-sacrifice of Prof. Laur. Larsen, and Rev. V. Koren, as well as to the joint efforts of the Lutheran pastors and church members in the Northwest. 190 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. The instruction at the college was at first given by two professors, but as the number of students rapidly increased, others were appointed, and in 1874 we find seven professors and over 200 students. In 1874 a new addition was com pleted at a cost of $23,000. Residences for the professors, and a large brick church were also provided, and the grounds were greatly improved. As the Norwegian people American ized, the college endeavored to keep up with the transition. English became more and more the medium of instruction, and other branches of study were added, so as to give all the facilities of an American college and still retain the thorough linguistic and historic training of a European gymnasium. In 1881 the course of study was extended to seven years, with a preparatory, a normal, and a classical department, and the number of professors and instructors was increased to nine. In 1889 the college buildings were destroyed by fire, but at the meeting of the three districts the same year it was resolved immediately to rebuild them. The next year they were again completed at a cost of $56,000. The attendance, which, during previous years of doctrinal controversies, had dwindled down to 118, now again in creased, so that since 1890 it has averaged about 200 Luther College has received four legacies, amounting to $9,500. It had originally been the intent to add a theological de partment to the college at Decorah, but men and means were not at once available, and the Norwegian students still, for a number of years, studied theology at the German Con cordia Seminary at St. Louis, although this seminary had, for a number of years, no Norwegian professor, after Prof. HISTORY OF THE NORWEGIAN SYNOD IN AMERICA. 191 Larson removed. As many as twenty Norwegian students at one time pursued their studies here, and the graduates from this seminary form the main body of the clergy of the Nowegian Synod. In 1872, to further promote the spirit of Christian fellow ship, the Norwegian Synod joined with four German Luth eran synods in organizing the Synodical Conference, which at one time intended to erect and support a theological semi nary for all the synods connected with it ; but the plan was frustrated. The Norwegian Synod then, in 1876, bought the Soldier's Orphan's Home, Madison, Wis., for a theologi cal seminary. This institution, called Luther Seminary, be gan with a practical, and afterward added a theoretical department ; the first accepts students of Christian knowl edge and experience, who, on account of advanced age or other circumstances, are debarred from pursuing a college course, but still possess abilities and a desire to enter the ministry ; the latter requiring a classical, or college education for admission. In 1888 the seminary was removed to Rob- binsdale, near Minneapolis, Minn., where fine buildings had been erected at the cost of $30,000. The faculty consists of three professors, who also edit the official organ of the Synod, Evangelisk Luthersk Kirketidende. In 1893, 47 students attended the seminary. Thus the Synod took charge of the academic and theo logical training of its adults, but at still more difficult task was found in how to provide relgious instructors for the children. There was a manifest necessity of having schools where more extensive and systematic religious instruction could be given than that offered in the Sunday schools. As 192 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. no such schools were provided for by the state or by the American churches, the need and the difficulty of this work was seriously felt. Instructors for the parochial schools were sometimes taken from Norway, or men -were employed who had received an academy training in this country. A normal department for the educating of instructors in religion was attempted in connection with Luther College, and a special professor was called for this department in 1878; but the connection with the classical department did not work well, and the normal department at Luther Col lege was given up in 1886. After several unsuccessful at tempts a normal school for preparing teachers, both for the English common school and for Lutheran parochial schools was built in Sioux Falls, S. D., at the cost of $16,000. It commenced work in 1889, with three professors, and in the winter term of 1898-9, had a total attendance of 115 stu dents, of both sexes. Besides these schools, owned and controlled directly by the Synod, a number of academies and high schools have sprung up within the last ten years, owned and controlled by private corporations within the Synod. Among such can be mentioned : Willmar Seminary, established 1882, which in 1892 had an attendance of nearly 400 students ; Albert Lea Lutheran High School, with an attendance of 200 in 1892; Lutheran Ladies' Seminary, Red Wing, Minn., of which the cornerstone was laid in 1893. This is the first in stitution of its kind among the Scandinavians in this coun try. It is to be exclusively for lady students who desire instruction in all branches of knowledge especially useful to women; business, art, housekeeping, dressmaking, etc, to- •za < 1-3awd w The number of prisoners born in Denmaek, Norway and Sweden is not given separately for the year of 1880, but together they all had 286. TABLE X. Communicants, members, congregations, and value of property of Scandinavian-American churches. 1860. 1870. 1880. 1890. 1900. 0J o is .O O 03 a cdo '3 aaa o o _o cdM CD &B O O CO i o 1 aa o o ena en G .9 cd60CDaao o cri acdCD 'S sso o m ¦I CD a inP #o w0§O co Oozi> g W 2 o > CO 02CO 264 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. TABLE XI. Showing the number of persons in the United States having Scandi navian parents; BUT the persons enumerated below may have been born in Scandinavia, America, or anywhere else — According to the United States census of 1890, published in 1894. States and Teeeitobies. Denmark Norway Sweden Total Scandi navians. • en © en CD ' <« _'d ||Bg6S°|-9 143411229 11,863 2,515 2,018 58 137179111 2,665 17,090 1,200 25,240 5,581 162636 1,099 230 2,057 10,180 22,182 184 2,4701,014 22,267 558 82 4,339 93 8,182 ;,032 45 1,487 67 1,9672,677 142 7,199 71 159 1,216 19,736 79 129 3,949 50 23,882 1,074 76 93 102 5,4211,299 543 16 82 272 115 1,313 48,091 478 59,822 3,444 43 240433253 3,082 11,451 195,764 113948 2,6626,997 92 355 1,530 71 9,444 47,877 15 659 92 3.2671,458 310 38,897 29 76 2,5263,247 38 139 11,591 9 130,737 519 423 273 586 15,248 12,975 13,378 388215833 337 2,332 131,966 7,910 52,171 31,492 477698 2,546 496 24,66437,941 155,089 526 9,537 4,465 47,318 421 1,4186,739 215 39,768 7,974 88 4,875 219 5,235 27,840 4 227 12,233 143591 4,655 10,321 947 299 12,868 137 29,993 1,940 642 777917 32,532 16,78915,939 462434 1,284 563 6,310 197,147 9,588 137,233 40,517 682 1,474 4,078 979 29,80359,572 373,035 823 12,955 8,141 76,582 1,0711,855 11,608 379 57,394 59,883 148 7,021 378 10,46931,975 4,679 58,329 243826 8,397 33,304 1,064 567 28,408 196 184,612 3.533 u a ..g'-aJlS „ d ? ©--¦ o o-*- ^ a Sago --5.2BCO District of Columbia 5g5og'gSja& "^.SgcHISg T3 b,58™ a oft E.23 smg«g£-8st3a o ® pM a a~a Minnesota. « o oJaSoa^Sa I-B|SSa5Sl S'^bsiI5"5 8 3 § 1 Q-a ft » %& «3 " g - "2 » aja -^ ft-3 B d rt Ot*J Ohio as,g"|SB-9§s §«g„-01.2'S'§3 ga'S.£ft-, S B S g-£© „ SB-gOSo^goS o cd a very first Norwegian settlers in Minnesota. According to the United States census, there -were, in 1850, seven Norwegians in the state, and they numbered nearly 10,000 ten years later. Since they have greatly increased, and undoubtedly have exercised a greater power and influence in the commercial and public affairs of the state than any other single foreign nationality. In several counties they are the controlling element in regard to business, politics, and society. South of an imaginary line drawn due west from the Twin Cities, there is hardly a single city or village of over 500 inhabit ants in -which there is not some Norwegian merchant or business man. With some exceptions, especially in the dis tricts lying between Minneapolis and Willmar and between St. Paul and Duluth, where the Swedes greatly predominate, this is also true of other portions of the state. There must be at least 300,000 Norwegians of the first and second gen erations residing in Minnesota in 1900. Swedish. One of the first pioneers and Protestant mis sionaries among the Indians in Minnesota was a Swede, Jacob Falstrom, who came to the state before 1819, in which year Fort Snelling -was established ; and, although he did little or nothing in promoting civilization because he had degenerated into savagery himself, yet he was a noted character. He was the £rst Northman in the Northwest. The first Swedish settlement in the state was commenced at Marine, Washington county, in 1850, by Oscar Roos and HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 301 two other Swedes. Dr. E. Norelius, in his great work, De Svenska Luterska Fbrsamlingarnas och Svensk ames Historia i Amerika, asserts that the first Swedish settlers arrived in 1851; this, however, is a mistake. Both Roos himself and Svenskarne i St. Croix-dalen, Minne sota — the latter is a small but excellent pamphlet by Robert Gronberger — contradict Norelius. By settlers, in this con nection, we refer especially to those who either located in certain places in company with other Northmen, or tried to form Scandinavian colonies there. Falstrom and Borup were traders and adventurers, not settlers. It may be of interest to notice that a family from the neighborhood of Motala, Sweden, made a trip exclusively by boats from that place to Taylor's Falls as early as 1850—51, making one of the most remarkable journeys ever performed by a Scandinavian immigrant in the nineteenth century. It took eight weeks to cross from Gothenburg to New Orleans, and when the party reached St. Louis they were destitute and starving, but at this juncture they met the famous Jenny Lind, who assisted them so they could proceed to their destination. In no state in the Union, with the probable exception of Illinois, have the Swedes played such an important part as they have done in Minnesota. This they have done mostly because they have been more numerous than the Swedes in any other state. According to the United States census there were four Swedes in Minnesota in 1850, twenty years later they numbered over twenty thousand, and in 1900 there must be at least 280,000 Swedes of the first and second generations in the state. Excepting the Germans, 302 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE TJ. S. the Swedish-born people in the state are more numerous than any other foreign-born nationality, but the Norwegians outnumber them by about 20,000 when both the first and second generations are taken into account. II. Causes of Immigration to Minnesota. It is impossible to determine the causes which have been operative in directing the Northern immigration to Minne sota. The great resources of agriculture, timber, and min ing ; the varied and beautiful scenery — all of -which resemble the resources and scenes of the North — might have had some thing to do with the movement. The climate of Minnesota, on the other hand, is extremely dry, and often severe, while the climate of the Scandinavian countries, on the whole, is moist and temperate ; consequently that could be no induce ment. But the chief reason has been, perhaps, the same as that which directed the movement towards the Northwest in general, namely, the Scandinavian immigration on a large scale and the opening of the state for settlement occurred about the same time. Then add the great impulse and the direction -which the early Scandinavian pioneers gave to the whole movement, and the question is undoubtedly solved. Such well-known pioneers as Col. H. Mattson and Rev. E. Norelius have done a great deal in directing the Swedish immigration towards the state. The Danish-Norwegian- American historical literature is very limited, in comparison with the Swedish, consequently it is no easy task, on account of lack of materials, to determine who were the real leaders in directing the Norwegian immigration into the state. F. S. Christensen undoubtedly did much to draw the atten- HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 303 tion of the Danes towards Minnesota. But the honor and credit of settling the state -with a good class of people does not belong exclusively to one or a few, but to hundreds and thousands of Scandinavian immigrants who induced their relatives and friends to join them. III. The Civil and Spanish Wars. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Colonel Hans Mattson organized, in Goodhue county, Company D, which became part of the Third Regiment of Minnesota. This company, containing about 100 men, was composed exclusively of Scandinavians. Not a single one of them had been drafted, nor did any of them desert. But the Northmen who en listed in that company are small in number in comparison with the total number of Scandinavians from the state who fought against the Rebellion. According to the Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Minnesota, published in 1866, not less than 1,500 North men from the state participated in the defense of the Union, and fought against the enslavement of men. Of these, about 25 were Danes, 800 Norwegians, and 675 Swedes. As the Norwegians -were more than twice as numerous in the state at that time as the Swedes, it is evident that the latter nationality enlisted in much greater proportion than the former. In numerous instances the nativity of the sol diers is omitted ; and it is not easy to count correctly all the names in such publications ; hence it is fair to estimate that 2,000 Scandinavians from Minnesota enlisted under the Stars and Stripes. According to the United States census of 1860, Minnesota had a population of 172,000. Twenty- 304 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. three thousand soldiers, or one-eighth of the total popula tion of the state, enlisted under the Union flag ; while at the same time one out of every six Scandinavians in Minnesota, as well as in Wisconsin, fought for his adopted country. The state of Minnesota has the distinguished honor of having offered the first volunteer regiment to the federal government and of having enlisted the first volunteer soldier in the United States. The Scandinavians in the state flew to arms at the very beginning of hostities. Nearly fifty Northmen served in the First Regiment, and more than three times that number fought in connection with the Second Regiment, in which A. R. Skaro, a Norwegian, was captain of Company E. But excepting him and Col. H. Mattson, not a single Scandinavian from Minnesota rose to the position even of captaincy, although several held minor commands. Attempts were made in Minnesota, chiefly through the efforts of Christian Brandt, to muster into service a full- fledged Scandinavian regiment at the outbreak of the Span ish War in 1898, but the regiment was not accepted by the authorities, and the undertaking came to naught. About ninety Danes, five hundred Swedes and Norwegians, equally divided between the two nationalities, and a few Icelanders enlisted in the four volunteer regiments which the state fur nished. Many other persons born in this country of Scan dinavian parents also participated, but their number cannot be ascertained. One person out of every three hundred in the state enlisted against the Spaniards, and about one out of every four hundred of the Scandinavian-born individuals was engaged in that occupation. Minnesota supplied 5,313 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 305 soldiers, among whom were some influential Northmen, notably John Lind, afterwards governor of the state. IV. Political Influence. The Northmen have always exercised a great influence upon the political affairs of the state. They have often been able to run politics according to their own sweet will, not because they have specially excelled in intelligence or politi cal sagacity, but on account of their numerical strength. There is no reason to assume that they, on an average, are brighter than the Northmen in other portions of the Union; yet most states might safely try to manage their politics without much regard to the Scandinavian- Americans. In Minnesota such an attempt would -wreck any party or politician; and the real or supposed hostility to the Scandi navians on the part of the Republican candidate for gov ernor in 1898, was one of the causes which defeated him by over 20,000 votes, although the rest of the state ticket went Republican by about 40,000 majority. Many of the Scandinavian politicians in the state are very ordinary mortals. Some of them cannot write a correct letter either in their own language or in English. It applies to the Scandinavians, as well as to the other nationalities, of course, including the native Americans, what a member of the state legislature said on the floor of the house of repre sentatives: "The first I came here I wondered how I got here, but'the longer I stay the more I wonder how the rest of you got here." For it is certainly a surprise to some of the Scandinavian politicians themselves and to everybody else "how they got there." There are only a few of the 255 21 306 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Scandinavians who have represented their districts in the two bodies of the state legislature that have had more than a common school education — some of them have not even had that— although many of them are men of more than ordinary ability. For several years past the so-called leader of the house of representatives has been J. F.Jacob- son, of Lac Qui Parle county, a coarse-grained, boisterous, uneducated, bankrupt individual, who "among his col leagues was feared rather than trusted." In later years, however, there has been considerable improvement in regard to the Scandinavian legislators. We, of course, do not in any sense intend to say or indi cate that the Scandinavian politicians in Minnesota have not been, both in regard to educational qualifications and in regard to natural abilities, equal to any other politicians in the state. On the contrary, they have, perhaps, been superior to many others, especially as they have had experi ence in more than one country, which ought to have a tendency to make a person broad-minded. And certainly some of them have made a most excellent record during: their political career, and their names are inseparably con nected with the history of the state and nation. Others, again, have received the highest scholastic training both in the North and here. Minnesota was organized as a territory in 1849 and a state constitution -was adopted in 1857. During that time not a single Scandinavian was elected to any of the terri torial legislative bodies. Rev. P. A. Cederstam, a Swedish Lutheran minister, was the only Northman who sat in the constitutional convention and signed the constitution of HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 307 Minnesota. But the Norwegians were not much behind the Swedes in regard to Minnesota legislation. For in 1857—8, Hans Hanson and T. G. Fladeland — both Norwegians — were in the state legislature, being, therefore, the first Scandi navian law-makers in Minnesota. Since over 255 descend ants of the Vikings have exhibited their wisdom or ignor ance in the arena of the capitol. Of these, 5 were Danes, 170 Norwegians, and 80 Swedes. Some of them, however, have been re-elected several times. In some years, one out of every six of the representatives and senators was a Northman. But the Scandinavian population in the state constitutes two-fifths of the total, consequently they were not represented according to their due proportion. The Norwegians have been more numerous in the state, their immigration is older, they settle more in the country dis tricts, and they take a greater interest in politics than the Swedes; that is, no doubt, the reasons -why they have had a larger representation. Today (1900) the Germans-born persons outnumber by far the Norwegians, and the Swedes nearly equal them; but taking the history of the state as a whole, the Norwegians have -wielded a more powerful politi cal influence than the Swedes and Germans put together. L, J. Stark, in 1865, was the first Swede who served in the state legislature. Soren Listoe, being the first Dane, entered ten years later. J. Lindall, Ole Peterson, and A. Railson were in the state senate in 1872, being, therefore, the first Northmen who represented their districts in that body. There are many counties in the state which have for years elected Scandinavian county officials, and in some counties all the officials are Northmen. In a lecture de- 308 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. livered in 1897, Prof. D. Magnus said: 'Today the Scandi navians in Minnesota hold 338 county offices, and if we count 16 offices to a county, there is enough of them to fill every office in 21 counties. In 18 counties they hold the office of county superintendent of public instruction; in 26, that of auditor; in 33, that of register of deeds; and in 36, nearly one-half of all the counties in the state, that of treas urer.' There is enough of Scandinavian officials in Minne sota to govern a fair-sized kingdom in Europe. As has been related, they have ever since the state constitution was adopted been -well represented in the two legislative bodies. But it was not until 1869 that any of them was elected to a state office. F. S. Christensen seems to have conceived the idea, and commenced to agitate the same in his paper, in 1869, which resulted in calling a Scandinavian convention at which Col. Hans Mattson was nominated 'for secretary of state, being shortly after en dorsed by the Republicans, and -was elected in 1869. At the Republican state convention where Col. Mattson was nominated he made the following speech, in which he undoubtedly echoed the sentiments of the majority of Scandinavians at that time as well as today: "The time does not admit of any extensive remarks upon my part, yet so much has been said lately regarding the Scandi navian element that the subject, perhaps, requires an explanation from me; and as the chosen representative of the Scandinavian people of this state in the present cam paign, I am authorized to express their views, and I do so from a thorough knowledge of them. It is true that we have left our beloved land; we have strewn the last flowers HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 309 upon the graves of our forefathers, and have come here to stay, come here to live, come here to die. We are not a clannish people, nor do we desire to build up a Scandinavian nationality in your midst. You have known us here for many years; you have seen us come among you unac quainted with your language and your customs, and yet I know that you will bear me -witness how readily and fra ternally we have mingled with you, learned your language and adopted your ways, and how naturally our children grow up as Americans, side by side with yours. We have been cordially received in this great West by your own pioneers, and have become prosperous and happy. Yes, we love this great country of freedom, and we wish to be and remain Americans." Col. Mattson was, of course, elected secretary of state, being, therefore, the first Scandinavian state official in Min nesota, and was re-elected eight years later. Besides him, John S. Irgens and Frederick P. Brown, both Norwegians, and Albert Berg, a Swede, have been elected to the same position. The following Scandinavians have also held high official positions in the state: for example, Charles Kittelson was elected treasurer in 1879; A. E. Rice, lieutenant-governor in 1886; Adolph Biermann, auditor in 1890; and Knute Nelson and John Lind, governors in 1892 and 1898, respectively. Knute Nelson was re-elected in 1894, but resigned the following year when he -was elected to the United States senate. It will thus be seen that the Scandinavians have held nearly all the important state offices, and generally filled them with credit. But it will also be observed that the 310 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. positions they have been elected to have not required any special training or high scholastic educational qualifica tions; natural abilities and experience could fill the bill. While, for example, the offices of attorney-general, superin tendent of public instruction, and chief and associate justices of the supreme court, which require the highest college and professional training, have never been held by any Northmen. They have men in the state who could fill these places, yet so far they have failed to do so. Knute Nelson, who was elected in 1882, has the honor of being the first Scandinavian who sat in the United States Congress, and John Lind, who was elected in 1886, is the first and only Swede who has ever been elected to that body. Both these men have represented their constituencies well, and have been an honor to the race from which they sprung. Since, Kittel Halvorson and H. E. Boen, both Norwegians, have also been elected to Congress. Most of the Scandinavians in Minnesota, as well as in other states, have been and are Republicans, yet no party has a mortgage on them, for some of their best educated men belong to the Democratic, People's, or Prohibition parties. It is not our purpose in this article, nor in this volume for that matter, to advocate any theory of Scandinavism, yet it is an historical fact that the Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes in this state have always been on very intimate terms with each other. In some states the three nationali ties live at sword's point. In Minnesota, on the contrary, they join hands in nearly all great social, financial, political and religious undertakings. Many social affairs on a large HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 311 scale are neither Swedish, Norwegian, nor Danish, but Scandinavian. At the Republican national convention in Minneapolis, in 1892, all the Northmen of all political par ties organized a Scandinavian club in order to entertain their visiting countrymen. It is true that petty strifes and jealousies sometimes occur between them, but, on the whole, the Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes in Minnesota consider themselves to be closely related and to have common inter ests. A forcible illustration of this was had in 1896, when John Lind ran for governor on the fusion ticket. He received by far more Norwegian votes than Swedish, even in Norwegian Republican counties, as compared with Swed ish Republican counties. Many Norwegian Republicans, no doubt, voted for Lind partly because they admired the man, and partly because they desired to return a favor to the Swedes, -who had always stood by the Norwegian Republican candidates. V. Occupation. Ofcourse, most of Minnesota's Scandinavians have been and are common laborers, servants, and farmers. Yet today there is not a single learned profession in which they cannot be found, and in some they have distinguished them selves and become famous both in this country and abroad. Some of the Northmen in the state do business amounting to millions of dollars annually, and pay out thousands of dollars every year in taxes. There are Scandinavian busi ness men in nearly every fair-sized city and village in the state, and hundreds of lawyers and physicians of Scandi navian extraction, especially Norwegian, practice their pro- 312 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE TJ. S. fessions in Minnesota. Literarily the Northmen in Minne sota are well supplied. About thirty Scandinavian -weekly newspapers, a few monthly publications, and several books are published in the state. Some of the Scandinavian editors and writers in the state are famous in the literary world, both in this country and in Europe. Over one- fourth of all the Scandinavian-American newspapers and periodicals are published in Minnesota. Here the North men have had intellectual advantages and connections with their native lands which their countrymen in many other parts of the Union have never enjoyed. They have had the pleasure to hear and come in contact with some of the greatest and noblest men and women that the North has ever produced. For example, Fredrika Bremer, Ole Bull, Bjornstjerne Bjornson, Kristina Nilsson, P. Waldenstrom, and Bishop K. von Scheele visited the state in 1850, 1877, 1880, 1884, 1889, and 1893, respectively. VI. Statistics. According to the census of 1850, there were twelve Scandinavians in Minnesota. That is, one out of every fifty persons was born in the North. In 1860 one out of every seventeen persons in the state was born in the Scandinavian countries; in 1870 and 1880 one out of seven; and in 1890 one out of six. But taking into consideration those who have Scandinavian parents, two-fifths of the entire popula tion of the state are Northmen. Today (1900) there are in Minnesota about 620,000 Scandinavian-born or having Scandinavian parents. No state in the Union has such a great number or large proportion; in fact, nearly one-fourth HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 313 of all the Northmen in the United States reside in Minne sota, which has seven Scandinavians to each square mile, while Norway has only thirteen persons to the square mile. There are more Northmen who reside in Minneapolis than in any other city in the world, save Copenhagen, Stock holm, Kristiania, Gothenburg, and Chicago. Taking into consideration only the first and second generations, there are about 40,000 Danes, 300,000 Norwegians, and 280,000 Swedes in the state. In most cases a fair estimate of the Scandinavian-American population of the first and second generations may be obtained by multiplying the number of Scandinavian-born by 2%. In Minnesota, however, this is not exactly true in regard to the Swedes and Norwegians. According to the United States census of 1890, each of these nationalities in the state numbered about 100,000 persons born in the old country, but counting also those who had Norwegian parents, the number was 195,764, agairist 155,- 089 Swedish-born or having Swedish parents. Considering the omission -which all census reports are guilty of, and the increase of population since 1890, it is undoubtedly a con servative estimate to add about 100,000 to each of the two nationalities. The greater number of persons born in this country of Norwegian parents, in comparison with the same class among the Swedes, is due mostly to the earlier immi gration of the former people; and this fact is one of the. main causes why the Norwegians in the Northwest have been able to exercise a greater influence than the Swedes in the public affairs. A large proportion, probably a majority, of the leading public and professional men among the Nor wegians in this state and elsewhere were born in this 314 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. country of Norwegian parents who were able to give their sons a good start in life. The second generation of the Swedes in the state are just beginning to come to the front. Ten years ago they were virtually an unknown quantity as far as political and professional activity is concerned. According to the state census of 1895, there were 16,143 Danish-born persons residing in Minnesota; 107,319 Nor wegian-born; and 119,554 Swedish-born. No statistics or even estimates can be given in regard to Scandinavians of the third generation which, especially among the Norwe gians, is quite numerous. A fourth generation of Scandi navian-Americans cannot be said to exist yet. According to the state census of 1895, there resided in Minnesota 7,652 Finns and 457 Icelanders. Most of the former nation ality have settled in the northern part of the state, espe cially in St. Louis county, where nearly half of the total number lived. Of course, a large proportion of these Finns are virtually Swedes. Nearly all the Icelanders in Minne sota seem to reside in Lyon and Lincoln counties. But as an illustration of the defectiveness of statistics, it may be mentioned that although about fifty or sixty Icelanders live in Minneapolis, no one is put down for that place in the state census of 1895. HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 315 TABLE XII. Showing the Number of Scandinavians Born in the Scandinavian Countries, and the Total Population in Each County oe Min nesota. U. S. CENSUS OF 1860. STATE CENSUS OF 1875. STATE CENSUS OF 1895. Counties. o < ¦< ppH EM o < za P < ao zSO m Z o Ph M B < a zm a < m o z ZBO HU m Zo < -i U J Op H Ph O Ah 2 2,106 386 627 14 14 1 123570 22 76 71 is 629 2272 11 304 195 23 43 452114114 1,312 205 5,7092,256 1,974 305 20,942 9,815 495 13,033 239 2,977 6,0461,451 215 2,8701,031 17,36010,045 6,319 11,131 28,33713,18928,500 1,191 4S,725 16,566 1399S5 8 14 99 253892 411021 704883 '"242 157211 267258209 60 1,945 116 46 1,917 75 1210 250 3 828 36 7119 8 820 196610 73 148 268 27 257315 1,616 225 127607!<6(l 781295 53 133 2,054 90 8,186 103 931511398 1,0651,4341,191 4,0982,6473,5131,754 12,762 1,779 26 5272 1,194 35 2,452 571 2,873 143 60 590 1,065 155 1,907 243664 119 953 1,215 883 36 380 657951 187 1,1461,127 283 696 4,780 1,341 52 253850 787 81 2,824 228 57 365 3,731 922 22,480 238 55 4,346 250 257 1,4233,0091,8^1 482 581 336 205478182 2,596 822 3,311 877 5.224 11,18113,725 1,3647,793 7,477 Blue Earth 4,8032,339 51 5,106 150 108319 6 11 5 1640 9 32,29518,431 7,458 17,567 3,425 1,140 25 367 193 2,369 53 10,805 1,743 13,118 Clay 15,154 Cook 427 12 269 9,093 3,797 195 1,335 13,542 3,3678,977 29 9 20 151104 39 66 801 84 7 153 29 420 28 530 1,168 942 1,0186,753 3,004 5,192 474 2,2632,922 61 48 365 32 960 29 6781 3,856 124 2,676 257 10,18711,56121,315 12,753 Faribault 16,94220,139 28,599 21,138 32,268 7,987 12,849 6,645 217.798 15,556 2,447 284 51 181 30 76 9 14 2,006 3,901 10,195 3,965 21 '"i26 900 "i',910 47 151 1,719 3,506 311 8,083 12,324 2,714 16,322 6,289 579 3 3195 394 246 6 7911 7 93 1,428 161 13,237 412 2,543 8,651 12,687 248 5,318 8 49 117 2,211 20,915 7,196 12,425 1,286 19,134 12,072 151928 73 1496 6 120 551 64 74 1,454 5 3,7388,6261,300 13,981 17,389 5,129 316 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE XJ. S. TABLE XII— Continued. U. S. CENSUS OF 1860. Counties. Morrison Mower Murray Nicollet Nobles Norman Olmsted Otter Tail Pine Pipestone Polk Pope Ramsey Redwood Renville Rice Rock Roseau St. Louis Scott Sherburne. Sibley Stearns Steele Stevens Swift Todd Traver.se Wabasha Wadena Waseca Washington Watonwan Wilkin Winona Wright Yellow Medicine. Total . Ho Ah 618 3,217 29 3,773 35 9,524 240 92 240 12,150 245 7,543 406 4,595 723 3,i 4,505 2,863 430 ' 7,228 2,6016,123 40 9,2083,729 172,023 STATE CENSUS OF 1875. 87 118 136124 1 4 1 159110 1840 19 62 3 53 2 66 312 2 1. 3 1677 3011 114 14 1 16 2,209 229 1,038 162 1,0642,619 7 369 1,2 565 186 1,5941,366 389 223227124166367660208mi7 263 28 241) 15 6MI1S9 72112687D171 1,033 1488 112 1,377 131 49 618102 27 321 1,437 78 431 85 10 310212187494110 3354 202 83 509 219 1,607 381 33 183 1,564 58 4,052 53,766 30,507 597,407 5 < ° £ Ph 2,722 13,682 1,329 11,525 2,750 20,946 9,174 795 937 4,078 36,333 2,982 6,876 20,622 1,861 3,517 12,394 3,0188,884 17,797 10,739 786 2,2693,818 100 17,296 210 9,994 14,751 4,024 528 27,38513,775 2,484 STATE CENSUS OF 1895. - P 172 370 78616118 302321 44 116257 64 1,412 509158 182 65 1 372 37 183 37 154755 35 56 4826111343 296 5732 116 40 43 370 1,874 852 491 372 4.388 743 5,740 228322 8,0482,6183,087 568 1,820 1,399 1,137 861 4,199 243 392135755 542 800 1.847 981 185 129 221634 461 1,168 851 514 346 2,394 1,457 237654 1,540 781317 86 2,7631,951 123 2,625 721 10,66i 377 1,347 315 79 676 9,013 124720 1,131 559 45 411840 923 9835134213 309 3,230 856 221 173 3,016 503 16,143 107.319 119.554 1,574,619 eh 3 ° Ph Ho Ph 19,163 21,546 9,322 14,29911,90513,47022,316 39,453 8,631 7,115 39,209 11,607 147,537 13,53321,81826,837 8,5973,493 78,575 15,035 7,137 16,436 39,925 15.798 6,543 11,846 17,674 6,064 18,587 6,076 14,71327,41710,262 6,200 37,134 27,653 12,581 Historical Review of the Scandinavian Schools in Minnesota. — BY— J. J. SKORDALSVOLD. The state of Minnesota is not lacking in higher institu tions of learning. On the contrary, time and again academies and colleges have been equipped for efficient -work long before students could be secured in sufficient numbers to form good-sized classes. And pupils of Scandinavian stock are -welcome at all kinds of schools. Yet the Scandi navians of the state have made and are still making strenu ous efforts to build up and equip schools of their own, -which must necessarily compete with other private and public institutious of the same kind. The earliest Scandinavian schools were started by Lutheran church people for the purpose of educating minis ters, and teachers for parochial schools; and three-fourths of those which have survived the ordeal of competition are still controlled by men who support this work for the sake of keeping their countrymen within the fold of the church of their forefathers, and of making them, if possible, better and nobler American citizens than it is supposed they -would 317 318 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. have been if those particular educational advantages had not been offered to them. The great bulk of the work per formed at this class of schools is of a decidedly secular nature. But in many cases the secular branches are taught mainly in order to secure attendance in our age of commer cialism. In the course of the last few years some business colleges have beeri started by young Scandinavians as busi ness enterprises pure and simple. These have had even greater odds than the former to contend against, and some of them have expired after a short and troublous career. No less than a score of educational institutions in Min nesota are owned and controlled by Scandinavians. About one-half of the whole number devote more or less time to Hebrew or the classical languages, and a majority of them offer business courses. Over two thousand young persons have graduated from these institutions during the last quar ter of the nineteenth century, and nearly one-third of them completed a theological course in Lutheran seminaries. Today (1900) about 160 professors and teachers are engaged in teaching over 3,000 students who attend Scandi navian schools in the state. These institutions represent a value of about half a million dollars. A large majority of the students were born in America, but over ninety per cent of them are of Scandinavian extrac tion. The Scandinavian languages are losing ground from year to year in these schools, and in most of them English is used almost exclusively in daily intercourse. It is worthy of note that very many young Americans of Scandinavian stock will rather attend schools managed by Scandinavians than other schools even when the latter are better equipped: SCANDINAVIAN SCHOOLS IN MINNESOTA. 319 they feel more at home among their own kinsmen. As a rule, those who attend schools managed by Scandinavian church people learn to take life seriously, and in after life they are found to be the strong men and women of their communities. The more ambitious ones continue their studies in the state university or some university in the East, and a few of them will round off their education in Europe. None can be more fond of American liberty than are the Scandinavians, none can be more ardently devoted to the essentials of American civilization. And yet it must be admitted that their leading minds do not take kindly to the idea of being unconditionally swallowed up and losing their identity in the new nation, to the up-building of which they contribute such a great share. They believe they furnish good timber for this nation ; they also believe they ought to have something to say about the construction of it. This sentiment has found its loftiest expression in their schools. The clergy, especially that of the Norwegian Synod and the Augustana Synod, have worked hard and persist ently for regular parochial schools, and the result is that such schools are taught at least two months a year in most of the congregations. They are generally located in public school houses or church buildings, and are taught when the public schools are closed. Quite a number of congregations have built parochial school houses, especially in the southern part of the state, and in certain parts of Goodhue county, for instance, they are about as numerous as the public school houses. A few words must also be said about the relation of the 320 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. Scandinavians to other schools in the state. One of the first concerns of a Scandinavian after he has settled on a piece of land is to provide some sort of schooling for his children ; and no matter how seriously he may take religious affairs, an English common school education is apt to find great favor with him. He wants a cheap teacher, however, and he is generally in favor of as short terms as possible. About one-half of the pupils of the public schools of Minneapolis are of Scandinavian blood. Swedish. Gustavus Adolphus College, in St. Peter, practically dates from 1862. In that year Rev. E. Norelius started a school in Red Wing, but the next year it was removed to East Union, Carver county, and named St. Ansgar's Academy. In 1874 twenty-three prominent mem bers of the Minnesota Conference formed a corporation for the purpose of establishing and maintaining "an institution of learning and instruction in the arts and sciences," and in the course of the next two years a suitable building was put up in St. Peter. In 1876 the academy mentioned above was removed into the new building. From that time the school has been known as Gustavus Adolphus College, and it is supported and controlled by the Minnesota Conference of the Swedish Lutheran Augustana Synod. The growth of it has been steady and vigorous, and for years past it has ranked with the best colleges of the Northwest. It com prises college, academic, commercial, musical and normal departments. The main object of the school is to give young people "a thorough liberal education, based upon and permeated by the principles of Christianity as confessed by the Lutheran Church," and some aspect of the Bible or of SCANDINAVIAN SCHOOLS IN MINNESOTA. 321 the history of the church receives marked attention in every class. "A musical atmosphere pervades the entire institu tion," says the catalogue, and great efforts have been put forth to make the conservatory of music correspond to the fastidious demands of a musical race. The library contains 9,000 volumes; the specimens in the museum number several thousand; and the laboratory is well supplied -with chemical, physical, mathematical and astronomical apparatuses. The Minnesota Conference has always treated this college gener ously, and the faculty has been a strong one. And yet the high standing of the institution is very largely due to the eminent fitness of Prof. M. Wahlstrom as president, which position he has held since 1881. There are sixteen profes sors and instructors, several of -whom hold doctors' degrees from the leading universities of Sweden and this country. About 220 students have graduated from the college, and the Augustana Theological Seminary at Rock Island, 111., draws some of its best material from this source. The attendance is about 300, more than one-fourth of whom are ladies. The campus, which is twenty-five acres in extent, commands a fine view of the surrounding country. There are six college buildings, the largest one of -which is a massive structure of Kasota stone. The current expenses amount to about $18,000 a year, and the value of the col lege property is $75,000. The Northwestern Collegiate and Business Institute, in Minneapolis, was established by Rev. E. A. Skogsbergh, in 1885, and he has been closely connected with the school since that time. At present it is owned and operated by a corporation, the most of whose members are co-operating 322 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. with the Swedish Mission Covenant. For years past the annual enrolment has been about 150. There are from eight to ten instructors, and the school offers four courses of study. Crookston College, in the city after which it is named, was established in 1896, without capital, and it is owned by private parties. Its catalogue offers about ten courses of study, and the work is carried on by as many instructors. In later years the attendance has been not far from 300. The college property is worth at least $7,500. Hope Academy -was founded at Moorhead in 1888 by the Red River Valley District of the Minnesota Conference of the Swedish Augustana Synod, and -was discontinued in 1896. The faculty consisted of five members, and the school offered the same number of departments. The enrolment for the last year of its existence was 84. Emanuel Academy -was founded in Minneapolis in 1888 by members of the Augustana Synod, and was discontinued in 1892. Five instructors were employed in the course of the last year of its existence, and the enrolment for that year was 91. Norwegian. Augsburg Seminary, in Minneapolis, has passed through many vicissitudes. The Norwegian mem bers of the Scandinavian Augustana Synod decided to estab lish a theological seminary of their own in 1869, and this was located at Marshall, Wis. It was named Augsburg Seminary, though, in the words of its first president, "many may have desired a name of a more Northern ori°in." A building originally erected for school purposes was bought for $4,000, and the work was begun under favorable aus pices. But a part of those Norwegians who were in the SCANDINAVIAN SCHOOLS IN MINNESOTA. 323 deal organized themselves into a new association, the Nor wegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Conference, in 1870, and the professors and students left the building almost to a man and continued their work in connection with the new association. The class was crowded into Cooper's Hall, the dimensions of which were 18x10 feet and eight feet to the ceiling. In the winter of 1870-71 there were two professors and about a score of students, and they -were all contending against grim poverty and other odds of an equally serious nature. In 1872 the school -was removed to its present location, Rev. O. Paulson having been instrumental in securing grounds and erecting a suitable building. Indeed r his efforts in this respect have justified his friends in calling him " the father of Augsburg." Prof. A. Weenaas was the president of the seminary from the start to the spring of 1876. He was an able man, and his main strength lay in his ability to arouse fanatical enthusiasm in his associates — he was a typical Norwegian-American chieftain in religious warfare. The removal to Minneapolis marks an era of expansion, not only of Augsburg Seminary, but of the Con ference as well. Since 1873 Prof. Sven Oftedal has occupied a chair of theology, and Prof. G. Sverdrup has served as president since 1876. For a quarter of a century these two men have made Augsburg Seminary the great storm centre of the Norwegian Lutheran church in America, and their work is of such character that it may yet take decades before the historian can put it in its true light. It may be said even at this stage, however, that they aim at the greatest possible simplification of religious doctrines ; con gregational independence ; and a vigorous religious life in 324 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S the individual. During the seventies the seminary was loaded down with debt, but Prof. Oftedal succeeded in rais ing $18,000 for the liquidation of it. During the years 1890-93 the seminary was operated under the auspices of the United Church, and it was officially regarded as the theological seminary of said association. But as the board of trustees failed to transfer the property to the United Church, the latter "removed" its seminary from the Augs burg buildings into rented quarters in the summer of 1893. Those -who remained at Augsburg, and their friends, on the contrary, have always maintained that at this critical moment the United Church simply -withdrew from Augsburg and started a " ne-w " seminary of its o-wn. In the course of time the Augsburg faction was organized into the Free Church, and the controversy between this body and the, United Church about the ownership of the Augsburg Semi nary property aroused great bitterness, and many harsh words -were used. The matter -was fought in the courts from 1896 to 1898, which involved a combined expenditure of about $17,000. In the summer of 1898 the case was settled by mutual agreement to the effect that the Augsburg Semi nary corporation should keep the property, while an endow ment fund amounting to about $39,000 was to be turned over to the United Church. Legally, the seminary is owned and controlled by a corporation. There are eight profes sors, and the seminary offers three departments, namely, a preparatory, a classical and a theological. About 260 students have been graduated from the theological, and 120 from the classical department. The annual enrolment is about 200. The present value of the property is $60,000. SCANDINAVIAN SCHOOLS IN MINNESOTA. 325 Red Wing Seminary is the college and theological semi nary of Hauge's Evangelical Lutheran Synod. This institu tion was located in Red Wing and at its present quarters largely through the prompt and timely action of a single man, H. M. Sande. From the middle of the fifties to the latter part of the seventies, several attempts to establish a permanent seminary were made in said synod, but without success. In the fall of 1877 Sande was advised that the building now used by Red Wing Seminary could be bought for $10,000, though it had cost about $20,000. He and a few of the leading men of the synod felt confident that the synod -would buy the property, and in order to prevent it from passing into other hands before the synod was able to take the necessary formal steps to make a purchase, he bought the property at his own risk Jan. 8, 1878. As soon as possible the synod endorsed his action, and March 1, 1878, the property was deeded to the synod. The seminary was publicly opened Sept. 17, 1879, with Rev. I. Eisteinsen as president. Prof. G. O. Brohough has been teaching in the school since its opening, excepting the years 1893-95. No president has been retained for any great length of time, and seven different men have served in that capacity since the seminary -was opened. There are t-wo departments, a theological and a preparatory ; and the former is in charge of three professors, the latter of four. The work has been hampered by frequent changes in the faculty ; but the school has turned out a large number of able and fearless men who generally are a power for good in their spheres of action. Over one hundred young men have graduated from the preparatory, and about eighty from the theological depart- 326 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. ment. Over seventy of the latter-have entered the ministry of the Gospel. Graduates from the preparatory department may enter the State University without examination. The total annual enrolment is from 140 to 150. Some money has been raised for a new dormitory, -which will be named after H. M. Sande. The value of the property is $20,000. St. Olaf College, at Northfield, was originally called St. Olaf s School. Rev. B. J. Muus may justly be called the father of this institution, for he was the soul and backbone of the movement -which resulted in its establishment. A number of prominent members of the Norwegian Synod held a meeting in Northfield Nov. 6, 1874, and adopted arti cles of incorporation for the school, and this was finally opened Jan. 8, 1875, in a frame building formerly used as a public school house. The school -was removed into quar ters of its own in the fall of 1878. To begin -with, it was only an academy; but in 1886 a college department was added. The languages predominate in the collegiate depart ment, and even Hebrew is taught in the classical courses. The college -was originally owned and controlled by a cor poration, most of whose members joined the United Church in 1890, and in 1899 the ownership and control of the institution were formally transferred to the United Church, the articles of incorporation being amended so as to substi tute this body for the old corporation. Prof. Th. N. Mohn served as president from 1875 to 1899, and at the latter date Rev. J. N. Kildahl was elected to succeed him. The faculty is composed of a dozen members. For a number of years Prof. H. T. Ytterboe devoted his whole time to his duties as financial secretary, and his success in collecting SCANDINAVIAN SCHOOLS IN MINNESOTA. 327 voluntary contributions to the college was very great. About 55 persons have graduated from the collegiate, 220 from the academic department. The attendance -was stead ily decreasing for years, the enrolment for 1891-92 being 184; that of 1897-98, 113. The property of the college is valued at $40,000. Luther Seminary, the theological seminary of the Nor wegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod, was established in 1876, at Madison, Wis., where it remained until 1888. During this period Prof. F. A. Schmidt and Prof. H. G. Stub successively served as president of the institution. The -work carried on here during the eighties -was marred by doctrinal controversies, in which Prof. Schmidt -was the central figure, and in 1886 only seven students -were in attendance. Nevertheless, over fifty young men were graduated from the seminary while it -was located at Madi son. In 1888 the seminary was removed to Minneapolis, where the school building of Our Savior's Church served as temporary quarters during the winter of 1888-89. In the fall of the latter year it -was removed to Robbinsdale, -where it was located in a magnificent building erected for the pur pose at a cost of $30,000. This building was destroyed by fire Jan. 11, 1895, and for the next four years the work of the seminary -was carried on in a frame building in Robbins dale, which formerly had been used as a hotel. With admirable determination the synod secured new grounds at Hamline, St. Paul, on which a building -was put up at a cost of $60,000, and the seminary has been located there since the fall of 1899. The seminary offered only a practical course during the years 1876-78, but a theoretical course 328 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVAINS IN THE U. S. was added at the latter date. At first only two professors were employed, but for a number of years past the faculty has consisted of four professors. Prof. J. B. Frich has served as president since 1888. This seminary in one respect holds a unique position, being the only Scandinavian-Amer ican institution of learning which educates ministers, but which has no other department connected with it as a feeder to the theological department. The main reason given for this isolation is, that it is not desirable that young men should be kept constantly under the influence of the same mind or minds from the time they enter col lege until they enter the ministry — it -would stunt their mental development and make them caricatures of some favorite teacher or teachers. The -whole number of gradu ates up to date is about 225, and the attendance is about 45. The value of the seminary property is at least $80,000. The United Church Seminary, Minneapolis. In 1886 the Anti-Missourians established a theological class in connec tion with St. Olaf College, at Northfield, Minn. ; but when the Anti-Missourians, in 1890, joined two other associa tions in organizing the United Church, the professors, M. O. Bockman and F. A. Schmidt, removed from Northfield to Augsburg Seminary, Minneapolis, which institution was to be the theological seminary of the United Church. But as the old board of trustees of Augsburg Seminary failed to transfer the property, the United Church "removed" its seminary and located it in rented quarters at the corner of Franklin and Twenty-sixth avenues south, Minneapolis. This occurred in 1893, and since that year the institution has been known by its present name. Prof. M. O. Bockman SCANDINAVIAN SCHOOLS IN MINNESOTA. 329 has served as president since 1893. There are nine profes sors and instructors, and the annual enrolment is about 200. The number of graduates* is about 150 from the theo logical, and 40 from the classical department. In 1899 the United Church resolved to discontinue the college depart ment in the spring of 1900, leaving the school a theological seminary pure and simple. At the same time it was also resolved to secure permanent grounds and to erect buildings for the seminary in or near the Twin Cities. The United Norwegian Lutheran Church, at the time of its organization in Minneapolis, in 1890, resolved to estab lish a teachers' seminary. Accordingly, the Normal School of said church association was built at Madison, Minn. The dedication of the first building took place Nov. 10, 1892, and ever since that date the work at the school has been carried on -with great regularity. The school is man aged by a board of regents and a board of trustees elected by the annual meetings of the United Church. As indicated by the name, "the aim of the school is to qualify young men and women for teachers in our public schools and in the Norwegian parochial schools." Only two courses, a preparatory and a normal, are offered, and English and Norwegian are the only languages meddled with. On the whole, the program of this school is comparatively modest, and perhaps for that very reason its attendance has been growing rather slowly. But the work is done thoroughly and enthusiastically, and as a power for good this institu tion stands high. For years the work has been performed * For the y6ars 1891-93 the graduates of the United Church Seminary, as given by its catalogue, are the same as those given by the catalogue of Augsburg Seminary. 330 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. by five instructors, under the able and popular leadership of Prof. 0. Lokensgaard, and the annual enrolment is about 120. The value of the main building is $26,000, and a dormitory has just been erected at a cost of $10,000. The Willmar Seminary, at Willmar, has been in opera tion since the fall of 1883. It was established through the efforts of members of the Norwegian Synod, and it is owned by a corporation which was organized in 1882 and reorgan ized in 1890. The school offers five courses ; but these actu ally embrace more than some schools parading twice that number of courses in their catalogues. There are eight pro fessors and instructors. H. S. Hilleboe, -who for a long series of years held the position of president, deserves special mention because he was the chief instrument in building up the school. In the early nineties the attendance reached almost 400 ; but hard times and competition reduced it very materially. The annual enrolment now averages about 225, and it is on the increase. The -whole number of grad uates is about 160. The cost of the establishment is $20,000, and it now affords class-room accommodation for 500 students. The Lutheran Ladies' Seminary, at Red Wing, is the only Norwegian school of its kind in America. From the start it has been owned and operated by a corporation -whose members belong to the Norwegian Synod. A dozen persons are connected with the school as instructors, and it offers seven courses of study, four of which cover five years each. The number of branches taught is great, ranging from cooking and dressmaking to German, French and Latin. The corporation has made strenuous efforts to render the school SCANDINAVIAN SCHOOLS IN MINNESOTA. 331 a first-class institution of learning, and its career since it -was established, in 1894, has been encouraging. The dis cipline is very strict. The attendance for the first year in the history of the seminary was 57, but in the course of time this number has more than doubled. The seminary building is a noble structure, and large enough to accommodate 150 students. "The seminary grounds are unsurpassed," and occupy eighteen acres. The whole property is worth $80,000. Luther Academy, at Albert Lea, was opened in the fall of 1888. It -was established and is still owned and con trolled by a corporation -within the Norwegian Synod. "Luther Academy aims to build up character and manhood on Christian principles," and "rehgious instruction is given a prominent place among the branches taught." The school offers six branches of study, and the class work is conducted by an equal number of instructors. The -whole number of graduates up to date is over one hundred, and the annual enrolment is from 150 to 200. The main building is a large, fine brick structure, and the value of the whole property is $25,000. Concordia College, at Moorhead, has been in operation since 1891. It is owned and managed by a corporation within the United Church, and its chief aim is to educate teachers for public and parochial schools. It offers classical, normal, business, music and domestic industry courses, and the number of instructors is from six to twelve. The aver age annual enrolment is about 250, and the whole number of graduates up to date is nearly 100. The value of the property is $40,000. 332 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. The Park Region Luther College, in Fergus Falls, was opened in 1892. It was established by ministers and lay men of the Norwegian Synod and is controlled by a corpo ration. The school offers a commercial and an academic course, and the studies are especially adapted to the needs of those who intend to teach public and parochial schools. There are six professors and instructors ; the whole number of graduates from the school is about 60; and the annual enrolment is almost 200. Glen-wood Academy, at Glenwood, has been in opera tion since 1894. It is owned and managed by a corpora tion composed wholly of members of the Norwegian Synod. The school offers only four courses of study, but each one is quite comprehensive, and the work is thorough. The annual enrolment is about 100. The property belonging to the school is worth $8,000. The Minnesota Normal School and Business College is located in Minneapolis. It was established in 1896. In 1899 its proprietors bought the Minneapolis Normal Col lege, -which institution -was opened at Crookston, Minn. , in 1893, but was removed to Minneapolis in 1894. The con solidation of the two schools raised the attendance of the former to about 400. The catalogue offers almost a dozen different courses of study, and the faculty numbers almost a score of professors and instructors. The Southern Minnesota Normal College, at Austin, was started at Kenyon, Minn., in 1895, and -was removed to its present location in 1897. The enrolment for the year 1897-98 was 207, and since that time the attendance has materially increased. The corps of professors and instruct- SCANDINAVIAN SCHOOLS IN MINNESOTA. 333 ors numbers ten, more than half of whom devote their whole time to the work in the school. There are about ten different courses of study; and the value of the property belonging to the institution is $7,000. Wraaman's Academy has been in operation in South Minneapolis since 1890. Its enrolment never reached 100, and the present attendance is about 20. Northwestern Free Church Mission School has been at Belgrade since 1897. Its aim is religious edification and instruction, and its attendance is about 50. Danish. The Danebod High School, at Tyler, is an adaptation, on American soil, of the unique Danish institu tions known for the past fifty years as "the people's high schools." Accordingly, the students at Danebod may choose any study they please; there are no examinations; no degrees are conferred; only practical and character-build ing branches are taught; and the boys attend in winter, the girls in summer. The school dates from 1888, and is owned by a corporation; but the buildings are rented by A. Bobjerg, the principal. The enrolment is about 60. The property of the school is worth $5,000. The above account includes all Scandinavian schools of any account in this state; but we have intentionally left out several defunct schools -which -we did not consider to be of such importance as to deserve mention in this work. Other Institutions. The attendance at the four state normaLschools is about 3;000. Of this number, about 525, or 18 per cent, are evidently of Scandinavian parentage. It is estimated that 40 per cent of the population of the state are of Scandinavian stock; hence the Scandinavians 334 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. do not furnish quite one-half of their natural share of the attendance at the Minnesota state normal schools. Only thirteen per cent of the university students are of Scandi navian extraction; but they constitute forty per cent of the attendance at the agricultural school connected with the university. The former percentage is surprisingly low. But this is not due to any interference from the Scan dinavian schools. In fact, the latter seem to serve as feed ers to the university. The main cause is the general dis inclination of the rich Scandinavian farmers to keep their children in a purely secular school which requires the student to toil on for years and years before his education is finally finished, and which even at the best does not offer any highway to wealth or honor. This statement is indirectly substantiated by the fact that a very large pro portion of this class of students have to fight their way single-handed through their university course. Prof. 0. J. Breda for a number of years occupied the chair of Scandi navian languages and literatures at the State University, and his acknowledged scholarship made him one of the strongest men at that institution. In 1899 he removed to Norway, and J. S. Carlson, an able educator, succeeded him. The number of Scandinavian professors and instruct ors in the state institutions is strikingly small. At Carle- ton College, Northfield, a Scandinavian department has been in operation since 1885, and twenty per cent of the stu dents at that college are of Scandinavian stock, J'rof. D. Magnus is at the head of the Scandinavian department, and through his efforts many of his young countrymen and countrywomen have been induced to attend this college. Historical Review of the Scandinavian Churches in Minnnesota. — BY— 0. N. NELSON AND J. J. SKORDALSVOLD. The Scandinavians have been powerful agents in pro moting the intellectual and religious -welfare of the people of the state of Minnesota. One of the first pioneers and Protestant missionaries among the Indians in Minnesota was a Swede, Jacob Falstrorn, who came to the state before Fort Snelling was established, in 1819; and, although he did little or nothing in promoting civilization because he had degenerated into savagery himself, yet he was a noted character. He was the firxt Northman in the Northwest. Since that time some other Scandinavians have endeavored to Christianize the savage as -well as the civilized natives of the North Star State. But the main effort of the majority of the religiously inclined Northmen has been directed towards maintaining and promoting the religious principles among their own people. In this respect they have been so successful that in 1900 there were in the neighborhood of 1,600 Scandinavian congregations in the state, with an aggregate membership, including the children, of nearly two 335 336 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. hundred and fifty thousand. That is, over one-third of the Minnesota Scandinavians belong to some leading religious association. But several thousand Northmen are members of purely American churches, and some even associate them selves religiously with other nationalities, for example, with the German Lutherans, and a very few have joined the Irish Catholics. This class of people together with those who do not belong to any church, but yet attend regularly a certain place of worship, would probably increase the number of church-going Scandinavians in the state to about half a million, or over two-thirds of their total num ber. There are about 1,100 church edifices; and the value of these buildings, parsonages, schools, and other institu tions owned and controlled by the Northmen in the state in the interest of religion, education, and benevolence seems to be nearly $4,000,000. The great bulk of the religious work has been and is done by the Lutherans. Out of the 250,000 Northmen in the state -who are church members, about 215,000 belong to the Lutheran associations. They control all the im portant Scandinavian schools, and own six hospitals and four orphans' homes. Many attempts have been made by the different American denominations to do missionary -work among the Scandinavians in the state. More money has been expended and more brain-work wasted for this purpose in Minnesota, especially in the Twin Cities, than in any -ether state in the Union. American Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Adventists, Presbyteri ans, Unitarians, and others have endeavored to convert the Scandinavians to their respective creeds. Some of them have SCANDINAVIAN CHURCHES IN MINNESOTA. 337 succeeded fairly well, but hardly, it seems, in proportion to the expenditure. The Methodist Missionary Society, for example, has paid out about $50,000 annually for a num ber of years to the Scandinavian Methodists in the United States. Of course, Minnesota has received a large share of these appropriations. Besides, wealthy Methodists have assisted poor churches in their neighborhoods; yet, in spite of all this, there were only about 3,000 Scandinavian Metho dists in the state in 1900. Other denominations have also been very generous; but, with the probable exception of the Baptists, have not been any more successful. A Scandi navian Unitarian church in Minneapolis has received over $25,000 from the Americans during the last sixteen years, and for several years past each member of this church has cost the Americans over $15.00 a year. A Scandinavian Presbyterian church cost the American Presbyterians about $1,000 a year for half a dozen years, or nearly $100 annually for each communicant. In pursuing missionary work among a people -who all have received at least the rudiments of a Christian training, proselyting can hardly be avoided even by conscientious men, and some of the so-called missionaries have been merely unscrupulous ad venturers. The noblest religious zeal and the basest methods of proselyting have been practiced in order to regenerate the Scandinavians in this state, or to change their religious belief. But in spite of the fact that neither money, devotion, nor moral scruples have been spared, yet the result has not been very great. The main causes of this meagerness in results are the conservatism of the Scandinavians and their devotion to the Lutheran faith. Many Northmen, both 338 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. church members and outsiders, also feel it as a humiliation that they should be treated as fit subjects for missionary work the same as are the savages of Africa. Nor should it be overlooked in this connection that the Scandinavians are very fond of self-government in religious as well as in politi cal matters. And when the zealous devotees or paid emis saries have tried to convert to their views Lutheran church members of good standing, the Lutherans have sometimes publicly denounced such practice. They have maintained that as independent and self-sustaining church organiza tions, they -were entitled to the considerations and courte- cies which are supposed to be practiced among the differ ent denominations. As good American citizens and orderly Christians, the Scandinavian- American Lutherans have opposed to the bitter end all attempts to make their countrymen the tail end of any sect; and they have always believed, justly or unjustly, that they could take care of their religious instruction and promote their Americaniza tion in as satisfactory manner as anyone else, if not a little better. With the Americans, and to a certain extent among the Scandinavians, religious selfishness and national bigotry have apparently played a part in all this activity. Yet it is to be hoped that Christian zeal has in the main prompted the contending parties to such energetic exertions, and as the Northmen stand as victors in the field, little complaint is nowadays heard from them. The other parties have paid out large sums of money, and some continue to do so yet, and all have received valuable lessons of experience. The typical Norwegian of the nineteenth century is rest less and impatient. On his native soil he has given vent to SCANDINAVIAN CHURCHES IN MINNESOTA. 339 I this restlessness and impatience through his national poli tics; in America, partly through his church work. Indeed, no set of emigrants of the nineteenth century have carried on such extensive and persistent church controversies among themselves as have the Norwegians and their descendants from the time of the exodus of the Sloop folks down to our day. Singularly enough, however, the conten tions of the church members, instead of scaring away out siders, have actually attracted them. Accordingly, though the Norwegians, as a nationality, are not naturally more religious than other Indo-Europeans, those of them who have landed upon our shore during the past sixty years enjoy the unique distinction of having joined some church in larger numbers, proportionately, than any other immigrants of the same period. The Norwegian Lutherans in the state for thirty-five years past have been engaged in mutual controversies of different kinds. Many of them — in fact the most of them — have at one time or another deplored this internecine warfare and protested that it would destroy the church. But on the whole it has actually stimu lated the church work, and close observation has convinced us that if there had been peace instead of war, the Nor wegian Lutherans in the state would have numbered several thousand less than they do now. It may not seem pious to say so, but many a worldly-minded Viking has become so interested in the fight that he has joined the faction with which he sympathized in order to assist in beating the opposing faction. Thus, what might be supposed to keep the Norwegians out of the church has actually drawn them into it. 340 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. The United Norwegian Lutheran Church. The Minnesota contingent of the United Church came from three sources. The Anti-Missourian Brotherhood deserves to be treated first because its former adherents now constitute the mainstay of the United Church in this state. Up to the middle of the eighties the Brotherhood was an integral part of the Norwegian Synod. The people that formed the Brotherhood deprived the synod of some of its largest and most prosperous congregations in Minnesota, notably those in Goodhue county, -which locality for twenty years had been the great stronghold of the synod in the state. About 80 Minnesota congregations belonging to the Brotherhood became a part of the United Church in 1890. The whole number of souls belonging to these congrega tions and some fifteen others served by nearly forty Brother hood ministers who joined the United Church was about 28,000. The corporation controlling St. Olaf College at Northfield, consisted mainly of adherents of the Brother hood, and the latter operated a theological class in connec tion with the college from 1886 to 1890. At the organiza tion of the United Church this class and its two professors were transferred to Augsburg Seminary, which was then to be regarded as the theological seminary of the United Church. Nearly all of the Brotherhood congregations have remained true to the United Church during a decade of trials and tribulations. The Norwegian-Danish Lutheran Conference was the most vigorous and energetic of the three organizations that formed the United Church. The leading pioneers of the Conference in Minnesota were the Revs. O. Paulson and SCANDINAVIAN CHURCHES IN MINNESOTA. 341 T. H. Dahl, who obtained footholds in Minneapolis and elsewhere at the close of the sixties. The career of the Con ference during the years of 1870-90 -was an unbroken series of victories, and though the internal strifes at times were quite bitter, the losing faction, represented by certain con gregations in the southern part of this state and in Iowa, never withdrew from the association. From Minnesota the Conference contributed about forty ministers and 170 con gregations to the United Church. One hundred and forty of these congregations actually joined the association, and the aggregate number of souls belonging to all of them -was about 27,500. It will thus be seen that the Conference and the Brotherhood furnished an equal number of ministers and practically an equal number of souls to the United Church from this state ; but the former had almost twice as many congregations as the latter. The Augustana Synod was by far the smallest of the three associations that were merged into the United Church. The oldest congregation of the Augustana Synod in Minne sota was organized by Rev. P. Asbjornsen, June 8, 1857, at Newburg, and this -was one of the oldest Norwegian Lutheran churches in the state. The growth of this synod -was checked by the organization of the Conference within its ranks, and it required great courage to keep up the organization in the face of its powerful rivals. In this state the United Church received from the Augustana Synod eleven congregations which embraced over 2,000 souls, and three ministers. The state of Minnesota contributed to the United Church, in 1890, about 275 congregations, 45 of which, however, did not formally join the association, but were 342 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. served by ministers who did so ; and the whole number of souls embraced by the movement was between 55,000 and 60,000. During the years 1890-93 the membership increased materially, chiefly by the admission of new congre gations, and the parochial reports of the United Church for the year 1893 give the names of more than 350 congrega tions in the state. But that has been the highest mark so far. The internal struggles which seemed to shake the very foundations of the association during the years 1893-98 retarded the growth of the body as a -whole, and in this state the number of congregations dropped from about 355 in 1893 to 285 in 1898. In 1900 the total number of souls belonging to the United Church in the state -was not quite 65,000. The people of this association have manifested a commendable zeal for higher education, and they support four important schools, four hospitals, and one orphans' home in the state. There are about 230 church buildings, and the value of the property owned either by the United Church or by its congregations in the state was about $850,000 in 1900. The Lutheran Free Church. This association is a resuscitation of a certain faction of the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Conference, which in 1890 became a part of the United Church. During the years 1890-93 two contending factions arose within the United Church, and when this body, in the summer of 1893, took practical steps to "remove" its theological seminary from the Augsburg Seminary buildings, the "Friends of Augsburg" held an informal meeting and resolved to rally around their favorite institution. At this stage they were often called simply SCANDINAVIAN CHURCHES IN MINNESOTA. 343 "the minority," and their opponents "the majority." After the summer of 1893 there could be no co-operation between the two factions. "The minority" held regular annual meetings of their own, calling themselves "the Friends of Augsburg" from 1893 to 1896, and the Lutheran Free Church from June 12, 1897. The Free Church has its stronghold in the northern part of Minnesota and in North Dakota, while the most of the old Conference people living elsewhere remain in the United Church. The leaders of the Free Church are an exceedingly aggressive set of men, and opposition only seems to spur them on to greater activity. And they have actually endeavored to accomplish some thing new under the sun. This endeavor is embodied in the Practical Rules of the Free Church, § 6, -which grants any member of any Lutheran church the right to vote at the annual meetings of the Free Church, provided he or she endorses the principles and rules of said body, and promises to co-operate with it. Augsburg Seminary is the heart and soul of the movement. This is not accidental ; for while the other Lutheran church organizations have started schools in different parts of the country, the leading Augsburg minds have given but scant encouragement to such endeavors outside their own institution. The -watchword of the Free Church is congregational independence and individual edification. Being yet in its formative period, it has neglected its statistics. According to the estimates of Prof. Georg Sverdrup, the Free Church contains alto gether in the United States about 40,000 souls, 25,000 of whom are communicants, and these are organized into about 300 local churches. According to the same authority 344 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. the association owns property to the value of about $1,000,000. The Free Church has about two-thirds of its strength in Minnesota. The Free Church people have always contributed liberally to the work carried on by the association. The annual contributions in this state in 1898 aggregated about $15,000 ; and the chief items of expendi ture of the Free Church were $5,500 to foreign missions, $4,000 to Augsburg Seminary, and $2,500 to home missions. The Norwegian Lutheran Deaconesses' Institute in Minneapolis is largely supported by Free Church people. Most of the congregations have church buildings of their own, but there are comparatively few parsonages. Hauge's Synod. This association, originally called the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, for years had its stronghold in Wisconsin. But during the fifties and sixties its center of population moved westward, and in 1876, thirty years after its organization, more than one-half of its congregations were located -west of the Mississippi river. The organization received its present name and its "new constitution" at the annual meeting of 1875, which was held June 5-13, at Arendahl, Minn. Since the establishment of the theological seminary and college of the synod in Red Wing, in 1879, this state has been the chief scene of activity within the synod. In 1900 about 40 out of a total of 100 ministers and professors resided in Minnesota; and about 65 out of a total of 230 congregations are located in the same state. The whole synod consists of about 18,000 communicants and 30,000 souls, and almost exactly one- third of them reside in Minnesota. The growth of this body is healthy and steady, its membership having almost SCANDINAVIAN CHURCHES IN MINNESOTA. 345 doubled during the past fifteen years. Of the 155 church buildings belonging to the synod, fully one-third are located in Minnesota — Elling Eielsen and a few others kept up a separate organization from the middle of the seventies, abiding by the "old constitution," and they are represented by three congregations in this state. Swedish Mission. The oldest congregation belonging to the Mission Covenant in the state was organized at Salem, Olmsted county, in 1870. About half a dozen others were organized during the seventies. The development of the covenant was most rapid during the eighties, and since that time its stronghold has been in the Twin Cities. The statistics of the covenant are very defective in this state as elsewhere, and the figures given do not indicate the work actually carried on. There are about 30 congregations formally belonging to the covenant, and they have an aggregate membership of about 5,000, counting the child ren. There are over 50 ministers, or about t-wo for each congregation. But a large number of these men have received no theological training whatever, and several sup port themselves mainly by manual labor. Most of the con gregations have church buildings of their o-wn. One of them, the Minneapolis Tabernacle, has a seating capacity of 3,000, and is worth $35,000. The value of all the church property in the state exceeds $100,000. The only institu tion of learning connected with the covenant in the state is the North-western Collegiate and Business Institute, which is located in the Minneapolis Tabernacle. The 30 congrega tions contribute on the average about $1,000 each to the different branches of work performed by the congregations 346 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. and the covenant — The Free Mission people, according to the estimates of Rev. N. Wickstrom, are represented by about 130 churches, which have a communicant member ship of about 3,900, and church property valued at $65,000. The Scandinavian Congregationalists, who are mostly Swedish Mission Friends, have about 100 congregations and 7,000 communicants in the United States, and they are well represented in Minnesota. Baptists. The first Swedish Baptist church in the state was organized by Rev. F. 0. Nilsson in Houston, Aug. 18, 1853, with a membership of nine. By the year 1860 there were eight churches with 162 members. The Minnesota conference dates from the year 1858, and its growth since its organization has been steady and healthy. In 1900 it consisted of 80 churches, -which are cared for by 50 pastors. The number of communicants is about 5,500. One-fourth of the members reside in the Twin Cities. There are about 60 church edifices valued at $140,000. Fifteen Danish Baptists organized a congregation Oct. 11, 1863, at Clark's Grove, Freeborn county, and this is the oldest Danish organization of its kind west of the Missis sippi. Several other Danish Baptist congregations were started in the southern part of the state during the next few years, and in the eighties Norwegian Baptist congregations grew up in the Twin Cities. The Norwegian and Danish Baptists of Minnesota and Iowa formed the Western confer ence in 1883; but this was divided along the state line eight years later, the Minnesota conference having been organ ized May 30, 1891, at Stillwater. In 1900 a score of congre gations belong to the conference, and the number of com- SCANDINAVIAN CHURCHES IN MINNESOTA. 347 municants is about 1,400. There are twelve preachers, and the value of the property owned by the congregations is $35,000. Methodists. T-wo Norwegian girls who were mem bers of a Norwegian Methodist congregration at Washing ton Prairie, Iowa, came to St. Paul in the course of the years 1851—53, and they were doubtless the pioneers of the Scandinavian Methodist churches in the state. The first movement crystallized in the organization of a Scandina vian church in St. Paul, in 1853. The movement made but little progress during the next ten years, but in the early sixties several new congregations were started. Up to 1877 the Norwegian Minnesota conference -worked in connection with the American conferences, but since that date the Nor wegian Methodists of several Northwestern states, includ ing Minnesota, have managed their affairs somewhat inde pendently. In 1900 there are about 40 congregations in the state, which are served by twenty odd ministers, and an epual number of local preachers. The total number of communicant members is 1,400. The value of the 30 church buildings and the 15 parsonages has been put at $83,000. Since 1893 the Swedish Methodist churches in Minne sota have constituted a part of the Northern Mission Con ference. In 1900 there are 35 congregations in the state. Their total membership is about 1,600, and about 2,000 children attend their 40 Sunday schools. Nearly every congregation has a church building, and the aggregate value of the church buildings and the parsonages is put at $115,000. There are over 20 regular ministers and about a dozen local preachers. — It should be observed that the 348 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Methodists generally put a high value on their church property. Often it is estimated, in their reports, to be worth twice as much as another denomination would rate similar possessions. But it was deemed best to retain their own figures. Danish Lutherans. The United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church, which was organized in Minneapolis, in 1896, has about a score of congregations in this state in 1900. The total number of persons connected with them is about 3,000. Some twenty children are cared for at an orphans' home in Albert Lea. — The Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church had seven congregations in the state in 1899, and the number of souls connected with these was a little over 1,600. The Danebod high school, at Tyler, is operated in connection with the latter association. Icelandic Lutherans. The Icelandic Evangelical Lutheran Church of America -was organized the 25th of January, 1885. A very large proportion of the members, about 3,500 communicants and 6,000 souls, reside in Canada; yet about 650 persons belong to the four congre gations in the state, all located in Lincoln and Lyon coun ties. The church property is estimated to be worth $9,000 The religious work among the Icelanders in said places was begun in 1879 by Rev. J. Bjarnason, and for some time a newspaper, Kennarinn, has been published in the interest of the church at Minneota, by Rev. B. B. Jonsson. Unitarians. Several Norwegian Unitarian churches were started during the eighties in Minnesota and Wiscon sin by Kristofer Janson. But the movement has made no progress during the past ten years, and the bona fide mem- SCANDINAVIAN CHURCHES IN MINNESOTA. 349 bership of the four congregations in the state is not quite 300. The Nazareth congregation in Minneapolis has a church building -worth $8,000. A Swedish Unitarian church in Minneapolis was discontinued several years ago. Episcopalians. A Swedish Episcopal congregation was organized in Minneapolis, in 1892, by Rev. O. A. Toffteen, and since that time the Episcopalian propaganda has been pushed with considerable energy among the Swedes. In 1899 there were nine congregations in the state, and they had a total membership of about 1,500, including 1,000 communicants. Nearly all the great denominations not treated above under separate heads have at one time or another carried on missionary work among the Scandinavians of the state. The Adventists, Universalists, Presbyterians, and Disciples of Christ are all represented by Scandinavian congregations; but their following is not strong numerically, and the -work is spasmodic rather than systematic. The Salvation Army has a considerable following among the Scandinavians, and they are organized into a number of vigorous cdrps. The total membership in the state is several hundred. Historical Review of the Minnesota District of the Norwegian Synod. —by- REV. JOHN HALVORSON. The Minnesota District of the Norwegian Synod did not receive its separate organization and officers until 1876; but its history goes back to settlements and churches founded by Norwegian immigrants and pastors during the latter days of the territory. The first Norwegian clergyman who visited the settlers in the present Minnesota District was N. Brandt, of Rock Prairie, Wis., who arrived at Red Wing in June, 1855. Together with a companion, he visited on foot his newly arrived countrymen in other portions of Goodhue county. During the summer of 1856 some of the settlers organized a Lutheran congregation and secured 100 acres of land for church purposes, the present Holden par sonage.* In September of the same year they were visited by Rev. H. A. Stub, of Coon Prairie, Wis., who conducted several meetings and assisted them in framing a constitu- *See "Soger Hjem," by Rev. B. J. Muus, p. 133. If the author is correct, then this seems to have been the first Norwegian Lutheran church organization in the state of Minnesota. No clergyman appears to have been present when the church was organized. 351 352 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. tion and issuing a call for a pastor. The minutes of the meeting were subscribed to by 72 voting members, and the letter authorizing the church council of the synod to call a pastor for them was signed by four trustees, namely, Knut K. Finseth, Kjostel G. Naeseth, Halvor Olsen Huset, and Christopher Lockrem. In 1857 Rev. Munch and Prof. Larsen visited the settlements in Goodhue county. The latter preached six days in succession to large audiences, many following him from place to place. During one week in June he baptized 100 children, of which 33 were baptized at one service near Nestrand, Rice county, and 14 were con firmed at this place. The next year he preached in St. Paul, Stillwater, Carver, St. Peter, Mankato, and other places. At one time, after a fourteen days' journey, mostly afoot, Prof. Larsen — who resided in Pierce county, Wis. — came to Knut Finseth sorefooted, his shoes being entirely worn out. Finseth sent to Kenyon for shoes ; but as no small number of men's shoes could be found there, a pair of ladies' shoes was procured, and in these Goodhue county was traversed. Rev. A. C. Preus also visited the pioneers who were under Prof. Larsen's charge up to 1859, when B. J. Muus, from Norway, who had been called by the church council, arrived in November, and became the first resident pastor of the Norwegian Synod within the present Minnesota District. Up to this time some of the settlements were visited only once a year by a synod clergyman, as the ministers were few in number and most of them resided hundreds of miles from the outposts in Minnesota. Rev. P. A. Rasmussen, residing at Lisbon, 111., but not belonging to the synod, had charge of a congregation in Goodhue county for some years; MINNESOTA DISTRICT OF NORWEGIAN SYNOD. 353 but as he became a member of the synod in 1862, his parish ioners the following year joined the churches tended by Rev. Muus. In 1859-60 a parsonage was built for Rev. Muus, and in the latter year a church building was erected. In 1860 the first subscription for Luther College was made, amounting to $603, contributed by forty-two church mem bers in Goodhue county. According to the statement of Rev. Muus, about $10,000 was contributed by the churches of bis charge to higher institutions of learning during the first twenty -five years of his ministry. This shows the zeal and love for God's word and His kingdom among the early settlers. In 1862, June 12-20, the synod held its annual meeting in the East Holden church, when the congregation was formally accepted as a member of the synod. The Indian outbreak in 1862 drove the settlers of Kan diyohi and other western counties eastward, many taking refuge in the older settlements in Rice and Goodhue counties, and for about three years immigration to the western parts of the state virtually ceased; but -when peace and quiet was restored the settlers returned. In 1863 Thomas Johnsen was ordained, and took charge of churches in Nicollet and other .-western counties, thus relieving Rev. Muus, who up to this time had served all the congregations as far west as Norway Lake and as far south as Blue Earth and Waseca counties. Rev. Johnsen for several years visited the Norwe gian settlements extending from Emmet county, Iowa, to Douglas county, Minn., a distance of about 300 miles. Many of the congregations could be reached only twice a year; but the people were glad to hear the Word of God, to have marriage rites properly performed, to have their chil- 354 HISTORY OF' THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. dren baptized, and to partake of the Lord's Supper. Any further pastoral care of the souls was impossible, but the pioneers waited patiently and hoped the time would arrive when they could have a pastor located in their midst. The great need of pastoral visits is seen from the number of infant baptisms. On a journey through Meeker and Kan diyohi counties, in 1867, Rev. Johnsen baptized 55 children in three days, and nearly 200 during the year. Rev. Muus and Rev. N. Quammen, the latter having settled in Dakota county in 1866, baptized in 1867 about 250 and 100 infants, respectively. Before 1868 synod congregations had been organized in all the counties in the state -where many Norwegians had settled, even in counties bordering on the Dakota line, for example, Yellow Medicine. At that time the Norwegian immigration to Minnesota -was very large, and great demands were made for permanent pastors. N. Th. Ylvisaker, a well-known lay-preacher from Norway, arrived in 1868, was ordained, took charge of churches in and around Red Wing, and organized, in 1869, the first synod congregation in Minneapolis, Our Savior's church. Four of the fourteen men who were ordained in 1869 located in Minnesota the same year, namely, J. A. Thorsen, Olmsted county; L. J. Markhus, Norway Lake; Peter Reque, Pope county ; and 0. Norman, St. Paul. The last mentioned, especially, made long missionary journeys in the northwestern part of the state; and Otter Tail county, in particular, became a promising field for church work. Rev. A. Jakobsen, traveling on skis, visited Kandi yohi county before 1867; and two years later Rev. N. Brandt, vice-president of the synod, made an extensive trip of MINNESOTA DISTRICT OF NORWEGIAN SYNOD. 355 three months, and preached in nearly every corner of the state where a few Norwegians could be gathered together. In 1870 Rev. H. A. Preus, the president of the synod, visited nine pastors and sixteen churches in Minnesota, going as far west as Pope county. These visits of the chief officers of the synod show the care and supervision exercised by them in the mission work and resulted in the organizing of several congregations and consequent calling of pastors, -who settled in the new field. According to the parochial reports of 1869, Minnesota had 39 churches and 13 pastors ; but some of the congregations covered whole counties, thickly settled by Norwegians. One of the greatest missionaries of the Norwegian Synod, Rev. L. Carlsen, commenced to work in Douglas and Grant counties in 1872. After a few years of earnest labor and extensive travel, he removed to San Francisco, Cal., then to Australia; but returned to the United States later on. Rev. K. Bjorgo settled in Becker county in 1872, and became the first missionary of the synod in the Red River Valley on the Minnesota side. At the same time Rev. J. Hellestvedt commenced work at Sheyenne river, N. D„ being the first pastor west of the Red river. A great immi gration to the Red River Valley took place in the early seventies. Rev. B. Harstad located at Mayville in 1874, and did a grand work in founding churches on the wide prairies of Dakota. Later on Rev. O. H. Aaberg was called to Grand Forks county, and took charge of the immigrants as far west as Devils Lake. Numerous churches were organ ized on both sides of the Red river, especially in the vicinity of Crookston and Grafton. Even as far north as Pembina, 356 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. where some Icelanders had formed a settlement, the synod pursued its labor by securing Thorlakson, an Icelandic min ister, to attend to the spiritual needs of his countrymen. At the annual meeting in Decorah, Iowa, in 1876, it was found expedient to divide the synod into three districts, so that the people of each section of the country might have a better opportunity to attend to and become acquainted -with the increasing work of the church. The Minnesota District did not include the southern tier of counties in Min nesota, but it extended clear to the Pacific ocean. But in 1893 the territory -west of the Rocky Mountains -was organ ized into the Pacific District. The Minnesota District was the smallest of the three in regard to church members, the poorest in regard to wealth; but it offered the greatest missionary field and had the best prospect of growth. Missionaries were in demand, and one clergyman preached attwenty-one places. It took him several weeks to make the circuit. During the whole history of the district, the main work has been to gather the scattered Norwegian settlers into congregations, to preach to them the Word of God, and to have them partake of the sacraments of Jesus Christ. The missionary work is superintended by a board of three members, and the president of the district is ex-officio chairman. Rev. B. J. Muus was chosen president of the district in 1876 ; Rev. N. Th. Ylvisaker, vice-president ; 0. K. Finseth, lay member of the church counsil ; Rev. H. G. Stub secre tary; and H. G. Rasmussen, treasurer. Rev. Muus was president of the district for seven years. He was a leading spirit, a powerful character, an organizer; but unyielding MINNESOTA DISTRICT OF NORWEGIAN SYNOD. 357 and harsh in dealing with human frailties. He was a pioneer in educational -work, and through his efforts a Lutheran academy was started at the Holden parsonage about the year 1868. Only t-wo terms were taught ; but in 1874 Muus and a few others founded what is now St. Olaf College, at Northfield, thereby demonstrating that a higher institution of learning could be established and maintained by the Norwegian Lutherans in spite of a number of similar institutions supported by the state or by private people of other nationalities. When the controversy on predestination started in 1880, many of the pastors and church members of the dis trict -were for some time in doubt -which party to join. Rev. Muus sided against the synod, and soon became the acknowledged leader of the opposition in the state ; this, together with troubles of a personal nature, was the main reason for his defeat as president of the district in 1883, when Rev. B. Harstad was elected to succeed him. During the turbulent times when the predestination controversy was raging, the meetings and discussions of the district resembled very much the proceedings of a Polish parlia ment. At the meeting of the synod in Minneapolis, in 1884, the two parties were so evenly divided that hardly any resolutions could be passed. Prof. Larsen was elected editor of Kirketidende by a majority of one vote ; and the oppo sition endeavored to prevent the ordination of those theo logical candidates from Luther Seminary -who sided with the Missouri Synod. At the meeting of the district at Norway Lake, in 1885, Rev. Muus refused to recognize Rev. Harstad as president, and boldly advocated that 358 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. pastors who taught the tenets of the Missouri Synod should be deposed from their pulpits. Some congregations ousted their pastors, in some instances legal suits followed in regard to the possession of church property, and it may be said that terror and anarchy reigned supreme in the district for a while. Nowhere was the struggle more bitter and determined than in the two large congregations at Norway Lake. By large majorities both of them deposed, in 1886, their pastor, L. J. Markhus, who sided with the Missouri Synod ; but the minority, consisting of about 50 families protested, declared the deposition of Rev. Markhus unconstitutional and a violation of the by-laws, and by main force entered the church buildings which the opposition had without authority closed against them. The majority, however, carried Rev. Markhus bodily out of the churches, and he soon died a broken-down man. The minority tried to retain the parsonage, but -were sued for the possession of the same. The lawsuit continued for four years, went to the supreme court of Minnesota, and the minority was forced to give up all the property and pay damages and costs. But the Norwegian Synod, at its annual meeting at Stoughton, Wis., in 1887, endorsed the position of the minority. As a result of the predestination controversy, fully one-third of the church members in the district left the synod. Almost the whole of Goodhue county, with its large congregations, and all of the Red River Valley north of Goose river, seceded. In several places, however, the synod people organized new congregations and built new church edifices, having generally lost all they had paid to the old buildings. In other places again the synod congre- MINNESOTA DISTRICT OF NORWEGIAN SYNOD. 359 gations remained untouched, for example, in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Sacred Heart, Fergus Falls, Benson, Glenwood, etc. In some instances people left the synod and joined other Lutheran associations or organized independent con gregations. Of late years, however, the district has enjoyed a rapid growth, partly, herhaps, on account of the split in the United Norwegian Church, and today it is stronger than it has ever been. The strongholds of the district are the country churches, especially those of Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pope, Renville, and Chippewa counties in Minnesota, and those in Traill and Cass counties in North Dakota. A num ber of churches have in recent years also been added to the synod in Polk, Marshall, Kittson, Todd, and Mille Lacs counties in Minnesota. According to the synodical report for 1899, the Minnesota District contained nearly 350 congregations, served by 100 pastors. The number of souls was about 50,000, with 30,000 communicants. Nearly 3,000 infants were baptized in one year, and over 7,000 services held. One hundred school teachers, some of whom were theological students, instructed the children in reli gion in the parochial schools. At the synodical meeting held at Spring Grove, Minn., June 15-21, 1899, it was reported that during the past year fourteen new clergymen had taken up the work in the district, while only three had moved out, and one who had formerly seceded repented of his errors; nine churches had been dedicated; and nine new congregations, principally from the northern parts of the state, applied for membership. A farm of 160 acres and suitable buildings have lately been secured in Norman 360 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. county, Minn., where a new orphans' home has been started, of which Rev. H. A. Blegen is superintendent. A large number of academies and other higher institu tions of learning, treated of more fully in another portion of this volume, are controlled by members of the Minne sota District, which shows the interest taken in education. Since 1892 Rev. K. Bjorgo has been president of the district, and since 1898 has devoted all his time to the duties as president, having no regular congregation under his charge. The president receives an annual salary of $1,200 and free house. His responsibilities are great, and he constantly travels from place to place in the district, encouraging and instructing pastors and people in the right use of the privileges God has given the church, as well as seeing that harmony and order prevail. While the Wisconsin and Iowa districts contain more of the old pioneers, both of the clergy and the lay members, the Minnesota District is known for its youthful spirit, energy, and impatience of restraint. But the dis tricts work together in brotherly love and Christian fellow ship. Historical Review of the Minnesota Conference of the Augustana Synod. — BY — REV. C. J. PETRI. The Minnesota Conference -was organized two years before the Augustana Synod, in Centre City, Minn., on the 8th of October, 1858. The organizers were Revs. E. Nore lius, P. Beckman, P. Carlson and J. P. C. Boren. The lay- delegates -were Hakan Svedberg, Centre City; Daniel Nelson, Marine; Ole Paulson, Carver; Hans C. Bjorklund, Ruseby. The conference numbered on the day of its organization five ministers, and thirteen congregations -with 900 communi cant members. The thirteen congregations of the confer ence were all, except one at Stockholm, Wis., located in the state of Minnesota, namely, at Centre City, Marine, St. Paul, Vasa, Red Wing, Cannon River, St. Peter, Scan- dian Grove, Spring Garden, Union, Gotaholm and Vista. Within the conference were five church buildings, the first having been built in Red Wing, in 1856. During the first year of its existence the expenses of the conference amounted to about $1,500. The pioneers of the conference started out, from the first meeting of the conference, full of hope 361 362 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. and courage in their missionary work. In fact it was then and is now the hopeful missionary work that gave and still gives to the Minnesota Conference its character and success. Speaking of the first meeting of the conference in 1858, Dr. Norelius, about forty years later, says: "I have been pre sent at many meetings since then, and I have seen greater gatherings of people, but I have never witnessed such deeply felt interest, such sincerity and so much enthusiasm as I saw at this our first meeting. The movement was not only new to us, but the Spirit of God was mighty in our churches. The meeting -was filled with a holy inspiration and spiritual power. Our souls were embued with a joyful courage. When we had succeeded in organizing our forces, we felt that we had made a great progress. We heeded no difficulties, everything seemed to us possible." Part of the minutes of this first meeting reads as fol lows : " Services were held every afternoon, and on Sunday two services -were held. The church was always filled with attentive hearers. The members of the conference were cordially and royally entertained, and many of our dear countrymen will long cherish the memory of this meeting. On Sunday a collection for the treasury of the conference was taken, amounting to $5.09." The Swedish-Lutherans in Minnesota were united and ready to take up the mis sionary work for the temporal and spiritual welfare of the Swedes in the Northwest. They have during the past forty years not only taken an active part in the work of the Swedish-Lutheran church throughout the United States, but also and especially labored with faithfulness and sacrifice for the advancement of the material and spiritual interests MINNESOTA CONFERENCE OF AUGUSTANA SYNOD. 363 amongst the hundreds of Swedish settlements in Minnesota, the Dakotas and Wisconsin. At a very early date in the history of the conference efforts were put forth for the promotion of higher education. The people of Minnesota felt it to be their duty to have in their midst an institution of learning, and in 1862 a beginning was made by the establishment of a school -which today is Gustavus Adolph us College, in St. Peter, one of the leading educational institutions in the North-west. A few years later, in 1865, Dr. Norelius began the work of caring for orphans, and so was established the orphans' home at Vasa, Minn., which is today supported by the conference. This institution, where on the average 50 children are annually cared for, has been very liberally supported, although the misfortunes of the institution has tried the liberality of the people; once the home was destroyed in a tornado and once by fire. This institution is governed by a board of trustees elected by the conference. In harmony with this work of mercy, the con ference has also maintained a hospital, the Bethesda Hos pital, in St. Paul. This institution -was established in 1881 and is today one of the best equipped hospitals in the North west. These institutions are indications of the united and faithful -work and consecration of the Swedish-Lutherans in Minnesota. Much has been done, but much more could have been done had not the conference had its hands full with missionary efforts ; congregations had to be organized ; churches and parsonages had to be built, and schools estab lished. Realizing the fact that they are in America, and that they and their children must naturally more and more make use of the language of the country, the Swedish-Lutherans 364 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. in the eighties began to establish English churches under the auspices of the conference. But owing to the large immi gration, and also to the opposition the Lutherans encoun tered on the part of other missionary efforts made by those -who labored for the tearing asunder of the Lutheran churches, the conference had its hands full in taking care of its own churches, and the English work was somewhat neglected. The conference is now stronger than ever, having been faithful in its defense of the doctrines and practices of the Lutheran church. The conference today, after more than forty years of zealous work, numbers nearly 140 ministers, 340 congregations with a total membership of 70,000, out of whom 40,000 are communicant members. There are within the conference about 275 church buildings and 100 parsonages, valued at more than one million dollars. In one year the parochial schools had an attendance of 7,132 scholars, and the Sunday schools 13,536. In order more effectively to carry on the work, the con ference is divided into 15 mission districts, viz : Chisago district with 22 congregations ; St. Paul, 18 ; Goodhue, 20 ; N. Minnesota Valley, 20 ; Pacific, 35 ; St. Croix Valley, 24 ; Alexandria, 27; S. Minnesota Valley, 19; N. E. Dakota, 16; Big Stone, 22 ; Lake Superior, 28 ; Central, 13 ; James River, 12 ; Red River, 33 ; Mississippi, 15 ; and Canada Mission,10. With such an arrangement the different parts of the confer ence fill their mission in their special field and at the same time present to the world one undivided and strong Luther an church among the thousands of Swedish-Americans in promising Northwest. Biographies of Scandinavians in Minnesota. Aaker, LaFS K. , state senator and pioneer — Alexandria — born 19 Sept., 1825, in Lardal, Telemarken, Norway; died 1895. He graduated from Hviteseid normal school; emi grated to the U. S. at the age of twenty; settled in Dane county, Wis., where he taught school for a while; then farmed, and moved to Goodhue county, Minn., in 1857. Here he took a claim; was elected to the state legislature at the time of the outbreak of the Civil War, but enlisted in the Third Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and was commis sioned first lieutenant in company D, which was composed of Scandinavian soldiers, with Col. H. Mattson as captain. He served in Kentucky and in Tennessee, but, on account of ill health, resigned in 1862. Aaker represented his district in the legislature in 1859, 1860, 1862, 1867, 1869, and was state senator in 1881. He lived on his farm in Goodhue county until 1869; then moved to Alexandria, where for six years he -was register of the U. S. land office, and engaged in general merchandise for nine years; -was receiver of the U. S.land office in Crookston in 1884-93. Aaker was one of the first Scandinavian legislators in the state, an active Repub- 365 366 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. lican, and a delegate to the first convention of the party held in Wisconsin in 1856. He was widely and favorably known throughout the -whole Northwest; -was married twice, and had children by both wives. Almen, Louis G., clergyman— Balaton— born 30 March, 1846, in Tosso, Dalsland, Sweden. At the age of twenty- four he emigrated to this country; worked at first as a common laborer; was a railroad contractor in Minnesota and Wisconsin for a couple of years; and after having attended Augustana College, Rock Island, 111., for three years, he graduated from the theological department of this institution in 1876. His first charge was at Beaver, Iroquois county, 111.; but after having remained there for about three years, he became for one year a traveling mis sionary in Yellow Medicine and Lac qui Parle counties, Minnesota; then accepted a call to New London, and set tled at his present place in 1893. For over twelve years he was editor of the church and temperance departments of Skaffaren — the semi-official organ of the Swedish Lutheran Minnesota Conference. For a long time he has been the most ardent temperance advocate of any of the ministers of his denomination in the state of Minnesota, and is one of the ablest parliamentarians in the conference. Almen was married to Alice C. Johnson in 1876; they have several children living. Anderson, Abel, clergyman and educator— Montevideo —born 5 Dec, 1847, in Dane county, Wis. His mother's ancestors had been officers in the Norwegian army for several generations; in 1830 she married Bjorn Anderson, a farmer's son and a Quaker, but a marriage between the BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 367 daughter of an officer and a farmer was in those days, and to a certain extent is yet, looked upon with great disfavor; besides, the young couple had not only sinned against the social rank, but, what was worse still, Anderson did not belong to the state church, the Lutheran. To avoid all social and religious unpleasantness, they emigrated to the U. S. in 1836; lived a year in Rochester, N. Y., and four years in Illinois; settled in Wisconsin in 1841, being therefore among the very earliest Scandinavian immigrants in this country. Abel Anderson, who is a brother to the well- known Prof. R. B. Anderson, attended Albion Acad emy two years and the University of Wisconsin for a couple of years; graduated from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, in 1872, and two years later completed his theo logical studies at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. From 1874-87 he had charge of a church belonging to the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod at Muskegon, Mich., being also school inspector for several years; took active part in politics; -was a delegate to the Republican national convention which nominated Blaine for president in 1884, being one of the first Scandinavians in this country who -was a delegate to a national convention of this party; was a candidate for representative to the state legislature twice, but his party being in the minority, was defeated both times. Anderson came to Appleton, Minn., in 1887, and settled in Montevideo the following year, having charge of churches at both places. He has been instructor in ancient and modern languages, in which he is considered to be quite proficient, at Windom Institute, and was one of its trustees. He has contributed frequently to the Chicago 368 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Tribune and other papers, both in the Norwegian and the English language. In 1874 he was married to Mary Olson, of Cambridge, Wis. Anderson has two brothers who are married to two of his wife's sisters. They have several children living, of whom two daughters have studied at Carleton College, Northfield, Minn. Anderson, Berndt, journalist — St. Paul — born 2 Aug., 1840, in Lund, Sweden. After having completed a course at the University of Lund, he was employed in the depart ment of the interior, Stockholm, from 1865-73, then went abroad, studying the natural sciences in Denmark and Germany. In 1880 he emigrated to this country, and has most of the time since 'been editor-in-chief of SkafTaren — the latter being the organ of the Minnesota Conference of the Swedish Lutheran church, and advocating Republican principles. The predominant features of Anderson's writ ings are clearness and learning. In 1893 he -was appointed dairy and food commissioner by Governor Nelson, being the first Swede in Minnesota -who was ever appointed chief of a state department, and was re-appointed twice. At the time of his appointment certain individuals seemed to think that it was not -wise to appoint to such responsible posi tion any one except a practical farmer — in most cases the male members of the farming community have neither a practical nor a theoretical knowledge of how cheese and butter are made. It did not, however, take long before Anderson proved that he was the right man for the place, and soon became a terror to the oleomargarine dealers, several of whom he successfully prosecuted. On account of his thorough scientific knowledge of dairy products and his mmTi BERNDT ANDERSON, ST. PAUL. TUOF. II. H. BEKGSIANl), IUCD WING. KEV. L. M. BIOUN, ZUMBROTA. C. BRANDT, ST. TAUL. C. L. BRUSLETTEN, KENYON BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAYIAAS IN MINNESOTA. 369 conscientious attention to the duties imposed upon him, he did much to raise the standard of Minnesota cheese and butter; and certainly was one of the ablest dairy and food commissioners the state ever had. Anderson has for several years taken a very active part in politics and has been a delegate to many Republican local and state conventions. He is married and has grown children. Anderson, Daniel, state legislator — Cambridge — born 3 Feb., 1842, in Hassela, Helsingland, Sweden. He came with his parents directly from Sweden to Chisago Lake, Minn., in 1851. They moved to Freeborn county in 1857. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Anderson joined the Tenth Minnesota Infantry, fought at Tupelo, Miss., and served in the army for three years. He came to Isanti county in 1868 and was elected county auditor the same year ; since he has been county surveyor, county commissioner, and judge of probate. He -was a member of the state legislature in 1873, 1875-77, 1879, and 1889. Anderson is a plain, unassuming man, -who has hardly a common school education, though Col. Mattson taught him how to drive oxen. In the legis lative manuals he was always styled "laborer;" yet he is considered to have been one of the most influential Scan dinavian legislators in the state. He has gone through all the adversities of pioneer life. Anderson is a life-long Republican, and was married in 1869. Aretander, J. W., lawyer — Minneapolis — born 2 Oct., 1849, in Stockholm, Sweden. His father, who belonged to pne of the oldest families of Norway, was for some years a professor in Sweden, but returned to his native land in 1854. Young Aretander received a college education in 370 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVAINS IN THE U. S. Skien, graduated with honors from the University of Nor way, was a journalist for a while, but his radical views brought him into trouble, and he became a political exile and emigrated to America in 1870. For a couple of years he was connected with a Norwegian paper in Chicago, where he also studied law, and was admitted to the bar in Minne sota, in 1874. For about ten years he practiced law at Willmar, and has been located in Minneapolis since 1886. Aretander has a great reputation as a criminal lawyer, and has been very successful in handling personal damage cases. He is author of Practical Handbook of Laws of Minne sota, published in the Norwegian language in 1876, and thoroughly revised and published in Norwegian and Swedish twenty years later. He has also translated Henrik Ibsen's play, The Masterbuilder, into English. The 17th of May, 1897, a magnificent statue of the famous Norwegian violin ist, Ole Bull, was put up in the main park of Minneapolis, mostly through the untiring energy and self-sacrifice of Aretander. For about two years he spoke, -wrote, stormed, until his efforts were crowned with success ; and in connec tion with the Ole Bull statue — the only statue in the public parks of Minneapolis — Arctander's name will long be remembered with gratitude throughout the Northwest. In 1898 he made a great stir by publicly announcing that he had been converted to God, although he at the time was a mem ber of the American Methodist Church, which he had joined in 1897 and which is supposed to accept as members only such persons as profess to have been converted. Arosin, 0. H., county treasurer — St. Paul — born 14 May, 1861, in Stockholm, Sweden. He received a high BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 371 school education in his native city; learnt the printer's trade; emigrated to America in 1879, coming directly to St. Paul; was connected with the Swedish paper Skaffaren for a couple of years; started a jeweler store in 1883; worked in the postoffice in 1883-7; was elected assembly man in 1894, being re-elected two years later, and served as president of the assembly for two years; and was elected county treasurer in 1898 by a small majority. During all these years of public activity, Arosin has retained his jeweler store. He is a member of the English Lutheran church; affiliates with the Republican party; belongs to the orders of Free Masons and Odd Fellows; was married to Laura Nelson, of St. Paul, in 1891, by whom he has a couple of children. Askeland, Hall ward Tobias, librarian and musician- Minneapolis — born 30 Nov., 1860, in Stavanger, Norway. He completed a course in the Latin school of his native city; emigrated in 1875, coming directly to Minneapolis ; gra duated from the literary department of Augsburg Seminary in 1882; taught music for a few years; was editor of Felt-Raabet, the first Norwegian prohibition paper pub lished in Minnesota, from 1886—89, but the paper ceased; and he has ever since 1889 been librarian of the Franklin Avenue branch of the public library. Askeland takes great interest in music and literature, and for several years was organist of the Norwegian Lutheran Trinity Church, and secretary of -what is now the Minnesota Total Abstinence Association. In 1883 he was married to Julia Skallerud of Minneapolis. They have several children. Bendeke, Karl, physician and surgeon — Minneapolis— 372 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. born 1841, in Kristiania, Norway. After going through the regular old country college course, he was admitted to the University of Norway as a student in 1859. He studied medicine there from 1863-68, when he was appointed sur geon on board an emigrant vessel which brought him to this country. He settled first in Chicago, where he practiced his profession for t-wo years; moved to Minnesota in 1870; located in Minneapolis in 1875, where he has since resided. Bendeke has at different times visited foreign medical insti tutions for the purpose of extending his studies in certain specialties, principally diseases of the eye and ear. In 1877 he visited the eye clinics of London and Paris ; in 1881 attended the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary for three months, and in 1891 spent about the same length of time at the university clinics of Berlin, Germany, -where he studied the most modern methods of research and treatment in the various branches of medicine and surgery. His professional skill in conjunction -with his long residence in the country has naturally given him a reputation as one of the leading Scandinavian physicians of the North-west. In 1869 he was married to Josephine Fauske, of Bergen, Norway. They have one daughter, who is an accomplished violinist. Bennet, C. C, merchant — Minneapolis — born 1847, in Malmo, Sweden. He is the son of Baron Wilhelm Bennet, who was an officer in the Swedish army. Young Bennet re ceived a good education ; -went to Copenhagen, Denmark, at the age of fifteen, to learn the furrier's trade; emigrated to Montreal, Canada, in 1867, where he worked at his trade for over a year ; then traveled through several of the Eastern states, but returned to Montreal to become a member and BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MANNESOTA. 373 manager of a fur company. In 1877 he went to Omaha, Neb., and opened a -wholesale house in furs ; but as the busi ness proved unprofitable, he moved shortly after-wards to Minneapolis, -where he has ever since been engaged in his trade. Always taking an active interest in the social life of his countrymen, Bennet has several times been president of the Swedish society Norden. He has been a prominent speaker at many important Scandinavian festivals and other great gatherings. He was the chief promoter in organizing, in 1888, Battery B of the First Battalion, which is composed mostly of Swedes ; Bennet — generally known as Captain Bennet — has been commander of the battery ever since its organization. In 1874 he -was married to a Canadian lady. They have grown children. Berg1, Albert, secretary of State — Centre City — born 25 June, 1861, in Centre City, Minn. His parents were among the early Swedish settlers at Chisago Lake. He attended Carleton College, Northfield, in 1876-78; then studied at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, for a couple of years. Berg traveled as a salesman through the Western states for four years, then taught school for three years, was elected register of deeds of Chisago county in 1886, and was re-elected two years later. He was a delegate to the Repub lican national convention at Minneapolis in 1892, and at the state convention that year was a strong candidate for secretary of state. In 1894 he was elected secretary of state, and has since been re-elected twice. Berg is a Lutheran, quite a good singer, and is married. Bergsland, H. H., educator— Red Wing— bom 23 Jan., 1858, in Fillmore county, Minn. His father emigrated from 374 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S Telemarken, Norway, to the United States in 1846, and his mother came from the same place a few years later. They settled in Fillmore county a couple of years before he was born. After having received a common school educa tion, young Bergsland entered Red Wing Seminary in 1880, and graduated from the theological department of this institution five years later ; then attended a theological school in Kristiania, Norway, for two years, after which he accepted the position of theological professor in Red Wing Seminary. From 1889 to 1897 Bergsland was president of this institution, but at the Tatter date he again became theological professor. In 1895 he published a small pam phlet in answer to the fanatical attack made upon him by Rev. 0. S. Meland. In 1887 he was married to Anna L. Thompson, of Fillmore county, Minn. Biermann, Adolph, state auditor— Rochester — born 19 Nov., 1842, in Kristiania, Norway. Biermann emigrated to America at the age of nineteen and at once entered the Union army, enlisting in company I of the Twenty-fourth Wisconsin Volunteers, serving till the close of the war, and participating in the battles of Perrysville, Ky., and Mur freesboro, Tenn. In 1866 Biermann made a visit to Nor way, and upon his return settled at Rochester. He was elected county auditor of Olmsted county in 1874, which position he held till 1880. In 1875 and 1882 he was placed in nomination by the Democratic party as secretary of state; in 1884, as representative to Congress; in 1883, as candidate for governor. He was defeated. In 1885 he was appointed collector of internal revenue for Minnesota by President Cleveland. In 1890 he was elected, on the Demo- BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 375 cratic ticket, to the office of state auditor, but after having served one term -was defeated for the same position in 1894. Biermann is still a bachelor. Biorn, Ludvig Marinus, clergyman— Zumbrota— born 7 Sept., 1835, in Moss, Norway. His father -was a minister in the state church of Norway, and some of his ancestors held high military and ecclesiastical positions in Slesvig. Biorn became a student at the University of Norway in 1855, graduating as cand. theol. in 1861. The following year he emigrated to America, being called as pastor by the congregation of the Norwegian Synod in Manitowoc county, Wis. Here Biorn met with all the hardships inci dent to pioneer life. The -war, too, added to the diffi culty ; company F of the Fifteenth Wisconsin Regiment was mostly taken from his congregation. In 1879 he removed to Goodhue county, Minn., to the congregations of Land and Minneola. Biorn was one of the leaders of the Anti- Missourians in the great predestination controversy, and when, after the division of the synod, the United Church was organized out of three Norwegian Lutheran denomina tions, Biorn became the vice-president of the ne-w body. The North, in 1893, says: "Biorn has a frank, honest, prepossessing face. He is a thoroughbred gentleman, a popular preacher, an able writer, and last but not least, there is a vein of true poetry in his psychical make-up which has found expression in a number of poems, two or three of which are gems of their kind." One of his sons is practicing law in St. Paul. Bjorgo, K., clergyman— Red Wing— born 2 Oct., 1847, in Voss, Bergen stift, Norway. He came to the United States 376 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. in his infancy; graduated from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, in 1870, and three years later completed his theologi cal studies at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.; was pastor of several churches at and around Lake Park, Becker county, Minn., for about fifteen years, and accepted a call to Red Wing in 1888. Bj5rgo was elected president of the Minnesota District of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod in 1891, and has been one of the chief promoters in establishing the Young Ladies' Lutheran Seminary at Red Wing — the only Scandinavian institution of its kind in America. He was married to Ingeborg Lien, of Decorah, Iowa, in 1876 ; they have several children. Bookman, Marcus Olaus, clergyman and educator- Minneapolis — born 9 Jan., 1849, in Langesund, Kristian- sand stift, Norway. His father was receiver of customs at Ekersund, where young Bockman received his early school training, and after having completed the course at Aars and Voss' Latin school, Kristiania, he graduated with high hon ors from the theological department of the University of Norway in 1874, -was ordained and accepted a call from a congregation in Goodhue county, Minn., the following year, remaining there for eleven years. Rev. J. C. Jensson, in American Lutheran Biographies, says: 'When the great controversy concerning election and conversion arose in the Norwegian Synod, Bockman took part with the Anti- Missourians and became one of the leaders in opposing the Missourians. In 1886 the Anti-Missourian faction estab lished a theological seminary of their own at Northfield, Minn., and Bockman was called to fill one of the chairs at this institution. From 1887-90 he was one of the editors I)|{. KAUL I'.KNDKKE, MINNEAPOLIS. A. E. BOYBSBN, ST. PAUL. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 377 of Lutherske Vidnesbyrd, the church paper of the Anti- Missourians. In 1890 Bockman became a member of the faculty of Augsburg Seminary. He is a bright scholar and one of the most eloquent Norwegian preachers in this coun try.' Since 1893 he has served as president of the United Church Seminary. Bockman has been married twice, and has several children. Boeckmann, Eduard, physician and surgeon— St. Paul- born 25 March, 1849, in Ostre Toten, Hamar stift, Norway. His father -was an officer in the army, and later became post master at Moss. Young Boeckmann received a careful col lege education ; graduated from the medical department of the University of Norway in 1874; visited Copenhagen, Utrecht, Paris, and Heidelberg, for the purpose of studying the diseases of the eye; practiced his profession in Bergen for ten years, meanwhile visiting the United States three times and practicing medicine at shorter periods in different parts of this country. He came to America first in 1882 ; has crossed the Atlantic Ocean over twenty times ; and located permanently in St. Paul in 1886, where he has ever since resided. Boeckmann at first became noted as a specialist of the diseases of the eye, but has since engaged in every branch of medical practice and surgical operations — in all of which he has, by general consent, become skillful. He -was married to Anne Sophie Dorothea Gill, of Bergen, in 1875 ; they have children. Boen, Haldor E., congressman — Fergus Falls — born 2 Jan., 1851, in Sondre Atirdal, Valders, Norway. At the age of seventeen he left his native country and came to Mower county, Minn., but settled in Otter Tail county three years 378 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. later. Here he worked in the county auditor's office for a while, taught in the public schools for five years, and was an active agitator of the Farmers' Alliance and People's party movement. In 1880 he was county commissioner, and for a number of years acted as deputy sheriff. During the years of 1885-89 he -was amember of theexecutive com mittee of the state Alliance. He was elected, on the Repub lican ticket, register of deeds of Otter Tail county in 1888, and re-elected on the Alliance ticket two years later. In 1892 the People's party nominated him for Congress, and he -was elected by a very small majority; but was defeated in 1894. Boen introduced a number of radical bills while in Congress, and succeeded in getting one measure through. The Boen Law provides that criminal cases in the U. S. courts must be tried in the district -where the offense -was committed. Boen does not seem to possess the educational qualifications or the mental and moral make-up to properly fill the high position to which he was elected. Since 1895 he has been editor and publisher of the Fergus Falls Globe. In 1874 he -was married to Margit G. Brekke ; they have several children. Borup, Charles William W., pioneer— St. Paul— born 10 Dec, 1806, in Copenhagen, Denmark; died in 1859. At the age of twenty-one he came to the United States, remained in Ne-w York for about a year, then went to Lake Superior, and, as an Indian trader, entered the service of the Amer ican fur company, of -which concern he finally became the chief agent, residing at La Pointe for several years. Borup moved to St. Paul in 1849, and four years later he, in con nection with his brother-in-law, Charles H. Oakes, organ- BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 379 ized the_^rst_bank in the territory of Minnesota. As an illustration of the banking capacity in those early days, it may be mentioned that, for lack of funds, the banking con cern -was unable to pay a check of $130 which a customer desired to get cashed. But Borup soon improved the bank ing business, and became the best financier in the territory. It is claimed that his parents and ancestors -were prominent people, and that he received a careful education in Denmark, graduating as a physician, but never practiced the pro fession. It is not known what caused him to sacrifice his high standing and bright future in his native country. Here he endured the hardships of a Western pioneer, associating for years a great deal with the Indians; he, like many other early pioneers, married a woman who had Indian blood in her veins, by whom he had many children. One of his sons became a captain in the United States army; his daughters, who are claimed to have been very handsome, were all married to men of prominence. Borup -was not only the first banker in Minnesota, he -was also the first consul who represented a Scandinavian country in Minnesota, and donated a lot in St. Paul to the Methodists, in 1853, on con dition that a Scandinavian church should be built thereon, and this was the first Scandinavian religious organization in the state. His son, Theo. Borup, is a leading business man in St. Paul. Boyesen, Alf E., lawyer— St. Paul— born 21 April, 1857, in Kristiania, Norway. His father was a captain in the Norwegian army, and he is a brother to the well-known author Hjalmar Hjort Boyesen. At the age of thir teen Boyesen emigrated to this country, attended Ur- 380 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. bana University, Urbana, Ohio, for four years; studied law a short time with his brother I. K. Boyesen in Chicago; was admitted to the bar in Minneapolis, Minn., where he also had studied in private offices, in 1880; practiced his profession in Fargo, N. D., for seven years; moved to St. Paul in 1887; in 1890 entered into partnership with M. D. Munn and N. M. Thygeson; and formed a partnership with P. J. McLaughlin in 1897. Few law firms in St. Paul have a larger practice than the one of which Boyesen is a member, and Boyesen himself had an extensive practice in North Dakota, and is now recognized as one of the leading Scandinavian attorneys in the Northwest. In 1883 he was married to Florence Knapp, a daughter of Frederick M. Knapp, of Racine, Wis. Brandt, Christian, journalist — St. Paul— born 28 Jan., 1853, in Vestre Slidre, Valders, Norway. His ancestors came from Germany to Denmark, and moved from there to Norway at the fall of the Struense and Brandt's adminis tration. He received a college and military education in Kristiania, -was appointed second lieutenant in the army at the age of twenty-one, -went to Germany the following year to study civil engineering at the polytechnic school in Aachen, and emigrated to the United States in 1876. His intention was to engage in civil engineering, but failing to find employment, he became for two years city editor of Daglig Skandinaven in Chicago; was assistant editor of Faedrelandet og Emigranten, La Crosse, Wis., for a couple of years; bought Red River Posten, which was published in Fargo, N. D., but sold it the following year; became editor-in-chief of Nordvesten in 1881, and BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 381 later publisher. From 1887-89 he was inspector general of the National Guard of Minnesota, with the rank of briga dier-general. In 1890 he was appointed deputy collector of internal revenue; started the Norwegian newspaper, Heim- dal, the following year, but sold it in 1893. He was for two years assistant editor of Minneapolis Tidende, and returned in the spring of 1897 to Nordvesten, of which paper he at present is editor-in-chief. During the -war with Spain Brandt organized a Scandinavian regiment, of which he -was elected colonel, but it was not called into ser vice. He was the first to advocate the election of two Scan dinavians to state offices, which resulted in the election of Col. H. Mattson as secretary of state and A. E. Rice as lieu tenant-governor, in 1886. In 1878 he was married to Bessie Sorenson, of Chicago; they have children. Breda, 0. J,, educator — Minneapolis — born 29 Apr., 1853, in Horten, Norway. He received a classical educa tion; graduated from the University of Norway; proceeded to this country in 1873; graduated from Concordia Theo logical Seminary, of St. Louis, in 1875; accepted a call to St. Paul, but soon embraced the opportunity offered him to fill a professor's chair in Luther College. Before entering upon his new duties, however, he returned to Noway, where for two years he busied himself with philological studies, and from 1879 to 1882 did very creditable work as professor of Latin and Norwegian in Luther College. After another year's study in Norway he received a call to the professor ship of Scandinavian languages just then established in the University of Minnesota. A leave of absence of one year was improved in further fitting himself for his new duties, 382 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. which he assumed in the fall of 1884. The chair of Scandi navian languages, or "Scandinavian language," as the intelligent lawmakers had styled the study thus first raised to the dignity of a professorship in Minnesota, for some time called for but little attention, and Breda assisted regularly at teaching Latin, his ability and learning being generally acknowledged. In 1899 he resigned and returned to his native land. He was married in 1886 in Horten, Norway, to Emilie Braarud. They have no children. Brohough, G. 0., educator — Red Wing— born in Eidsvold, Norway. He came to Red Wing in his early boyhood, where he attended the city public schools. At an early age he entered the State Normal School at River Falls, Wis. After graduating from this institution he taught several terms in the public schools. Not finding his thirst for knowledge satisfied, he entered the state university at Minneapolis, graduating with the class of 1889. Since then he took a course in the law department of his alma mater, receiving the degree of LL. B. in 1892. During his senior year he received a prize offered by the American Institute of Civics for the best thesis on economics. For several years he has been professor at the Red Wing Seminary. Brohough was superintendent of the public schools of Red Wing for some time. His brother, Chr. 0. Brohough, came to America in 1869, and has since been pastor of Hauge's Synod congre gations in Red Wing, Chicago, and the Twin Cities. He has published several books, among which may be mentioned: Vaegteren, Sangbog for Sbndagsskolen, Elling Eiel- sens Liv og Virksomhed, Guitar Laere, etc. Brown, Fred P., secretary of state— Blue Earth City— BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 383 born 12 Aug., 1838, in Kobbervig, Kristiansand stift, Nor way. His grand-father was Bishop Nordahl Brun. At the age of nine Brown -went to sea as a cabin boy, and for nine years led the hard and hazardous life of a sailor. In 1854 he emigrated to America, settling in Dane county, Wis. In 1862 he moved to Rochester, Minn., and located at Blue Earth City, his present home, in the year following. Brown was register of deeds of Faribault county for eighteen years. In 1890 he was elected secretary of state on the Republican ticket, and re-elected two years later. He is married, and has several children. Brusletten, C. L., legislator— Keny on— born 2 Sept., 1853, in Hallingdal, Norway. He came to America with his parents in 1858, settling in the neighborhood of his present home. He attended the district school in winter and worked on the farm in summer. In 1879 he graduated from the North-western Business College at Madison, Wis., and since that time has been engaged in the mercantile busi ness. Brusletten was postmaster at Kenyon for eight years and held many of the most important offices of his town ship and village. The farmers' elevator at Kenyon was built largely through his efforts, and he has served as treas urer of this and as vice-president of the Citizen's State Bank of Kenyon, since those institutions -were established. He also owns a large and valuable farm in Kenyon, and has farms in other places in the Northwest. He was elected to a seat in the lower branch of the state legislature in 1896, and re-elected to the same position in 1898. His legislative record was creditable. Cappelen, F, W., engineer — Minneapolis— born 31 Oct., 384 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. 1857, in Drammen, Norway. He received his early educa tion in Fredrikstad, and came out at the head of his class. Having completed a course and graduated at a technical school in Orebro, Sweden, he continued his studies at the polytechnic institute in Dresden, Germany, and -was the first Norwegian -who distinguished himself at a final examination in that institution. In 1880 he emigrated to America ; -was appointed assistant engineer on the Northern Pacific R. R., in Montana, and bridge engineer on the same road in 1883. At the latter date he removed to Minne apolis, and from 1886 to 1892 served as bridge engineer of the city of Minneapolis. By this time he -was generally admitted to rank among the leading engineers of the North west, and he was appointed city engineer, -which position he held for half a dozen years. The most noteworthy monu. ments to his engineering skill are the Northern Pacific railroad bridge near the state university of Minnesota and the reservoirs of the public -waterworks of Minneapolis. His wife is of German birth ; they have several sons. Carlsen, L. A. K., clergyman — Brandon — born 6 Nov., 1842, in Trondhjem, Norway. His father was pastor in the state church of Norway. Young Carlsen was educated in his native city and at the University of Norway; accepted a call from a couple of Norwegian Synod congregations in Douglas and Grant counties, Minn., in 1872; was called to San Francisco, Cal., in 1877, and to Sydney, Melbourne, and other places in Australia, in 1879 ; returned to Douglas county in 1887 ; made another trip to Australia, visiting the Hawaii Islands and New Zealand, in 1890 ; and was again called to take charge of the missionary work among the PROF. J. S. CARLSON, MINNEAPOLIS. H. J. GJERTSEN, MINNEAPOLIS. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 385 Norwegians in those distant colonies, but for some time has been located at Great Falls, Montana. Carlsen is considered to be one of the greatest missionaries in the Norwegian Synod. Carlson, Johan S., educator— Minneapolis— born 8 Nov., 1857, in Frodinge, Smaland, Sweden. He came with his parents to the United States when he was quite young, and was brought up on the farm. After having attended Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn., for a couple of years, he graduated from Augustana College, Rock Island, 111., in 1885; then studied for two years at the University of Upsala, Sweden, and completed the course for candidate of philosophy at that institution in 1887. The same year he accepted a call to Gustavus Adolphus college as assistant professor of English and mathematics; was elected professor of history and philosophy of that institu tion the following year, which position he occupied for ten years, and in -which capacity he made an excellent record. Augustana College conferred the degree of Master of Arts upon Carlson in 1889, and in 1894 he again went to Sweden and completed the course for doctor of philosophy, which degree was conferred upon him by the famous Uni versity of Upsala in 1895, his thesis being Om Filosohen i Amerika. He -was elected editor-in-chief of Minnesota Stats Tidning, the semi-official organ of the Swedish Lutheran Minnesota Conference, in 1898, and the next year he -was called to the State University as professor of Scan dinavian languages and literatures. Carlson is a member of the American Academy of Political and Social Science as well as of the American Statistical Association. He 26 386 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS LN THE U. S. was Republican presidential elector in 1892, has stumped the state for his party, is considered to be one of the best Swedish public speakers in the land, writes able editorial articles, and is a prominent member of the Swed ish Lutheran church, having for years been one of the lead ing lay-delegates at the annual meetings of said organiza tion. In 1890 he -was married to Maria M. Anderson, of Carver, Minn. They have four children. Christensen, Ferdinand Sneedorff, vice-consul for Den mark and banker — Rush City — born 18 April, 1837, in Copenhagen, Denmark; died 1896. He received a college education in his native country, wrote some poems in his younger days, and participated in the Danish war -with Ger many in 1864. Christensen came to the U. S. in 1866, stopped in Chicago for two years, then moved to Rochester, Minn. Here he commenced the publication of Nordisk Folkeblad, which -was one of the first Danish-Norwegian newspapers in Minnesota, and Christensen -was the first Scandinavian in the state who commenced to agitate the election of a Scandinavian state official, -which resulted in the nomination and election of Col. Hans Mattson as secretary of state in 1869. Christensen became land agent for the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad company, and moved to Rush City in 1870. In 1882 he started the Bank of Rush City. He was assistant secretary of state from 1880-82, was appointed vice-consul for Denmark in 1883, represented his district in the state legislature in 1878, and held various local offices. Christensen, who for years was the most prominent Dane in Minnesota, had, on his arrival in this country, to endure the usual hardships common to all immi- BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MANNESOTA. 387 grants, and for some time he earned his bread by blacking stoves for a hardware store in Chicago. In 1869 he -was married to Zelma A. Willard, who survives him. Clausen, Claus Lauritz, clergyman and pioneer— Austin —born 3 Nov., 1820, on the island of Aero, Fyen stift, Den mark; died in Paulsbo, Wash., 1892. His father, who kept a country store, intended to let his son study law. And young Clausen at the age of fifteen, after he had received a good common school education and some instruction in the German language, commenced to study law in the office of one of the officials, where he remained for three years. But the legal principles soon tired Clausen ; and, being very reli gious, he decided to become a missionary of the Gospel. For two years he studied theology under private instruction, but, being poor, he was compelled to seek employment as a tutor. In 1841 he visited Norway, and soon decided to go to Zululand, South Africa, to preach for the natives. But the reputation of his missionary zeal had been circulated to the Norwegian settlement at Muskego, Racine county, Wis. These people felt the need of a preacher and a teacher, espe cially were they anxious to have their young children instructed in the religion and language of their fathers. They called Clausen. He accepted. And, after having returned to Denmark and married there, he, in company with his bride, arrived at Muskego, Wis., in 1843. Shortly after his arrival he -was examined by a couple of German Lutheran ministers, was ordained Oct. 18, and organized what is generally supposed to be the first Scandinavian Lutheran church in America, since the Swedish settlement at Delaware River in the seventeenth century. This, however, 388 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. is a mistake. For three or four years previously to Clausen's arrival, Elling Eielsen had built a log meeting house at Fox River, 111. This may be called the first Norwegian church building and church organization in the U. S., and Eielsen was ordained by a Lutheran minister fifteen days before Clausen. On the other hand it must be admitted that Eiel sen was not friendly towards any attempts to effect solid church organizations,^and seems to have ridiculed ordained clergymen both before and after his o-wn ordination. He certainly had not the educational qualifications which a Lutheran pastor is supposed to possess, and virtually remained during his -whole life an itinerant lay-preacher. In 1844 Rev. J. W. C. Dietrichson arrived at Muskego from Norway ; he was a disciple of Bishop Grundtvig and suc ceeded, at least for a while, in convincing Clausen to his views. But Dietrichson's Grundtvigianism terrified Eielsen and the friends of Hauge. In 1851 A. C. Preus, H. C. Stub, and C. L. Clausen met at Rock Prairie, Wis., — Dietrichson being in Europe at the time — and organized the Norwegian Synod. Clausen was elected president of the synod. The constitution of this organization, which it was claimed con tained too much leaven of Grundvigianism, was revoked the following year ; Clausen objected to the change and de sired the leaven to remain. But in later years Clausen changed his views on this subject. When Emigranten, which was one of the first Norwegian newspapers in this country, was started in 1851, Clausen became its editor, remaining in that position, however, only a short time, as his ill-health compelled him to go farther West. For several years after his arrival to this country, his lungs had been in BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 389 a bad condition. To restore his health he, in 1852, with drew from the regular ministry, went to Iowa, and located at St. Ansgar, Mitchell county, -where soon a prosperous Norwegian settlement sprang up. For a number of years Clausen -was engaged in farming and business ventures of various kinds, as well as in politics. Having regained his health and again entered the ministry, he, in June, 1861, attended the annual meeting of the Norwegian Synod, held at Rock Prairie, Wis., and upon application was admitted to membership. At this meeting, a declaration from the ministers in regard to slavery having been called for, the following resolution, agreed to by all the ministers, Clausen included, was offered : ' ' Although, according to the Word of God, it is not a sin per se to hold slaves ; yet slavery is per se an evil and a punishment from God, and we condemn all the abuses and sins connected with it, and, when our ministerial duties demand it, and when Christian love and wisdom require it, we will work for its abolition." This resolution on "slavery per se" (in itself) was afterwards supplemented by two other statements, both well known, to-wit: "No Christian can be a pro-slavery man," and " 'American slavery', or slavery as constituted by American laws and customs, was per se sinful and abominable." Clausen, however, soon publicly withdrew his consent from the resolution of 1861, and declared that slavery is a sur per se, that is in every case and under all circumstances ; but, being the only one that did so, and dissenting on other important questions, he decided to leave the synod in 1868, asserting that the majority of its ministers were too narrow- minded. No other of the many Norwegian- American church 390 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. disputes has been so thoroughly debated and generally mis understood as has the slavery question. The Norwegian Synod has never to this day receded from the position it took in 1861 ; but the majority of the Norwegian lay-people, practically all of whom were strong sympathizers with the Northern cause, have always failed to comprehend the real attitude of the synod on this topic. Consequently Clausen had the popular side of the argument, as he denounced, principally, the evils of the American slavery, while the leaders of the synod maintained and tried to prove from the New Testament that the condition of servitude is not sinful per se. In regard to the attitude of Clausen and the Nor wegian Synod on the slavery question a great deal can be learnt by reading Clausen's book, Gjenmale, and Historisk Fremstilling by the synod church council. The former work, especially, is a master production. At the outbreak of the Civil War Clausen enlisted in the Fifteenth Wisconsin Regiment — better known as the Scandinavian Regiment — under the brave Col. H. C. Heg; was appointed chaplain, but his poor health compelled him to resign in 1862. In 1870 he became one of the organizers of the Norwegian- Danish Evangelical Lutheran Conference, and was its presi dent for the first two years, then he resigned. In 1856-57 he represented his district in the legislature of Iowa ; took a trip to Norway in 1867, being at the same time appointed by the governor of Iowa as commissioner of the state to the exposition in Paris, France. After having resided in Iowa for nineteen years, he moved to Virginia, then to Philadelphia, where he preached for one year ; accepted a call to Austin, Minn., 1878 ; spent the last few years of his BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAYIAAS IN MINNESOTA. 391 eventful life with his son at Paulsbo, Wash., where he died. He is buried at Austin. Jensson, in American Lutheran Biographies, says of Clausen: "Since his arrival at Muskego, in 1843, Rev. Clausen's name is woven into the principal events of the history of the Nor-wegian Lutherans of this country, down to recent years. Zealously and faith fully he administered to the spiritual wants of the pioneers, travelling continually between the small and scattering settlements throughout the Northwest." He was married to Martha F. Rasmussen, of Langeland, Denmark, in 1842, by -whom he had one son. She died in 1846 ; since he married Mrs. Birgitte I. Pedersen. One of his sons is practicing law at Austin, and is one of the leading lay -members of the United Norwegian Church. Clausen, Peter, artist — Minneapolis — born 1830, in Denmark. 'At an early age he evinced marked artistic ability, and at the age of thirteen years -was apprenticed to a fresco painter and decorator, at the same time studying drawing at Ringsted. After serving his time he went to Copenhagen, studying two years at the Royal Art Academy, receiving a diploma for excellence in ornamenta tion, model figure drawing, and oil painting. While decor ating the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, he attended the Royal Academy of Arts in that city, receiving a diploma from the Antique school. He afterwards devoted several years to scene painting, finally coming to the United States in 1866. Shortly after his arrival here his services were secured to decorate the First Universalist Church in Minne apolis, Minn., and many churches, public buildings, and private edifices in that city bear evidences of his skill. 392 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Every summer Clausen devotes a portion of his time to studying natural scenery. Among his studies from nature the most remarkable is the picture of St. Anthony falls, including both sides of the island, painted in 1869. His large paintings of the Yellowstone Park and the Great Northwest have placed him high in the rank of scenic artists in this country. He is an active member of Dania Society, and of some secret organizations.' Colberg, A. P. J., journalist— St. Paul — born 19 Aug., 1854, in Bitterna, Vestergotland, Sweden. At the age of sixteen he came -with a brother and a sister to this country; they settled in Carver county, Minn., -where he for awhile -worked as a common laborer, and later, after having entered college, taught and preached during vacations. Colberg attended Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn., for two years, and studied at Augustana College, Rock Island, 111., for four years. In 1886 he became associate editor and business manager of what is now called Minnesota Stats Tidning, the oldest Swedish newspaper in Minnesota, having been established in 1877; it has always been the organ of the Swedish Lutheran Conference of Minnesota, but is owned by private individuals ; since Colberg became manager its circulation has been doubled and is now about 15,000. Colberg is a prominent member of the Swedish Lutheran church, and has held several important offices in the same. In 1886 he was married to Anna E. Nelson, of Nicollet county, a daughter of Andrew Nelson, who is one of the wealthiest Swedish farmers in the country; they have several children. Darelius, August B., lawyer and legislator— Minneapolis DR. J. G. SKARO, MINNEAPOLIS. EEV. M. F. GJERTSEN, MINNEAPOLIS. REV. J. C. JENSSON, AUSTIN. REV. J. J. KILDSIG, ALUEUT LEA. PROF. T. S. REIMESTAD, MINNEAPOLIS. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 393 —born 3 July, 1859, in Skolvened, Vestergotland, Sweden. He came to the United States in 1873, "to acquire freedom of action, liberty of thought, and independence in life." At first he -worked on farms, then clerked in stores, kept books, -was interested in a grocery business for t-wo years, graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan in 1889, and was elected to the state legislature of Minnesota in 1890. In the house of representatives he was the author of the bill which repealed the obnoxious struck jury law, and secured the passage of the same. Darelius has resided in Minneapolis since 1876. He is a Democrat, and was nominated by his party for judge of probate in 1898, but was defeated with the rest of the ticket. He is one of the trustees and secretary of the Swedish hospital, and has a very large practice. In 1894 he was married to Tillie Anderson of Minneapolis. Eggen, J. Mueller, clergyman and author — Lyle — born 20 Apr., 1841, near Trondhjem, Norway. He clerked in Trondhjem for his uncle for some time, at the same time taking private instruction -with the view of entering the University of Norway, where he, after having spent a couple of years in Tromso, attended lectures for two years. Afterwards he taught languages in Bergen for a short time, prepared himself for the stage, and appeared in a number of theatrical performances. He studied at a seminary for one year ; established a high school in Tryssil, of which he was principal for several years. In 1865 he accepted a call to take charge of a Norwegian high school in this coun try, but after his arrival he changed his mind and entered the theological department of Augustana College, Paxton, 394 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. 111., graduating the following year. Eggen preached at Racine and vicinity, Wis., for about five years; had charge of a congregation at Luther Valley, Wis., from 1871-82; and has ever since been pastor in Mower county, Minn. He belonged to the Scandinavian Augustana Synod, of which he -was secretary for some time, until the Conference was organized in 1870, when he joined that body, -which became part of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church in 1890. For nine years he was secretary of the Conference, served as vice-president for two years, and was elected president in 1886, but on account of ill health declined to accept the position. He was one of the organizers of the United Church, and became its missionary secretary, a position he had also occupied in the Conference. Eggen has -written considerably for the Norwegian-American press, as well as several books. He uses a flowery language, but there is not much depth to his literary productions. In 1858 he was married to Henrietta Rossow ; they have several children. Engstrom, Augustus Ericson, educator— Cannon Falls — born 22 March, 1851, in Vestergotland, Sweden. His ancestors on his father's side came from Germany to Sweden at the time of Gustavus Adolphus. At the age of eighteen young Engstrom emigrated to this country; worked his own way through Carleton College, Northfield, Minn., from which institution he graduated in 1878, and of which he has been one of the trustees since 1890. Ever since his graduation he has been principal of the high school at Cannon Falls; was elected superintendent of schools of Goodhue county in 1882, and has been re-elected ever since without opposition; was elected president of the BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 395 state association of county superintendents in 1889; was elected president of the Minnesota state teachers' reading circle in 1892, at the same time being appointed chairman of the state committee on common school exhibits at the World's Columbian Exposition. He ranks as one of the ablest school superintendent in the state. In 1880 Eng- strom was married to Mary A. Conley, of Burlington, Iowa; they have several children. Falstrom, Jacob, pioneer— Afton— born 25 July, 1793 or 1795, in Stockholm, Sweden; died 1859. His father is said to have been a wealthy merchant, but the young man left home at the age of twelve or fourteen years and sailed with his uncle. Of the six or seven different authorities which have been consulted in regard to Falstrom, there are not two that agree. Some maintain that he lost his way in London, England, and, being unable to find his uncle's ship, took passage for North America; others again assert that his uncle -was cruel to him, and that he, on that account, ran away, intending to return to Sweden, but instead was landed in Canada, where he soon became acquainted -with the Indians, whose habits and modes of life he adopted. He seems to have arrived in Minnesota, at least, before 1819, being employed by the American fur company to trade with the Indians around Lake Superior. He spoke French and several Indian languages, married an Indian -woman, by -whom he had several ehildren, some of whom now live in Washington county, Minn., and in nearly every respect lived and acted as the aborigines. In later years he became very religious, and for a long time acted as a kind of Methodist missionary among the Indians. He 396 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. took a claim in Washington county in 1837. Falstrom was unquestionably the first Scandinavian in Minnesota, but unlike his contemporary Northman, Borup, he exer cised no influence upon the affairs of the state. The former simply degenerated into savagery, while the latter rose above his surroundings. Felland, Ole G., educator— Northfield— born 10 Oct., 1853, in Koshkonong, Dane county, Wis. His parents came from Telemarken, Norway, in 1846, and settled on the farm where he was born. Young Felland graduated from Luther College in 1874, being one of the first who received the degree of B. A. of this institution. Afterwards he studied, for two years, the classical and German languages at the Northwestern University, Watertown, Wis., and received the degree of A. M. of this institution in 1892; and becom ing interested in theology he commenced to study this branch of knowledge at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., completing his course there in 1879. Then he had charge of the Norwegian Lutheran churches at Kasson and Rochester, Minn., for a couple of years, and became a teacher in St. Olaf College in 1881. Felland has taught English, Norwe gian, German, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, history, and botany. At the time of the controversy on predestination, in 1880, he sided with the Anti-Missourians and joined the United Church in 1890. In 1888 Felland visited England, France, Germany, Denmark, and Norway. He was married in 1883 to Thea Johanna Midboe, of Vernon, Minn. ; they have several children. Fjelde, Jacob, sculptor— Minneapolis— born 10 April, 1859, in Aalesund, Norway; died 1896. One of his ancestors BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 397 married, in 1750, a daughter of a French Huguenot family; his father was a wood carver, and Fjelde worked at this trade until he was eighteen years of age. He studied sculp ture with Bergslien, in Kristiania, for about a year and a half; studied nearly three years at the Royal Academy, Copenhagen, Denmark, and spent two years in Rome, study ing the classical masterpieces. Before emigrating to this country in 1887, he produced The Boy and the Cats, Spring, and other figures, besides a bust of Henrik Ibsen, etc. — all of -which received favorable comments of the Scandinavian and the Roman press, and of art critics. Most of his early productions are preserved in the museums of Bergen and Kristiania. Fjelde, during his residence in Minneapolis, made busts, both in marble and in bronze, of some of the best known Scandinavians and Americans in the country, and such works as his statues, The Reading Woman, in the Minneapolis Public Library, and the Gettysburg Monument — both in bronze — have gained a national reputation. Fjelde's works have received high commendation of the critics and of the public, and the Ole Bull statue, in the main park of Minneapolis, is un doubtedly his greatest work. In 1888 he was married to Margarita Madsen, of Copenhagen, Denmark. Flieshurg, Oscar Alf., physician and poet — Minne apolis — born 5 April, 1851, in Smaland, Sweden. His grand father was a German -who settled in Sweden in the eighteenth century; his father was an officer in the Swedish navy. Fliesburg studied a few years at a college in Kalmar; gradu ated as a pharmacist in 1869; followed his profession for a few years in Stockholm, Gothenburg, and other places in 398 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S Sweden; visited most of the European countries, as well as parts of Africa and South America; arrived in the United States in 1874; has clerked in drug stores in New York, Baltimore, Chicago, St. Louis, and in different places in Minnesota, besides having traveled through nearly every state in the Union. Fliesburg studied medicine at spare times for several years, passed his medical examination be fore the Minnesota state medical board in 1883, and gradu ated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Chicago, in 1885; practiced his profession in Hudson, Wis., for three years, then resided in St. Paul for several years, and settled in Minneapolis in 1894. Here he took an active part in the establishment of the Swedish hospital in 1898, and has built up a large practice. Fliesburg devotes part of his time to literary pursuits, having published several poems in Svenska Folkets Tidning, Valkyrian, and Svea, etc., besides writing on medical questions for American journals. In 1893 he, in connection -with Lewis P. Johnson, published in the English language Cristoforo Colon, a lengthy epic poem dealing -with the discovery of America by Columbus; and in 1899 he issued Vildrosor och Tistlar, a large volume of over 300 pages, which is a collection of the author's poems, much of which had previously appeared in some Swedish newspapers. If the critics are to be relied upon, Fliesburg is a poetical genius, whose fault in poesy is said, by some of his critics, to consist in ignoring strict poetical rules and not adhering strictly to the severe grammatical construction of the Swedish language, permitting himself more freedom than is usually allowed. Consequently, his productions have been highly praised and severely criticised. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 399 It is generally admitted, however, that his conceptions are sublime, perhaps too much so to be properly understood. In 1879 he -was married to Mina Birgitta Opsahl, of Chicago; she died in 1880, and in 1889 he -was married to Brita Sundkvist, of St. Paul. Fosmark, 0. N., clergyman— Fergus Falls— born 17 Nov., 1853, in Columbia county, Wis. His parents came from Norway to the United States in 1845. He graduated from Luther College in 1875, and completed his theological studies at Concordia Seminary three years later; and has ever since been pastor of a church belonging to the Nor wegian Synod in Furgus Falls, and is also president of Park Region Luther College. In 1879 Fosmark was mar ried to Sarah Norman, of Otter Tail county, Minn. They have several children. Fosnes, C. A., lawyer and legislator — Montevideo — born 2 July, 1862, in Gloppen, Bergen stift, Norway. At the age of four he came with his parents to this country; they settled in Winona county, Minn., but moved to Fari bault county two years later. Fosnes received a common school education, attended the state normal school at Winona for two years, and studied law in a private office in Winona. Since 1884 he has practiced his profession in Montevideo, and -was the Prohibition candidate for Con gress in 1888. He has been a member of the school board in his district, and city attorney and mayor. In 1897 and 1899 he served in the state legislature, having been elected on the Fusion ticket, although he is independent in politics. Fosnes made an excellent record as a legislator, and was especially successful in defeating several pernicious 400 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVAINS IN THE U. S. bills. If his party had been in the majority instead of in the minority some of the highly deserving measures which he tried to pass would undoubtedly have been enacted. He is a Freemason and a member of the I. O. 0. F., and was married to Sarah Arneson, of Montevideo, in 1883. They have children. Foss, H. A., journalist and author — Minneapolis — born 25 Nov., 1851, in Modum, Norway. He enjoyed a common school and commercial education; came to America in 1877; worked on farms in Minnesota and wrote some for Nor wegian newspapers; settled at Portland, N. D., -where he was postmaster in 1885-87; published and edited Norman- t den at Grand Forks, N. D., in 1887-92; removed to Min neapolis in 1893; and has since spent his time in editing a weekly, Nye Normanden, owned partly by himself. Foss was a Prohibitionist in the eighties and took active part in the anti-saloon campaign in North Dakota; but for the past ten years he has been a radical Populist, his campaign editorials being choice samples of the so-called "calamity howling' ' of the reform press of the early nineties. In 1892 he was candidate for congress on the People's party ticket in North Dakota. Foss has -written several books, some of which are very popular, and five of them have been re-pub lished in Norway. He was married to Inga O. Fjeld in 1886; they have several children. Foss, Louis 0., legislator— Wendell— born 1854, in Portage, Wis. His parents were Norwegians, and he re ceived a common school education at Portage; removed to Minnesota in 1879; has been engaged in farming since that date in Grant county; was justice of the peace for DR. O. A. FLIESBURG, MINNEAPOLIS. DR. OLOF SOHLBBRG, ST. PAUL. COL. HANS MATTSON, MINNEAPOLIS. A. SODEESTEOM, MINNEAPOLIS. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 401 twelve years, to-wn. clerk for ten years, and judge of probate for eight years; has been a member of the lower branch of the legislature since 1894, being elected on the Republican ticket. In the legislature of 1899 he was looked upon as one of the most combative members of his house. He is the head of a family. Fremling, John, clergyman— Vasa— born 21 June, 1842, in Frammestad, Vestergotland, Sweden. After having received a high school education in Skara, Fremling for two years attended the Lyceum in Upsala, and had decided to become a minister of the Gospel in his native country ; but in 1870 Prof. Hasselquist, who had just returned to Sweden for the purpose of securing young men to enter the Swedish- American ministry, induced him to emigrate to the United States. Before he was ordained, however, he studied one year at Augustana College, Paxton, 111. From 1871-82 Fremling had charge of the Swedish Lutheran church in Sabylund, Wis.; -was pastor in Welch, Minn., for five years, and at Fish Lake for two ; and came to Vasa in 1889. He was president of the Minnesota Conference in 1883-87 and has held the same position since 1897. When Fremling was thirty years of age he was married to Emelia A. Edholm, a sister of A. E. Edholm, of Stillwater. They have one child. Frich, Johannes Bjereh, educator and clergyman — Hamline — born 15 July, 1835, in Nannestad, Romerike, Nor way. He is the son of G. J. Frich, pastor in the state church of Norway. After having finished his Latin school course at Kristiania, he entered the University of Norway and was graduated as theol. cand. in 1861. The following year Frich 402 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. was ordained minister, and in the summer of the same year emigrated to America to take charge of twelve congrega tions belonging to the Norwegian Synod, and located in La Crosse, Trempealeau, and Jackson counties in Wisconsin; served as minister for twenty-six years; -was for a number of years secretary of the synod ; became president of the East ern District in 1876, -which position he held till 1888. He was then called as professor of theology at Luther Seminary, of -which institution he is now president. In 1894-9 he was vice-president of the Norwegian Synod. Frich -was married to Caroline Nilsen in 1862. They have several children. Gausta, Herbjorn N., artist— Minneapolis— bom 1854, in Telemarken, Norway. He came -with his parents to the U. S. in 1867 ; attended Luther College for three years; then went to Europe, and for seven years studied painting in Kristiania, Norway, and Munich, Germany ; returned to America in 1882; lived in Chicago, Madison, La Crosse, and Decorah, until 1887, when he went to Italy, Germany, and his native country. Gausta has resided in Minneapolis since 1889 and has made portrait paintings of some of the best known people in the United States. Prof. Breda said of him: ''He does not know how to advertise or put himself for ward; but he is one of the best Scandinavian artists in this country; his landscapes are beautiful, original, and natural." The Literary Northwest for January, 1893, in speaking about Minneapolis artists, refers to Gausta as follo-ws: "He is an admirable figure painter and also strong in land scape." Gjertsen, Henry J., lawyer— Minneapolis— born 8 Oct., 1861, near Tromso, Norway. Gjertsen came to this country BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 403 when six years of age, living -with his parents on their farm at Lake Amelia, Minn., and attending the common school during the winter months until he was fifteen. When seven teen he requested his parents to permit him to go to college, and his father finally consented to let him go to the Red Wing Seminary, -where he completed the six years' course in the collegiate department. In the last year of his college course he determined to enter the legal profession, and already began the study of law privately before leaving the seminary. He continued the study of law and was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-three. While studying law Gjertsen was employed in a number of small cases, one of which as a test case -was appealed by his opponent to the supreme court, Gjertsen thus receiving the distinction of being acknowledged attorney of record in the supreme court before he was admitted to the bar. Since his admission to practice Gjertsen has conducted a general law business in Minneapolis, where he has built up a wide-spread and lucrative practice, having also successively conducted a number of important cases before the higher courts. He has, within the last few years, with ability conducted cases against railroad companies and other corporations before the United States courts. He has also been admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court at Wash ington. He has several times been a delegate to state conventions, served as a member of different Republican county committees, and was appointed a member of the charter commission of Minneapolis in 1897. For many years he has edited the legal departments of Skandinaven, Minneapolis Daglig Tidende, and Svenska Ameri- 404 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. kanaka Posten. In 1897 he published a hand book of American law in Norwegian and Swedish, which received much praise by the press and the critics. In 1899 Gov. Lind appointed him inspector general of the state militia, with the rank of brigadier general. At the age of twenty- one Gjertsen was married to Gretchen Goebel, a German lady. They have one child. Gjertsen, Melchior Falk, clergyman— Minneapolis — born 19 Feb., 1847, in Amle, Bergen stift, Norway. Gjertsen had passed several classes in the Latin school at Bergen ¦when he emigrated -with his parents to America in 1864. Shortly after their arrival the family came west, and young Gjertsen found employment in Milwaukee. It was his desire to enter the commercial life, but a severe illness made him change his plans, and, according to his father's -wishes, he began to study for the ministry. He entered the Augustana College and Seminary at Paxton, 111., from which institu tion he graduated in 1868. The same year Gjertsen was ordained minister of the Gospel and took charge of the con gregation at Leland, 111., where he remained for four years. He then moved to Stoughton, Wis., where he was pastor for nine years. He has since resided in Minneapolis, where he is minister of a church now belonging to the Nor-wegian Free Church. In 1870 Gjertsen was a delegate to the meeting which organized the Norwegian-Danish Conference, to which organization he belonged till the establishment of the United Church, and in 1873 he was sent as a delegate to the general meeting of the Norwegian missionary society held in Drammen, Norway. He published a volume of songs called Hjemlandssange. Gjertsen is a very active worker BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 405 in the field of education, of temperance, of charity, etc. He was one of the organizers of the Associated Charities of Minneapolis, as well as of the first stable temperance soeiety among the Norwegians in Minneapolis, the Norwe gian Y. M. C. A., and deaconess' home. In 1889 he -was elected member of the Minneapolis board of education, of which body he -was secretary and president. Gjertsen did some excellent -work while serving on the board. In 1869 he -was married to Sarah Mosey; they have several children. Grinager, Mons, soldier— Minneapolis— born 7 Oct., 1832, in Hadeland, Harmar stift, Norway ; died 1889. His father was a well-to-do farmer, who gave his son a fair education. At the age of twenty-one he came to this coun try, directly to St. Paul, but moved to Decorah the folio-w ing year, where he was in the mercantile business for three years. In 1857 he took a claim in Freeborn county, Minn., and at the outbreak of the Civil War enlisted in the Fifteenth Wisconsin Regiment, better known as the Scandi navian Regiment, in which he became captain. At the battle of Stone River, he was severely -wounded and had to retire from the army for a while. After the close of the war he returned to his farm ; held various local offices ; was revenue assessor for some time of the first district of Minne sota, -which included twenty-nine counties ; -was register of the U. S. land office in Worthington from 1874-82; settled in Minneapolis in 1886, where he was vice-president of Scandia Bank; owned also several farms in Freeborn county, and had commercial relations in Dakota. Grinager was the Republican nominee for state treasurer in 1873, defeated; 406 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. was one of the presidential electors in 1888, and served as vice-president for Minnesota of the Republican national league for a few years. His son Alex Grinager is quite a noted artist. Grindeland, Andrew, lawyer and state senator — War ren — born 20 Nov., 1856, in Winnesheik county, Iowa. His parents -were from Voss, Norway. He received an academic education in Decorah, Iowa; taught in the public schools of Iowa and in Dodge county, Minn., for a while; graduated from the law department of the University of Iowa in 1882, and has ever since practiced his profession in Warren. Here he has been a member of the city council, judge of the probate court, chairman of the school board, and has held various other offices; was one of the founders of the Grand Forks College; assisted in organizing the State Bank of Warren, of which he is one of the directors. Grindeland has taken an active part in every political campaign ever since Knute Nelson ran for Congress; he is a Republican and a member of the Norwegian Synod. For four years he was a member of the State Normal school board, and was elected to the state senate in 1898, being one of the most active men of the session in 1899. In 1882 he was married to Ingrid Frode, of Winnesheik county, Iowa; they have sev eral children. Gronberger, Robert, humorist and writer— Forest Lake —born 2 Oct., 1840, in Kalmar, Sweden. He received a col lege education in his native city. In 1869 he emigrated to the U. S.; lived in Wisconsin for three years; then moved to St. Paul, and remained there until 1877, when he settled at Forest Lake. Gronberger is a Democrat and has been asses- BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 407 sor of the town for twenty years. He is not married, and seems to stick to his bachelorship with a certain degree of stubbornness; no wonder he claims to have had "plenty of adversities, but of successes, none, so far." It is not, how ever, as a politician or as an unsuccessful lover that Gron berger has become noted, but as a humorous writer. Every one who knows anything about the Swedish-American hterature, knows also Myself— that is Gronberger. For under this nom de plume he has for many years contributed a large number of correspondences and humorous sketches to Minnesota Stats Tidning, Svenska Amerikanaren, Svenska Folkets Tidning, and other Swedish papers. Be sides, he is the author of three Swedish books, Svenskarne i St. Croisrdalen, Minn., and Minnesotas Historia and Kalle Frbjdelin — the latter is a novel, written in a natural and agreeable vein of humor. Gronberger has devoted much time to the study of Swedish-American history. Svens karne i St. Croijrdalen, Minnesota, is the best and most correct history of the Swedes in that part of the country that has yet been published. In it he describes the first Swe dish settlement in Minnesota with more exactness than any other author. Guttersen, G„ legislator— Lake Crystal— born 13 May, 1859, in Grover, Winona county, Minn. His father came from Telemarken; his mother from Stavanger, Norway. Guttersen received a common school education, and com pleted a course at the Mankato normal school in 1884. He taught school about four years; was engaged in farming until 1895; and after that date was manager of a corpora tion, running a store and creamery at Butternut. Guttersen 408 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. has held a number of minor positions of trust in his locality, including that of postmaster. In 1889 he was elected engrossing clerk of the house of representatives of the state legislature, and in 1892 and 1894 was elected to a seat in the same body. In 1896 he declined the nomination for the same position, but was again elected in 1898, receiving a phenomenally large majority and being the only man in his county who served three terms in the state legislature. Guttersen is a Republican and a member of the United Church. He was married to Alma Pettersen, of Butternut, in 1889; they have children. Halgren, C. G., state legislator — Watertown— born 1840, in Ulricehamn, Vestergotland, Sweden. He received a common school education in his native country; emigrated to the United States at the age of fourteen; settled with his parents at Fulton, 111., where he served a four years' appren ticeship at the printer's trade; and came to Carver county, Minn., in 1858. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted as a private in company B of Ninth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war; was post master from 1877-85 in Watertown, where he also has a drug store; was elected to the lower branch of the state legislature in 1880, 1882, and 1888. Halgren is a Repub lican, is married, and has a son practicing medicine at Watertown. Halvorson, John, clergyman— Minneapolis— born 4 Dec, 1861, in Stavanger, Norway. He came with his parents to the United States at the age of nine; graduated from Luther College at the age of nineteen; studied one year at the Ger man Northwestern University, Watertown, Wis., and gra- I'ROE. II. MACNIS. NORTHFIELD. C. A. FOSNES, MONTEVIDEO. A. GRINDELAND, WAREEN. PEOF. O. LOKENSGAARD. MADISON. It. E. THOMPSON, PRESTON. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 409 duated from this institution in 1881; then studied theology both at Concordia Seminary and Luther Seminary, and was ordained in 1884. He served as assistant pastor at May- ville, N. D., for a couple of years; then had charge of the church at Norway Lake, Minn., for four years, and accepted the call of the Zion Church, Minneapolis, in 1890. Halvor son belongs to the Norwegian Synod, but is an ardent advocate of the use of the English language, and believes in the future of the Lutheran church in this country only when it retains our fathers' faith and uses our children's language. He was English lecturer at Luther Seminary from 1890 to 1894. During his missionary work, both in Dakota and at Norway Lake, he quite frequently preached in English, being also a contributor to several English theological periodicals, as well as Norwegian. In 1889 he was married to Bertha Glesne, of Norway Lake, -who -was the first child of Euro pean parents born in the settlement. They have several children. Halvorson, Kittel, congressman — Belgrade — born 15 Dec, 1846, in Hjertdal, Telemarken, Norway. He came with his parents to the U. S. when he -was an infant of only two years of age; they settled in Wisconsin, where young Halvor son attended the common schools. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in company C, First Wisconsin Heavy .Artillery, and served until the close of the war; then settled on a homestead in Stearns county, Minn., where he has been - engaged in farming, stock raising, and dealing in agricultural • implements. Halvorson was elected to the United States ¦ Congress in 1890 by the Farmers' Alliance and the Prohi bitionists, but was by no means successful as a lawmaker. 410 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. He frankly acknowledged his incapacity by the following utterance just before election: "I do not think I am the proper man to send to Congress; but if you elect me anyway, I assure you that I shall do my best." He is a Lutheran, takes interest in the temperance movement, has a family, and represented his district in the state legislature in 1887. Hanson, Oesten, clergyman — Aspelund — born 8 July, 1836, in Norway; died 4 Aug. 1898. At the age of fifteen he emigrated with his parents to this country; they settled in Wisconsin, but moved to Goodhue county, Minn., in 1856. Here young Hanson was ordained in 1861, and served the same congregation until his death. In 1875—6 he was president of Hauge's Synod, was its vice-president for about twenty years, was president of the board of regents of Red Wing Seminary for several years, and was again elected president of the synod in 1887. His son, M. G. Hanson, -was born 11 July, 1853; graduated from Red Wing Seminary in 1884; had charge of congregations in St. Paul for eight years; was located at Grand Forks, N. D., for six years; became principal of Red Wing Seminary in 1898; and was elected president of Hauge's Synod the same year, and re elected in 1899. He is married and has children. Hilleboe, H. S., educator— Benson— born 28 Oct., 1858, in Roche-a-Cree, Adams county, Wis. His father and grand parents came from Norway to the United States in 1853. Young Hilleboe worked on the farm and attended the dis trict school till the age of sixteen; then taught some in the public schools. In the fall of 1875 he entered Luther Col lege, from which he was graduated in 1881. In 1886 he received the degree of master of arts from that institution. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 411 During his college days and after his graduation he taught in the public schools and occasionally in the parochial schools. In 1884 he began to teach in Willmar Seminary, and during the years 1886—99 he was eminently successful as principal of that institution. At the latter date he was appointed superintendent of the public schools of Benson. Hilleboe is one of the most aggressive Prohibitionists in the state, and was nominated for governor by his party in 1894. He was married in 1887 to Antonilla Thykesen, of Calmar, Iowa. Hobe, E. H., Swedish-Norwegian vice-consul — St. Paul — born 27 Feb., 1860, in Risor, Norway. While yet a boy, Hobe took up his residence with his uncle at Tvedestrand, where he received a good school training, and having com pleted his studies here he was employed in a ship brokerage house in the city of Arendal. Already in his early years Hobe gave evidence of a marked business ability, so that at the age of seventeen he was employed as head clerk in one of the large -wholesale and retail establishments in that city. In 1879 he went to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he studied for some time at the noted Gruner's business college, and upon his return to Norway became bookkeeper for a large wholesale house in Kristiania. Having finished the required military duties, Hobe emigrated to America in 1883, coming directly to St. Paul, Minn., where he began his career as clerk in the business department of the paper Nordvesten. His ability, however, was soon noticed, and after a short time Hobe became associate editor. In this capacity he served for about two years, when he opened up business as dealer and broker in real estate. In 1887 Hobe made a trip 412 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. to Europe, visiting, among other places, Copenhagen, Den mark, where he -was married to Johanna Mueller. Upon his return to America, Sahlgaard, then Swedish-Norwegian vice- consul in St. Paul, and the owner of an extensive business, invited Hobe to become his partner. Hobe accepted, and shortly before Sahlgaard's death bought out the latter's in terest in the business. Under his management it has since grown to be one of the largest land dealing firms in St. Paul. In 1893 Hobe was appointed Sahlgaard's successor as Swedish-Norwegian vice-consul, in which capacity he has done some excellent -work, and ranks today as one of the leading Scandinavian business men in the North-west. Hoegh, Knut, physician and surgeon — Minneapolis — born 15 April, 1844, in Kaafjord, Tromso sift, Norway. After being graduated from the Latin school of Trondhjem, Hoegh entered the University of Norway, and graduated from the medical department in 1869. Shortly after his graduation he emigrated to America, coming to La Crosse, Wis., where he followed his profession till 1889, -when he moved to Minneapolis. While in La Crosse Hoegh built, in 1871, a private hospital to facilitate the treatment of the many patients from far and near who sought his profes sional aid. In 1880 he went to New York City to pursue some special studies in his profession, and in 1887 he went to England and Germany, where he made a special study of surgery. Hoegh has been a member of many medical asso ciations, and of the Minnesota board of health, being appointed to the latter position by Gov. Nelson. He was also a member of the health commission of the state of Wis consin, and a member of the board of inspectors of the BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 413 insane asylum of the same state. Hoegh was married in 1870 to Anna Dorthea Moen; they have children. Holt, Andrew, lawyer — Minneapolis— born 20 May,1855, in East Union, Carver county, Minn. His parents were among the early Swedish settlers; they came to this country in 1853. He received a Swedish education at Gustavus Adolphus College; graduated from the University of Minne sota in 1880, being the first Scandinavian who completed a course at this institution. He studied law in Glencoe, and commenced to practice in Minneapolis in 1882, being shortly after admitted as a member of the firm Ueland & Holt. He is one of the organizers of St. John's English Lutheran Church; is an advocate of temperance, but affiliates with the Republican party. In the summer of 1894 Knute Nelson appointed him judge of the municipal court of Minneapolis, and in the fall of that year he was elected to the same posi tion. In 1885 Holt was married to Hilda C. Turnquist, and they have children. Husher, Ferdinand A., journalist and state legislator — Minneapolis— born 16 June, 1825, in Viborg, Denmark; died 1895. His father was for a number of years collector of customs, and afterwards an actor. While very young Husher removed to Norway, entering the university there, and graduating in 1845. From 1851-64 he held various positions, and for the five years following -was assistant pastor at Nissedal, but emigrated to America in 1869, going to La Crosse, Wis., where he became assistant editor of Faedrelandet og Emigranten. From 1873-75 Husher became editor and part owner of Budstikken, Minne apolis; was register of the U. S. land office at La Crosse 414 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. from 1878-83; became managing editor, and later also pro prietor of the first-named paper, with which he removed to Minneapolis in 1886. In 1888 Husher was elected member of the state legislature of Minnesota, but resigned when, in 1890, he was appointed U. S. consul at St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. From 1879-84 Husher was a member of the Republican state central committee in Wisconsin, and in 1884 was presidential elector at large for the same state. After his return from Canada, in 1894, he went to Grand Forks, N. D., to assume editorial charge of Normanden. Jackson, Andrew, clergyman — Rush Point — born 11 Feb., 1828, in Valla, Bohus Ian, Sweden. He studied in a college for six or seven years, and taught in private families; became a sailor; emigrated to this country in 1852; worked in saw mills on Hudson River for five years; and took a claim in Kandiyohi county, Minn., in 1858. After having studied in Chicago for a couple of years he was ordained in 1861, and took charge of Swedish Lutheran congregations in Kandiyohi county until 1862, when he together with the settlers was driven away from their homes by the Indians. Jackson taught the first public school in Meeker county, and -when a Swedish school, -which later became Gustavus Adolphus College, -was opened at Carver in 1863, be became principal of that institution, a position he retained until the school was moved to St. Peter in 1876. For twenty-five years he had charge of churches in Carver county, moved to St. Paul in 1890, and has since been pastor at Rush Point. Jackson was married in 1863, his wife died in 1875, and in 1877 he was married the second time. His son J. A. Jackson was born 17 July, 1868, in Carver county, Minn.; graduated BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIAAS IN MINNESOTA. 415 fron Gustavus Adolphus College in 1891 and from the law department of the state university in 1893; and since the latter date has been practicing law in St. Paul, having for years been the only Swedish attorney in that city. In 1898 Jackson -was elected to the state legislature, and worked hard and faithfully, especially as chairman of the committee on public buildings, and as a result of his labor the new capitol will, undoubtedly, be completed in 1903 instead of in 1910. He is a member of the Swedish Lutheran church and a Republican. Jacobson, Jacob F., state legislator— Madison— born 13 Jan., 1849, in Hjelmeland, Kristiansand stift, Norway. At the age of seven he came with his parents to this country; they settled in Fayette county, Iowa, where young Jacob- son worked on his father's farm until 1871, when he moved to Lac qui Parle county, Minn., and commenced to deal in agricultural implements, and he claimed in 1892 to do an annual business of $75,000. But he failed a couple of years later, and it is said that he settled up his troubles in a sort of a private way; some of his creditors receiving ten cents on the dollar, and others about fifty cents on the dollar. From 1873-79 he was county auditor, has served in the lower branch of the state legislature since 1889, was a dele gate to the Republican national convention at Minneapolis in 1892, and has held several local offices. He is a member of Hauge's Synod, and takes a very active part in the social, financial, and political affairs of the community and of the state, being an ardent temperance advocate and a Republi can, who often addresses public meetings in the interest of his party. But his oratorical qualifications consist mostly 416 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. in his strong lungs. Both in his conversation and in his speeches he yells to the top of his voice. He seldom knows when silence would be wisdom. These peculiarities of Jacobson have had a great deal to do with his success in public life, for it has been asserted that many people in Lac qui Parle county vote for him simply because he is such a good advertisement for the county, being always, of course, referred to in the legislature as "the gentleman from Lac qui Parle." Such mention of a new community has a tend ency to raise the value of real estate. Yet he must be a man of ability, since he has been the recognized leader in the leg islature for some years. Many of the measures he has advocated have been wise, and his tactics are shrewd. The St. Paul Dispatch cartooned him in 1899 as "the red dragon of Lac qui Parle;" and it cannot be denied that on account of his rudeness and brutal treatment of other people's opinions and honesty, he is "feared rather than trusted." Jacobson was married in 1873, and his wife died in 1879; married again in 1883, and became a widower four years later; married the third time in 1889. He has had children by all his -wives. Jaeger, Luth, journalist— Minneapolis— born 4 Aug., 1851, near Arendal, Norway. He received a classical educa tion; was admitted to the University of Norway in 1870, but after having studied for one year at that institution, he emigrated to this country at the age of twenty; clerked in Madison and La Crosse, Wis., from 1871-76; was connected with a Norwegian weekly paper, Norden, in Chicago, one year; became editor of Budstikken, Minneapolis, Minn, in 1879, a position which he held for about eight years- and E. H. HOBE, ST. PAUL. SOREN LISTOE, ST. PAUL. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 417 the next four years he was deputy collector of internal revenue. Jaeger was in the real estate business in Minne apolis for a short time and lived in New Mexico during part of one year. In 1886 the Democratic party nominated him for secretary of state, but with the rest of the ticket he was defeated. In 1890 he was elected a member of the board of education, in which work he took great interest and rend ered valuable services. He -was one of the founders of The North in 1889, remaining in editorial charge of the paper until its discontinuance in 1894. The North was a weekly journal published in the English language and devoted to the interests of the Scandinavians as citizens of the United States. As such it became the repository for much valuable information, while ably and forcibly preaching the need of a more rigid and intense Americanization of the foreign-born than the latter themselves usually think desirable. Jaeger is a clear and forcible writer, uninfluenced by any political, rehgious, or national prejudices. He unquestionably ranks among the very best Scandinavian- American writers. His opinions on the leading questions of the day, as published in The North, were extensively quoted by the Scandinavian- American press. By the native Americans and foreign- Americans, not Scandinavians, The North was considered the representative organ of Scandinavian-American opin ions. To the leading journalists in Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Kristiania, Jaeger's name is very familiar. He was for several years an officer in the Security Savings and Loan Association, his connection -with this now defunct corpora tion being severed under circumstances alike creditable to him as an official and man. In 1897 Jaeger was appointed 28 418 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. receiver of the Scandia Bank of Minneapolis and is also engaged in the real estate, loaning, and insurance business. In 1883 he was married to Nanny Mattson, only daughter of the well-known Col. Hans Mattson, a lady who takes great interest in educational affairs and charitable institu tions. They have three boys. Janson, Kristofer N., clergyman and author— Minne apolis— born 5 May, 1841, in Bergen, Norway. His father was a business man and American consul at Bergen; his mother was a daughter of Bishop Neumann, who was bishop of Bergen stift. After having completed the course at the Latin school of his native city , Janson entered the University of Norway, and graduated from this institution, with the highest honor, as a theological candidate. During his university career, as well as after-wards, he -was the leader of a movement, having in view the re-placing of the Danish-Norwegian language and literature which was forced upon the Norwegian people at their connection with Denmark in the fourteenth century. He devoted himself to private teaching, and was one of the promoters in founding people's high schools in Gudbrandsdalen and other places, for the purpose of raising the intellectual level of the peas ants. He wrote extensively, both poetry and novels, and it is generally considered that he produced his best literary works during his younger days. In 1882 he accepted a call to become minister of a liberal society in Minneapohs, and organized Unitarian churches among his countrymen in Minneapolis, in Brown and Otter Tail counties, Minne sota, and at Hudson, Wis. Janson took active part in all movements in the nature of social reforms and intellectual BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 419 improvements. After his emigration to this country he returned to Europe and visited Italy, France, Germany, Holland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and the Scandinavian countries. It is generally acknowledged that Han og Ho and Den Bergtekne axe the best of his numerous literary productions. The latter has been translated into English under the title The Spellbound Fiddler. His experiences as a minister in the Northwest have been described in Piaeriens Saga. In 1868 Janson -was married to Drude Krog, a daughter of a Lutheran minister; they had seven children, and two of their sons are practicing physicians. Mrs. Janson not only assisted her husband in his literary endeavors, but also produced original literary -works of her own, for example: En Saloon-Keepers Datter, etc. With all his brilliancy, however, Janson did not seem to be well- balanced. He became a Spiritualist, returned to Noway in 1894, was divorced, and married a medium. Jensson, Jens Christian, clergyman and author — Aus tin—born 25 March, 1859, in Sandnes, Kristiansand stift, Norway. He came to America in 1862 with his parents, who first settled in Neenah, Wis. Later they moved to Fill more county, Minn. Having availed himself of the educa tional facilities offered by the common and high schools of that neighborhood, he attended for two years the theo logical school conducted by the Norwegian Augustana Synod near Decorah, Iowa. In 1876 he entered the acad emy, then located at Marshall Wis., where he remained until 1880. His theological course he completed at the Philadelphia Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1882. Since his ordination to the ministry in 1880, he has also 420 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. done some work in connection with the post-graduate course of the Chicago Lutheran Seminary. Jensson has served Norwegian Lutheran churches in the following places: At Wiota, Iowa, a few months; at Leland, 111., from 1882 to 1885; in Milwaukee, Wis., from 1885 to 1890; and at Clinton, Wis., from 1885 to 1899, settling at his present place in the latter year. From 1886 to 1890 he served as secretary of the Norwegian Augustana Synod; and since 1894 as secretary of the United Church. In 1890 Jensson published American Lutheran Biographies. This is a bulky volume of 900 pages, and is, perhaps, the largest original literary -work published in English by a Scandinavian-American. As a work of reference it is very valuable, throwing much light upon the church history of the different Lutheran denominations in this country, including, of course, the Scandinavian organizations. In 1896 he collected and edited Samfunds Haandbog. This work enumerates and describes all the different missionary, charitable, and educational institutions, etc., which were controlled or owned by members of the United Church, or which were in any -way directly or indirectly connected with that organization. He was married in 1879 to Rosa Andrina Thompson, of Marshall, Wis. They have children. Jensvold, John, lawyer— Duluth— bom 25 March, 1857, in Albany, Wis. His parents were among the first Nor wegians in this country, coming here as children. Brought up on a farm he received his education in the public schools- at the State Normal school, Winona; in Luther College, Decorah; and in the law department of the State University of Iowa, from which he graduated in 1880. He practiced BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 421 his profession in Iowa until 1888, and since at Duluth, where he ranks as one of the leading lawyers, and occupies a prominent position in political and social circles. He was married in 1888 to Lena Darrah, of Dubuque, Iowa. Johnsen, Thomas, clergyman— Norseland— bom 27 April, 1837, in Valders, Norway. He is the youngest of nine children, and lost his parents at an early age. At the age of fourteen he came with three of his brothers to the United States, and for some years was engaged in farming, then entered Concordia College, St. Louis, Mo., and grad uated from the theological department of this institution in 1863. Since he has been located at his present place in Nicollet county, as pastor of Norwegian Synod congrega tions. For several years johnsen had charge of a large missionary field in Minnesota, including Blue Earth, Fari bault, Brown, Watonwan, Jackson, Carver, McLeod, Ren ville, Meeker, Kandiyohi, Stearns, Pope, Douglas, Chippewa, Yellow Medicine counties. Some of his charges were about 300 miles apart, and could be visited only once or twice a year. He has done more, perhaps, than any other man to build up Norwegian Synod congregations in the state, and was one of the most prominent Norwegian Lutheran pioneer clergymen in the Northwest. In 1863 he married Maren E. C. Sahlgaard. She died in 1898, leaving three children. Johnson, C. J., lumber manufacturer — Minneapolis — born 12 Sept., 1849, in Hofmantorp, Smaland, Sweden. He received a common school education; came to America in 1869, stopping for a short time at Vasa, Minn.; proceeded to Stillwater, where he worked in a saw mill; removed to 422 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Minneapolis in 1870, where he worked in saw mills and lum ber yards and clerked in a store; completed a course in the high school and attended the state university; was engaged in the retail lumber business, in company with C. A. Smith, at Evansville and other places, living at that place in 1879- 84; and at the latter date he and Smith started a wholesale and manufacturing lumber business in Minneapolis. John son withdrew from active business in 1899, and the same year he and his family visited Sweden and other European countries. He is a Republican, a member of the Swedish- Lutheran church, an excellent mechanic, and a great reader, having one of the largest libraries of any Scandinavians in the Northwest. Johnson -was married to Mary S. Craft, of Vestergotland, Sweden, in 1882. They have three sons. Johnson, Gustavus, musician — Minneapolis — born 2 Nov., 1856, in Hull, England. His father was a Swede, his mother an English lady. Johnson -was only a child when the family moved to Stockholm, Sweden; here he studied music under the direction of A. Lindstrom, G. Mankell, Con rad Nordquist, and Prof. Winje. He left the "Venice of the North" in 1875, and, after a brief stay in the East, came West, appearing in concerts in all the leading cities in Illi nois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota. Since 1880 Johnson has resided in Minneapolis, is recognized as one of the lead ing pianists in the Northwest, and in the many concerts in which he performs he always receives the most flattering comments. As a teacher Johnson ranks among the fore most, his instruction being sought by students from all over the Northwest. In 1898 he founded a piano school, and next year he established the Johnson School of Music, BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 423 Oratory and Dramatic Art, an institution which has a high reputation. He is also highly spoken of as a composer. In 1882 he -was married to Caroline F. Winslow, an American lady, of Royalton, Vt. They have one child. Johnson, Marcus, state senator — Atwater — born 14 July, 1849, in the northern part of Helsingland, Sweden. When an infant of only two years of age he came with his parents to the United States; they settled at Waupaca, Wis., but moved to Kandiyohi county, Minn., five years later, where Johnson has resided ever since. In 1880 he was a delegate to the Republican national convention which met in Chicago and nominated Garfield for president, represented his district in the state legislature in 1883, and served in the state sen ate during the sessions of 1887-89. In 1890 President Har rison appointed him collector of internal revenues for Min nesota. He is interested in elevators, flouring mills, and other large enterprises in different parts of the state. John son is not married. Johnson, Tosten, pioneer and state senator — Black Hammer— born 21 July, 1834, in Valders, Norway. At the age of twelve he learned the blacksmith's trade; came to this country in 1851; resided for one year in Dane county, Wis.; then settled in Houston county, Minn., where he has ever since been engaged in farming. The first Norwegian settle ments in the state seem to have been started in Houston and Fillmore counties in 1852 and 1853, and Johnson and his brother are the first Norwegian settlers in Minnesota that have yet been recorded. He was drafted into the army in 1864, and says that "being discharged at the close of the war without any wounds" is the chief success he has had in 424 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. life; represented his district in the state legislature during the sessions of 1869, 1871, and 1873; was elected state senator in 1886 and re-elected two years later; and has held various local offices, having been county commissioner for four years and railway postal clerk 1880-85. Johnson is one of the leading and most influential Scandinavians in Houston county. He is a Republican and was married in 1861. Johnston, L. A., clergyman— St. Paul— born 12 Aug., 1855, in Sugar Grove, Pa. His parents were natives of Hesleby, Smaland, Sweden, and came to this country in 1846, being among the earliest Swedish arrivals in the nine teenth century. They first settled at Buffalo, but removed to Sugar Grove two years later. Young Johnston received a common school education; studied music about four years under a private instructor; attended the high school at Sugar Grove for three years; and continued his studies at Augustana College, graduating from the college department in 1879, and from the theological department in 1881, From 1881 to 1886 he was pastor of a Swedish Augustana congregation in Des Moines, Iowa. While located there he -was office editor of Beth an ia, a religious bi-monthly, and vice-president of the Iowa Conference for one year. His work at Des Moines was successful, and his congregation erected a $20,000 church building during his stay there. Johnston next removed to Rockford, 111., where he served the First Lutheran Church, the largest congregation of Augus tana Synod, until 1894, and since that year he has been pastor of the First Swedish Lutheran Church of St. Paul. He was vice-president of the Illinois Conference for three years, and n 1894 was elected president of the same body; -was a mem- REV. C. J. PETRI, JIINNEAPOLIS. PROF. M. O. BOCKMAN. MINNEAPOLIS. REV. C. L. CLAUSEN, AUSTIN. REV. L. A. JOHNSTON. ST. PAUL. REV. E. NORELIUS, VASA. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 425 ber of the board of directors of the Augustana Hospital in Chicago for three terms; has been a member of the board of directors of the Augustana Book Concern ever since the synod took charge of it; has been a member of the board of directors of Augustana College since 1893, and chairman of the same for two years; -was a member of the board of direc tors of Gustavus Adolphus College for three years, and chairman of the same for 3 years; and has been a member of the board of directors of the Bethesda Hospital for three .years, and chairman for the same length of time. Johnston has often lectured on social, economic, and historical topics, within as well as outside the Augustana Synod; and he pre pares his sermons with great care. He was married to Anna S. Lindgren, of Rock Island, 111., in 1881; they have several children. Kildahl, J. N., clergyman and educator — Northfield — born 4 Jan., 1857, near Trondhjem, Norway. His father being a school teacher, young Kildahl received a careful Christian training; came with his parents to Goodhue county, Minn., in 1866; was a regular attendant at common and parochial schools; attended Luther College, graduating in 1879; and closed his studies at Luther Seminary, Madison, Wis., in 1882, by passing his theological examinations. He was at once ordained, and served congregations in Goodhue county from 1882 to 1889, excepting one year (1885-86), ¦when he occupied a chair of theology in the Red Wing Semi nary. In 1889 he accepted a call from the Bethlehem church in Chicago, which he served during the next ten years. For some years he was secretary of the United Church. In the fall of 1899 he entered upon his duties as president of 426 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. St. Olaf College, Northfield. Rev. J. C. Jensson, in his American Lutheran Biographies, says: "Kildahl's ser mons combine the instructive, the rhetorical, the logical, and the emotional in fair proportions. His genial, generous spirit, his facility at adapting himself to persons of every character and condition, and his disposition to identify himself with them in all their joys, and sorrows, and inter ests, give him an influence over them -which few pastors possess." Kildahl for years has been a leading mind in the United Church, and even in the most heated controversies friend and foe alike would agree that his fair-mindedness is more than ordinary. He was married to Bertha Soine in 1882; they have children. Kildsig, Jens Jensen, clergyman— Albert Lea— born 30 Jan., 1856, in Brejning, near Ringkobing, Denmark. He received a military education at Viborg, having taken the corporal and sergeant examinations; bought his father's farm and worked it for a couple of years; emigrated in 1881, coming directly to Chicago, 111., -where he had a market garden, but lost all his property by a flood in 1885; and entered Chicago Theological Seminary, completing his studies in 1889. He associated himself with the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Association in America, becoming one of the leading men in that organization. After his ordina tion in 1889 he organized a church at Racine, Wis., and was elected visitor to the northern district in 1891, and the same year accepted a call to Minneapolis, Minn. He has served as a member of the board of trustees of Trinity Seminary, Blair, Neb., as well as treasurer of Kirke Bladet. He returned to his old congregation in Racine in 1895; but the BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 427 next year he consented to take charge of the Danish emigrant mission work in New York and Brooklyn, besides serving some congregations in the vicinity, and accepted a call to his present place in 1898. Through the union of the Danish Lutheran churches, Kildsig became a member of the United Danish Lutheran Church in 1896, being the same year appointed district president of the eastern district of the latter organization. Kildsig was married in 1887 to Ane Marie Kristine MOse, a daughter of a well-to-do farmer in Denmark, where he had gone for the purpose of celebrating his marriage. Kittelson, Charles, state treasurer— Montevideo— born 1837, in Sigdal, Kristiania stift, Norway. He came to this country at the age of thirteen; resided for seven years in Wisconsin; then moved to Albert Lea, Minn., where he resided for several years, and -was county treasurer of Free born county for six terms. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in the Tenth Minnesota Infantry, was suc cessively promoted to second lieutenant, first lieutenant, and captain of company E of his regiment. In 1872 he was presidential elector; served as state treasuer in 1880-87; was for a few years connected -with a couple of banks in St. Paul; moved to Minneapolis in 1890, -where he -was presi dent of Columbia National Bank until it failed about seven years later; and has since together with a son been operat ing a flour mill in Montevideo. Kittelson seems to have been out of place as a public servant. His bookkeeping as treasurer of Freeborn county could not be disentangled by experts. Ignorance rather than dishonesty appears to have been his main fault. He is a Republican. 428 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Knatvold, T. V., legislator and banker— Albert Lea- bom 2 Oct., 1853, in Norway. He came to this country in 1862 with his parents, settling in Freeborn county, Minn.; received a common school and high school educa tion; and in 1877 engaged in the hardware business at Albert Lea. Since 1893 he has been engaged in the banking business. Knatvold served as alderman of the city of Albert Lea for several years, and was elected mayor in 1893, and re-elected in 1894. In 1890 he was nominated for state senator by the Republicans, but was defeated by the combined forces of the other parties. In 1896 he was elected to that position by a majority of almost one thous and, and re-elected in 1898. Knatvold is a Republican, and belongs to the Norwegian Synod. He is married. Lagerstrom, R., musician — St. Peter — born 12 June, 1861, in Spring Garden, Minn. His parents came from Sweden to the U. S. in the early fifties. He commenced to study music when only four years old; continued his studies at Northfield, and completed his musical education at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Stockholm, Sweden, where he, after three years' attendance, graduated in 1888. Since he has had charge of the musical department of Gustavus Adolphus College. In 1890 he received the degree of master of music of Alfred University, Alfred Center, N. Y., and t-wo years later the degree of doctor of music -was con ferred upon him by the Grand Conservatory of Music, New York. Both degrees -were bestowed upon him on the merits of his compositions. He composed the excellent Cantata, rendered in 1883, at the great celebration of the three hundredth anniversary of the adoption of the Upsala decree. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 429 Lagerstrom was married to Mary Carlson, of East Union, Minn., in 1888. Langum, Samuel, state legislator— Preston— born 18 Aug., 1857, in Fillmore county, Minn. His parents were Norwegians. He attended an academy in Wisconsin, the high school of Decorah, Iowa, and Augsburg Seminary, Minneapohs. After having completed his education he returned to Fillmore county, where he taught school for a while; -was deputy register of deeds for four years; -was elected sheriff in 1881; was -warden of the penitentiary at Stillwater for some time; became editor and proprietor of a local newspaper in Preston; was elected to the state legis lature in 1892; has been secretary of the state senate for some years. Langum -was married to Emma C. McCollum in 1878; they have children. Liljegren, N. M„ clergyman — Minneapolis — born 9 Dec, 1846, in Vemmerlof, Skane, Sweden. His parents were farmers, but young Liljegren received a college education in Gothenburg; joined the Methodist church at the age of twenty -two; preached and delivered temperance speeches in different parts of the kingdom until he emigrated in 1886; had charge of a church in Chicago for three years, then moved to Marinette, Wis.; came to Minneapolis in 1890; and later on settled at Aurora, 111. Liljegren has -written some books, contributes regularly to newspapers, is an ardent temperance man and a good speaker. In 1876 he was married to Sofie Witting of Gothenburg. They have children. Lind, Alfred, physician and surgeon — Minneapolis — born 11 March, 1862, in Trafvad, Vestergotland, Sweden. 430 HISTORY OF THE SCANDLNAVAINS IN THE U. S. His parents were farmers. He came to America in 1880, and his life since that date has been chiefly that of the indomitable student, as may be seen by a glance at the fol lowing record: In 1887 he received the degree of A. B. at Augustana College; that of B. S. in the University of Minne sota in 1889; graduated from the medical department of the same institution in 1891; practiced medicine for two years at Lake Park, Minn.; studied one year at the University of Berlin, Germany, and received the doctor's degree of this institution in 1894; practiced for two years in Minneapolis; studied a few months in New York; completed a one year's course in Gymnastiska Centralinstitutet, Stockholm, Sweden, graduating in 1897; practiced for some time in Minneapolis; and graduated as candidate of medicine from the University of Upsala, Sweden, in 1898, and as physician and surgeon from Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, in 1899. Probably no other Scandinavian-American physi cian can point to such a record as the above. But Lind has not only obtained a thorough theoretical medical educa tion, but has also been very successful in his practice, and undoubtedly ranks as one of the leading Swedish physicians in this country. For the third time he began to practice his profession in Minneapolis in 1899. He is a member of the Augustana Synod, and affiliates with the Republican party. In 1892 he was married to Hannah Johnson, of Axtell, Neb.; they have a couple of children. Lind, John, governor— Uew Ulm— born 25 March, 1854, in Kanna, Smaland, Sweden. At the age of fourteen Lind came to America, settling in Goodhue county, Minn., where he was obliged from the outset to aid his parents in sup- BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 431 porting the family. In the fall of 1868, having been in this country only a few months, he was so unfortunate as to lose his left arm in handling a gun, or rather on account of the stupidity of a surgeon -who appears to have made an unnecessary amputation. But with untiring energy and preseverance Lind was still able to make his way with one arm, and at the same time to attend school, so that in 1870 he obtained a teacher's certificate. In 1873 he moved to Sibley county, Minn., and came to Ne-w Ulm the year following. From 1875—76 he attended the Univer sity of Minnesota. Lind had for some time cherished the idea of entering the legal profession, and -with this object in view he devoted himself to the study of law in private, partly by himself and partly in an attorney's office in New Ulm. In 1876 he was admitted to the bar, and opened a law office of his o-wn the year following, -when he was also elected superintendent of schools for Brown county, a posi tion he held for two years. In 1881 Lind was appointed receiver in the U. S. land office at Tracy, a position he held till 1885. These duties, however, did not prevent him from continuing in his legal profession, in which his eminent talents soon made him distinguished. But not only did Lind become noted as one of the ablest la-wyers in his part of the state, but his great ability in public life, and his excellent qualities as a man soon convinced the people of the state of Minnesota of his eminent fitness for representing their com monwealth in Congress. Consequently, in 1886, he was elected congressman for the second district, and so well did he discharge his duties that he was elected for a second term by an overwhelming majority, -while nearly all the other 432 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. candidates on the Republican ticket were defeated, a fact which illustrates Lind's popularity. While in Congress, Lind introduced and succeeded in passing a great number of important measures, such as, a bill by which all foreign books not published in England are admitted to the United States free of duty, and an amendment to a bill by which foreigners -who serve on United States men-of-war may become citizens, as well as if they -were on land. He also secured the location and erection of an Indian school at Pipestone City, a United States court house at Mankato, and the passage of a law dividing the state into six districts for holding United States court, instead of one. The two first mentioned measures are very important to the adopted citizens, and Lind deserves great credit for having procured the passage of such wise laws, which have directly greatly benefited the Scandinavian-Americans. He declined a third nomination, and intended to devote his -whole time to his personal affairs. But when the silver issue became the pre- dominent feature of the presidential campaign in 1896, he sided with the Silverites, and the Fusion forces nominated him for governor. Lind refused to accept the nomination. But after having been besieged for about two weeks by a large number of honest Silverites and some unscrupulous demogogues, he consented to accommodate them. During a campaign of much bitterness, he was severely criticized by most of his former Republican friends, and mistrusted by many of his new allies. But in spite of this he received about fifty thousand votes more than his party colleagues, and came within three thousand votes of being elected, and many believed that he actually beat his opponent, whose JOHN LIND, NEW ULM. L. A. ROSING, CANNON FALLS. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAYIAAS IN MINNESOTA. 433 party had controlled the politics of the state for more than a third of a century. Lind's success -was remarkable, con sidering that the majority of the leading men of his own nationality, especially the Swedish Lutheran clergymen, bitterly opposed him. He probably did not receive over twenty-five per cent of the Swedish votes in the state, as most of them are ardent Republicans. He received by far more Norwegian votes than Swedish, even in Norwegian Republican counties, as compared with Swedish Republican counties. Consequently, the result of the election was due more to Lind's popularity and his opponent's weakness than to any other cause or causes. The congressional records show that Lind virtually made the same speeches during the campaign on the silver question, as he had done in Congress a few years before when he was considered a loyal Republican. Yet his standpoint on this issue has made an epoch in the political history of the state of Minnesota. Lind -was quarter master in the army during the Spanish War in 1898, and was elected governor the same year, running about 60,000 ahead of his ticket, thus becoming the first Swedish-born governor in the United States, as well as being the only man of that nationality who ever served in Congress. In 1898 the Swedes in general, and the Lutheran clergy in particular, did not oppose him -with the same fierceness as in 1896. Yet it is very doubtful if he received a majority of the Swedish votes in the state. All people admit that Lind made an excellent record in Congress. It is not time yet to express an opinion in regard to his executive ability. He has a difficult position to fill, being opposed by a hostile legislature, and surrounded by a hungry crowd of 434 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. office seekers, and some of his appointments have been severely criticized even by his own party. Lind is a good Icelandic scholar, speaks English without a foreign accent, and is an able orator. He -was married in 1879 to Alice Shepard. They have three children. Lindholm, A. T., writer and poet — Stillwater — born 9 May, 1835, in Gothenburg, Sweden. He received a college and commercial education in his native city; emigrated to the U. S. in 1854; -was book keeper in Galva, 111., for two years; then moved to Mankato, Minn., where he -was cash ier of the First National Bank for fifteen years, besides being deputy ^collector of internal revenue. In 1871 Lind holm, in company -with Col. H. Mattson and H. Sahlgaard, -went into the banking and exchange business in St. Paul, but seven years later he moved to Stillwater, where he has resided ever since, being employed as book beeper for differ ent business houses. Both in 1878 and in 1890 he was the Democratic nominee for secretary of state, but with the rest of his ticket -was defeated. Lindholm is prominent as a literary man, and especially noted as a skillful translator from the Scandinavian languages into English. Among other things he has translated Tegner's Svea and Sang till Solen, Runeberg's Sveaborg and several of his F'anrik Stkls S'agner, Geijer's Vikingen, and many of Isben's poems. He has also made a successful attempt as a dra matic author in the English language, in which his lengthy drama, Demosthenes, is written. In 1888 he was elected honorary member of the Nordiska Lite ratur-Sa.1 Iskapet of Stockholm, Sweden, an honor which only a few Swedish- Americans besides Lindholm enjoy. He has been a member BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 435 of the board of education of Stillwater, and was married to Anna Olson, of Mankato, Minn., in 1862. They have children. Listoe, Soren, journalist — St. Paul— born 27 April, 1846, in Copenhagen, Denmark. His grandfather was a prominent officer in the Danish army. Listoe received a good education through private instruction; came to this country in 1866 to join his father, -who had previously emi grated; was connected -with Danish-Norwegian newspapers in Wisconsin for a couple of years; went to Minneapolis, and was associate editor of Nordisk Folkeblad until 1871; then became mail agent, and settled in Breckenridge. In 1874 he was elected to the state legislature, being the first Dane in the state -who served in this body. In 1875 he was appointed register of the U. S. land office at Alex andria, a position which he held for eight yesrs. For several years Listoe lived on his farm near Breckenridge; became editor-in-chief of Nordvesten, St. Paul, in 1887; was appointed U. S. consul at Dusseldorf, Germany, in 1892; but after having remained abroad for one year he returned to Minnesota, and again took charge of Nord vesten. He was appointed major on the governor's staff in 1886, and has since served as aid-de-camp to all subse quent governors, having in the meantime been promoted to the rank of colonel. Listoe has for years been considered to be one of the most prominent Danes in the state, and was appointed by President McKinley U. S. consul at Rotter dam, Holland, in 1897. In 1872 he was married to Hannah Johnson; they have several children. Lobeck, Engebret E., temperance lecturer — Farwell — 436 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. born 11 Oct., 1864, in Tryssil, Hamar stift, Norway. He emigrated to America in 1867, and spent his boyhood and early manhood on his father's farm near Holmes City, Minn.; "dug on the farm in the day, and read literature in the night"; and, yielding to a yearning for a better education than the common schools could afford, studied successively at Augsburg Seminary, Wraaman's Academy, the State University of Minnesota, all at Minneapolis, and Willmar Seminary. Some years ago he began to lecture on temper ance, and so successful did he prove in this line of -work that at present he is one of the most popular Scandinavian tem perance lecturers in America. His chief points of strength are his evident devotion to the cause -which he advocates; his self-forgetting, contagious enthusiasm; his fluency of speech; his tremendous voice; and last, but not least, his magnificent physique. Lobeck frequently contributes both prose and poetry to Norwegian papers, chiefly Reform and Ungdommens Ven. In 1894 he published a small collec tion of poems, Forglemmigei, the first edition of which was exhausted in a few months, and five years later issued Billeder fra Dbdens Dal, a temperance and prohibition argument cast in the form of a novel. He is a member of the Swedish Augustana Synod, a "prohibitionist from head to foot," and was president of the Wisconsin Total Absti nence Association in 1896. In 1896 he was married to Martha Nordby, a graduate of the Fargo high school, in North Dakota. They have children. Lokensgaard, 0., clergyman and educator— Madison- born 23 Nov., 1854, in Aal, Kristiania stift, Norway. At the age of three he came with his parents to the United BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 437 States; they settled in Rice county, Minn.; but four years later moved to Dakota, remaining there, however, only one year; since 1862 they have resided in Nicollet county, Minn. Lokensgaard graduated from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, in 1878, and completed his studies at Luther Semi nary three years later. Then had charge of a church at Granite Falls, Minn., until 1892, when he became principal of the normal school at Madison, which position he has filled with great credit ever since. Lokensgaard is the most influential Norwegian advocate of total abstinence in the Minnesota valley. In 1881 he was married to Ellen Kravik, of Dane county, Wis.; she died in 1892. In 1894 he was married to Anna Romtvedt, of Cottonwood county, Minn. He has several children. Lomen, G. J., lawyer and state legislator — St. Paul — born 28 Jan., 1854, near Decorah, Iowa. His parents came from Valders, Norway, in 1850, and settled on a farm in Iowa. Young Lomen attended Luther College for six years, and graduated from the law department of the University of Iowa in 1875; then moved to Caledonia, Houston county, Minn., where he practiced his profession, was clerk of court for eight years, and held various local trusts. In 1885 he located in St. Paul; represented his ward in the state legis lature in 1891; was the Republican candidate for municipal judge in 1890, and, with the rest of the ticket, was defeated. Lomen has conducted several important professional cases, and is by general consent considered to be one of the leading lawyers in St. Paul. He is a member of the Norwegian Synod, and was married to Julia E. M. Joys, of Manistee, Mich., in 1878; they have several children. 438 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Lund, E. G., educator — Minneapolis —born 10 Aug., 1852, in Arendal, Norway. Lund came with his parents to Springfield, 111., in 1853; there they remained four years; then moved to St. Paul, returning to Springfield, however, in 1862. In 1871 he entered the college at Springfield, and after having studied there two years went to Thiel College, Greenville, Pa., from which institution he graduated in 1877. He then began the study of theology at the General Council Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, graduating in 1881. Lund was then ordained for the ministry, and accepted a call to four congregations in Westmoreland county, Pa. In 1883 he accepted a call to the Norwegian- English Lutheran church at Milwaukee, Wis., belonging to the Norwegian Augustana Synod. Two years later he -was called to an English Lutheran church at Greensburg, Pa., -where he remained for six years. In 1888 he was called to the presi dency of Thiel College, but declined. In 1891 the home mis sion committee of the General Council extended a six months' call to Lund as home missionary at Tacoma, Washington. In 1891 he accepted a call to become English professor of theology at the theological seminary of the United Church, Lund is considered to be one of the foremost men in the United Church, and the degree of doctor of divinity was conferred upon him in 1899 by Wittenberg College, Spring field, 111., one of the leading English Lutheran institutions in the country. He is said to be the only Norwegian-Ameri can Lutheran who has ever received such degree. In 1891 he was married to Anna Hippee, an American lady of Greenville, Pa. They have one daughter. Lundeen, John August, officer in the U. S. army— BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 439 St. Peter— born 6 March, 1848, in Hvetlanda, Smaland, Sweden. At the age of five he came with his parents to the U. S.; they settled in Minnesota. Young Lundeen attended the Swedish school in Carver for about a year; studied at Augustana College, Paxton, 111., in 1865-66, and graduated from the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., in 1873, being the fifth in his class. Since his graduation he has served with his regiment, the Fourth United States Artillery, in various garrisons; for example, in San Fran cisco, Oregon, Alaska, Virginia, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Boston, Minnesota, Georgia, and Baltimore. From 1876— 79 he -was professor of military science and tactics, as well as teacher of mathematics and the Swedish language, in the University of Minnesota. From 1887-92 he was assistant professor of mathematics in the United States Military Academy~at West Point. It must be remembered that the mathematical instruction in that institution is considered to be the most thorough of any schools in the world, and Lundeen's appointment as instructor in this branch of knowledge -was a high recognition of his ability. Besides Lundeen there are only three Scandinavian-born (all Swedes) who have graduated from West Point. He was promoted captain of artillery in 1898 and assigned to the Seventh Artillery, which was then organized at Fort Slocum, N. Y., and commanded Fort Greble, R. I.— a fort that com mands the -western entrance to Narragansett Bay — during the Spanish-American War. Lundeen is, of course, in appearance, speech, and sentiments, a thorough American, yet he is proud of his Swedish birth and his Scandinavian ancestry, and takes pains to let his nationality be known. 440 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. In 1879 he was married to Mary Cutler Johnson, of Minne apolis, Minn. They have two daughters. Lundholm, Erik Mauritz, physician and surgeon — St. Paul — born 20 June, 1858, in Venjan, Dalarne, Sweden. After having completed his college education at Falun, he entered the medical department of the University of Upsala in 1881, remaining there five years; and then continued his studies at the Karolinska Institutet located in Stockholm, from -which he graduated in 1890. It must be remembered that the laws of Sweden require the medical students to take their first examination at one of the universities of Upsala or Lund, the second and third examinations may be taken either at one of the universities or at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm; besides, the students must do certain hospital work, and their last hospital work must be done in Stockholm. And the students, to save expense and time, generally complete the first five or six years of their medical studies at one of the universities, and the last four at the Karolinska Institutet. Lundholm also followed this custom. For three summers he served as assistant physician at the springs of Satra, Vestmanland, and in Djursatra, Vester gotland; then visited the United States in 1888, passed his examination in St. Paul before the state medical board of Minnesota, and returned to Sweden to complete his studies. Since 1891 he has successfully practiced in St. Paul, besides being connected with Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul, having had charge for some years of the gynecalogical arid surgical department of this institution, and is recognized as one of the ablest surgeons in the Northwest. Lundholm was married to Anna Olson, of Gestrikland, in 1890. They have children. P. T. MEGAARDEN, MINNEAPOLIS. (, L,,. srNWAU.. M1NN NEAPOL1S. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 441 Lunnow, Magnus, journalist — Minneapolis — born 25 Sept., 1854, in Broby, Skane, Sweden. Lunnow received a college education in Kristianstad, served for some time as private tutor, and emigrated to America in 1874, coming to Canada, where he supported himself as a common laborer, later as a shipping clerk. In 1878 he accepted a position on the editorial staff of Svenska Tribunen, and became managing editor of Minnesota Stats Tidning t-wo years later. After some time Lunnow became editor and part proprietor of Svenska Folkets Tidning, in Minneapolis, with -which paper he is still connected. Svenska Folkets Tidning, which may be regarded as a continuation of Minnesota Stats Tidning, and as the exponent of the progressive and liberal ideas once represented by the latter, has had a marked success, which is largely due to Lunnow's able service. Lunnow is unmarried. Magnus, Daniel, educator — Northfield — born 1851, in Vermland, Sweden. At the age of nineteen he emigrated to this country; graduated from the classical department of Oberlin College, Ohio, in 1881, and from the theological de partment of that institution three years later; then studied one year in Sweden and Germany, and attended the Univer sity of Upsala, Sweden, in 1891-92. Since 1885 he has been professor in Carleton College, Northfield, being one of the most successful Swedish educators in the state, and through his efforts many young Scandinavians have been induced to attend Carleton College. Magnus is unmarried.. Mattson, Hans, pioneer and soldier— Minneapolis— born 23 Dec, 1832, in Onnestad, Skane, Sweden; died 5 March, 1893. The North, at the time of his death, gave the fol- 442 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. lowing biography of him: "He received a good education in Kristianstad; served a year and a half in the Swedish army as cadet of the artillery. Emigrated in the spring of 1851, arriving at Boston June 29. Suffered the hardships and disappointments incident to ignorance of the English language, and inability to perform hard manual labor. Went West, to Illinois, in 1852, settling the next year in Minnesota, which henceforth remained his home. Was mar ried in 1855 at Vasa, Goodhue county, Minn., to Cherstin Peterson, -who, with five children, survives him. Quit farm ing and went into mercantile business, but was caught in the crisis of 1857. Read law at Red Wing, and was ad mitted to the bar, but soon gave up practice to become county auditor of Goodhue county. Commenced to take active part in politics as a Republican. During the summer of 1861, organized a company of young Goodhue county Swedes and Norwegians, -with -whom, in the fall, he reported at Fort Snelling; was elected its captain, and -went South -with the Third Regiment in Nov. Was promoted to major the folio-wing year; -was on his way back after having been home sick on furlough, when the regiment surrendered at Murfreesboro. Was made a lieutenant colonel after the surrender of Vicksburg, and, in April, 1863, was promoted to colonel, remaining in command of the regiment until Sept. 16, 1865, -when it was mustered out at Fort Snelling, Minn. Assisted in establishing Svenska Amerikanaren in Chicago. Was, in 1867, appointed secretary of the Min nesota board of emigration. Returned on his first visit to Sweden in 1868. Was in 1869 elected secretary of state for Minnesota, but left before the expiration of his term with BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 443 his family for Sweden, as general agent in northern Europe for the Northern Pacific R. R. Co. Returned to the United States early in 1876. Was elected a presidential elector the same year. Helped to establish Svenska Tribunen, of Chicago, having previously commenced the publication of Minnesota Stats Tidning, at Minneapolis, with which latter he remained identified until 1881. On July 2, 1881, was appointed consul general to India. Filled this important position with great credit for two years, when he returned home and tendered his resignation. Was appointed man ager of a land grant company in Ne-w Mexico and Colorado. In 1886 was elected secretary of state for Min nesota, and re-elected in 1888, serving two terms. In 1887 he organized the Security Savings and Loan Association, of Minneapolis, -whose president he was at the time of his death. T-wo years later he formed a company for the pub lication of The North. Was one of the principal promoters, in 1888, of the 250th anniversary celebration of the landing of the first Swedish settlers on the Delaware, and collected the addresses delivered on this occasion in a small Souvenir. In 1891 wrote and published a volume of recollections, which in the Swedish version is known as Minnen, while the English edition is entitled The Story of an Emigrant. Mattson's knowledge was confined to no particular class of people. Swedish-Americans naturally looked up to him as a leader, for he possessed in an eminent degree many of the requirements of leadership." Valkyrian for August, 1897, says of Mattson: "His character shows us, in general fea tures, the product of the two factors, Swedish birth and education combined with a long and active life under the 444 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. protection of the American flag. Very few Swedish-Ameri cans have led such a romantic life as his. It was rich in sudden changes and new departures; and behind the out lines of this life lay an interesting world which at first sight looks less important, but which in fact is more instruc tive to him who desires to study it in the light of the spirit of the times in -which he most vigorously appeared as the Swedish pioneer in America." Megaarden, Philip Tollef, sheriff— Minneapolis— born 2 Oct., 1864, in Alamakee county, Iowa. His parents were born in Norway, and his father served three years in the Fourth Iowa Cavalry during the Civil War. Young Megaarden attended public schools in Dickinson county, Iowa, and in Minneapolis, and he has resided in that city since 1877. In 1878 he entered Augsburg Seminary, but the death of his father compelled him to discontinue his college education and enter the everyday battle of life in order to support a number of little brothers and sisters. At first he performed manual labor, but later on he suc cessively held the positions of clerk in a fuel office, book keeper, and court officer. Meanwhile he continued his studies as best he could, and often did he pore over his books into the small hours of night. In the course of time he managed to take a course in a business college, and in 1892 completed a three years' course in the law department of the State University, receiving the degree of LL. B. Megaarden was admitted to the bar the same year; com pleted a post-graduate course in his alma mater the next year, receiving the degree of LL. M.; practiced law for some time; served as chief deputy sheriff of Hennepin county in BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 445 1895-96; resumed the practice of law; but on Jan. 1, 1899, entered upon his duties as sheriff of Hennepin county. As deputy sheriff Megaarden made an excellent record, and demonstrated his ability to manage public affairs. Hence forth it was generally admitted that he was one of the leading Scandinavian public men in the city of Minneapolis. He is a rock-ribbed Republican, and belongs to more than a dozen different political clubs and secret organizations, of which may be mentioned the K. of P., the I. 0. 0. F., the Freemasons, the Elks, the Viking League, the Modern Woodmen, the Red Men, the Modern Samaritans, and Sonner af Norge. He is also secretary of the interstate sheriffs' association. Megaarden was married to Angeline Erickson, of Lake Crystal, Minn., in 1897. Mohn, Thorbjorn N., educator — Northfield— born 15 July, 1844, in Saude, Nedre Telemarken, Norway. At the age of nine he came with his parents to this country; they settled in Columbia county, Wis., but moved to Dodge county, Minn., in 1860. Young Mohn attended the public schools; worked on his father's farm for some time; gradu ated from Luther College in 1870; and completed his theo logical studies at Concordia Theological Seminary three years later. After having been ordained by the president of the Norwegian Synod, he was pastor of congregations in Chicago and St. Paul, and from 1875 to 1899 was president of St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn. But as soon as the school became the property of the United Church in 1899, he was dispensed with as president, but retained as a teacher. Mohn is considered to be an educator, but was not successful as manager of the school, and the attendance 446 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. was steadily diminishing during the last decade of his administration. Rev. J. C. Jensson, in American Luth eran Biographies, says: 'Mohn has labored faithfully to build up a good school, and was for several years chairman of the ministerial conference of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod for the district of Minnesota, and in 1888 he, together with many others, severed his connection with the synod, and effected the organization known as Anti- Missourians, which in 1890 joined in forming the United Norwegian Lutheran Church.' In 1875 he was married to Anna Elizabeth Ringstad, of Decorah, Iowa; they have several children. Euus, Bernt Julius, clergyman — Norway — born 15 Mar., 1832, in Snaasen, Trondhjem stift, Norway. His father kept a country store; his mother was a daughter of the rector of the parish, Jens Rynning, in -whose home Muus was brought up, as his mother died when he -was an infant. At the age of seventeen he graduated from the Latin school in Trondhjem; then entered the University of Norway, not knowing exactly -whether he should prepare for the ministry or become a civil engineer; but his father's entreaties pre vailed, and in 1854 he received his degree as candidate of theology. After having been engaged in teaching, both as tutor for children and as teacher in a couple of schools in Kristiania for five years, Muus in 1859 accepted a call from a Norwegian Lutheran church in Holden, Goodhue county, Minn. Rev. J. C. Jensson, in American Lutheran Bio graphies, says: "The church government kindly allowed him to be ordained without taking the usual minister's oath, which he could not take without conscientious BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MANNESOTA. 447 scruples." Having been received as a member of the Nor wegian Synod, he commenced his ministerial duties in Good hue and Rice counties. Muus held meetings in twenty-eight preaching stations scattered throughout Minnesota and the western part of Wisconsin. Most of these stations could be visited only twice a year. In later years, however, he received assistance. When the Minnesota District of the synod was organized in 1876, Muus was elected its presi dent, a position he held for nine years, and was the chief promoter in founding St. Olaf College. Muus had had con siderable experience in newspaper work when he came to America, and has written numerous articles for the Norwe gian as -well as for the Norwegian-American press, besides being the author of a few smaller religious books. He served the same congregation — -which is now part of the United Church — ever since his arrival in this country up to 1899, when he returned to Norway. During the predistina- tion controversy he sided with the Anti-Missourians, being for years one of the fiercest opponents of some of the prin ciples advocated by the Norwegian Synod, from which organization he never withdrew, until he -was expelled in 1898. He attempted reformation, not revolution. He held a unique position, being both conservative and radical. Yet it seems that his standpoint was more logical than that of his brethren who withdrew from the synod. Rev. John Halvorson says: "Muus was a leading spirit, a powerful character, an organizer; but unyielding and harsh in dealing with human frailties." He was married just before leaving Norway, but his family life was not happy. His wife sued him for cruelty and harsh treatment, in 1880, which resulted 448 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S in a separation; and although the people at large considered Muus the suffering party, yet he lost much of his influence. Myran, Ole H., state senator— Ada— bom 18 Jan., 1853, in Nore, Numedal, Norway. He received a common school education at his birthplace and in this country; came from Norway with his parents in 1868, stopping one year in Illinois, and settling in Goodhue county, Minn., the follow ing year. He -worked on farms around Zumbrota and clerked in that town for years; was engaged in farming on his own account in Lincoln county; and settled at Ada in 1881. Here he kept a hotel for three years, and since the middle of the eighties he has been engaged in the mercantile business. In 1898 he -was elected to the senate and served as chairman of the drainage committee. He is a Republican and a member of the Order of Odd Fellows and of the Knights of Pythias. Myran has been married twice, and at present is a -widower. He has several children. Nelson, Andrew, state senator — Litchfield — born 15 Dec, 1829, in Fronnenge, Halland, Sweden. After having received a common school education he emigrated to the U. S. in 1856, and spent the next two years in Galesburg, 111., work ing as a common laborer; came to Minnesota in 1858; stayed near Willmar for five years, -working on his claim, but the Indians drove him to St. Paul in 1862. The next year he -went to Washington county and engaged in farm ing, staying there about five years; came to Meeker county in 1869, and bought a large farm. In 1871 he engaged in general merchandising in Litchfield, continuing the business until 1876; since then he has been in the banking business most of the time. He was president of Meeker County KNUTE NELSON. ALEXANDRIA. LUTH JAEGER, MINNEAPOLIS. L. O. THORTE, WILLMAE. EEV. F. O. NILSSON, HOUSTON. VICTOR NILSSON, MINNEAPOLIS. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 449 Bank for a while, has since held the same position in the Bank of Litchfield, and o-wns considerable property. Nelson represented his district in the state legislature in 1874, and in the state senate in 1875-6; has been county commissioner and member of the city council, and has held various local offices. He is a member of the Swedish Lutheran church, of which he has been a trustee for several years; belongs to the Republican party; -was married to Ellen Johnson in 1868. Nelson, Andrew, legislator— Norseland— born 12 July, 1837, near Kristianstad, Sweden. In 1855 he came with his parents to this country. They settled in Nicollet county, Minn., where Nelson now owns and cultivates several large farms, and is considered to be one of the wealthiest Swedish farmers in Minnesota. Rev. E. Norelius in his history says that Nelson has taken great interest in the Swedish Luth eran church, and been a constant financial contributor to Gustavus Adolphus College. He represented his district in the legislature in the seventies. In 1863 he was married to Carolina Pehrson; they have several children. Nelson, Knute, United States senator — Alexandria — born 2 Feb., 1843, in Voss, near Bergen, Norway. His parents and their ancestors for generations back belonged to the yeomanry of the country. At the age of three years he lost his father, and a little more than three years later he came with his mother to the U. S., arriving at Chicago in July, 1849. The cholera then raged in the city, in most instances with fatal effect. Nelson was stricken with the dread disease, but was among the few fortunate ones who survived the plague. In 1850 he moved with his mother to Walworth county, Wis., and from there to Dane county, 30 450 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. in the same state, in 1853. After having, through consider able obstacles, obtained a fair common school education, he entered Albion Academy as a student in 1858, and pursued his studies there till 1861, when he, with a score of school mates, enlisted in the 4th Wisconsin Regiment. He remained in the service as private and non-commissioned officer till 1864, when he returned and resumed his studies at the academy, graduating in 1865. He participated with his regiment in the capture of New Orleans, the first siege of Vicksburg, the battles of Baton Rouge and Camp Bisland, and the siege of Port Hudson. In the great charge of this siege, on the 14th of June, 1863, he was -wounded and cap tured, and remained a prisoner until the place surrendered on the 9th of July. In 1865 he became a law student in the office of Senator Wm. F. Vilas, Madison, Wis. He was admitted to the bar of the circuit court for Dane county in 1867, and immediately entered on the practice of his profes sion. That year he was elected member of the assembly for the then second district of Dane county, his home, and was re-elected in 1868. In 1871 he moved to Alexandria, Doug las county, Minn., where he has ever since been engaged in farming and practicing law. As a lawyer he has had an extensive practice in that part of the state. In 1872-74 he was county attorney for Douglas county, and in 1875-78 he was state senator in the thirty-ninth legislative district, composed of five counties. In the senate he was instru mental in securing the legislation under which the unfinished lines of the St. Paul & Pacific Railway were completed. In 1880 he was presidential elector on the Garfield and Arthur ticket. In the fall of 1882, in a campaign of unparalleled heat BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. . 451 and bitterness, he was elected member of Congress for the fifth district of Minnesota, by a plurality of 4,500 votes. He was re-elected in 1884 by a plurality of 12,500 votes, and in 1886 he was re-elected by an almost unanimous vote. While in Congress he was a member of the committee on Indian affairs, and was especially instrumental in secur ing the passage of a law for the opening of the Red Lake and other Indian reservations in Minnesota, and for civiliz ing the Indians, and allotting lands to them in severalty for farming purposes. In Congress he was an ardent tariff reformer not altogether in harmony with his party, even going so far as to vote for the Mills bill. This subjected him to some criticism among the politicians, but the great mass of the people were with him and approved of his independ ent course. He -was a member of the board of regents of the state university from 1882 until 1893, and has taken a deep interest in the welfare and growth of that institution. In 1892 he -was unanimously nominated, by acclamation, can didate for governor, of the Republican party, and was elected in November folio-wing, by a plurality of 14,620 votes. Nelson made an excellent record as governor, and was again unanimously re-nominated in 1894 and re-elected by a plurality of 60,000 votes. But in January thefollowing year he was elected U. S. senator by the legislature for a term of six years, thus becoming the first Scandinavian -who has been chosen to represent his new country in the capacity of senator, governor, and congressman; and Nelson has filled all the positions mentioned -with great credit to himself and has been an honor to the state of Minnesota. It may be fair, however, to mention that his election to the U. S. senate did 452 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. not seem to be popular with a large majority of the people. They wanted him to be their governor, they voted for him as such, and did not desire a substitute to occupy his chair. Nelson's popularity suffered severely, yet the state did not lose anything, for as senator he has worked hard and con scientiously. He is married and has grown children. Nelson, Peter, state senator— Red Wing— born 14 Apr., 1843, in Skatelof, Smaland, Sweden. He received a common school education in his native country; emigrated to the U. S. at the age of twenty-three; lived in Rockford, 111., a short time, then moved to Mississippi, where for a few years he was engaged in Oxford as a building contractor and hardware merchant. Since 1873 he has been in the hard ware business in Red Wing. Nelson is one of the few Swedes who have joined the Democratic party, of which he is a lead ing member, and was the party's nominee for secretary of state in 1892, but with the rest of the state ticket was defeated. He was a member of the Democratic central com mittee for several years. In 1887 he was state senator and secured, among other things, the passage of a bill which provided for the removal of the State Reform School from St. Paul to Red Wing. Nelson married Olivia Olson in 1871. They have grown children. Neumann, C. F., writer and sign painter — St. Paul- born 17 Jan., 1850, in Jonkoping, Sweden. His father was a musical director, a German by birth, who traveled through the Scandinavian countries, but resided otherwise in Den mark, of which country young Neumann's mother was a native. Neumann attended a Latin school in Copenhagen for four years; became a sailor at the age of fourteen and BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 453 followed this life for three years, visiting both the Arctic and the Tropical regions and most of the European countries; landed in Philadelphia at the age of seventeen, and, having no money, he walked to Chicago, which took him seven weeks. After having worked as a common laborer for a short time he learnt the painting business; started a shop of his own in Chicago, in 1871; located in Minneapolis, in 1880, and here followed his trade for eight years; then moved his business to St. Paul. He was one of the chief menin promotingthe building of DaniaHall in Minneapolis. Neumann has contributed quite extensively to the American daily papers in St. Paul and Minneapolis, as well as to the Danish-Norwegian press. He has been married three times, and he had children by all his wives. Nilsson, F. 0., clergyman and pioneer — Houston — born 28 July, 1809, in Varo, Halland, Sweden; died 1881. His mother died when he -was seven years of age, and his father, -who owned a small farm, was a confirmed drunkard and had to be put under guardianship. Consequently, young Nilsson enjoyed few or no educational advantages, and at the early age of fourteen commenced to earn his own living by learning the shoemaker's trade, and for four years followed his master from house to house assisting him in making shoes. At the age of eighteen he became a sailor, and visited, among other places, also New York, where he deserted his vessel in 1832. A couple of years later a Metho dist revivalist converted him, but he continued the life of a sailor until his thirtieth year. It does not appear that Nilsson was dissipated before his conversion, but on the contrary was during his youth rather religiously inclined, 454 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. which culminated in an intense fear of damnation. In the fall of 1839 he visited his relatives in Sweden. He did not return to America as he had intended, but began to urge peo ple to repent of their sins, wandering on foot from house to house, from village to village. In 1842 the Seamen's Friend Society in New York appointed him missionary for the sailors in Gothenburg, with $100 salary a year. When he was married, in 1844 or 1845, his wages were raised to $175 a year, on which he supported himself and family for a number of years. At times he also visited the surrounding country as well as Norway. Nilsson remained a member of the Lutheran state church up to 18,45, although he was arrested a couple of times for breaking the conventicle law. At this time a Swedish-American sailor and Baptist, Capt. G. W. Schroeder, visited Gothenburg and became acquainted with Nilsson. Through Schroeder's influence he began to study the question of infant baptism, and was soon con vinced that it was all -wrong. As a consequence he went to Hamburg, Germany, in 1847, in order to be immersed by Rev. J. G. Oncken. On his return to Sweden he commenced with great discretion to preach the new doctrine. During the night of Sept. 21, 1848, Nilsson's wife and four other persons, most of whom appear to have been his relatives, were immersed, and the first Swedish Baptist church in the world was at the same time organized in Landa village, Halland. A. P. Forster had been sent from Hamburg to perform the ceremonies. Nilsson was ordained in Hamburg the next spring, when the Baptists in his native land num bered thirty-five persons. Religious toleration was not a virtue or a fashion in Sweden at that time. Nilsson was, in BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 455 1850, mobbed, arrested, and condemned to be banished from the kingdom by Gota hofr'att, in Jonkoping, simply because he had tried to spread the doctrines of the Baptists in his native land. He appeared in person before King Oscar I., and asked him to commute the sentence; then wrote to him to the same effect, at the same time suggesting that it -was the duty of the Lutheran clergymen to try to re convert dissenters to Lutheranism, which had not been pro perly done in Nilsson's case; and at last appealed to the mercy of the monarch. But nothing availed. He left Sweden July 4, 1851, probably being the last person who had to be a fugitive from that kingdom for the sake of reli gion. His banishment created a stir in the civilized world, and for a -while Sweden -was considered to be a land of intolerance and bigotry. The public opinion of the world — that great power before which monarchs and mobs tremble —had undoubtedly a great deal to do in swinging Sweden, at about this time, into line -with the most progressive lands in regard to religious liberty. Yet some of the Swedish Lutheran clergymen, -who generally have been blamed for all the religious shortcomings in their country, had for years before advocated the utmost religious freedom. Before Nilsson left Sweden he selected leaders for his four small congregations; then visited Copenhagen, Hamburg, London, and Norway. On his return from the latter country he stopped at Gothenburg to take his wife with him, and con ducted a few meetings in secret, but the police sent him to Denmark. After having remained in Copenhagen a couple of years, he emigrated to America in 1853; preached for some time in Burlington, Iowa; bought land and settled 456 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. near Houston, Minn., in 1855; and during five years organized seven Swedish Baptist congregations in Minne sota. He was sent, in 1860, by an American Baptist con gregation in New York as a missionary to Sweden. On his return he was pardoned by King Carl XV., and soon located in Gothenburg, where for seven years he had charge of the small Baptist congregation in that city. When about sixty years of age, Nilsson returned to America, partly, it seems, because other Baptist clergymen excelled him in learning and ability; but principally because he had by reading some of Theodore Parker's -works commenced to doubt the truth of parts of the Bible. Yet for a few years afterwards he was pastor of the Swedish Baptist church at Houston; but his religious doubts -were discovered, and most of his former friends deserted him. It has been asserted that he became a rank infidel; this has been denied by the Baptists, who, however, admit that he could not be called an orthodox Christian during the last days of his eventful life, and one of their historians, Rev. A. G. Hall, says that the seed of infidel ity had undoubtedly remained in Nilsson's soul ever since his youth as the result of having read Thomas Paine's writings. Nilsson's boldness and combativeness made up for what he lacked in education and talent. He converted many. The Baptists maintain that Nilsson was an honest enthusiast who sacrificed much for his religion; the Luth erans and Methodists who came in contact with him in the Northwest claim that he was a coarse and unscrupulous adventurer who shrank from no means to accomplish his purpose. Both opinions are probably correct, as he appears to have lacked the proper balance-wheel, and flung from PROF. SVEN OFTEDAL, MINNEAPOLIS. PROF. GEORG SYERDIUT, MINNEAPOLIS. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 457 one extreme to another, partly because his nature craved excitement. Nilsson, Victor, author and critic — Minneapolis — born 10 Mar., 1867, in Ostra Torp, Skane, Sweden. His father owned this estate on the southermost point of southwest ern Sweden, where Victor was born, but the family resided in Gothenburg from 1870 to 1885. Young Nilsson received a careful college education in the latter city, where his father was a prosperous merchant. The whole family came to America in 1885. He -was connected with the edi torial staffs of various Swedish papers in the Twin Cities up to 1891, when he was appointed librarian of the East Side Branch of the Minneapolis Public Library. For a number of years he attended lectures in the University of Minne sota, making a thorough study of Romance and Teutonic philology, with Old Norse history, language, and literature as a specialty. In 1897 this institution conferred the degree of doctor of philosophy upon him. His thesis on the occa sion -was a scientific treatise on Havamal in the older Edda, and has been recognized by scholars on both sides of the Atlantic. Nilsson has always been an enthusiastic admirer of Northern culture, especially of all pertaining to literature, art, and music; and on these subjects has con tributed many critical articles to the Swedish-American and Anglo-American journals and magazines. He possesses a fine literary judgment; and as a critic probably outranks all other Scandinavian-Americans. His book Fbrenta Staternas Presidenter has been -well spoken of; and his history of Sweden, a large volume of nearly 500 pages and published in the English language in 1899, contains a com- 458 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. plete history of the Swedish people from the earliest period down to the present time, and the presentation of recent events is especially masterly* and critical. He has written a number of short stories, and delivered several lectures in different parts of the country. He was secretary of the executive committee of five for the great Scandinavian singing festival in Minneapolis in 1891. Nilsson has been presi dent of the Orpheus Singing Society; financial secretary of the United Scandinavian Singers of America, and of the Amer ican Union of Swedish Singers; and was the official speaker during the concert tour to Sweden, in 1897, of Swedish- American singers, and at the same time visited several other European countries. He is not married. His sister Emma Nilsson has a high reputation as a singer, having for years studied in Berlin, Germany, where she made a successful debut in grand opera in 1884. His younger sister, Mrs. Bertha Nilsson Best, has made quite a reputation as an opera singer. Norelius, E., clergyman and author — Vasa — born 26 Oct., 1833, in Hassela, Helsingland, Sweden. His parents were pious farmers, -who, like most of the S-wedish people of the same class in those days, did not believe in any higher education than was necessary for confirmation; but young Norelius succeeded in persuading them to permit him to attend a college in Hudiksvall for a couple of years. He was religiously inclined from his early childhood, and was an enthusiastic believer in the pietism advocated by Rev. F. G. Hedberg, the noted Finnish divine. Without any spe cific reason or any certain plans for the future, he, at the age of seventeen, emigrated to this country, spending eleven BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 459 weeks on the ocean. After having landed in New York he proceeded to Chicago, where he met the well-known Swed ish pioneer Rev. G. Unonius, who advised him to go to the Episcopal seminary, at Nashota, Wis., and there prepare to enter the Episcopalian ministry. But Norelius -was too much of a Lutheran to even dream of any such thing. He concluded, in his perplexity as to what to do and -where to go, to seek the advice of the pioneer of the Swedish-Amer ican Lutheran ministers, Prof. L. P. Esbjorn, with whom he was not personally acquainted; but he knew that Esbjorn had come to America the year before and settled at And over, Henry county, 111. Believing that Esbjorn was the right person to give the best advice, Norelius set out from Chicago to hunt him up, going by canal a hundred miles to La Salle, and footing the rest of the road for some sixty miles to Andover. Here he found Esbjorn living among his countrymen in a primitive way, in great poverty and sickness; but he received Norelius kindly, and advised him to enter Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, where support had been offered to a poor Swedish student who would prepare for the Lutheran ministry. The famous Jenny Lind had also given $1,500 to the school in order that a Swedish professorship might be established there. Esbjorn accompanied Norelius to this institution in the spring of 1851, where the latter spent about five years. For defray ing the expenses of the journey from Illinois to Ohio, and for some clothing, Dr. Passavant, of Pittsburg, Pa., sent Norelius twenty-two dollars. His vacations were spent in various ways: for example, working on farms, chopping wood, selling books, teaching, and preaching. During his 460 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. last vacation he preached and taught school at Chisago Lake, Minn.; previously to this he had done the same thing in Chicago. In 1855 the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Northern Illinois licensed him to preach for the Swedes in several places in Tippecanoe county, Ind.; but these people had recently arrived from the old country, and were too poor to buy the expensive land in the Eastern states, there fore no permanent Swedish settlement in this part of the country was to be expected. Norelius and another gentle man -were delegated to go to Minnesota in search of a suit able place for a settlement; they came to Vasa, Goodhue county, Minn., in 1855 — where Col. H. Mattson and his party had already a couple of years before commenced a prosperous S-wedish settlement — and Norelius at once organ ized churches in Red Wing and Vasa, of -which he became pastor the folio-wing year, when he -was ordained. He had to suffer all the inconveniences and trials of a pioneer life; many settlements -were founded and churches organized; he had to spend his time more as a traveling missionary than as a settled pastor. In 1858 he was elected county auditor of Goodhue county, but at the same time received an offer to become editor of Hemlandet, in Chicago, which he accepted, resigned his pastoral duties, and proceeded to Chicago. In 1859 Norelius, on account of ill health, moved to Attica, Ind., and he took charge of the Swed ish Lutheran church there, but the following year accepted a call as a traveling missionary in Minnesota. During this time he passed through many thrilling events, experienced many perils and self-denials, visited — on foot or on horse back—every nook and corner where any Swedes had settled, BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 461 preached and organized churches in many places. He has undoubtedly sacrificed more in order to elevate his country men in Minnesota, and has benefited them more than any other Swede. His salary amounted to about $400 a year, out of which he had to pay all his traveling expenses, and at the end of the year he might have saved souls, but nothing of his salary remained. In 1861 he moved from St. Paul, where his family had resided for a year, to Good hue county, and took charge of his old congregations in Red Wing and at Vasa. Ever since his ministerial labor has been chiefly confined to Goodhue county, although he has done some missionary work on the Pacific Coast and in various other parts of the country. His health has been delicate during the greater part of his ministry. Besides his regular work in the ministry, he founded an orphanage at Vasa in 1865, and conducted it himself for eleven years. In 1862 he commenced a private school in Red Wing, which has grown up to be Gustavus Adolphus College, in St. Peter. Norelius -was in 1874 elected president of the Augustana Synod, serving in that capacity for seven years, and was elected to the same position in 1899. (Most of the above facts in this biography have been collected from American Lutheran Biographies, by Rev. J. C. Jensson). At Red Wing, in 1857, he commenced to publish Minnesota Posten, the first Swedish newspaper in Minnesota; the venture was too early, and proved to be a financial failure, and after one year's starveling existence, the paper was united with Hemlandet in Chicago, of which Norelius, as before stated, became editor. It may be of interest to note that the first six numbers of Minnesota Posten con- 462 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. tained the following notice: "Because ready cash in these times is scarce, the editor will, for the subscription for the paper, take farm and other products, -which -will be valued at market prices," and the last number announces that "the paper must cease, because many subscribers failed to send in their subscriptions." In 1872 he started Lutersk Kyrkotidning, -which was merged into Augustana the following year. Norelius and P. Sjoblom commenced to publish Evangelisk Lutersk Tidskrift in 1877, but changed the name to Skaffaren the following year. He has also contributed extensively, especially on religious and historical subjects, to many Swedish-American journals. In 1889 he was called to the editorial chair of Augustana, the official paper of the Augustana Synod, published at Rock Island, 111., but his ill health compelled him toresign the following year. He has for a number of years been editor of Korsbaneret, which is an annual published by the Augustana Synod. Norelius is the author of the following books: Salems Sanger (1859), Handbok for Sbn- dagsskolan (1865), Ev. Luterska Augustana Synoden i Nord Amerika och dess Mission (1870), and De Svenska Luterska Fbrsamlingarnas och Svenskames Historia i Amerika (1890). Only the first volume of the last mentioned work, which deals with the Swedes in Amer ica from the earliest emigration of the nineteenth century to 1860, has yet appeared. His history is intensely Lutheran, somewhat partial, poorly classified, and not indexed. The author relates his experiences and the experi ences of others very minutely, without much attempt to condense the whole to a scientific historical treaty. The BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 463 facts on the whole are fairly correct, except in regard to the first Swedish settlement in Minnesota, which was not stated in 1851, as he asserts, but in 1850, when Oscar Roos and two other Swedes made the first settlement at Marine, Washington county, which is substantiated both by Roos himself and in a little excellent pamphlet, Svenskarne i St. CioLr-dalen, Minnesota (1879), by Robert Gron berger.* Norelius's description of the natural appearance of the country in the early days is excellent, but in many respects his earlier and smaller history is superior to his later and larger book. All his writings contain a great deal of wit, humor, and imagination. Col. H. Mattson, in his admirable book, Minnen (1890), refers to Norelius in the following manner: "In the beginning of the month of September, 1855, Rev. E. Norelius visited the settlement (Vasa), and organized a Lutheran church. Thirty-five years have elapsed since that time, and many of those who belonged to the first church at Vasa now rest in mother earth close by the present stately church edifice which still belongs to the same congregation and is situated only a short distance from the place where the latter was organ- * In regard to this sentence, which was also in the first edition of this volume, Nore lius remarks: "It depends upon what you mean by the word 'settlement.1 If it can be called a settlement where two or three single men, bachelors, make a claim without making such claim a constant habitation, then of course I do not dispute the priority of the Marine colony. But if by a settlement is meant a permanent habitation, espe cially by one or more families, then the Swedish colony at Marine is not older than the one at Chisago Lake." As I understand it, a settlement may bs permanent or tempo rary, and may be composed of families, bachelors, or old maids. The early arrival in this state of Oscar Roos and his companions has been mentioned in a few places in this volume simply because it was deemed to be of considerable historical importance, and not as a reflection upon Norelius for having failed to refer to those pioneers. The con stant reference to this omission on my part is a mistake which can hardly be avoided in a cyclopedic work like this, and I prefer the repetition of important historical facts to the omission of those facts. — Editoe. 464 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVAINS IN THE U. S. ized. Rev. Norelius himself lives only a few hundred yards from the church building. Thirty-five years have changed the then cheerful, hopeful young man into a veteran, crowned with honor, and full of wisdom and experience. His beneficent influence on the Swedes of Goodhue county and of the whole Northwest will make his name dear to coming generations of our people." Norelius visited his native land in 1868 for the purpose of improving his health, but returned in a -worse condition. In 1855 he -was married to Inga C. Peterson, of West Point, Ind., by -whom he has had four sons and one daughter. Oftedal, Sven, educator— Minneapolis— born 22 March, 1844, in Stavanger, Norway. He graduated from the Latin school of his native city in 1862; completed his theological studies at the University of Norway in 1871, having also devoted much of his time to the study of ancient and modern languages, literature, and philosophy; studied one year in Paris, France; traveled through several of the European countries; and accepted a call as theological professor at Augsburg Seminary, Minneapolis, in 1873, where he has since remained. The great success of the seminary is largely due to Oftedal's energy and perseverance. In 1878 he was elected a member of the board of education, a position he held for ten years, being president of that body for four years; and in 1886, when the Minneapolis Public Library was established, he was elected by the legislature as one of the chartered members of that library, and has been chair man of the library committee ever since. In these two capa cities he has been able to do more than any other person to have the Scandinavians in the city recognized by the public DE. C. J. EINGNELL, MINNEAPOLIS. O. H. MYRAN, ADA. I'.. A. EICE, WILLMAE. DE. G. P. SANDBERG, ST. PAUL. J. SHALEEN, LINDSTUOM. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 465 at large. He -was the originator of the present high school system in Minneapolis and the branch system of the Minne apohs Public Library. Oftedal has taken an active part in temperance and church work, being one of the organizers of the first stable Norwegian temperance society in Minne apolis, and -was for years one of the leading men in the Nor wegian-Danish Conference. Oftedal occupies a unique posi tion in the history of the Norwegian Lutheran churches in America. Most of the leaders in those churches have at one time or another been engaged in controversies bristling with harsh words. But he alone has time again been in the midst of the fiercest of these battles. Indeed, he has spent years in a perfect calm; but again and again the storm has gathered around that man as around no other Norwegian- American. At some future date he may possibly be taken as the ablest and grandest expounder of that remarkable hatred of conventional restraint which characterized the Norsemen of his time. Even at close range it is not very difficult to see that Oftedal could have spent a life of ease and unruffled honor if he had chosen to devote his magni ficent mental gifts to the upbuilding of the existing institu tions of the majorities, instead of repeatedly siding with apparently hopeless minorities. His is surely a mind that rebels against power as such; but it aims rather at the destruction of -what is conceived as baneful influences than at self-aggrandizement; bitter as it may be at times, it is, after all, more altrustic than egotistic. Oftedal cannot be properly judged until some time after his life-work is com pleted. He is married, and has grown children. Olson, C. 0. Alexius, lawyer and legislator — Minne- 466 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. apolis — born 5 April, 1872, in Long, Vestergotland, Sweden. At the age of two years he emigrated with his mother to America, coming directly to Minneapolis, -where later he attended the public schools, graduating from the North Side High School in 1891; employed his out-of-school hours as carrier on the daily papers, and as clerk in stores and offices; graduated from the academic department of the University of Minnesota in 1895, from the law department in 1896, and in 1897 received the degree of LL.M. from the same institution; was admitted to the bar by the Minnesota supreme court in June, 1896, and has since been engaged in the general practice of law; at the University was actively interested in student affairs, serving successively as class president, editor of The Ariel (the students' paper), and as cadet major of the University Battalion; is a member of the general college fraternity Zeta Psi, and of Delta Chi (Law); in 1892 traveled in Europe, visiting Germany, Den mark, Sweden, Norway, and England; during the summer of 1893 was employed at the Chicago World's Fair; is presi dent of the Minneapolis High School Alumni Association, and secretary of the John Ericsson Memorial Association; in religion a Lutheran; in politics a Republican; at the gen eral election in 1898 was elected to the office of representa tive in the Minnesota state legislature. Olson, Saaver Elbert, merchant— Minneapolis— born 1846, in Ringsaker, near Hamar, Norway. His boyhood was spent partly in assisting his father in his profession as carpenter, partly at school. From early childhood he showed himself to possess singular abilities. Already at the age of ten he became a teacher and conducted his own little BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 467 school. Olson came with his parents to this country in 1858, and they settled on a farm near La Crosse, Wis. He attended Beloit College, Wis., for one year; commenced business for himself in Rushford, Minn., in 1867, but the entire stock was destroyed by fire in less than a month after he started. He rebuilt the store and for about three years had a good trade; then entered into partnership with his former employer in La Crosse, Wis.; but three years later the firm was dissolved, and Olson continued in the business until 1878, when he came to Minneapolis, Minn. Here he united himself with N. B. Harwood. They failed in 1880, and Olson was again made penniless, with nothing but an unimpeachable credit and an excellent record as a business man. He next went into partnership with Ingram. This firm was afterwards changed to S. E. Olson & Com pany, now being one of the largest dry goods establish ments in the West, and perhaps the greatest Scandinavian store in the United States, doing an annual business of about $2,000,000. Olson is a stockholder of several banks, is also connected with many other large enterprises, and has a family. Ostrom, 0, N., banker and grain dealer — Minneapolis- born 29 July, 1850, in Aby, near Kristianstad, Sweden; died 1893. He emigrated to America in 1867, staid the first year at Afton, Minn., then went to St. Peter. Being a builder and contractor, he erected here, among other build ings, Gustavus Adolphus College. Ostrom moved to Minne apolis in 1877, and two years later he engaged in the gener al merchandise and wheat business at Evansville; this large wheat trade compelled him subsequently to build twenty- 468 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. five elevators along the Great Northern R. R. In 1882 Ostrom became one of the stockholders and directors of the First National Bank of Alexandria; the following year he established the Bank of Evansville, of which he assumed the management as cashier, Ostrom returned to Minneapolis in 1887, and, in company with other prominent Swedes, or ganized the Swedish American Bank, with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars. In 1889 he organized the Inter- State Grain company — a half million dollars' concern. Ostrom was president and manager of the Inter-State Grain company, and president of the Swedish American Bank. At the age of twenty he was married to Helena Elg; they have grown children. Ostlund, 0. W., educator— Minneapolis— born 27 Sept., 1857, in Attica, Ind. His parents were among the earliest Swedish immigrants in this country; they came from Oster- gotland. Young Ostlund graduated from Augustana Col lege in 1879, and eight years later his alma mater conferred the degree of master of arts upon him. He studied natural sciences for two years at the University of Minnesota; has been entomologist of the natural history survey of Minne sota since 1884, having published numerous reports on his specialty, and contributes occasionally to some of the lead ing magazines on scientific subjects. Since 1890 he has been assistant professor of zoology at the State University; was entomologist of the State Horticultural Society from 1887-90; isamember of theDavenport Academy of Sciences, and of the Minneapolis Academy of Science. Ostlund is an active member of the English Lutheran church, having been one of its trustees for several years. He is unmarried. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 469 Pederson, Knud, legislator— Underwood — born 1844, in Norway. He came to this state in 1868, and has been engaged in farming in Otter Tail county. He served as town supervisor, treasurer, and assessor for six years, and as county commissioner for thirteen years. Since 1896 he has been a member of the house of representatives of the state legislature. Pederson owes the position last mentioned to the Populist party. He is a widower. Petersen, Ole P., clergyman and pioneer — Minneapolis —born 28 April, 1822, in Fredrikstad, Norway. He became an orphan at the age of six, was brought up by a -well-to-do family, was a sailor for a few years, and emigrated to this country in 1843. He was converted to Methodism by the well-known Swedish pioneer and missionary, 0. G. Hed- strom, in 1846; returned to his native land three years later, and was the first who introduced the faith of Methodism in Norway; came back to America in 1850, and the next year commenced to preach among his countrymen in Winne sheik county, Iowa. With the exception of C. B. Willerup, a Dane, Petersen -was the first Methodist minister among the Norwegian pioneers in this country. He often had to travel on foot during the hot summers and cold -winters through the Western states, suffering all the hardships incidental to frontier life. In 1850 he was married in Nor way to Anne Amundsen. They had two children, and for some years past he has been living with one of them in the East. Petersen, W. M. H., clergyman and educator— St. Paul —bom 26 Nov., 1854, in Ringerike, Norway; died 1899. He came to this country in 1862, settling with his widowed 470 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. mother in Rochester, Minn.; stayed for sometime at Pointed Creek, Iowa; completed courses at Luther College and at Concordia Seminary, graduating from these institutions in 1875 and 1878, respectively. During the remainder of his life he served a Norwegian Synod congregation in St. Paul. Having a strong memory and being an untiring student, he gradually accumulated a great amouut of -well-digested and carefully systematized knowledge. He -was a great specia list. In order to make proper use of this valuable treasure he -was appointed, in 1894, to a chair of theology in Luther Seminary. But his health began to fail, and in 1898 he made a trip to Europe in hopes of gaining strength. Peter sen prepared his sermons -with great care, and some of them have been preserved in the collection printed by the synod. He -wrote considerably for the official paper of the synod, and his most noted effort as an author treats of the inspira tion of the Bible. He -was married to Anna K. Soraas, of Dodge county, Minn., in 1880; they had six children. Peterson, Andrew P , state legislator— Cokato— born 7 Sept., 1851, in Sweden. At the age of nine he came -with his parents to this country; they settled in Carver county, Minn., -where young Peterson received a good common school education. He -was in the mercantile business in Cokato for a few years, and has since 1880 been the proprietor of a drug store. Peterson has held various local offices, been county commissioner of Wright county, and represented his district in the state legislature in 1877. In 1878 he was married to Anna S. Anderson, of Minneapolis. They have children. Peterson, Frank, clergyman— Minneapolis — born 19 BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MANNESOTA. 471 Nov., 1847, in Stockseryd, Ostergotland, Sweden. At the age of four he came with his parents to this country; they settled in Rock Island, 111., and moved to Lansing, Iowa, in 1855, where young Peterson received a good common school education. In 1863, while not yet sixteen years old, he en listed in the Ninth Iowa Cavalry, which was almost con stantly engaged in fighting the Texas Rangers and Quan- trell's Band in Missouri, Texas, and Arkansas. So depleted were the ranks of his regiment, that but few remained after the war to return home. After the war he studied one year at a university in Chicago; took a trip to Sweden, in order to improve his health, where he spent a year; taught in the public schools in Iowa and Minnesota for several years; and intended to study la-w, -when he finally concluded to enter the ministry, and accepted a call of the Swedish Baptist church in Worthington, Minn., in 1875. After having re mained there for a -while, he took charge of a congregation in Chicago; came to Minneapolis in 1881, and for eleven years served the First Swedish Baptist church, which had a great prosperity during his ministry. In 1890 he accepted the appointment as district secretary of the American Bap tist Missionary Union, -which is one of the strongest mis sionary societies among Protestants, either in America or on the continent, employing 2,500 workers, scattered throughout twenty nations of the -world. This society expends over a million dollars annually. Peterson was a successful teacher, is an able speaker both in Swedish and English, and has collected a great deal of material for a his tory of the Swedish Baptist church. In 1878 he was married to Emma C. Johnson, of Chicago. 472 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Peterson, James A., lawyer — Minneapolis — born 18 Jan., 1859, in Dodge county, Wis. His parents were Nor wegians. He graduated from the literary department of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., in 1884, and three years later from the law school of the same institution, having made his own way through college by teaching school. Since he completed his education he has been prac ticing his profession in Minneapolis, being recognized as one of the leading Scandinavian attorneys in the state of Min nesota. In 1893 Peterson -was appointed assistant county attorney, and in 1897 and 1898 he served as county attorney. While occupying this position he became a terror to evil-doers; and the ability with which he prosecuted some public officers belonging to his own political party is claimed to have had something to do -with his failure to receive the renomination for a second term -which had become tradi tional in that party with regard to certain county officers. Peterson is a Republican. In 1889 Marie Emily Dahle, of Dane county, Wis., who is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, and was a classmate of Peterson, became his wife. They have children. Peterson, John, collector of customs— St. Peter— born 6 July, 1841, in Kil, Vermland, Sweden. His parents were farmers, who gave their son a good common school educa tion, and at the age of seventeen he commenced to work in a large factory. Later on he held the position of shipping clerk; was engaged in building at Stockholm and Sundsvall for some time and in constructing railroad stations and bridges during a couple of years; and in 1867-9 was located near Karlstad as superintendent of the construction of REV. FRANK PETERSON. MINNEAPOLIS. REV. E. A. SKOGSBERGH, MINNEAPOLIS. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 473 government railroad bridges. In 1869 he emigrated to America, coming directly to St. Peter, and after having worked as a common laborer for a short time, he began, in company with others, operations as a railroad contractor, and for eighteeen years the firm of which he was a member carried on a large business throughout the Northwest. Since he has followed the same occupation on his own responsibility, and has also been interested in bank ing and farming. Peterson has taken an active part in public affairs. He has been a member of the city council of St. Peter, serving as its president for a couple of years; -was a member of the congressional committee of his district for several years; has been a delegate to numerous Republican conventions; was elected to the state senate in 1894; and in 1897 President McKinley appointed him collector of customs. He has also been a member of the board of .trustees of the State Hospital for the Insane, having been appointed by Gov. Merriam and Gov. Nelson, and was a member of the board of directors and treasurer of Gus tavus Adolphus College for several years. Peterson is a member of the Swedish Lutheran church; and was mar ried in 1873 to Fredrika Elisabeth Lundberg. They have several children. Peterson, J. W., state senator — Vasa — born 30 Mar., 1838, in Smaland, Sweden. At the age of eighteen he came with . his parents to this country; they settled in Chisago county, Minn., where young Peterson worked on the family homestead until 1862, when he enlisted in company I of Sixth Minnesota Volunteers. He served against the Indians in Minnesota and Dakota; was promoted to the 474 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. rank of sergeant; honorably discharged in 1865, and has ever since farmed at Vasa. Peterson was in the state senate during the sessions of 1873-74, in the lower branch of the legislature in 1885, and again in the senate in 1891- 93; besides, he has held several local offices. The general opinion is that he is one of the most influential Scandina vian legislators of Minnesota. Peterson is a Republican and a Lutheran, and was married in 1868 to Carrie John son, who is twelve years his junior. Pettersen, Wilhelm Mauritz, educator and poet — Min neapolis — born 17 Dec, 1860, in Mandal, Kristiansand stift, Norway. His father -was a sea captain of German extraction, his mother belonged to the old Norwegian farmer stock. After having graduated from Mandal's middelskole, he, at the age of fifteen, went to sea; passed a first mate's examination; sailed as second mate, both on Norwegian and American vessels; and came to Minneapolis in 1882. Two years after his arrival he graduated from Augsburg Seminary, Minneapolis; afterwards studied Greek and English literature for a couple of terms at the Uni versity of Minnesota; and was appointed professor of history and mathematics of his alma mater in 1889. Pettersen is a poet of considerable repute, having inherited a poetical taste and ability from his mother, who wrote verses occasionally; a volume of his collected Nor wegian poems was published in 1891; and a drama, En Ny Slagt, appeared in 1895. It is generally admitted that Pettersen has written some excellent poetical productions. He has also considerable experience as a journalist, but his prose writings lack clearness and generalization. He is a BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 475 member of the Norwegian Lutheran Free Church, is a Democrat, has delivered campaign speeches throughout the state, and has a family. Petri, Carl J., clergyman— Minneapolis— born 16 June, 1855, in Rockford, 111. His parents came from Smaland, Sweden, to this country in 1852. They settled in Chicago, 111., but moved to Rockford two years later, where they have resided ever since. Petri received his early education in the parochial and public schools in Rockford. In 1871 he entered Augustana College, Paxton, 111., from which insti tution he was graduated in 1877, being therefore a member of the first class sent out from this institution, and has since received the degree of A. M. of his alma mater. He took special interest in languages and history, in which subjects he had the best standing in the college. Petri pur sued the study of the English language -with a view to become an educator in this branch, and when he came to Minneapohs in 1878, the board of directors of Augustana College advised him to continue his study of English with a view to teach it in that institution. He studied English and Anglo-Saxon at the University of Minnesota for one year; then went to Philadelphia, where he took charge of a Swedish Lutheran congregation; and attended for one year the University of Pennsylvania, taking a special course in history and English, also attending Dr. Krauth's lectures on philosophy. In 1880 he consented to be ordained. He remained in Philadelphia until 1884, when he became pro fessor of history at Gustavus Adolphus College, in which capacity he made an excellent record. In 1888 Petri accepted a call as pastor of the largest Swedish Lutheran 476 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. congregation in Minneapolis, where he has since resided. He was the originator and one of the chief leaders in the arrangement for the great celebration, in Minneapolis, in 1888, of the 250th anniversary of the landing of the Swedes in America in the 17th century. In 1893 he was one of the chief organizers of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Upsala Decree, being also the first one who translated said decree into English. Petri has been vice-president of the Minnesota Conference of the Swedish Augustana Synod for several years, and a member of the board of directors of Gustavus Adolphus College. In 1881 he, with others, started the Augustana Observer, the first English church paper among the Swedes in America. He has also been editor of an English Sunday-school paper belonging to the church. He was a member of the advisory council of the religious congress at the World's Fair in Chicago, in 1893; is a member of the Institute of Civics, and took a very active part in starting the Swedish hospital in Minneapolis, in 1898. Petri is a good speaker in both Swedish and English, and as an organizer and manager of church and social affairs, there are few of the ministers within the Augustana Synod that equal him. He was married in 1880 to Christine Andersson, of Dalarne, Sweden; the wedding ceremony being performed in the historical Old Swedes' Church, Philadelphia, Pa. They have several children. Petri, Gustave A., lawyer— Minneapolis— born 21 Sept., 1863, in Rockford, 111. His parents came from Smaland, Sweden, to Chicago in 1852, and moved to Rockford two years later, where they have resided ever since. He is a BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 477 brother to Rev. C. J. Petri. He studied at Gustavus Adol phus College, St. Peter, Minn., for a few years; then entered the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, graduating from the classical department of this institution in 1890, with the degree of A. B., and from the law department three years later, with the degree of LL. B. The year of 1891 he spent on the Pacific Coast, studying law most of the time at Seattle, Wash., in the office of Judge Green, ex-chief justice of the state of Washington. After having completed his legal education, he has successfully practiced his pro fession in Minneapolis, having won several important cases in the supreme court of the state. Petri is a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church, having taken active part in church and Sunday-school -work. Although not a pro fessional politician, he has always taken an active interest in politics, having always affiliated with the Republican party. In 1894 he was married to Ida M. Peterson, of Grove City, Minn., who had formerly attended Gustavus Adolphus College for several years, and studied music at the Royal Conservatory in Stockholm, Sweden, for two years; they have children. Railson, Andrew, state senator — Norway Lake — born 16 Aug., 1833, in Sigdal, Kristiania stift, Norway. He emi grated to this country at the age of seventeen; worked in the pineries and at other common labor in Green county, Wis., for about five years; visited his native country, and on his return located in Stillwater, Minn., working in the saw mills for a couple of years; then took a claim in Kandiyohi county, being one of the earliest settlers in this part of the country. At the time of the terrible Sioux 478 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Indian outbreak, in 1862, Andrew and his brother Even were among the bravest defenders of life and property; but nevertheless they were driven away from their homes by the fierce Redskins, and did not return until 1865. He has been county treasurer of Kandiyohi county for five years; was receiver of the U. S. land office at Redwood Falls from 1884-87; represented his district in the state legislature in 1871; served in the state senate during the sessions of 1872- 73, and has held various local offices. Andrew Railson, Jonas Lindall of Chisago county, and Ole Peterson of Pope county were the first Scandinavians who -were elected state senators in Minnesota; but many other Northmen, how ever, had served in the lower branch of the legislature ever since the state constitution -was adopted, in 1857. Railson -was again elected to the state legislature in 1892. In 1860 he was married to Bertha Johnson. They have children. Rast, Gustaf, clergyman — Red Wing — born 13 July, 1857, in Fristad, Vestergotland, Sweden. He emigrated to the U. S. in 1873, after having received a common school education in Sweden; attended the literary department of Augustana College for four years; and graduated from the theological department of this institution in 1884. For nearly three years he had charge of the Swedish Lutheran church at Stockholm, Wis., and has since 1887 been pastor in Red Wing. He has been secretary, vice-president, and treasurer of the Minnesota Conference of the Augustana Synod; served six years on the board of directors of Gus tavus Adolphus College, and has held the offices of secretary and president of said board; has during the biggest part of his ministry served in the executive committee of the con- BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 479 ference, and always taken an active part in the educational and missionary work of his church. In 1884 he was mar ried to Hanna Anderson, of Princeton, 111. They have several children. Reimestad, Theodor S., educator — Minneapolis — born 28 Apr., 1858, at Jaderen, Norway. He received a high school education in his native land; emigrated with his par ents to this country in 1872, coming directly to Iowa, where he attended the graded school at Ackley; continued his studies at Augsburg Seminary, Minneapolis, graduating, in 1880, from the college department, and in 1883 from the theological department; was pastor of churches in Dane and Green counties, Wis., for two years; and in 1885 settled down to his life-work, accepting a position as professor at his alma mater, his chief subjects being the history of Nor wegian and Danish literature and Latin. Reimestad has for years taken great interest in temperance work, having lectured very extensively on total abstinence and prohibition in the Northwest as well as written considerably on the same subjects. He is also one of the most widely known Scandinavian tenor singers in America, and is instructor in vocal music at the seminary. He was the originator and organizer of the Norwegian Lutheran Singers' Union, being its first president and later on its director-in-chief. He has published Kampmelodier, a collection of temperance songs and, in company with Rev. M. F. Gjertsen, Sangbogen, a huge collection of religious songs, including some of Reime- stad's best efforts as composer and writer of songs. In 1888 he organized the Augsburg Quartette, which devoted four seasons to the cause of total abstinence and prohibi- 480 HISTORY OF THE SCANDDJAYIANS IN THE U. S. tion, traveling through several northwestern states; for years was president, and in 1895 secretary, of the Minnesota Total Abstinence Association; and has been president of the Total Abstinence Congress since it was organized. In 1888 the Prohibitionists nominated him for lieutenant-governor. Reimestad has made two noted trips to Norway. In 1895 he went there upon invitation and gave a series of success ful temperance concerts in the cities; and in 1898 he, in com pany with Rev. Gjertsen, spent most of the summer in sing ing and preaching to large audiences in all the large cities and most of the principal towns. Rice, Albert E„ lieutenant-governor — Willmar — born 1847, in Vinje, Kristiansand stift, Norway. He received a common school education in his native country, emigrated to the U. S. in 1860, and settled in Wisconsin. At the out break of the Civil War he enlisted in the famous Fifteenth Wisconsin Regiment of Volunteers, better known as the Scandinavian Regiment; was -wounded in his left hand at the battle of Ne-w Hope Church; settled in Minneapolis after the war; but moved to Willmar in 1870, to engage in gen eral merchandise; and has later also become interested in banking. Rice represented a Minneapolis district in the state legislature in 1870, served in the state senate during the sessions of 1874-75 and 1878-85, and was lieutenant- governor from 1887-91. Rice was a delegate to the con vention in Philadelphia, which nominated Grant for presi dent in 1872, and was appointed a member of the board of regents of the University of Minnesota in 1897. His long and honorable legislative career has largely been devoted to measures opposing railroad and elevator monopolies, for A. E. EICU, WILLMAR. PROF. J. B. FRICH, HAMLINE. REV. T. JOHNSEN, NORSELAND. PROF. H. G. STUB, HAMLINE. PR0F. J. YLVISAKER, EOBBINSDALB. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 481 the protection of the farmers against the ravages of the grasshoppers, and for the taxation of telegraph and tele phone companies. As a parliamentarian, Rice has few, if any, equals in the state. He is a Republican. Rice is mar ried to a Swedish lady, -who possesses considerable literary ability. Their son, Cushman A. Rice, was born in Willmar March 15, 1878. He graduated from Willmar high school at the age of sixteen; entered the State University one year later; enlisted as first lieutenant in company D of Fifteenth Minnesota Volunteers at the outbreak of the Spanish War in 1898; was mustered out with his regiment in the spring of 1899; and shortly after President McKinley appointed him first lieutenant, assigning him to the Thirty-fourth U. S. Infantry. Since he has been promoted captain of com pany M, of the above mentioned regiment, and served in the Philippine Islands since the fall of 1899. Rice is probably the only Scandinavian-American who ever held the high rank of captaincy at the early age of twenty-one. Ringnell, Carl John, physician and surgeon — Minne apolis—born 3 June, 1864, in Vissefjerda, Smaland, Sweden. After having attended school for five years, he, at the age of eighteen, emigrated to this country; attended Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn., for three years, and graduated from the medical department of the University of Minnesota in 1891; has also been studying at the principal hospitals in Europe. Ringnell has gained the confidence of the people and has a very large practice; has been appointed attending physician at the Free Dispensary, which is a part of the University of Minnesota, and the Nurses' Training School; is a member of the Minnesota Medical Society, and 482 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. of the American Medical Association. In 1896 he took a post graduate course at Tulane University, New Orleans, La., and has traveled extensively in Mexico and Central America. In 1891 he was married to Carrie Morris Wilkins, of New York City, she being a grand niece of Gov. Morris, who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Indepen dence. They have one daughter. Roos, Oscar, pioneer and county official — Taylor's Falls —born 1827, in Skara, Sweden; died 1896. He crossed the Atlantic ocean in 1850, being therefore one of the earliest Swedish emigrants in this country. He lived the first sum mer at Rock Island, 111. In October, 1850, he, together with two other Swedes, and upon the advice of the well- known Rev. Unonius, moved to Minnesota and took a claim where Marine, Washington county, is now located. This was the first Scandinavian settlement in the state. After having resided at Marine and worked in the pineries for ten years, Roos in 1860 moved to Taylor's Falls. He was register of deeds of Chisago county from 1860-70, receiver of the U. S. land office from 1870-75, and county treasurer from 1875-83. He has always taken an active part in public affairs and been deeply interested in every thing pertaining to the welfare of Chisago county, in which he was the first Scandinavian who held an office, as well as the first Scandinavian settler. Roos was married to Hanna Swanstrom in 1870. Rosing, August G., secretary of the Minnesota Scandina vian Relief Association of Red Wing— Red Wing — born 1 Sept. , 1822, in Ljungby, Vestergotland, Sweden. He received a good education in his native land, was bookkeeper in a gov- BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 483 ernment office in Stockholm from 1844-48, then followed the same profession in Skane, until he emigrated to America in 1868. He came directly to Goodhue county, Minn., where he rented a farm, and farmed until he accepted his present posi tion in 1888. He has been county commissioner for several years, and has held various local offices. Rosing was mar ried in 1851. He has children. Rosing, L. A., chairman of the state central committee of the Democratic party — Cannon Falls— born 29 Aug., 1861, in Malmo, Sweden. He is the son of A. G. Rosing, in Red Wing; came with his mother to this country in 1869; received a common school education in Goodhue county; worked on his father's farm until the age of twenty; then clerked in stores in Cannon Falls; and since 1888 has been conducting a shoe store of his own in that city. In the campaign of 1890 he began to take an active part in politics, and in the course of the next ten years he distinguished him self as a very able organizer, holding different positions in the Democratic organization; among which may be men tioned that of member of the congressional committee in 1892, candidate for state senator in 1894, and chairman of the state central committee since 1896. He conducted the campaigns of 1896 and 1898 with great ability, and it was largely through his masterly management that the Fusion forces succeeded in electing John Lind as governor in 1898, the first anti- Republican governor in the state of Minnesota for forty years. Gov. Lind appointed him his private secre tary in 1899. Rosing was married to May B. Season, an American lady, in 1886. They have children. Sandberg, G. P., dentist— St. Paul— born 17 Feb., 1861, 484 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. at Saltkalla, Vestergotland, Sweden. At the age of twelve he came to this country, directly to St. Paul, Minn., to join his father, who had emigrated before. He received a common school education in his native country, studied dentistry in a private office in St. Paul, and has since 1885 successfully practiced his profession in that city. For years he has been the only Swedish dentist in St. Paul. In 1899 he formed a partnership -with Dr. L. R. Hoelzle. They employ several assistant dentists. Sandberg belongs to ten different secret societies, and has taken the highest degree in Freemasonry. He was married in 1888 to Margarete E. Moran, an Ameri can lady. They have children. Sandberg, J. H., botanist and physician — Minneapolis —born 24 July, 1846, in Broby, Skane, Sweden. He received a college education in Lund, and studied pharmacy in his native land; came to this country in 1868; lived in Michigan for a while; located in Minneapolis in 1887. Sandberg studied medicine in this country, but he is better known as a botanist than as a physician, having for a few years been employed by the United States as botanical collector on the Pacific Coast. He already ranks among the leading botanists of the country. Sandberg has discovered several new plants, to which he, according to a universal custom among scientists, has given his name. He is married, and has a married daughter. Saugstad, Christian, clergyman— Crookston— born 13 June, 1838, in Ringsaker, Kristiania stift, Norway; died 1897. In 1850 his father emigrated to the United States and settled in Vernon county, Wis.; the following year the mother and her two younger children crossed the Atlantic BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 485 to join her husband, leaving young Saugstad, his two. brothers, and one sister in their native land to take care of themselves, but if possible to follow their parents. After having lived in Kristiania for three years, he secured an opportunity to work his way across the ocean; landed at the age of sixteen in Quebec, Canada, and followed the rest of the passengers to Milwaukee, Wis., where he, on account of being short of funds, was left alone on the pier among strangers, with only ten cents in his pocket. But after having worked for three months in Milwaukee he was able to start on his journey towards his parents, and his mother died three days after his arrival. By working on farms in the summers and in the pineries during the -winters, he soon bought a farm of his own; but finally entered Augsburg Seminary, Marshall, Wis., and was ordained in 1872. Saugstad commenced his first pastoral work in Douglas and adjoining counties, Minnesota, having charge of a large field, and resided at Holmes City for eight years; then moved to Polk county, ard settled in Crookston in 1886. Until the union of the different Norwegian churches he belonged to the Norwegian-Danish Conference, of which he was vice-president from 1886-90. In the early nineties he established a Norwegian colony in Bella Coola, B. C, where he died. In 1893 he published a brief history of Augsburg Seminary. He was married twice, and had eleven children. Searle, Olaf 0., emigration agent and banker— Minneapolis —bom 23 June, 1859, in Fredrikshald, Norway. He came to America in 1881. In the fall of the same year he began work in the emigration department of the St. Paul, Minne apolis and Manitoba Railway, remaining there till 1883, 486 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. when together with A. E. Johnson he opened business as emigration agent. This firm, known as A. E. Johnson and Company, is now doing a very extensive business in the sale of passage tickets for the various steamship companies, and also in the sale of lands. The firm has offices in New York City, Boston, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Duluth, Tacoma, and Seattle. Searle is also one of the directors of the Scandina vian American Bank in Tacoma, and vice-president of the Scandinavian American Bank in Seattle; owns considerable farm lands in central Minnesota and other real property in Western cities, notably at Little Falls, Minn. Ever since the partnership -was formed, he has been the manager of the Northwestern headquarters of the firm's business, and has taken an active part in public and financial matters, espe cially those in which the Scandinavians have been interested. He located in Minneapolis in 1898, but in the summer lives at Lake Minnetonka, -where he owns a fine house and 125 acres of land on Big Island, being one of the finest places on the lake. Searle was married in 1887 to Dagmar John son. They have one child. Sbaleen, John, state senator — Lindstrom — born 15 Nov., 1835, near Vexio, Sweden. He received a common school education in his native country, and has since been an extensive reader. His parents and the whole family emi grated to the U. S. when he was twenty years of age; they settled at Chisago Lake, Minn., where both John Shaken and his brother Peter— who died in 1898, and was one of the leading men in that part of the country — worked on the family homestead until the outbreak of the Civil War, when John Shaleen enlisted in company I of the Sixth BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 487 Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. For some time he served against the Indians on the western frontier of Min nesota; then was on duty in the South, fighting against the Confederates at Spanish Fort and at Fort Blakeley in Alabama. At the end of the war he returned to his farm; was sheriff of Chisago county from 1870-76; represented his district in the state senate during 1878-86;and has been judge of probate since 1888. He is an independent Republi can and a Lutheran, and one of the first Swedish settlers in the state of Minnesota, having passed through the usual hard ships incidental to pioneer life. He is considered to have been one of the most influential Scandinavian legislators in the state; public economy has been his hobby. He was married to Annie S. Stendahl in 1869; they have several children, all of -whom have received a liberal education. Sjoblom, P., clergyman— Fergus Falls — born 17 Mar., 1834, in Snostorp, Halland, Sweden. He came to this country in 1866; was ordained the same year; had charge of a Swedish Lutheran congregation in Indiana for a couple of years; settled in Red Wing, Minn., in 1869; and moved to Fergus Falls in 1886. Since 1895 he has been located at Wakefield, Neb. Sjoblom has been vice-president and secre tary of the Augustana Synod, and served on various legal and constitutional committees. He has been the parlia mentarian of the synod, and one of the most influ ential among the Swedish-American Lutheran ministers, and has for years been associate editor of Skaffaren. He was married in 1855, and has children. Skaro, J. G., physician and surgeon — Minneapolis — born 10 Jan., 1859, in St. Peter, Minn. He is the son of 488 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Captain A. K. Skaro, who was bom in Hallingdal, Norway, 4 June, 1829, came to the United States in 1846, and was killed at Nashville, Tenn., in 1865. Captain Skaro served in the United States army as a private at Fort Snelling from 1847-52, then settled at St. Peter, and enlisted in the Union army in 1862, being one of the few Scandinavians from Minnesota who rose to a higher position in the army dur ing the Civil War. Young Skaro received a high school education in his native city, graduated from a medical col lege in Keokuk, Iowa, in 1880, studied medicine also in Louisville, Ky., in 1884-85, and attended the Post Graduate Medical College, New York City, in 1890. Skaro has prac ticed his profession in Minneapolis since 1880, having been exceptionally successful, especially in handling difficult female diseases. Indeed, in this line of practice he has few equals or superiors in the Northwest. Two of his brothers are also practicing medicine in Minneapolis. In 1890 he -was married to Olive Stewart, of Nova Scotia. Skogsbergh, Erik August, clergyman — Minneapolis- born 30 June, 1850, at Elga, Vermland, Sweden. His father was a nail manufacturer, his mother a farmer's daughter. Young Skogsbergh attended the public schools until twelve years of age; studied three years at a college at Arvika; took charge of his father's affairs and did a large business in Norway and S-weden; became interested in a religious movement; attended for a while a missionary school in Kristinehamn, with the intention to prepare to go as a missionary to Africa; entered a missionary school in Smaland; and studied privately for four years at Jonkoping, with the purpose of entering the theological department in O O. SEARLE, MINNEAPOLIS. A. B. DARELIUS, MINNEAPOLIS. C. O. A.OLSON, MINNEAPOLIS. J. A. PETERSON, MINNEAPOLIS. G. A. PETRI, MINNEAPOLIS. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 489 the University of Upsala; but instead accepted a call to Chicago, at the age of twenty-six. Skogsbergh traveled as a missionary throughout Vermland, Smaland, and Vester gotland, preaching often in the open air to large crowds. In Sweden he -was still a member of the Lutheran church, and his work was a kind of mission inside of the state church. Since, however, this movement has been separated from the Lutheran church both in this country and in Sweden. The organization of which he is a member is called the Swedish Mission Covenant of America, and its church government resembles that of the Congregational ists; but the mode of worship is more like that of the Methodists. Skogsbergh remained in Chicago for seven years, built a large church -with a seating capacity of 1,500, preached in several other places, and conducted revival meetings among his countrymen throughout the Western states. Since 1884 he has resided in Minneapolis, and erected the Swedish Tabernacle, which has a seating capacity of 3,000, and is the largest church building in Min neapolis. The membership is about 400, yet the audi torium is often crowded with people. For a number of years he has also been editor of a Swedish newspaper in Minne apolis. In 1879 he was married to Time S. Peterson of Chicago. They have several children. Skordalsvold, John J., journalist — Minneapolis— born 29 Oct., 1853, in Meraker, Trondhjem stift, Norway. He came with his parents to this country in 1869, directly to Goodhue county, Minn., but the family moved to Todd county the following year. Young Skordalsvold cleared his father's farm; graduated from the literary department 490 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. of Augsburg Seminary in 1881, and from the University of Minnesota seven years later; then studied over a year at the University of Berlin, Germany, making his own way through school; taught some in Augsburg Seminary; was editor of Folkebladet in 1883; is known as an active and earnest temperance worker, and lost considerable money a few years ago in connection -with the Scandinavian coffee house which he organized in Minneapolis; has served for many years as secretary of the Minnesota Total Abstinence Asssociation and as superintendent of the educational de partment of the Total Abstinence Congress; and has made greater sacrifices for the cause of temperance than any other Norwegian born person in the state. For some ten years he was connected, both as principal and as teacher, with the public evening schools of the city, and has for several years been a contributor to many Nor-wegian- Amer ican and English newspapers and magazines. He is a mem ber of the Unitarian church, and a Prohibitionist. Skor dalsvold was married to Anne Romundstad in 1890. She is one of the few women -who write for the Norwegian- American press. Skordalsvold has children. Smith, Charles A., lumber manufacturer — Minneapolis — born 11 Dec, 1852, in Boxholm, Ostergotland, Sweden. He came with his father, who was a soldier in the Swedish army for a third of a century, to the United States at the age of fifteen, and settled in Minneapolis, Minn. He received a common school education, both in Sweden and here, then attended the University of Minnesota for one year, being one of the first Swedes who attended that institution. He received his business training in ex-Gov. J. S. Pillsbury's BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 491 hardware store in Minneapolis, where he worked for five years; then, in company with his former employer, built an elevator at Herman, Minn., remaining there until 1884, when he returned to Minneapolis. Smith has since been extensively engaged in the manufacturing of lumber; besides, he owns lumber yards in several places in North Dakota; and is one of the directors of the Swedish-American National Bank in Minneapolis. "Smith is the coming man among the Swedes," said a prominent business man during the National Republican convention at Minneapolis in 1892. But it is doubtful whether Smith has any political aspirations. He is a business man, and as such not many Scandinavian- Americans in the country are his equals. Smith is a Republican, and was one of the presidential electors of his party in 1896; but his extensive business interests prevent him from taking an active part in politics, except as counsellor, and as such he is undoubtedly one of the most influential Swedes in the state. His active co-ope ration in nearly every movement calculated to benefit his countrymen or the public at large has made Smith's name honored and respected far beyond the limits of his home city. But the noiseless assistance which he has bestowed upon poor people and young men endeavoring to start in life, has, perhaps, even been greater than his public gener osity. Smith's great popularity and success may be due to his liberality, economy, good judgment, keen understand ing of human nature, or to that unknown something often called luck. In all probability Smith does not know him self. Mankind generally calls such men well balanced. Smith deserves that distinction. He is a prominent member 492 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. of the English Lutheran church, and has been treasurer of the English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of the Northwest for several years. Johanna Anderson, a daughter of Olof Ander son, a riksdagsman from Sweden, and one of the early settlers in Carver county, became Smith's wife in 1878. They have several children. Soderstrom, Alfred, newspaper manager— Minneapolis —born 1848, in Stockholm, Sweden. After having received a good education in his native city, he, at the age of twenty- one, emigrated to this country; resided in Chicago for two years; then moved to Minneapolis, Minn., where for some time he was a teacher in Barnard Business College. Later he associated himself -with Col. Mattson as general man ager of Minnesota Stats Tidning; but when this paper was sold to a syndicate composed of Swedish Lutherans, Soderstrom retired and became the chief promoter in organizing a stock company which commenced to publish Svenska Folkets Tidning in 1881, and of -which he -was business manager up to 1899. Since he has been preparing a Swedish history of Minneapolis, which he should be able to make very thorough and complete, as he has resided in that city for nearly thirty years, and has participated in all the leading events pertaining to the Scandinavians in that place. He was nominated for county treasurer of Henne pin county in 1892, and was the only Republican candidate in the county that -was defeated; the general opinion was that he had been knifed by the political bosses. He is married. Sohlberg, Olof, physician and surgeon — St Paul — born 6 July, 1859, in Ostersund, Sweden. After receiving a col- BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 493 lege training in his native country, Sohlberg emigrated to America with his parents in 1879; spent one year at Gus tavus Adolphus College, and then entered Minnesota Col lege Hospital (now the medical department of the state university) at Minneapolis; graduated from this institution after three years of study, receiving first prizes for the best examinations in pathology, medical and surgical dentistry, and clinical medicine. Sohlberg was the first foreign-born that graduated as a medical doctor in Minnesota. Since 1884 he has successfully practiced his profession in St. Paul. During the years of 1890-91 Sohlberg traveled abroad for study and observation of treatment in the European hospitals, making surgery and diseases of women his special study. He is a member of Ramsey County Medical Society and of Minnesota State and American medical associations. He is also member of the medical and surgical staff of Bethesda Hospital. He is a member of the board of directors of Gustavus Adolphus College, and takes an active part in church and public affairs. Sohlberg was married in 1886 to Helvina A. Wold. They have children. Solem, A., journalist — Fergus Falls— born 27 April, 1850, near Trondhjem, Norway. He graduated from Klabo seminary, near Trondhjem, in 1870. After five years spent in teaching school in the northern part of Norway, he attended the polytechnic school in Trondhjem three years. Solem came directly from Norway to Otter Tail county in 1879, and there commenced life as a carpenter. He soon learned the type-setting business and worked on both Nor wegian and English papers. In 1884 he bought the Ferg us Falls Ugeblad, of which he is still editor and proprietor. 494 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Solem was an exponent of the principles of the People's party, but he did not endorse the methods of some of the leaders of the party. On the whole, his paper will gener ally be found on the side of fair play and justice whether it brings pecuniary returns or not. He is a member of the United Church. He was married to Marith Ronning in 1880. Sorensen, Sigvart, journalist — Minneapolis — born 18 Nov., 1849, in Kristiania, Norway. Attended a Latin school at Kristiania from 1861—66, then emigrated to this country -with his parents. Stayed in Chicago from 1866-68; in Madison, Wis., from 1868-70; and in La Crosse, Wis., from 1870-89, when he again removed to Chicago, where he stayed until 1891. Sorensen was elected city assessor of La Crosse for seven terms; has been connected with some newspaper or other since 1873; was for some time one of the editors of Norsk Maanedsskrift, published by Soren sen and Luth Jaeger; was editor of Norden, Chicago, from 1890-91; came to Minneapolis in 1891, becoming editor of Budstikken, now Minneapolis Tidende. Sorensen is an able and careful -writer, and in 1899 wrote a history of Norway in the English language, containing about 500 pages. He was married in 1873 to Hanna Husher, a daughter of F. A. Husher. They have two children. Stark, L. J., state legislator— Harris— born 29 July, 1826, in Lidkoping, Vestergotland, Sweden. He came to this country in 1850, settling at Galesburg, 111., where he remained about a year and a half; then moved to Chisago Lake, Minn. During the Civil War he was clerk in the quartermaster department in St. Paul. In 1864 Stark was BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 495 elected to the state legislature, and re-elected ten years later, being, therefore, the first Swede who served in that capacity in Minnesota, though several Norwegians had preceded him. He had been engrossing clerk in the house of representatives before his election to this body. Stark has held many local trusts in his county, is interested in mer chandising and farming, is a Lutheran in religion, and belongs to the Republican party. He has been married twice, and has grown children by both -wives. Steenerson, Halvor, lawyer and state senator —Crook ston — born 30 June, 1852, in Pleasant Spring, Dane county, Wis. His parents came from Norway in 1850, moved to Houston county, Minn., in 1853, and were therefore among the very earliest Norwegian settlers in Minnesota. Young Steenerson attended the high school at Rushford, Minn., worked on his father's farm, taught schoolfor several years, and graduated from Union College of Law in Chicago, in 1878. For two years he practiced his profession in Lanes- boro, Fillmore county, moved to Crookston in 1880, and has for years been considered as one of the ablest attorneys in the state, making criminal cases his specialty. He insti tuted, conducted, and won, on behalf of the farmers and grain shippers, the noted Steenerson grain case, which attracted national attention and resulted in state control and regulation of railroad charges on grain shipments. He was elected county attorney of Polk county in 1880, serving two years, and represented his district in the state senate during the sessions of 1883-85. During his legislative career he took special interest in securing the establishment of rail road warehouses and the regulation of the same. He is a 496 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Republican, -was his party's delegate to the national conven tion in Chicago, in 1884, -which nominated Blaine for the presidency, and also to the convention at -which Harrison was nominated four years later. Steenerson has been city attorney, and a member of the city council and board of education; is vice-president of Scandia American Bank of Crookston, member of the I. 0. 0. F., and a Lutheran. In 1878 he was married to Mary Christopherson; they have two children. Stockenstrom, Herman, journalist— St. Paul— born 13 Mar., 1853, in Stjernsund, Dalarne, Sweden. His ancestors belonged to a noble family of Sweden, and he has inherited a great deal of property. He received a college education in Falun, afterwards attended Stockholm's gymnasium and Schartau's commercial college, in Stockholm. In 1874 he went as a sailor to Philadelphia; studied for a couple of years at Augustana College, where he also taught, both in the college and privately; was editor of Skandia in Moline, 111., for about one year; and came to St. Paul, Minn., in 1877. For two years Stockenstrom attended the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, then accepted a position as editor of Skaffaren; but when this paper and the Minne sota Stats Tidning were consolidated in 1882, he became both editor and manager, a position which he exchanged in 1884 for another of the same kind as the northwestern editor of Hemlandet, which position he held for eleven years. He has taken a great deal of interest in politics; has been a delegate to several state and county conventions- was a strong candidate for the office of secretary of state in 1886, but retired in favor of his personal friend, Col. Matt- C. A. SMITH, MINNEAPOLIS. HERMAN STOCKENSTROM, ST. PAUL. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 497 son, by whom he -was twice appointed assistant secretary of state; and was twice appointed by Brown to the same position. During more than a decade Stockenstrom worked faithfully for the Republican party as a campaign speaker; but in recent years he has not devoted much time to political questions. Ernst Skarstedt, in his admirable book, Svensk-Amerikanska Poeter, says: "Stockenstrom is an excellent orator and declaimer, and a poet of more than ordinary talent." As a newspaper correspondent he has contributed many articles to several of the leading Swedish- American papers, and is as familiar with the English lan guage as with his native tongue. Since 1895 he has been a member of the editorial staff of Svenska Amerikanska Posten in Minneapolis. His poem, Det Nya Modersmalet, is an excellent illustration of how the Swedish language, as used in this country, becomes mixed with English words supplied with Swedish endings. Stockenstrom is a member of the English Lutheran church, is one of the most popular Swedes in Minnesota, and was married in 1881 to Anna Maria Nelson, of St. Paul, Minn. Stub, Hans Gerhard, educator— Hamline— born 23 Feb., 1849, in Muskego, Racine county, Wis. His parents are Norwegians, his father being the well-known Rev. H. A. Stub, pastor in the Norwegian Lutheran Synod. In 1866 he graduated from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa; in 1869 he graduated with distinction from Concordia College, Fort Wayne, Ind., and in 1872 from the Concordia Theological Seminary at St. Louis. He was ordained a minister the same year and accepted a call from a Norwegian Synod con gregation in Minneapolis, Minn., serving this congregation 33 498 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. till 1878, when he became professor of theology in Luther Seminary, Madison, Wis. Of this institution Stub was president from 1879-88, when he resigned from the presi dency on account of ill health, but for many years retained the professorship; then -was clergyman in Decorah for a few years, and returned to Luther Seminary in 1899. The North says: "The entire Norwegian Lutheran Synod in this country recognizes Prof. Stub as its ablest and most erudite scholar in his special branch of study. His learning is of a high order, and in addition he is a man of the high est personal attainments." He has been married twice, and his second wife is the noted musician Valborg Hovind Stub, editor of Songs from the North. Sverdrup, Georg, educator— Minneapolis— born 16 Dec, 1848, in Balestrand, Bergen stift, Norway. He received a careful training at home, graduated with the highest honors from the classical department of a Latin school in Kristiania at the age of seventeen, and completed his theological course at the University of Norway in 1871. He had made a special study of the Oriental languages during his school career, and after his graduation he spent considerable time in Paris, France, for the purpose of further investigating his specialty. For years the Norwegian Lutheran church in this country had suffered from many severe storms, bitter dis putes had prevailed and rent the church asunder. At last, in 1870, the Norwegian-Danish Conference was organized— an event which forms an epoch in the history of the Nor wegian churches in America. The Conference, of which the well-known Rev. C. L. Clausen was the first president, began at once the erection of Augsburg Seminary in Minneapolis, BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 499 Minn. When it was completed, Sverdrup received a call to become professor of theology. He accepted, and arrived at his destination and entered upon his new duties in 1874; two years later Prof. A. Weenaas resigned from his position as theological instructor and president of the institution. Sverdrup succeeded him in the presidency, and under his able management Augsburg Seminary has in about twenty- five years become one of the foremost Scandinavian educa tional institutions in America. When the Conference, in 1890, was merged into the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America, Sverdrup was again chosen president of Augsburg Seminary. When the United Church withdrew its support from Augsburg Seminary in 1893, Sverdrup remained at the head of the institution during the years of bitter struggle in which the United Church in vain tried to obtain possession of the school. When finally the matter was amicably settled in 1898 by a division of the property of the seminary between the United Church and the Augs burg Seminary corporation, this important settlement was due in part to the pronounced stand taken by Sverdrup against lawsuits in connection with the affairs of the church. Rev. J. C. Jensson in American Lutheran Bio graphies says: "He is a nephew of ex-minister Johan Sverdrup, for many years premier of Norway, and his father was a noted minister in the state church and a member of the Storthing of his native country. Born of illustrious parentage, endowed with rare mental qualities, thoroughly educated, and having inherited no small degree of the family characteristics which have made the name so prominent, Sverdrup possesses in an eminent degree the conditions for 500 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. being a leader among the Norwegian Lutherans in this country." Sverdrup has been married twice: in 1874 to Katharine E. Heiberg, who died thirteen years later, and in 1890 to Elsie S. Heiberg, a 3'ounger sister of his first wife. He has had children by both wives. Swainson, John, pioneer — St. Paul — born 1816, in Stockholm, Sweden; died 1890. He graduated from the University of Upsala; emigrated to the U. S. in 1848; settled in 1854 at Chisago Lake, Minn., -where he farmed for a while, then moved to St. Paul. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was appointed quarter-master, with major's rank; and -was stationed at St. Louis, Mo., remaining there until the war ended. From 1871-76 he was employed as gener al land agent for the Great Northern R. R., residing in St. Paul; farmed for a couple of years at Hallock, Minn.; returned to St. Paul, where he was engaged in the real estate business until he -was accidentally killed by a street car. The general opinion is that Swainson left a mysterious his tory behind him in Sweden; yet he was the leader of several farmers who emigrated at the same time as he did. This open way of leaving his native country would hardly have been possible if he had been a criminal. But -whatever might have been his career in Europe, here he became widely and most favorably known, especially among the Swedes. He was a friend to the poor people, and his wealth was often invested, with little or no security, for the benefit of needy Swedes. He quite frequently was the orator at festi vals, and contributed extensively to the best Swedish and English periodicals, but many of his so-called literary pro ductions were plagiarized. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 501 Sward, P. J., clergyman— St. Paul— bom 1 April, 1845, in Styra, Ostergotland, Sweden. At the age of twenty-three he graduated from Johannelund mission institute in Stock holm. This school has special royal privileges, and gradu ates from there may, after being examined, be ordained as ministers of the foreign missions and seamen's missions in foreign ports. He served one year as assistant minister in Ostergotland; went to Constantinople, Turkey, in 1869, as chaplain of the Swedish-Norwegian legation and missionary for the Scandinavian seamen; remained there four years, visited Egypt and Palestine, and for sometime was chaplain of the German embassy; came from Turkey to New York to take charge of the Scandinavian seamen's mission, and while there organized the first Swedish Lutheran church in Brooklyn, in 1874; went to Baltimore in 1877 to organize a Scandinavian seamen's mission; but on account of ill health accepted, the following year, a call to Vasa, Minn., where he remained for eight years, then moved to St. Paul. Sward was president of the Minnesota Conference for two years and vice-president for six years; -was theological professor in Augustana College, Rock Island, 111., during the school year of 1888—89, but not desiring to leave his work in St. Paul unfinished, he resigned; was elected vice-president of the Augustana Synod in 1889; and served as president of the synod from 1891 to 1899. The Augustana College and Theological Seminary conferred the degree 'of doctor of divinity on Sward in 1894, and the same year he was creat ed commander of the order of the North Star, second class, by King Oscar. II. of Sweden. For several years he was one of the editors of Skaffaren; served a congregation in 502 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVAINS IN THE U. S. Omaha, Neb., from 1894 to 1899; and at the latter date entered the service of the state church of his native land. Sward ranks high as a pulpit orator. Some of his ser mons, especially those delivered at gatherings of clergymen and theological students, were masterpieces. His mild, somewhat humorous, temper, his' conscientious attention to the duties imposed upon him, his great knowledge of the -world, his clear understanding of human nature, made him an exceptionally able president in a free church. The -whole bearing of the man was democratic, and it is claimed that he returned to Sweden principally because a position there offered more time for contemplation and rest and a safer livelihood in old age than it is possible to secure here. Sward himself said that he returned partly because he desired to leave the direction of the Swedish- American Lutheran church in younger and abler hands, which shows the modesty of the man. He was married to Selma Maria Thermaenius, of Sodermanland, Sweden, in 1872. They have six children. Swenson, John, state legislator and banker — Canby— born 1842, in Norway. He came to Minnesota in 1872, and has since been engaged in merchandising, milling, and banking. He owns several banks in the western part of the state; and is very liberal with his wealth, having in a quiet way assisted a host of needy people. He is married, and represented his district in the state legislature in 1883. Swenson, -Lars, state senator — Minneapolis — born 10 July, 1842, in Hallingdal, Norway. His great grandfather was a Scotchman. When fifteen years of age Swenson came with his parents to the United States; they settled in Nic ollet county, Minn., where he worked on the farm and BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 503 attended school. He studied for some time at Luther Col lege, and at the breaking out of the Civil War enlisted in the Second Regiment of Minnesota Volunteers. He was wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Chicamauga. After the -war he returned to Nicollet county, where he was clerk of court for four years. Swenson came to Minne apolis in 1879. He was treasurer of Augsburg Seminary for thirteen years, and has ever since 1879 been manager of the Augsburg Publishing House, and treasurer of the United Church since 1890. He was elected alderman in 1884, and served in the state senate in 1887—89. Swenson is a Repub lican and a widower. Swenson, L. S., educator and U. S. minister to Denmark —Albert Lea — born 12 June, 1865, in New Sweden, Nicollet county, Minn. His grandfather and father were natives of Hallingdal, Norway; both emigrated to the United States and settled in Nicollet county, Minn., in 1857. His father represented his district in the state legislature in 1887. Young Swenson entered St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn., at the age of fourteen; graduated from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, in 1886; then studied for some time at Johns Hopkins University, 'Baltimore. When Luther Acad emy, in Albert Lea, was opened in 1888, Swenson accepted the call as its principal, in which capacity he served until 1897. Ever since he located in Albert Lea, Swenson has taken an active part in politics. In some way or another he succeeded in being regularly sent as a delegate to county, congressional, and state conventions; stumped the state in favor of Knute Nelson as governor in 1892; was appointed a member of the board of regents of the State University in 504 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. 1895; and the next year was a delegate to the Republican convention at St. Louis, which nominated Wm. McKinley for president. Through the efforts of Knute Nelson more than on account of any diplomatic experience on the part of Swenson, he received the appointment as minister to Den mark in 1897. In 1887 he was married to Ingeborg Ode- gaard. They have two daughters. Sunwall, G. F., grain merchant— Minneapolis— born 11 April, 1852, in Oppeby, Ostergotland, Sweden. He received a college education in his native country, graduating from the elementarlarovark at Eksjo in 1867. Two years later he emigrated to America, coming directly to Carver county, Minn., and clerked in stores in Carver village for three years. Then started in business for himself at Wal nut Grove in 1873, which village he also founded at the same time. After having remained in the general mercan tile business at that place for a couple of years, he com menced to buy grain at different points along the Omaha R. R., which occupation he followed for about five years. In 1880 he returned to Carver, where he remained until 1885, engaged in the grain business. At the latter date Sunwall settled in Minneapolis, '-where he organized the Central Elevator Company, a quarter million dollars' con cern, of which he was manager for about ten years; then sold out his interest in said company, and started a large grain commission business in his own name in 1895. Sun wall is the only Swede in Minneapolis doing a grain com mission business, and is one of the leading business men of that nationality in the Northwest. In 1877 he was mar ried to Annie E. Kelly. REV. P. J. SWARD, ST. PAUL. PROF. M. WAHLSTROM, ST. PETER. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 505 Tharaldsen, Iver, clergyman— Madison— born 10 Nov., 1847, near Stenkjar, Trondhjem stift, Norway. He received a common school education; attended an agricultural col lege for a couple of terms; and went to the Lofoten Islands, where two clergymen gave him private instruction for a period of t-wo years. In 1870 he emigrated to America, and the next few years were devoted to studies as follows: at Marshall, Wis., for one year; at the University of Wis consin for one year; at the University of Minnesota and Augsburg Seminary for t-wo years; and he completed a theological course at the latter institution in 1874. During the next seven years he served a number of congregations in Otter Tail county, Minn., besides organizing several new churches in' the northwestern part of Minnesota. While laboring in this part of the country he at one time had charge of sixteen congregations, covering a district more than one hundred and fifty miles in length, which had to be covered either driving or on horseback. In 1881 he removed to Grand Forks, N. D., where he remained three years. Also here he worked as a missionary among the new settlers on the prairies in the surrounding country in Minnesota and Dakota, and organized a number of new congregations. His health being impaired by overwork, he sought a less laborious field of action, and in 1884 located at Chippewa Falls, Wis., -where he resided about fourteen years, having since resided at his present home. From 1886 to 1890 Tharaldsen was secretary of the Conference, and for some time served as secretary of the board of missions of said association. Since 1890 he and his congregations have belonged to the United Church. In the first part of 1896 506 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. he traveled extensively in the Rocky Mountain districts, Colorado and Utah, to recuperate after a long and severe siege of sickness of the preceding year. He -was married in 1876 to Caroline A. Engerud, of Racine, Wis., a sister of the wife of Prof. Peter Hendrickson; they have five children, and their oldest daughter and oldest son are graduates of the Chippewa Falls high school. Thompson, R. E., state senator and lawyer — Preston — born 7 Mar., 1857, in Fillmore county, Minn. His parents were Norwegians. He was educated in the common schools of Newburg, Minn.; in the Institute of Decorah, Decorah, Iowa; and in the State Normal School, Winona, Minn. After having taught school for some time, he commenced to study law; was admitted to the bar in 1881; served as deputy clerk of court for some time; represented his district in the state legislature during the sessions of 1883—85; and was in the state senate from 1895 to 1901, being one of the ablest and most influential members of that body. Thompson is a hard -worker; very independent, and as a consequence does not always follow the party -whip of the Republican bosses; and has a large legal practice. In 1884 he was married to Anna Thompson; they have two children. Thorpe, Lars O., banker and state senator— Willmar— born 24 Dec, 1846, in Ostenso, Hardanger, Norway. He came alone to the United States when not quite seventeen years old, having been a sailor a couple of years before. He worked on a farm during the summer, and attended school for a while during the winter at Jefferson Prairie, Wis.; went to Winona, Minn., in 1865, where for a couple of years he worked on farms and taught school. In 1867 BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 507 he visited his native land, bringing his sister and brother with him on his return; was a railroad contractor and printer in different places for a few years, but settled perma- nentlyin Kandiyohi county, Minn., in 1871, where he assisted in publishing a paper in Kandiyohi village ; and in the fall of that year moved to a farm located seven miles north of Willmar. For four years he worked on his farm, encounter ing many struggles and vicissitudes common to frontier life. In the fall of 1875 he was elected register of deeds, which position he filled for six years. His official duties requiring him to stay much of the time in the city, he found it neces sary to move from his farm and settle in Willmar, where he has ever since resided. In 1881 he accepted his present position as cashier of Kandiyohi County Bank. Thorpe is a Republican, was a presidential elector for his party in 1884, has been a member of the school board of Willmar for several years, is president of Willmar Seminary, has been president of the city council, represented his district in the state senate in 1895-7, and has held nearly every local office. He is a member of the Norwegian Synod, and is a temperance man, being one of the most active -workers in the religious, social reform, political, and financial move ments of the city and county, and takes more than ordi nary interest in the affairs of the state. In 1870 he was married to Martha Quale. They have several children. Thorson, A., pioneer and county official — Norseland — born 13 Feb., 1823, in Va, near Kristianstad, Sweden. He clerked for eleven years in Kristianstad and Solvesborg; emigrated in 1847, in company -with a couple of other young men, to this country, via France; it took them over 508 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. four months to reach Charleston, S. C, where the vessel, on account of being damaged, had to anchor, instead of at New York. He happened to have a letter of introduction to a Swedish merchant who had emigrated to the U. S. in his younger days, and was now an old man; but this mer chant had relatives who had settled in America in the eighteenth century, which goes to show that Swedish emi grants have in very early days crossed the Atlantic. In a short time Thorson and his companions started for New Orleans; here they ran short of money and food; but he soon secured a place as waiter in a hotel. In 1848 Thorson went to California, via Panama, working for his passage; at that time there -were only a few houses in San Fran cisco, and not a single one in Sacramento. After having dug gold for about three years and saved about $2,000, he returned to Sweden, via Nicaragua, Jamaica, Cuba, and Ne-w York. He farmed for two years in the vicinity of his birthplace; returned to America in 1855, being the leader of thirty emigrants who accompanied him to the New World, among others his wife's parents and other relatives. Thor son and his party examined different places, but soon set tled at Scandian Grove, Nicollet county, Minn., where they were the first Swedish settlers, though a few Norwegians had preceded them. Here he has farmed ever since, was register of deeds for four years, held various local offices, and has passed through many hardships incidental to pioneer life. In Sweden, in 1852, he married Anna Nelson; they have several children. Thygeson, N. M., lawyer— St. Paul— bora 11 Sept., 1862, in Martell, Pierce county, Wis. His parents came from the BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 509 northern part of Norway in the early forties. He grad uated from a normal school at River Falls, Wis., 1882, and from the scientific, metallurgical engineering, and modern classical courses, of the University of Wisconsin in 1885, completing his legal studies at the same institution a couple of years later. In 1888 Thygeson located in St. Paul, and is now considered to be one of the ablest Scandi navian lawyers in the Northwest. In 1891 he was married to Sylvie G. Thompson of St. Louis, Mo. They have children. Trandberg, P. C, clergyman— Minneapolis— born 18 Aug., 1832, in Bornholm, Denmark; died 1896. In his boyhood he attended school at his birthplace and at Ronne, and during the years 1846-51 pursued a course in the Latin school at Ronne, finally graduating with the highest honors. He con tinued his studies in Copenhagen and was graduated from the theological department of the university in 1858. Soren Kirkegaard, the philosopher and denunciator of "official Christianity," made a deep and lasting impression upon the mind of Trandberg, and the conversion which he experienced in 1858 made him wage -war against the easy-going life of the church people in his country. He was ordained for the ministry the same year, and began to serve congregations at Tjele and Vinge, Jylland; but he felt hampered by the rules and regulations of officialdom, and in 1860 he resigned his charge and returned to Bornholm, -where he spent eighteen years in the most intense religious work. Indeed, the stir that he made among the people of Bornholm in the early sixties made him famous throughout the Scandinavian coun tries. In 1863 he formally withdrew from the state church 510 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. and organized an independent congregation. This, however, was gradually torn to pieces by fierce internal contentions, and in 1878 he left his native island with a sad heart. He spent the next three years as itinerant preacher in Jylland, and emigrated to America in 1882. Though a Lutheran, but holding very liberal views, he was appointed theological professor at the Chicago Theological Seminary (Congrega tional) in 1885, but as he failed to bring any material addi tions to the Congregational church he was dismissed from that institution in 1890. An attempt made by him to estab lish an independent theological seminary did not prove a success, and it was abandoned in 1893. During the nineties Trandberg published Hyrderbsten, a religious periodical, and preached occasionally until his death. He spent the last two-and-half years of his life in Minneapolis. Trand berg was married in 1863. A bust has been raised to his memory at his birthplace, and in 1899 the Danish Lutheran church people in America -were raising money for another monument in his honor. Turnblad, Magnus, journalist— Minneapolis — born 28 Jan., 1858, in Vislanda, Smaland, Sweden. He came to this country -with his parents in 1868 and settled in Vasa, Good hue county, Minn., where he attended school for some time. He afterwards sought the more advanced educational insti tutions of Red Wing and St. Paul, always distinguishing himself as an excellent scholar. After completing his school work Turnblad established himself as a grocery merchant at Red Wing, continuing in business for ten years, when more ambitious plans induced him to move to Minneapolis. He again engaged in the grocery business in that city for some BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 511 years, and also identified himself with the Swedish weekly paper, Svenska Amerikanska Posten, oi which he became editor in 1889. This paper has, under the able management of his brother, S. J. Turnblad, met with an almost pheno menal success, having now the largest circulation of any Swedish paper in the country, although it is considerably younger than most of its colleagues, having been establish ed in 1885. This astonishing success is largely due to the skill and ability with which Magnus Turnblad is editing the paper. For years he has taken an active part in temper ance work. He has been married three times, his first wife leaving one daughter. Turnblad, Swan J., newspaper publisher — Minneapolis — born 7 Oct., 1860, in Vislanda, Smaland, Sweden. At the age of nine he came -with his parents directly from his native land to Vasa, Goodhue county, Minn. Here he attended the common schools and Lindholm's high school for several years, taught school for a couple of terms, and worked on his father's farm. When nineteen years of age he moved to Minneapolis, where he worked as typesetter on Minnesota Stats Tidning and Svenska Folkets Tidning for a few years. In 1887 he became manager of Svenska Ameri kanska Posten, which at that time had only 1,400 sub scribers and was financially in a bad condition; but under Turnblad's able management it has today, 1900, a circula tion of 40,000, having had, undoubtedly, taking into con sideration the time, the greatest success of any Swedish paper in America, as well as being the largest in size. It is independent in politics, and advocates temperance princi ples. Turnblad has for years taken an active part in tern- 512 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. perance work, having assisted in organizing several Scan dinavian temperance societies in Minneapolis and through out the state. For a couple of terms he was secretary of the grand lodge of I. 0. G. T., and also organized lodges in connection with this society in different parts of Minnesota. He was the chief promoter in organizing, in about 1880, the first Scandinavian temperance society in Minneapolis, which as an open and independent organization was the means of accomplishing a great deal of good. Already in his early age Turnblad showed that he possessed singular abilities. He learned to set type by himself, and published an arithme tic, all set by himself, when he was only 14-16 years of age. In 1883 he invented a secret letter writing machine, which he patented, and which has been largely sold all over the country. In 1892 he became interested in The North, of -which he was manager for a short time, and -was also man ager for Hemmet a couple of years. Turnblad is a member of the American Presbyterian church, and has taken the highest degrees in Freemasonry. He and his family made extensive European trips in 1895, 1897, and 1899. In the latter year Gov. John Lind appointed him a member of the board of managers of the State Reformatory at St. Cloud. At the age of twenty -two he was married to Christine Nel son, of Worthington, Minn. They have one daughter. Ueland, A., lawyer— Minneapolis— born 21 Feb., 1853, at Heskestad, Stavanger amt, Norway. His father was Ole Gabriel Ueland, -who was a member of the Norwegian Stor thing from 1833 till his death in 1870, and the recognized leader of the liberal party in Norwegian politics. In 1871 young Ueland emigrated to this country, coming directly to S. J. TURNBLAD, MINNEAPOLIS. C. J. JOHNSON, MINNEAPOLIS. PROF. G. JOHNSON, MINNEAPOLIS. DR. A. LIND, MINNEAPOLIS. J. TETERSON, ST. PETEE. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 513 Minneapolis, where for the following three years he worked hard at manual labor in the summer, and attended private school during the winter. He then began the study of law, and was admitted to the bar in 1877. In 1881 he was elected judge of the probate court, and has a very large law practice. Ueland was married to Clara Hampson in 1885. They have half a dozen children. Valder, Hans, state legislator and pioneer — Newburg— born 18 Oct., 1813, in Stavanger amt, Norway. His father was an officer in the army. Young Valder received a good common school education in his native country, and taught for a while in the public schools. At the age of twenty-four ' he came to the U. S.; the journey from Stavanger to New York on a sailing vessel took three months; resided in La Salle county, 111., for seventeen years; and for some time lived among the American Baptists at Indian Creek, 111., accepting the religious views of his associates in 1842. He was licensed to preach, and in a couple of years about twenty Norwegians in La Salle and Kendall counties were immersed, constituting a kind of society -without being regularly organized. Valder -was ordained in 1844, being undoubtedly the first Norwegian Baptist preacher in the United States, and for some time received a salary of $50 a year from the American Baptists and $13 from his country men. He worked at manual labor part of the time, and was soon compelled to quit preaching altogether in order to support his family. He organized a small party of emir grants who settled in 1853, at Newburg, Minn. — this being one of the first Norwegian settlements in the state — where he has ever since been engaged in farming and hotel keeping. 31 514 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Valder is not only one of the earliest settlers in the state of Minnesota, but is also one of the first Scandinavian emi grants who came to America in the nineteenth century. He has held a great many local public trusts, and represented his district in the lower branch of the state legislature in 1871. Valder is a life-long Republican; he voted for William H. Harrison as president of the U. S. in 1840 and for his grandson, Ben. Harrison, fifty-two years later. He has been married three times, namely, in 1835, 1845, and 1861; has had sixteen children; and in 1892 had over one hundred and fifty descendants, who resided in six different states of the Union. One of his sons is conducting a business college at Decorah, Iowa. Waerner, Ninian, poet and journalist— Minneapolis- born 12 Dec, 1856, in Norrkoping, Sweden. He received a college education in his native city, entered the University of Upsala in 1877, and passed his examination in philosophy three years later, but remained in the institution until 1883; then went to Berlin, Germany, to study esthetics, music, and the fine arts, remaining, however, only a short time. In 1884 Waerner emigrated to the United States; accepted a position in one of the orchestras in Chicago; afterwards became connected with newspapers, being on the editorial staff of Kurre and Kuriren; and was for one year editor- in-chief of Svenska Amerikanaren. He left Chicago in 1889 in order to take charge of Svenska Korresponden- ten in Denver, Col.; was from 1891 to 1894 editor of Fri sky t ten , an illustrated humorous j ournal published in Minne apolis, Minn.; then became connected with Svenska Ameri- kanska Posten; and settled in Motala, Sweden, in 1895. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 515 Ernst Skarstedt says that Waerner has a large stock of ideas and a remarkable ability to express his thoughts in a poetic form; that he is one of the most praductive of all Swedish-American poets; that all his poems are original, well written, and, like his prose writings, vary from the gravest to the most comical; that he is a gifted humorist who can write long editorial articles in a serio-comic way on the most insignificant subjects. Most of the Swedish- American critics will agree -with Skarstedt in placing Waer ner in the front rank as a poet and humorist. He has issued three small pamphlets, but most of his numerous produc tions have been published in some Swedish-American news paper. One of his poems was rewarded by the Swedish Academy in 1894, and Waerner is the only Swedish-Ameri can poet, with the exception of Magnus Elmblad, who has been recognized by that body. He is married and has chil dren. Wahlstrom, M., educator — St. Peter — born 28 Nov., 1851, in Gammalstorp, near Karlshamn, Sweden. When an infant of only three years of age, he came with his parents to this country; they lived in Chicago for a couple of years, and in other parts of Illinois until 1861, when they com menced to farm in Carver county, Minn. Young Wahlstrom received his elementary training at St. Ansgar's Academy — a Swedish school in Carver county, which later became Gus tavus Adolphus College; graduated from the literary depart ment of Augustana College in 1877, and from the theo logical department two years later. In 1886 his alma mater conferred upon him the degree of master of arts, and some years later that of doctor of philosophy. After his gradua- 516 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. tion he traveled for one year as missionary among the Indians, through Colorado, New Mexico, and Indian Terri tory; but his health failed, and Indian missionary -work proved to be impracticable, as far as the conversion of the natives to Lutheranism or any other Christian religion was concerned. In 1880 he accepted a call as professor at Gus tavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn., and the following year he became the president of this institution, which under his able management has prospered beyond expecta tion, having an average attendance of nearly 300 students, and employing sixteen instructors. Wahlstrom is a remark ably clear and forcible speaker, and -was married in 1879. Werner, Nils 0,, lawyer and banker— Minneapolis — born 19 Jan., 1848, in Fjelkestad, Skane, Sweden. Werner was graduated from a college in Kristianstad, in 1868, and, lacking the necessary means for pursuing his studies at the universities, he emigrated to America, -where his parents had already gone some time previously. He came directly to Princeton, 111., where his parents had settled. Here Werner remained for two years, studying law in private offices. In 1870 he moved to Red Wing, Minn., and was admitted to the bar the year following. Werner -was elected judge of probate in 1874, remaining in office for ten years; -was a member of the city council, and also member of the board of education in Red Wing. From 1886-88 he was member of the Republican state central committee. In 1888 Werner became cashier of the Swedish American Bank in Minne apolis, which had been organized shortly before by leading Swedes in the state, and was elected its president in 1 894. The great success with which this important financial BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN MINNESOTA. 517 undertaking has met is due in no small degree to Werner's able service. Werner is a Republican, and a member of the English Lutheran Church. He -was married in 1872 to Eva Charlotte Anderson. They have children, and one of their sons is practicing law in Minneapolis. Widstrand, Frans Herman, socialist— Litchfield— born 1824, in Stockholm, Sweden; died 1891. He received a careful education at the University of Upsala; was employed in the governmental department in Stockholm for a while; but his radical ideas soon made it impossible for him to retain such a position, especially as he began to publish an anarchical paper. In 1855 he emigrated to this country; resided for quite a long time in Minneapolis, Minn., and vicinity, then started a social community in Wright county. In this settlement all property -was common, all should work alike; no liquor, tobacco, meat, or -women were allowed in the community, -which was intended to be a heaven on earth, and in a certain sense it became a para dise, for no one worked. Such a gathering of idealists and idlers — not to say idiots — had soon to disband. A Yankee succeeded in securing the deed for all the property; Wid strand lost everything, and moved to Litchfield in 1880. Here he endeavored to avenge himself upon mankind by pub lishing Rothuggaren — a paper -which made -war upon re ligion, government, and the human race. He was one of the most eccentric Swedes in America, and possessed many noble qualities, but was so unpractical that he seemed insane. Ylvisaker, John, educator— Robbinsdale— born 24 April, 1845, in Sogndal, Bergen stift, Norway. After being con firmed Ylvisaker entered a teachers' seminary, and after 518 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. graduating served as teacher in the public schools of Nor way for a period of three years, studying during that time Old Norse, German, and English, with private tutors. In 1871 he emigrated to America, entering Luther College, from which institution he graduated three years later. In 1874 Ylvisaker began the study of theology at Concordia Seminary, and three years later became pastor of the Nor wegian Synod congregation at Zumbrota, Minn., where he remained till 1879. He was now called as professor of theology of Luther Seminary, and for the sake of further preparing himself for his duties as professor Ylvisaker, in 1881, made a trip to Europe, studying theology at the University of Norway, the University of Denmark, and the University of Leipzig, Germany, having received a stipend from the Norwegian Synod, to -which he belongs. He has been secretary of the faculty since 1882, and vice-president of the institution since 1896. Ylvisaker is considered to be one of the ablest Norwegian-American theologians. He -was married in 1877. Ytterboe, Halvor T,, educator— Northfield— born 25 Nov., 1857, near Calmar, Iowa. His parents came from Telemarken, Norway, in 1852. He worked on his father's farm nntil seventeen years of age; graduated from Luther College in 1881; studied for one year at the University of Iowa; became teacher in St. Olaf College in 1882, and for a number of years devoted his whole time as its financial sec retary; and it is claimed that the institution would have been financially crippled but for his success in securing vol untary subscriptions. He was married to Elise Amalia Kittilsby, of Calmar, la., in 1886. They have children. HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS AND SUCCESSFUL SCANDINAVIANS IN THE United States. VOLUME II. Compiled and Edited BY 0. N. NELSON. The Nationality of Criminal and Insane Persons in the United States. — BY — O. N. NELSON. I. Criminals. A high authority on mental and moral depravity has said that there are three classes of criminals : "First, those who are driven to crime by want or adversity ;' secondly, those -who have in their natures a taint of crime which may be corrected by favorable circumstances ; and, thirdly, those of radically bad organization." But as the present article is intended to deal principally with culprits as represented by the various nationalities in this country, it would be out of place to extensively discuss whether men become criminals by predestination or by their own choice. Yet, since each nationality and race has certain characteristics of virtue and vice — due, perhaps, mainly to climate, heredity, religious belief, and educational training — a careful examination of the proportionate number of convicts by nationalities, may serve as a key to arrive at the causes which lead people to commit offenses against the law. Such a test can more properly be made in this country because our population, as a whole, is undoubtedly more cosmopolitan than that of any 2 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. other part of the world. Each of the many and numerous foreign elements is, at least in the census reports, placed on an equal footing, and may justly be compared with each other as to their respective virtues and vices. But the differ ent governments of Europe pursue so many different meth ods in collecting and computing statistics, that a reliable comparison can not be made in regard to the amount of crimes committed by the people of each country. Deeds which one nation considers and punishes as a crime are no offense whatsoever in another country. But while a comparison of the foreigners in our land is perfectly proper, a comparison of them with the native-born Americans is not exactly fair. In the first place, the latter have become fully assimilated -with the climate and other physical, as well as intellectual and spiritual, conditions; and as a consequence they have had a much better chance to improve their moral and mental capacity than the foreign- born population. Secondly, nearly all the foreign-born are adults, while the native-born include, besides their own children, also the children of the foreign-born parents. This fact becomes very important when it is remembered that most crimes are committed by grown persons. As a conse quence, the comparison between the proportionate number of foreign-born and of native-born criminals, as given in most of the following statistical figures, does not give the real relation, because the bases of computation are not alike. But it has been impossible to remedy the defect. Yet H. H. Hart, secretary of the state board of corrections and charities of Minnesota, has proved conclusively that the foreign-born people, as a whole, have, proportionately, THE NATIONALITY OF CRIMINALS. 3 less prisoners than the native-born; and those native per sons having foreign-born parents have the worst record of v all classes of people. His able article dealing with this sub ject was published in the American Journal of Sociology in November, 1896. In 1880 there were, according to the United States census, 58,609 "prisoners" in the country. In other words, one person in every 856 of the total population was a crim inal; one in 1,309, of the native white; one in 949, of the native-born ; one in 523, of the foreign-born ; and one in 396, of the colored. Ten years later the total number of culprits had increased to 82,329 ; but the proportion of the various elements mentioned above was about the same as in 1880, although a slight deterioration of all of them was notice able. In 1880 the Chinese-born had one prisoner for every 190 inhabitants ; the Irish, one for 350 ; the Scotch, one for 411 ; the French, one for 433 ; the English, one for 456 ; the Cana dians, one for 590 ; the Germans, one for 949 ; and the Scan dinavians, one for 1,539. The census for 1890, dealing with "prisoners," is peculiar, specifying only the nativity of the parents of the culprits, without stating, for example, how many of our criminals were born in Ireland, Germany, and other foreign countries. While this method offers a comparison of the descendants of the various nationalities in the second generation, it is impossible to compare the immigrants themselves with their offspring. If this omission had not occurred, it would undoubtedly have been possible somewhat to estimate the effect which our conditions have exerted upon our moral 4 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. development; then an approximation could have been secured, with more exactness than now, whether the present conditions here are less favorable to moral elevation than, for example, in Germany and the Scandinavian countries. At the same time it is surely not accidental that the Scandi navians have, in nearly every instance, the best record in regard to crimes of any nationalities, and that the Germans make such a fine showing ; but must be largely due to the excellent compulsory educational and rehgious training which is prevalent in their countries. In 1890 there were 8,085,019 white persons born in the United States of foreign-born parents. Of this number, 12,601 were prisoners, giving a proportion of one prisoner to every 641 persons. This is a very bad showing as com pared with the standing of the native whites of native parentage, -who had a proportion of one to 1,638. But the record of those natives -whose parents were born in Ireland is still worse, the number of prisoners of this class being 7,935 out of a total population of 2,164,397, giving the shockingly large proportion of one criminal to every 273 persons. There are reasons for believing that the second generation of the Irish in this country has a worse record than the first. Nearly two-thirds of all the native-born prisoners having white foreign parents were of Irish descent. In the case of the natives of Scotch and English parentage, the proportion was one to 559, and one to 816, respectively. Natives of Canadian parentage had a proportion of one to 999, and the natives of German parentage had a slightly better record than the natives of native white parentage. Of the eight classes treated of in this paragraph, the second THE NATIONALITY OF CRIMINALS. 5 generation of Scandinavian- Americans stands very far above all the rest, the proportion being one to 7,566. As a matter of fairness, however, it must be observed that the majority of the latter — as -well as some of the other classes — are too young to commit crimes, because the Northern emigration is of comparatively recent date. It is another illustration of the great defectiveness of this department of the census for 1890, which was in charge of Rev. F. H. Wines. In the United States census reports for 1880 and 1890, all grades of prisoners were enumerated, whether confined in the penitentiaries, county jails, or any other places; but in this article only those nationalities which had a population of over 100,000 have been referred to. In treating of the four following states, however, only the penitentiary culprits have been dealt with, except in the case of Iowa ; and all nationalities having a population of about 25,000 in 1890 have been compared. In 1890 the total Scandinavian-born population in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin was 516,723, or more than one-half of the whole number in the United States. The Irish in these states numbered 223,168, and the Germans, 842,402. A thorough test of the criminal standing of the foreign representatives in the four states mentioned -will undoubtedly reduce the element of mere chance to a minimum, especially -when the investigation covers a period of ten or fifteen years. Illinois. In the fall of 1880 there was, according to the penitentiary reports, one convict in the two peniten tiaries of Illinois for every 1,774 inhabitants in the state. The record of the native-born population was a little better, and that of the foreign-born a little worse than the total. 6 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Those born in Canada have by far the worst showing, the proportion of convicts to the whole number being one to 479. The standing of the Irish-born is slightly inferior to that of the total foreign-born. The German-born stand above the rest, the proportion being one to 3,368 ; and the Scandinavian-born come close to them, the proportion being one to 3,115. v A calculation based on the number of convicts "on hand " in the fall of 1892, shows great changesin the course of twelve years. In most cases a decided improvement is noticeable in regard to the foreigners. The showing of the total foreign-born is now three and a half per cent, better than that of the native-born. The proportion of total and native criminals are about the same as in 1880. The Ger man-born, however, show a striking deterioration, the proportion being one to 2,333, while the Scandinavian-born now stand far above all the rest, with a proportion of one to 4,158. The showing of the Canadian-born is five times, and that of the Irish and English-born, three times as bad as the standing of the Scandinavians. Iowa. Every person convicted of a crime of some kind figures in the official records of the state. Hence, the criminal statistics of Iowa, unlike the insanity records, are tolerably complete ; and they put the Scandinavian-born inhabitants of the state in an exceedingly favorable light. The reports of the two penitentiaries in Iowa do not, however, like the Illinois reports, mention the nativity of prisoners " on hand" at a certain time ; but only refer to the number of culprits "admitted" during biennial periods. The following result was obtained by dividing the population of 1885 and 1895 THE NATIONALITY OF CRIMINALS. 7 by the annual average of the number of convicts received during the biennial periods of 1884-5 and 1894-5. By this method any accidentally large or small proportion of prison ers "sent up " for one specific year is practically avoided. There was one convict sent to one of the state peniten tiaries for every 5,106 inhabitants in the state in 1885, and one for every 3,000 in 1895. The Irish-born population has the most unenviable record, the proportion of the number of Irish-born convicted to the whole number of Irish-born inhabitants being one to 4,050 in 1885, and one to 541 in 1895. The Germans make a fair showing, the proportion for 1885 and 1895 being one to 8,304, and one to 1,883 respectively. The Scandinavian-born population had \^y fat the most splendid record at the latter date, the proportion of the number of convictions to the whole number of inhabi tants of Scandinavian birth being one to 7,720 in 1885, and one to 4,200 in 1895. These figures, however, being only based on the reports of the penitentiaries, can be sup plemented by the reports of the secretary of state relating to convictions of criminals, -which reports are absolutely complete inasmuch as they give the whole number of convic tions of all offenses against the law in every county of the state for each year. In Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin no such reports are published. Those of Iowa have one fault, namely, that although the nativity of the culprits is recorded, no general summing up of the various nation alities has been made, consequently it is almost impossible to compare them with each other. According to these reports of the secretary of state the following result has been obtained : In 1880 one out of every 743 foreign-born 8 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. persons was convicted of some crime; in 1885, one out of every 709; and in 1890, one out of every 1,223. As to the American-born inhabitants, the record was not half so ugly, the proportion being one to 2,015, one to 2,224, and one to 2,500, for the years 1880, 1885, and 1890, respectively. But the proportion of the whole number of Scandinavian- born persons convicted of crimes to the total Scandinavian- born population for the same years was only one to 5,756, 2,807, and 3,312. Minnesota. The numerical strength of the Scandi navian element is greater in Minnesota than in any other state in the Union. Thus, the United States census of 1890 shows that the whole number of Scandinavian-born persons in Minnesota that year was 215,215. This fact alone gives great weight to the statistical data bearing on them in said state, the factor of mere chance being reduced to a mini mum. Moreover, the reports of the penitentiary of Minne sota are more complete and thorough than those of similar institutions in the neighboring states. Hence, the following criminal statistics, as well as the deductions made therefrom, ought to be of exceptional significance. In 1882 the Cana dian-born had one convict in "confinement" in the peniten tiary to every 1,743 inhabitants in the state. The Germans and Irish had a proportion of one to 2,148, and one to 2,358, in the order given. In the case of the foreign- born population, the native, and the total of all, the proportion was one to 2,731, one to 2,835, and one to 2,798, respectively. But the Scandinavian-born had a pro portion of one to 4,145. In other words, the standing of the latter was more than 46 per cent, better than that THE NATIONALITY OF CRIMINALS. 9 of their closest rival, namely, the native population. A computation made on the number of convicts in "confine ment " in 1894 and on the state census of 1895 shows some very marked changes during a period of about fourteen years. In the case of the Irish-born, there was a deteri oration of 64 per cent. The Canadian-born, the foreign- born, and the grand total had a far brighter record than before. The native population had a proportion of one to 3,146, and the Germans one to 4,054. The latter is the best record, excepting that of the Scandinavian-born, which had a proportion of one to 6,075. Wisconsin. The criminal statistics of Wisconsin afford a double basis for computing the proportionate representa tion of the different nationalities in the state penitentiary. For fourteen years past, from 1882-96, the nativity of all convicts "received" has been specified, and in 1882 the nativ ity of the whole number of convicts confined was recorded. By proceeding in the same manner and by the same method in regard to Wisconsin as was done in regard to Iowa, using the penitentiary biennial report for 1881-2 of the for mer state as the basis for computation, the result obtained is as follows : One out of every 3,021 inhabitants of the Canadian-born was annually convicted of some penitentiary offense; one of 5,539, of the English; one of 5,986, of the Irish; one of 7,584, of the native Americans; one of 9,453, of the Germans; and one of 9,469, of the Scandinavians. The native bora Americans, the total foreign-born, and the whole population have nearly the same standing. Exactly ten years later, one in 1,442 of the Canadian-born received a sentence for some crime ; one in 5,551, of the Irish; one in 10 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. 6,346, of the native Americans ; one in 7,876, of the English ; one in 10,499, of the Scandinavians ; and one in 10,605, of the Germans. Canada, it should be noticed, not only retains her position, but her standing is more than twice as ugly as ten years before, and Ireland shows only one-fourth as large a proportion of convicts as Canada. The native-born Ameri cans, the foreign-born, and the total population show a gen eral deterioration of nearly 13 per cent, in the course often years. The Scandinavian and the German-born, which were far ahead of all the rest in 1880-82, have made a further advance of over 11 per cent., and the mutual position of the two is changed in favor of the latter. It must be observed, however, that the figures just given do not afford a key to the actual representation of the differ ent nationalities at the penitentiary, because tne mere con viction of a person does not show the gravity of the crime, nor the length of the term. Hence, other facts are sub mitted, showing the proportion of convicts confined at the penitentiary at a certain time to the total number of inhab itants. In 1882 there was confined in the Wisconsin peni tentiary one convict to every 3,780 persons. One out of 3,296 of the total foreign-bora population was a prisoner, and one out of 4,045 of the native Americans. Canada had one culprit for every 1,284 inhabitants in the state ; Ireland, one for 2,328 ; England, one for 2,492 ; the German Empire, one for 4,388; and the Scandinavian countries, one for 6,026. These figures throw a new and most important light on the criminality of the different nationalities. The Canadians retain their position, clearly proving themselves to be the most vicious class of citizens in the state, the record THE NATIONALITY OF INSANE PERSONS. LI of the second worst class, the Irish, being much brighter. There is one surprising difference between these and the other figures, namely, the distance between the Scandinavians and the Germans. In the former figures the t-wo nationalities in question were far ahead of all the rest. They still retain their former vantage ground. But while the Germans have one convict to every 4,388 inhabitants, the Scandinavian- born have one to 6,026. In other words, the record of the latter is over 37 per cent, better than that of the former. If this signifies anything at all it proves that the average length of term served by Scandinavian-born convicts is between 30 and 40 per cent, shorter than that served by the German-born, which, again, points to a corresponding differ ence in the gravity of the crimes committed, in favor of the former. II. Insane Persons. Several causes conspire to produce the real, or apparent, frequency of mental aberration among the foreign-born element in this country. In the first place, there are undoubt edly general causes which operate among all the foreigners, and give them, perhaps, a much higher percentage of insanity than the native-born Americans. Upon the whole, emigra tion is, probably, impelled more by fear than by hope ; more by fear of the evils of the Old World than by hope of happi ness in the New World. So many tender associations* must be sacrificed, so many ties of kinship and friendship must be severed. The average emigrant leaves the old sod with a heart more or less wounded. To emigrate to a foreign land is a good deal like tearing up a plant by the roots and trans- 12 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. planting it into another locality; but with this difference, plants are removed in accordance with certain scientific and systematic methods, while people exchange countries in the most irregular fashion. Taking into consideration the com- . plete change of climate, the new social conditions, and the severe struggle for existence, which all new-comers have to submit to, together with the general causes which produce insanity, it is no wonder that a large number of the immi grants mentally succumb. At the same time it is doubt ful whether the foreigners in this country have a much greater, if any, percentage of insanity than the natives. Nearly all the foreign-born are adults, while the native-born include, besides their own. children, also the children of the foreign-born parents. This fact becomes very important when it is remembered that in most cases only mature persons become insane. As a consequence, the comparison bet-ween the proportionate number of lunatic foreigners and insane natives, as given in most of the following statistical figures, does not give the real relation, because the bases of computation are not alike. Besides, the native-born popu lation, as a whole, has achieved material independence to a greater extent than the foreigners, and, as a consequence, the former are in a much better position than the latter to take care of their insane relatives, especially the less dangerous ones. In general, the only available figures on insanity are those obtained from the various state hospitals for insane ; but the wealthy Americans do not send their lunatic kin dred to a state institution, but to a private asylum, from which it is difficult to secure any reliable statistical reports relating to the nativity of the patients. THE NATIONALITY OF INSANE PERSONS. 13- According to the United States census for 1860, the Irish- born had one insane and idiotic person to every 464 inhab itants in the country ; the French, one to 600 ; the Ameri cans, one to 700; the English, one to 715; the Germans, one to 859 ; the Scandinavians, one to 896 ; and the Canadians, one to 957. Ten years later all the nationalities above mentioned had deteriorated from 25 to 40 per cent., except the Canadians and Americans -who had slightly improved. In 1870 the Scotch and English had virtually the same record. The census reports of 1860 and 1870 enumerate the nativity of the insane and idiotic persons, and since no such enumeration has been available; but in this article only those nationalities which had a population of over 100,000 at the latter date have been referred to. In treating the four following states, however, all the nationalities having a population of about 25,000 in 1890 have been compared. Illinois. The insanity statistics of Illinois must neces sarily be defective, because the yearly published Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, and the reports from the Cook county insane asylum in those vol umes, present the appearance of having been prepared and edited by the idiots themselves. By a great amount of original research, however, some of the worst gaps were filled; and the following deductions are tolerably reliable, being based on the official reports of the four state institu tions, and on personal investigation of the diary of Cook county insane asylum. The average number of German- born patients annually admitted to the insane asylums in Illinois for the two years ending in the summer of 1892 was 14 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. nearly 285, while, according to the United States census for 1890, the total German population of the state was 338,382. Thus, out of every 1,189 German-born inhab itants, one was committed to an insane asylum during one year. As to the Scandinavian population, the proportion was one to 769. But the Irish-born present a still -worse showing, the proportion in that case being one to 660. Using the same data as above, but leaving out entirely the returns from the insane asylum of Cook county, the follow ing proportion was obtained : For the native-born Ameri cans, one to 3,242 ; the whole population, one to 2,236 ; the British- Americans, one to 1,796; the Germans, one to 1,659; the English, one to 1,453 ; the total foreign population, one to 1,431 ; the Scandinavians, one to 1,102 ; and the Irish, one to 965. Iowa. Insanity evidently is on the increase in Iowa. In 1880-81 there was one patient annually admitted to the hospitals for every 3,056 inhabitants in the state; and in 1892-93, one for every 2,012. The record of the foreign- born population is much worse than that of the state, as a whole. Thus, in 1880-81 there was one German patient annually committed for every 1,358 Germans in the state; and in 1892-93, one for every 1,552. The proportion of British-born patients to the British population for the same years was one to 1,216 and 1,084, respectively. The record of the Scandinavians for 1880-81 was one patient annually received at the state hospitals for insane for every 2,092 inhabitants born in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; but the number of patients increased so fast that the proportion was one to 1,048 in 1892-93. Thus the proportionate THE NATIONALITY OF INSANE PERSONS. 15 number of Scandinavian patients was exactly doubled in twelve years, while the proportionate increase for the whole state was only a little over one-third. As a matter of fact, the insanity records of Iowa are very incomplete, and the above statistics by no means give the whole truth as to the proportionate prevalence of insanity among the different nationalities. In 1885, for instance, there were 1,238 patients in the hospitals. But, according to the state census of that year, there were 1,720 insane and idiotic persons outside of the hospitals. Since the nativity of the latter is not given, the reports of the hospitals may even convey a wrong impression as to the proportionate representation of the different nationalities, and this undoubtedly is the case in regard to the Scandinavians. In 1885 the combined pop ulation of the five counties containing the largest number of Scandinavians of all the counties in the state -was about 98,000 ; but the number of insane and idiotic persons kept in those counties was only sixty-one, or one for every 1,606 inhabitants. On the other hand, the combined population of five other counties containing altogether only a few hun dred Scandinavians was about 82,000, while the number of insane and idiotic persons kept in these counties was eighty- five, or one for every 965 inhabitants. This indicates that the Scandinavian-bora inhabitants of Iowa send a larger proportion of their insane to the state hospitals than some other nationalities do. Minnesota. The insane asylum reports of Minnesota for the years 1880-82 and 1892-94 seem to prove that insanity is increasing in that state. So general is the downward movement that every nationality represented by at least 16 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. 25,000 persons in the state was carried along with it during that period. Thus, in the case of the natives, which have by far the best record, the proportion of the number of persons annually admitted to the insane asylums in the state for the years 1880-82 was one to every 4,008 inhabitants; but in the course of the next twelve years the proportion was one to 3,016, or an increase of nearly 25 per cent. Making similar computations for the different groups of foreigners, using the United States census for 1880 and the state census for 1895 as the bases in estimating the population, it appears that the Canadians have deteriorated about 44 per cent, during twelve years, having in 1892-94 one insane annually committed to the state institutions for every 1,188 persons. At the latter date the Germans sent, on a yearly average, one lunatic to the insane asylums for every 1,262 German-born inhabitants ; the Scandinavians, one for every 953; the total foreign-born, one for every 937; and the Irish, one for every 544. In other words, the Germans, Scandinavians, total foreign-born, and Irish, made, during twelve years, a slide downwards of ten, twenty-four, thirty, and forty per cent., respectively. Wisconsin. The Irish-born in Wisconsin have the worst record as to insanity, an average of one person out of every 1,061 inhabitants of that nationality having been annually admitted to the insane asylums of the state during the years 1881 and 1882. The Scandinavians, however, have the second poorest showing, or one to 1,411; England and Germany follow at no great distance, with one to 1,555 and one to 1,624, respectively, and Canada has one lunatic to every 2,233 inhabitants. The total foreign-born population CRIMES AND INSANITY. — CONCLUSIONS. 17 in the state had one insane patient to every 1,615 sane persons, and the native Americans, one to 4,233. Ten years later the Irish, the Canadians, and the native-born had deter iorated about thirty-five per cent.; the Scandinavians and Germans had a five or ten per cent, -worse showing in 1892 than in 1882, but a better record than the total foreign element. The English were the only people -who improved during the decade. III. Conclusions. The final result of all the investigations may, with more or less accuracy, be summed up in the following table. The number of prisoners, as enumerated in the United States census reports for 1880 and 1890, together with the number of convicts in confinement in the penitentiaries of Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin at the end of a certain year, in the neighborhood of the time when the census was compiled, have been taken as the basis of the computation — it being impossible to reduce the reports of Iowa to harmonize with the statistics of the other three states. The reports of the insane asylums of Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin mention only the nationalities of those received each year, without referring to the number of lunatics on hand at a specific time; consequently, it is the annual admittance to the insane hospitals of these states that has been tabulated. In 1880 or '82, 1 out of 2,302 Persons was a criminal ; in 1890 or '94, 1 out of 1,999. In 1880 or '82, 1 out of 2,413 Americans was a criminal ; in 1890 or '94, 1 out of 2,013. In 1880 or '82, 1 out of 2,035 Foreigners was a criminal ; in 1890 or '94, 1 out of 1,887. In 1880 or '82, 1 out of 1,024 Canadians was a criminal ; in 1890 or '94, 1 out of 1,080. In 1880 or '82, 1 out of 1,338 English was a criminal ; in 1890 or '94, 1 out of 1,103. In 1880 or '82, 1 out of 1,600 Irish was a criminal ; in 1890 or '94, 1 out of 860. In 1880 or '82, 1 out of 2,713 Germans was a criminal ; in 1890 or '94, 1 out of 2,715. In 1880 or '82, 1 out of 3,706 Scandinavians was a criminal ; in 1890 or '94, 1 out of 5,933. 18 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. In 1881 or '82, 1 out of 2,718 Persons became insane ; in 1892 or '94, 1 out of 1,719. In 1881 or '82, 1 out of 4,120 Americans became insane ; in 1892 or '94, 1 out of 3,009. In 1831 or '82, 1 out of 1,480 Foreigners became insane ; in 1892 or '94, 1 out of 1,144. In 1881 or '82, 1 out of 2,174 Canadians became insane ; in 1892 or '94, 1 out of 1,325. In 1881 or '82, 1 out of 1,278 English became insane ; in 1892 or '94, 1 out of 1,378. In 1881 or '82, 1 out of 1,061 Irish became insane ; in 1892 or '94, 1 out of 769. In 1881 or '82, 1 out of 1,461 Germans became insane ; in 1892 or '94, 1 out of 1,439. In 1881 or '82, 1 out of 1,588 Scandinavians became insane ; in 1892 or '94, 1 out of 819. It will be observed that in regard to crimes the Scandi navians had not only the best record in 1880, but that they improved nearly fifty per cent, in ten or fifteen years, while, virtually, all the other nationalities deteriorated. It is commendable in the Northmen, to say the least, that they can morally become better in this country, where, according to such high authority as Andrew D. White, more crimes, proportionately, are committed every year than in any other Christian land. As has already been pointed out, the excellent compulsory educational system of the Scandi navian countries, and the conservative and systematic religious training which every child receives there, have, probably, been the main forces that have moulded and assisted in developing stronger moral characters than can, perhaps, be done in this country under the present condi tions. It must also be admitted, however, that the Northern emigrants, on the average, are mentally and morally supe rior to those who remain at home. In the United States there is free trade in religion ; school children sometimes flog the teacher, and in a school in Michigan it was once discov ered that thirteen youngsters carried pistols in their pockets; the family relations are loose, the husband often being the willing slave of his wife, who, in turn, obeys her offspring and permits the baby to assume the dictatorship of the CRIMES AND INSANITY — CONCLUSIONS. 19 household ; and the frequency of cyclones and floods seem to indicate that even nature itself is more out of joint than in any other portion of the civilized world. In such a land, it is to be expected that the morality, as well as the general characteristics of the people, will be different from the results obtained in other countries where conditions are almost the reverse. The constant lack of order and system in many of the essential affairs of the family, church, and state must have a greatly demoralizing effect, especially upon the grow ing generation. The large proportion of criminals in this country is probably one of the prices that has to be paid for the blessings of freedom; and, applied in a different sense from that in -which it -was originally uttered, the exclama tion of the French heroine might with justice be repeated: ' ' Oh liberty ! what crimes are committed in thy name ! ' ' That the Scandinavians in the Western continent have been able to rise above all other nationalities in regard to crimes, not only points toward the superiority of the religious and educational training of their native lands as the main cause, but it is a high endorsement of the work of those men who, through parochial schools, colleges, and churches, have endeavored to perpetuate the virtues, the characteristics, and the religious beliefs of their ancestors. The apparently great moral improvement of the Scandinavians during the past decade may be due, partly, to the betterment in recent years of the common schools in their own countries, and the more intense Christian earnestness which has penetrated the state churches, and consequently a moral improvement of recent immigrants; partly, to the fact that the character- making elements on this side of the water have been better 20 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. able to take care of new-comers than formerly ; and, partly, to poor criminal statistics.which, however, are quite reliable, and far superior to those dealing with insanity. From 1860 to 1880 the Scandinavians, in regard to insanity, had almost the best record of any foreigners in the United States. Since, with the exception of the Irish, they, apparently, have had the worst; and their downward march towards lunacy has even been a little more rapid than their upward march towards moral perfection, being in the former case a deterioration of nearly fifty per cent, in about ten years. Science has not yet been able to decide whether it is the most brilliant or the most stupid who become insane. But it is often asserted that the gulf between the lunatic and the genius is not great. Maudsley, however, says, "Most instances lie between these extremes of strong and weak mental organizations." Yet, Lombroso maintains that the brilliant Jewish people pay a heavy penalty for their brilliancy by becoming insane in greater proportion than any other race upon the face of the earth, although, it is claimed, they have an excellent record in regard to crimes. It is difficult to assign any predominating cause, or causes, for the appalling increase, real or apparent, of mental derangement among the Scandinavians in America, and more difficult still to discover a check, or remedy, for the evil, which may be their "fate or fault." Probably the earnestness and depth of their character, coupled with a strong imaginative and poetical nature, unfits many of the immigrants for enduring the intense pressure of constantly recurring and often fanatical religious controversies, social upheavals and political excitement, disappointment in love CRIMES AND INSANITY — CONCLUSIONS. 21 and financial failures. A hypocrite or a mentally strong character can, for example, study the various religious systems of the world without danger and with some profit to himself. But a very earnest, uneducated person of aver age mental capacities is likely to become a lunatic before the process is over. Perhaps a majority of Scandinavians in America take a more serious interest in spiritual matters than the majority of other people; and some persons have, out of ignorance, taken advantage of this earnestness, and incited them beyond their strength. This assumption is strengthened, at least to a certain extent, by an appeal to statistics; for it appears that the Danish-Americans, who seldom become excited about religious affairs, are less subject to insanity than the Swedes and the Norwegians. No doubt, the indulgence in strong drinks or sexual abuses, either of the victim himself or of his ancestors, has been the means of landing many Scandinavians in the insane asylums. Yet, it cannot be proved, nor disproved, that they are worse in these respects than other nationalities. But the real point at issue, however, is not the great prevalence of madness among the Northmen; for, as has been observed, until recent years they were better off in this respect than other people. But the question of the questions is, what are the reasons for their alarming downward rush, real or apparent, in the last decade? They practice the virtue of temperance in all things just as much today as they did ten years ago, if not more. Have the religious contentions become more intense than formerly ? As has already been pointed out, however, the insane statistics are very unsatisfactory. There is no law to compel persons to send their lunatic relatives to an 22 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. asylum, as in the case of criminals. It cannot be determined whether the Scandinavians formerly kept a larger proportion of their insane at home than what is done today; and many lunatics born in this country of Scandinavian parents may be reported as belonging to the first generation. Probably the recent immigrants have been of such high nervous temperament that their fine fibers have been unable to properly endure the strain of the new conditions in America, and, in their eager desire to become wealthy and wise, they, like the Jews, have had to pay the price. The United States census reports of 1890 on insanity and feeble-mindedness did not appear until this article had been electrotyped, in 1897. In regard to the different nationalities in this country, only the birthplaces of the mothers of the lunatics were recorded, and from these meager data the following deductions were made : 1 person in 208 of Irish birth or extraction was insane or feeble-minded, 1 in 222 of Hungarian, 1 in 352 of French, 1 in 381 of Scandinavian, 1 in 396 of German, 1 in 420 of Bohemian, 1 in 450 of English- Welsh, 1 in 465 of Scotch, 1 in 625 of Italian, and 1 in 666 of Canadian. One out of every 701 of the native-born white was insane in 1890, and one out of every 256 of the foreign born ; but the former had one feeble-minded to every 602 sound-minded, and the latter one to every 1,004. As has been said elsewhere in this article, a reliable com parison cannot be made between the natives and the foreigners ; yet some of the ablest American statisticians and educators maintain that the native born have, proportionately , more criminals than the foreign-born; and according to deductions made from the United States census of 1890, the native born white had one insane or feeble-minded to every 328 sane persons, which seems to indicate that the Americans have at least as large a proportion of idiots as any other class of people. Historical Review of Luther College. — BY — prok. A.i>i:iz>:E-sv bstrbm. Like the Puritans of New England, the early Norwegian immigrants made it one of their first cares to establish schools for the education of their children. Placed amid new influences in a new country, they felt the importance of cling ing to those of their heritages which they held most dear — to their Lutheran faith always, to their language as long as might be. The Norwegians did not then, and do not now, deny the great usefulness, within their province, of the public schools ; but they have always felt that there is an impor tant educational work which these schools, because of their necessary limitations, cannot perform. This is the education of the religious element in man. To supply a higher educa tion based on Christian principles, especially with a view to fitting young men for the study of theology, was the object for which Luther College was founded and for -which it exists to-day. It was in 1861 that the Synod of the Norwegian Evan gelical Lutheran Church of America — commonly called the Norwegian Synod — resolved to build a college. Since 1858 the theological students of the synod had attended the col- 23 24 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. lege and seminary of the Missouri Synod in St. Louis, Mo.; but when the Civil War broke out, the Norwegian Lutherans, whose number was steadily growing, thought it wiser to erect a college in their own midst. The new school was to be located at Decorah, Iowa, but for the first year accommo dations were secured in the Halfway Creek parsonage, a short distance from La Crosse, Wis. The beginnings of the school were necessarily small. Unpretentious as they are, such beginnings have at least the advantage of revealing better the stages of growth, and these it is always interesting to witness. Two teachers and a total enrolment of sixteen are matters of record for the school year 1861-62. Yet the -work -went forward, and that local attachment and that devotion to a common object -which are sources of strength to any institution were born. After a year's narrow-spaced but open-hearted family life in this country parsonage, the school was removed to Decorah. But as work on the college building had not yet begun, the school was under the neces sity of taking up temporary quarters in the business portion of the city. On June 30, 1864, the corner stone of the new building was laid, and on October 14, 1865, it was dedicated, amid rejoicing and thanksgiving shared in by several thou sand people. This day has been celebrated by the students as dedication day ever since.* The building was erected on an elevation on the left bank *The building cost $75,000; the addition made in 1874, $23,000; the rebuilding, after the fire, $56,000 ; and various other structures, for example, residences for some of the professors, and the gymnasium, not far from £16,000, making a total expenditure for building purposes of about $170,000. The yearly expenses for operating the institution may be roughly estimated at $20,000, which would amount to $600,000 in the thirty odd years of its existence. Nearly all these sums have been raised by voluntary con tributions, only four legacies having been received, which altogether do not amount to $10,000. The value of all the college property is about $120,000.— Editor. HISTORY OF LUTHER COLLEGE. 25 of the picturesque Upper Iowa river, so as to command an unusually pleasant view of hill and dale, of city and country. Though architecturally plain, the structure presented a noble appearance, was quite large, and, for those times, well equipped. As the number of students increased, it was found necessary to build an addition to it, which had been provided for in the original plans. This addition, usually called the south wing, was completed in 1874, making the entire build ing 170x52, with accommodations for about one hundred and fifty students. In addition to the main building, several smaller ones have, from time to time, been built or adapted for college purposes. Among these is the gymnasium, a spacious frame structure built in 1885-86, the money for the purpose having been collected mostly by the students. On May 19, 1889, the main building was destroyed by fire. The library and most of the other movable objects of value were saved ; yet the loss was a heavy one. The pecu niary loss was, however, more than made up for by the active sympathy and love for the institution which the mis fortune called forth or made manifest. Those who in the trying pioneer days had helped to raise the building again united their efforts, seconded by the younger generation of men who had experienced the benefits conferred by the school, and the result was the completion, in 1890, of a new edifice, reared indeed on the old foundation, but far more conven ient, commodious, and handsome. The friends of the college had again occasion to rejoice and feel thankful. Amid a large concourse of people from far and near, the reconstructed college building was dedicated on the twenty-fifth anniver sary of the first dedication. 36 26 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Before the work of rebuilding at Decorah was entered upon, there had been some discussion as to the advisability of moving the college to some larger city and one located more centrally with reference to the school's constituency ; but after various locations had been considered, particularly one in the vicinity of St. Paul, Minn., it was decided to raise the walls where they fell and where fond memories clustered about the ruins. Luther College owes its origin mainly to a strong religious conviction. The existence of this conviction explains how it was possible for a comparatively small body of pioneers, during years burdened with the hardships of war, to erect a building that, according to the then prevailing values, cost $75,000. It should also be noted that the early Norwegian settlers were unaccustomed to the making of voluntary con tributions for church purposes, and that their means as a rule were small. Even now, much as they have at heart the welfare of schools and churches, they are somewhat chary of making bequests or gifts of a larger nature. Butunder wise leadership their collective yearly contributions have been by no means inconsiderable. As leaders in the -work of founding and supporting Luther College are to be mentioned Rev. Laur. Larsen, Rev. V. Koren, Rev. H. A. Preus, Rev. J. A. Ottesen. Others might be added to the number, but it is fitting that the names of these older men should stand out in relief. Of those who have given legacies to the school the late Mr. HalvorGjerjord.of Stoughton, Wis., deserves special mention inasmuch as his was the first and, so far, the largest bequest the college has received. The name of a woman must also be recorded here —one who sought always to pro- HISTORY OF LUTHER COLLEGE. 27 mote the comfort and the happiness of the students and who freely bestowed, especially upon the needy and deserving among them, her love and labor with such a tact and in such ways as are characteristic of a noble woman. This was Mrs. Diderikke Brandt. She died in 1885. Being modelled after the Latin schools or gymnasia of northern Europe, Luther College has from the outset been essentially a classical institution. Through all changes made in the course of years this characteristic has been preserved inviolate. Yet mathematics and the sciences have perhaps received as much recognition as could have been expected in a college having, in the wider sense of the term, only one course of study. During the last ten years these subjects have gradually come to fill a larger place in the curriculum, especially in the preparatory department. Prior to 1881 the regular course covered six years, with no sharp line of division between collegiate and preparatory work. Since then the preparatory course has embraced three years, and has come to be treated more as a course of study by itself. The tendency in recent years has been toward a reduction of the number of recitations per week and toward the concen tration of the student's energies on fewer studies at a time. Such economy will no doubt, if the student is directed aright, be found to be wise. One way of directing him that is now more employed than formerly is that of pointing out supple mentary reading. In olden times a college library was but too commonly a storehouse for a limited number of poorly arranged books, to which references were rarely made. Now as a rule the school library is coming to be less of a mere repository and more of a students' workshop. At present 28 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. the Luther College library contains between 7000 and 8000 volumes besides pamphlets and periodicals. Its growth has been most rapid during the last ten years. In the matter of museum the college has been poorly equipped ; but promising efforts to build up one are now being made. The work done at the school now has naturally a wider range than formerly. It is curious to notice, for instance, how restricted -was the reading done in Greek and in Eng lish literature some twenty years ago. In Greek -were read portions of Xenophon, of Homer, and of the New Testa ment; in English a series of readers were used, followed by Shakespeare. In some other subjects there was a corres ponding lack of comprehensiveness and variety, a result of the then existing conditions. If one were to compare the quality of the work done now with that of the past, he would also notice progress. Methods have changed somewhat, bu t the pervading spirit remains the same, for faithfulness and thoroughness have ever been insisted upon. Superfine polish and glittering commonplaces have not been held in much esteem. Matter has been placed above manner. If finish and form have at any time been insufficiently attended to, the fault lay, no doubt, often in the clay that came to the potter's hand. In keeping with its primary purpose, Luther College devotes considerable attention to Norwegian language and literature. For the church work within the synod has so far been conducted mostly in that language. But there are also good literary reasons for emphasizing this subject. In consequence of its doing so, the college has always had two mediums of instruction, and the student, so far as possible, HISTORY OF LUTHER COLLEGE. 29 two mother tongues. This state of things may have made his acquisition of each language somewhat slower than otherwise, but it has also, -without doubt, broadened his knowledge of language and extended his acquaintance with literature. In the early days of the school the Norwegian -language occupied the more important place both in the class-room and outside. But as the Americanizing tendency grew stronger among our people, the college endeavored to adapt itself to this changing condition. English is now used more than Norwegian as a medium of instruction ; it is also the predominant language of the literary societies, and shares equal honors with Norwegian in the students' peri odical. The following figures give some indication of the change that has taken place during fifteen years : In 1879, 123 of the weekly hours of instruction were given in Nor wegian and 61 in English ; in the fall term of 1894, 90 in Norwegian and 106 in English — the relation having changed in favor of the latter from one-third to somewhat more than one-half. Besides an extended course in Norwegian language and literature Luther College offers, or requires, short courses in certain other subjects that are seldom found on the programmes of American colleges. These subjects are Hebrew, Old Norse, and Scandinavian History. During the thirty odd years of its activity the college has, in all, had twenty-three professors, besides a number of instructors. Most of its early teachers had received their education in Norway; in later years the college has obtained its teachers largely from its own graduates or from those of other schools of this country. Four of those who have been professors at the college are now dead. The name of each 30 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. of these is intimately associated with some phase of the school's history. Knut E. Bergh is fondly remembered by the early graduates for his ability as a teacher and his geniality as a man. Jacob D. Jacobsen was a man of broad and exact scholarship. Conscientious, judicial-minded, mod est, weak in body but strong in faith, he endeared himself to all with whom he came in contact, and left a memory that the college will not let die. Cornelius Narvesen and Ole Ramstad, the latter the successor of the former, devoted themselves to the task of giving the sciences a larger place in the course of study. Both faithful workers, the one was known moreforhis retiring modesty, the other for his energy. The faculty of Luther College consists now of eight regular members, with sometimes one or two teachers serv ing temporarily. The president is Rev. Laur. Larsen, who has been connected with the school in this capacity since its foundation. He is yet a vigorous man, of threescore and odd years, and has in his day performed a great amount of work, educational, administrative, pastoral, and editorial. His administrative duties may have been somewhat light ened by the establishment, some years ago, of the princi- palship of the preparatory department; but the general supervision continues, of his own choice, to rest with him. In his relations with the students he has always emphasized the duty of punctuality and of Christian conduct, and has in an eminent degree won their respect. In him the college has had a faithful and competent administrator of its affairs. While conservative, he has yet been ready to introduce such changes as seemed not inconsistent with the original aim of the school, and as seemed to have the approval of time. HISTORY OF LUTHER COLLEGE. 31 An important element of strength in the president's policy has been the confidence reposed in him by the clergy and the laity of the Norwegian Synod. It is this confidence in the school's administration, combined with the people's love for an institution which they themselves have built and whose character they have learnt to appreciate, that has made. Luther College what it is, and that has ever con stituted its chief endowment. Other than this it has a fund of only some eight thousand dollars, the income of most of which is distributed to deserving students who are fitting themselves for the ministry. The college is, therefore, sup ported mainly by voluntary contributions. This direct de pendence of the college on the sympathy and support of the people within the synod, -who also control its larger policy through the votes of their church delegates, gives it a strongly representative character. While the school -would not on any consideration willingly lose this friendly support, it recognizes the importance of larger permanent funds for certain purposes. As a tree is judged by its fruit, so the character of an institution of learning is, after all, best tested by inquiring into the quality of the men whom it sends forth. And first a word or two about the youths whom it seeks to develop into men. The large majority of Luther College students have come from farm homes of the Northwest, from which they have brought -with them habits of industry, of straight forwardness, of economy. All have, previous to their com ing, been instructed in the principles of Christianity in the parochial schools, and nearly all have had the benefit of some common school instruction. In recent years nome , 32 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. have come from the academies organized within the synod. On entering, they had usually made up their minds to work, or if there were those who had not, most of these soon felt constrained to do so. Time was when some of the classes had as many as thirty-four recitations per week. Yet the class-room work, especially in the languages, has been fully on a par with that done in other colleges of the same grade. The class-room attitude of the student seems, how ever, to have differed from that of his American fellow in being less demonstrative, less inquisitive, less easy and self- assertive. That the greater reserve of the former is not due to a lack of interest is proved by general results. The difference, so far as there is one, may in part be due to early training. Moreover, the Norwegian student, like the people from which he springs, has an even tenor, and is but little given to mere intellectual display. While not often con spicuously brilliant, he has large capacity for work, is energetic and thorough-going, and impresses one by his reserve power and his pronounced sanity. These qualities have gained him a fair reputation wherever he has become known. Student life at Luther College has, in the main, differed but little from that of other institutions where a healthy moral sentiment is inculcated and where the hardship of work is seasonably relieved by the tonic of recreation. Although a large number of the students enter the school with the idea of becoming ministers of the Gospel, they have quite generally been free from the fault of taking themselves too seriously. Their religious nature, while broadening and deepening, has flowed on more as an under-current. Their HISTORY OF LUTHER COLLEGE. 33 fresh contact with nfe in its serener aspects has contributed to make them good-natured and happy, and has tended to prevent a lop-sided development. While there have been few, if any, of such noisy demonstrations as might disturb the outside world, other forms of diversion and wayward ness have not been -wanting. There have been musical entertainments and un-musical rattlings down the stairs, city parties and smokers' feasts, carping at teachers and per secution of "preps," publication of pointless jokes and immolation of tedious text-books. Some of these practices have been of rare occurrence, and now several of them are no longer in vogue. None of the so-called fraternities have existed at this college, nor is the atmosphere favorable to them. In sport, especially in baseball, the students have won a fair name among neighboring colleges. But sports have not been a hobby with them. They yet practice, to a limited extent, the old-fashioned method of unbending their minds by bending their backs in the doing of minor services, t In perhaps no enterprise outside the routine -work have the students made so much progress as in music, and that often without a regular teacher. The college brass band and the orchestra have each above a score of members, and in addition to these there is generally a choir or a glee club. For the pecuniary support of these organizations, as well as for certain other objects, the students have contributed from time to time. Friends in the city of Decorah and else where have sometimes lent a helping hand. tFor an entertaining and vivid description of Luther College life— at least, the less serious side of it— see Prof. P. O. Stromme's book, Hvorledes Halvor blev Prest.— Editor, 34 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. The number of students enrolled has recently been about one hundred and eighty a year. In a few cases the number has exceeded two hundred, notably in years immediately following upon large building improvements. In the eighties the attendance, owing chiefly to a doctrinal con troversy within the synod, dwindled down until, in 1887, it was only 118 — the smallest number in nineteen years. Since then an opposite tendency has generally prevailed. For a better understanding of the figures respecting attendance, it should be noted that the school is not co-educational. The territory from which the college has drawn its students naturally corresponds somewhat to the distribu tion of the Norwegian population. As might be expected, the newer states, though sending a number of students, have as yet furnished but few graduates. The states or countries in which the students of the last thirteen years had their homes during their senior year are as follows: Iowa, 50 ; Minnesota, 49; Wisconsin, 24; Illinois, 7; North Dakota, 3; Nebraska, 3 ; Michigan, 1 ; Natal, South Africa, 3. It had once been the intention to add a theological department to the college, but this idea -was for various reasons abandoned. A normal department, however, was early organized. After the normal course had been extended to three years and a professor had been added specially for its benefit, this department continued to form a part of the college until 1886. As it had never flourished in the measure hoped for, it was discontinued, with a view to the establishment of a separate normal school. Such a school was founded in Sioux Falls, S. D., in 1889. Nevertheless, the normal department in Decorah had sent out a fair HISTORY OF LUTHER COLLEGE. 35 number of teachers, some of them competent to take charge both of parochial and of common schools. Luther College has, almost since its foundation, offered the same terms to its students no matter -what vocation they finally had in view. That some students, on certain conditions, have received pecuniary aid is a matter apart. Nor has the college exacted from its graduates any promise — though it has always given them the advice — to study theology, holding it -wiser to leave them free to decide according to the self-knowledge and the sense of duty which their studies, it is hoped, have helped them to attain. But whatever occupations they have chosen, the Luther College graduates bear with them, in mind and manner, the impress of the institution that sheltered them so long. Their number is now not far from three hundred. More than one- half of these have entered or are preparing to enter the Lutheran ministry, a considerable proportion are engaged as professors and instructors, some are practicing medicine or law, others are devoted to journalism, a few have entered the -field of state or local politics, and two have been appointed to government service abroad. Some of the graduates have continued their studies at Eastern univer sities, eight of whom have at this writing (1896) received the degree of doctor of philosophy. From a small preparatory school Luther College has grown to be, and gained the reputation of being, a high grade college. A large institution with many parallel courses of study it has not become, nor is it necessary that it should. The school has its limitations; within these, however, it might reach out yet farther. As it is, the college 36 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. takes rank as the oldest and most influential institution of higher learning among the Norwegians of America. At this writing Luther College graduates are teaching in more than twenty advanced schools, including five colleges and two universities. In some of these schools the majority of the teachers consists of its graduates, and in the case of ten academies or normal schools the principalship is held by a Decorah alumnus. The influence of the college in educa tional matters has widened with the years. As for the future, the college will, no doubt, adapt itself to its requirements as it has sought to conform to those o f the past. If people of Norwegian descent remain true to the faith and the traditions of their fathers, this college will have a place to fill even when the language of the fathers shall have ceased to be a practical study in this country. As long as race distinctions exist here, one of its duties will be to stand as an exponent of what is best in Norse life and liter ature. In this way the school, while serving the cause of the church, -will also contribute its mite towards the forming of a worthy national character. HISTORY OF LUTHER COLLEGE. 37 TABLE I. Showing the Number of Students and Graduates of Luther College from 1861 to 1896, and Enumerating the Regular Teachers and Indicating their Length of Service. Tear. Students. Graduates 18611862 1863 1864 1867 18681869 18701871 1872 1873 18741875 187618771878 187918801881 1882 188:) 1884 1885 1886 18S7 188818891890189118921893 189418951896 Total. 16 32 505S81 S3 73 106122147147159190 229 217 181189173159165 145 137 166 143 131133118 136145206213 188183187 200 191 6 7 9 14191318 1115111217i2- 9 11 12111213 Professors and Instructors. Laur. Larsen F. A. Schmidt... L. Siewers N. Brandt G. Landmark Knut E. Bergh . . . L. S. Reque J. D. Jacobsen... A. Seippel C. Narvesen John Bjarnason. A. K. Teisberg . . Th. Bothne A. Bredesen A. A. Veblen A. A. Sander H. G. Roalkvam O. J. Breda Gisle Bothne G. A, Evenson. . . T. O. Homme . . . E. Petersen Chr. Naeseth Rudolph Olsen. . R. Monrad O. Rams tad J. Tingelstad . . . J. G. Halland... Haldor Hanson. Wm. Koren H. W. Sheel Andrew Estrem H. I. G. Krog.... W. Sihler George Markhus J. A. Ness J. E. Granrud. . . K. Evamme Length of Service. 1861-1861-721863-771865-781867-76 1869-74 1875-95 1872-81 1873-74 1873-841874-751874-751875-82 1876-781877-811878-791878-861879-821881-83, 1884- 1881-82 1881-821882-87 1882-1883-85 1883-88 1884-86,1887-891886-87 1887-89 1888-90, 1895- 1889-921889-1889-90 1890-96 1890- 1892-1893-941894-1896- Social Characteristics of the Danes A-IINIID A History of Their Societies. — BY — O. N. NBLSON. (REVISED BY C. NEUMANN.) If reliable conclusions concerning the intellectual activity and moral condition of a people can be deduced from the quantity of their literary productions, the number of their church organizations, and the standard of their educational institutions, then the Danes in America present a marked contrast to their more numerous kinsmen, the Swedes and Norwegians. The two latter nationalities in this country can with truthful pride point to a respectable, although not a very critical, literature, both in prose and poetry, both in their own languages and in English. Not far from two hundred persons of Swedish or Norwegian extraction have written some original theological, historical, poetical, scien- tifical, or literary work, some of which possess considerable merit, and a few of which are recognized authorities on their 39 40 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. specialty. On the other hand, only a limited number of Danish-Americans have brought any new learning into the world ; and a full collection of all their books and pamphlets could, undoubtedly, easily be placed on a single shelf of an ordinary book-case, while the literary achievements of each of the other two classes of people would be from eight to ten times as bulky. In other words, the Danish- Americans, in proportion to their numbers, have produced only one- third as much literary matter as their kindred folks. But the difference is mainly in quantity, not in quality. In the latter respect all the three Scandinavian-American nation alities are about on an equal footing. But the difference between the Danes and the other two nations of the North, manifested in the religious and educa tional aspects, is even greater than in the result of literary achievements. Over one-third of all the Scandinavians in the United States are members of some church, and about three-fourths are regular church-goers. But only in the neighborhood of 20,000 Danes -were members of purely Danish Protestant congregations in 1897, and even adding 10,000 more who may reasonably be supposed to have religiously associated themselves with some other nation alities, yet scarcely more than one Dane out of twelve would be a chuich member, estimating the total number of Danes and their descendants in America at 350,000. In 1895 the educational institutions of the Swedish Augustana Synod alone were valued at nearly half a million dollars, and the yearly " current expenses " for operating them amounted to over two hundred thousand dollars ; and it is claimed that ' the contributions of the Norwegian Synod people .for school DANISH CHARACTERISTICS AND SOCIETIES. 41 purposes have often exceeded three dollars per communicant in one year. But John H. Bille, in A History of the Danes in America., says: "During no consecutive five years up to 1894 had the Danes succeeded in raising as much as fifty cents per communicant for educational purposes." With probably one exception, none of their few schools rank with a first class American academy ; while the Swedes and Nor wegians own half a dozen colleges of recognized standing, where the majority of their cultured people have been trained. The short-comings of the Danish-Americans in literature, and the t-wo inseparable institutions, church and school, are not, however, due to any mental or moral inferiority, but to circumstances and to the fact that they have turned their energies in other directions, especially towards organizing and maintaining secular societies. They have, propor tionately, just as many men as the Swedes and Norwegians who are capable of producing a novel, an epic poem, a his torical compilation, a thesis on predestination, or an essay on the reformation of the universe. But there are not enoughDanes in thecountry willingto patronize, financially, such undertakings ; consequently, few of them are attempted and less realized. The small number of immigrants, how ever, is no sufficient reason for the diminutive church organizations and institutions of learning, because other nationalities have been more successful in these respects under less favorable conditions. Considering the smallness of their country, the Danes have excelled most nations in the grandeur and richness of their literature and art. But they seldom seem to have distinguished themselves as leaders of 37 42 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. men, either military or otherwise. Nor have they been specially noted for a pietistic bent of mind; yet, they are far from being professed infidels, and are not extremists, either in their virtues or in their vices. It is also to a great extent the absence of enthusiastic and aggressive religious leaders, and the moderate as well as modern views concerning celestial existence, which have prevented the building up of great or numerous Danish churches and schools on the West ern continent. One of the leading characteristics of the Swedish- Ameri can people appears to be their quiet but -whole-souled appli cation to the building-up of the noblest institutions in society, while the Norwegians are probably in their true element when engaged in excited debates concerning the wel fare of church or state. But the majority of the Danes in America seem to enjoy most the cheerful social intercourse and the good fellowship of each other's company, especially when they can revive the grand memories of their native land. Their conviviality and patriotism, coupled with the pecuniary advantages -which organized union brings in case of need, have been the mainspring in successfully founding, promoting, and maintaining Danish societies in every part of the Union, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, wherever Danes are to be found. Even the unification of the different Scandinavian singing societies a few years ago was effected by a Dane, and shattered to pieces by the jealousies of the Swedes and Norwegians. This pronounced social aptitude may be due, partly, to the density of population in their native land, which draws the people into close relation with each other^ DANISH CHARACTERISTICS AND SOCIETIES. 43 both socially and financially ; partly, to their dispersion in small numbers in a foreign country among a numerous population of various nationalities ; and, partly, to other causes. Besides, a large proportion of the Danes bora in Slesvig left the old sod on account of the oppression of the Germans, -while nearly all of the Swedish and Norwegian emigrants have departed because they desired a -wider and freer scope for action or adventure. At any rate the t-wo latter peoples have failed to effect any kind of patriotic secular organization for the purpose of studying their native lan guages and perpetuating the memories of their ancestors, except of a local nature. On the other hand, the success of theDanes in this respect has been almost phenomenal, and in spite of the fact that no particular individual seems to have taken any special lead in the matter. It is true that not all the Danes are enthusiasts in regard to their nationality, for the writer of this article has met exceptional Danes who denied having been born in that kingdom, and yet were unableto construct and pronounce the denial in clear English. But the rank and file persist in using their own language, notwithstanding that they may be able to speak English better than the listener, who at times is unable to perfectly comprehend all the Danish idioms. And no one can become a member of a Danish secular society who does not, at least, "feel as though he were a Dane." It must not be assumed, however, that the Danes, on account of their ardent desire to cherish the memories of their native land, are hostile or dangerous to the free institutions of America. No nation upon the face of the earth, possessing such high degree of intelligence, has been so submissive to the powers that be, 44 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. so adverse to revolutions, so opposed to anarchy, as they have been during their whole history from the fable-mixed antiquity down to the present time. While they, like the Germans, have fearlessly combated against the establish ment of a Puritanic Sabbath and Prohibition, and sneered at the idea that it is wicked to see a great drama, yet in the course of time this defiance of American extremes will have a conservative and steadying influence upon our changeable institutions. I. The Danish Brotherhood in America. In 1881 the Danish societies at Omaha, Neb.; Davenport, Iowa; and Neenah and Racine, Wis., united. Some of these societies had been organized a few years before, and all were exclusively composed of veterans who had participated in the two Danish wars of 1848 and 1864. But in 1882 the constitution of the organization -was radically changed, and henceforth a man's military experience played no part in his eligibility as a member ; the present name of the society, the Danish Brotherhood in America, being also adopted at that time. At the beginning of the year 1897 about one hun dred lodges, scattered through the different parts of the Union, belonged to the brotherhood, having a total member ship of nearly five thousand. Besides, there are also some forty sisterhood societies, which may be considered as annex lodges. The latter are organized on a plan similar to that of some American secret organizations. According to the constitution, the object of the brotherhood is to unite the Danes in America in one great fraternal association, to cher ish the memories of Denmark, and to aid each other. In DANISH CHARACTERISTICS AND SOCIETIES. 45 order to accomplish these purposes, the memoers of the vari ous lodges meet regularly, generally once a week, and most lodges maintain a reading room and a library; some even possess a hall or a building of their own, which frequently is open for the use of the members both on week-days and Sundays. The organization holds a general meeting every third year. From 1882 to 1897 the brotherhood has paid out, as life insurance to the relatives of deceased members, about $150,000, in sums of five hundred or one thousand dollars in each case, and during that time not far from $175,000 has been distributed as sick benefit contributions. All Danes or persons of Danish descent -who can speak the Danish language, and are not under twenty-one or above fifty years of age; are eligible to membership ; provided they are upright men and have never been convicted of any felo nious offense. All proceedings at the meetings must be con ducted in the Danish language, and no political or rehgious discussion is permitted. • Like most similar organizations, the brotherhood has its president, secretary, treasurer, etc., who manage the different departments assigned to them. This is by far the strongest and most influential secular organization among the Danes in America, and its growth has been remarkable, especially during the last six years II. The United Danish Societies in America. In 1876 a society called Dania was organized at Racine, Wis., with a membership of about fifteen. Today this organization numbers in the neighborhood of five hundred ; owns a building valued at $10,000 ; and has a library of nearly a thousand volumes. Persons of Danish birth or. 46 history of the Scandinavians in the u. s. descent who are conversant with the language are eligible. After the organization of the Racine society, a number of similar societies sprang up in different parts of the country, often having the same name, and nearly always working for the same ends ; and one society in Chicago with that name had been organized as early as 1862. In 1883 or 1884 an effort was made to unite them, which resulted in the union of four societies in Wisconsin. Since then about twenty-five more have joined, and altogether they have not far from 3,500 members, being represented in several states. Each society is incorporated, but not the organization as a whole Nearly all the societies own a hall or a building, possess a library, and meet once a week for business transactions and social enjoyment. Dances and parties are also held now and then. The representatives of the different societies assemble every third year, and through a system of traveling-cards members are afforded the same privileges in all the different societies. The societies are not secret, and religious and political discussions are prohibited. The life insurance in connection with the general organization is optional with the members, each policy drawing about $1,000. Consid erable sums have also been paid out to sick and disabled members. There are also about sixteen Danish societies on the Pacific Coast united into one organization, similar to the United Societies. III. Association of Danish People of America. This organization dates its birth from the year 1887, and is chiefly the result of the efforts of Rev. F. L. Grundtvig. Its principal aims are to perpetuate the spiritual inheritance DANISH CHARACTERISTICS AND SOCIETIES. 47 of Denmark, and to preserve the language of that kingdom, without neglecting the duties of American citizens. Their rules read: "Men and women, who feel as if they were Danes, and arenot hostile to the Christian church, can become members on equal terms." At the very beginning they actively commenced to organize local societies, to found libraries, to establish settlements, and to embark in various other enterprises. Bille, in his history, rightly or wrongly, says: "There has also been a general attempt on the part of this society to support the high schools, parochial schools, and churches ; but the efforts along these lines have not pro duced any noticeable results, except in the case of the churches ; and here it was far from accomplishing what was intended, for this society and its methods of working imme diately aroused a storm of opposition from the ministers of Inner Mission proclivities. They claimed it was merely a scheme on the part of theGrundtvigians to create a party in every congregation in favor of their ideas, and thus to drive out all the ministers who did not agree with them." At sev eral annual meetings of the Danish Lutheran Church the dis cussion of the subject was earnest, in some cases even bitter; and in 1891, for the sake of peace, it was agreed that the founder should use his influence in disbanding the society. But neither peace nor disbandment was obtained. Besides those four large organizations enumerated above, there are several other independent Danish societies which are not connected with those different groups mentioned. Consequently, it is, perhaps, a fair estimate to assume that some fifteen or twenty thousand Danes in America belong to some society whose chief aim, apparently, is to perpetuate 48 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. and cherish the language and memories of the fatherland. Taking into consideration that most of the members are men over twenty-one years of age, and that many of these men have families who are more or less interested in and influenced by the social atmoshphere of their husbands and fathers, it becomes clear to every unbiased observer that the Danish societies in America are powerful and influential institutions. Historical Review of the United Danish Evan gelical Lutheran Church in America. — BY — O. INC. JNCHJXvSSOlNC, As has been pointed out elsewhere in this volume in an article on the Danish societies, the Danes are not, as a whole, ardent devotionalists. Not far from one person out of three of the total population of this country belongs to some religious concern, but only one out of twelve of the Danish- Americans is a church member. Taking the United States census of 1890 as the basis of population, including both the immigrants themselves and their children, and the different parochial reports for the same year, the result arrived at is as follows: About one person out of fifteen of all the Danes in America is a member of some Lutheran con gregation; while this applies to one out of five of the Swedes ; and to one out of three and a half of the Norwe gians. The powerful Swedish Augustana Synod controlled, in 1892, about $4,000,000 worth of property, averaging in the neighborhood of forty dollars per communicant ; all the Norwegian Lutherans, $5,000,000, averaging thirty dollars 49 50 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. per communicant ; and all the Danish Lutherans, $200,000, averaging twenty dollars per communicant. The deficiency of the Danes in this respect is, without question, chiefly due to the indifference of the people in regard to the super natural, and the lack of aggressive pastors to direct them. Excepting Rev. C. L. Clausen, whose life-work was almost wholly devoted to the Norwegians, there have not been any successful leaders among the Danish-American Lutheran clergy. They have had both learned and devout pastors. But none has combined those rare qualities of piety and adroitness, of conservatism and firmness, which distinguished a Hasselquist and a Preus, and enabled them to manage wisely, and to act boldly. It is to be hoped that the right man, or men, will soon be found who can join all the Danish Lutherans into a close and true Christian alliance, under whose wings a large number of the Danish-American people can feel at home. The Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church Association in America was originally a very small part of the Norwegian- Danish Evangelical Lutheran Conference, at whose theo logical seminary, Augsburg, about ten young Danes had been trained and ordained for the ministry. The annual report of the association for 1891, from which most of the facts contained in this paragraph were collected, says : "In a labor where ' Jew and Greek ' are of our Lord placed on an equal footing, it certainly could not be His intention that there should be any high wall between Norwegians and Danes." This seems to be a very reasonable assumption, especially when both nationalities used the same language. And yet, probably for equally good reasons, the conference HISTORY OF THE UNITED DANISH CHURCH. 51 in 1875 appointed a committee to communicate with the leading church-men in Denmark concerning the missionary work among the Danes in America, which movement culmi nated in the withdrawal, with the consent of the conference, of six Danish pastors in 1884. At first the idea of joining the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America -was discussed. But nothing was accomplished, owing to the prevailing tendency of Grundtvigianism in the latter body. Consequently a new organization was effected 11—14 Sep tember, 1884; and three more clergymen united with the other six, each one serving about two hundred souls, making the whole organization at its beginning about fifteen hun dred in number. But the Danes seem to have retained their share of that pietism, real or apparent, and that active aggressiveness which always distinguished the conference; but kept little or nothing of that combativeness for which the conference was noted from and including the day of its birth, even haunting as a ghost the United Norwegian Church. When the association was merged into the United Danish Church in 1896, there were forty clergymen who served nearly sixty congregations, the whole body num bering over 6,000 souls. Not much more than two-thirds of the above mentioned congregations, however, had formally joined the organization. They owned Trinity Seminar y, at Blair, Neb. The building had cost $7,000, and the seminary was in operation from the fall of 1886 to the time of the unicn. The last year about fifty students of both sexes attended, and several of the pastors have received their theological training there. At the same place a publishing house was maintained, and Kirkebladct and a couple of 52 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. other papers, issued. Contributions for various mission pur poses were quite liberal, considering the smallness of the association. The first volume of this work contains an historical article on the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in Amer ica, written by Rev. Adam Dan, which article is generally considered to be a fair and impartial account of that body. On page 170 he says: " Today there are two factions among us, the followers of Bishop Grundtvig, and the so-called Mis sion People; both are recognized by the Church of Denmark as belonging to the Lutheran church, and they are about equal in strength." Ever since the pioneers of the Scandina vian church-work set their feet upon American soil, this important religious controversy among the Danish-Norwe gian Lutherans, known as Grundtvigianism, has been going on. It was, however, crushed in its infancy in the Norwegian Synod. But nearly ever since the organization of the Danish Lutheran Church in this country, in 1872, the subject has called forth many vigorous articles in the newspapers, and animated discussion at the annual meetings ; and, finally, in 1894, it rent that organization in twain, and the same year one party organized the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America. But this schism probably does not end the era of strife and agitation, of patched-up peace and renewed bitterness, which the influence of the famous Danish bishop and poet, N. F. S. Grundtvig, has exerted upon the Scandinavian-American Lutherans. Perhaps, after all, his tory is only biographies of great men ? As far as the Danes in this country are concerned, however, the culmination point appears to have been reached in 1893, when about one- HISTORY OF THE UNITED DANISH CHURCH. 53 half of the clergymen joined themselves together into a mis sionary association, within the Danish Lutheran Church, for the purpose of purging the latter body of its Grundtvigian ism. The struggle has, apparently, been carried on chiefly on account of conflicting views regarding theological dogmas . But the manner and method of conducting their schools, the aim and practices of the Association of the Danish People, as well as other matters of more or less importance, have also been dragged into the contest; thus supplying the clergymen with excellent themes for discussion, as well as furnishing some spiritual food for the languid laymen, -who have been rather lookers-on than participants in the controversy. As the parties in these disputes have been partly right and partly wrong, so the result will probably be both good and bad. It is difficult to say in a few words what Grundtvigian ism really is. Bishop Grundtvig himself insisted upon a more liberal interpretation of the Bible and greater freedom in regard to religious -worship, than was generally permitted in the Lutheran state church of Denmark. He fought against rationalism and the vices of the age, yet he could hardly be called a pietist as that term is generally understood. He considered a good Christian life, baptism, communion, and the Apostolic Creed to be the very life and marrow of Chris tianity, rather than the Bible. There is, probably, some difference between Bishop Grundtvig's teachings and prac tices, and the tendency of Grundtvigianism, with its conse quences, in this country. Besides, the conditions in Denmark and America are very different, so that no comparison can properly be drawn. Thatwhichmaypromote the moral and religious development in a certain country and a certain age, 54 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. may be a hindrance to this very blessing under other condi tions; and this is exactly the standpoint which the opponents of the Grundtvigians take. The Anti-Grundtvigians in America charge the followers of Grundtvig in this country with teaching the possibility of conversion of the soul after death, and with rejecting the infallibility of the Bible; and these views were virtually endorsed by the Grundtvigian majority of the clergymen of the Danish Lutheran Church at two of their annual meetings, one of which was held at Cedar Falls, Iowa, in 1886, and the other at Manistee, Mich., in 1890. The practical tendencies of the two parties in this country may be briefly summed up as follows : Most of the Grundtvigian pastors have honestly believed, if they do not all believe it now, that the only means by which the virtues and characteristics of their people could be instilled into the souls and minds of thecoming generations, was the retention, -with little or no modification, of the religion, language, social customs, and educational institutions of Denmark upon American soil. To carry out this principle, some of them have made great sacrifices , socially as well as financially. It is a principle for which a large proportion of the very best element of all the foreigners in the United States have at some time or other fought, and lost. Besides, they considered it their duty to direct the thoughts and actions of the people in the widest sense, and endeavor to guide their flocks, not only in spiritual matters, but in regard to literature, drama, art, business, and social intercourse. Most of the Anti-Grundtvigian clergy men, on the other hand, have been equally earnest in retaining whatever was noble in the Danish character, HISTORY OF THE UNITED DANISH CHURCH. 55 especially the religious feelings. But, according to their opinion, piety -was the chief aim in life ; and, for the purpose of gaining and retaining the largest possible number of devout Christians, they have been advocating the gradual Americanization of all their institutions and been unwilling to identify themselves with anything outside of their pro fessional duties. According to Bille's history of the Danes in America, Prof. P.S.Vig — who, together with Rev.P. L.C.Han sen, has been the principal exponent and leader of the Anti- Grundtvigian sentiments — wrote a fe-w years ago : " Even if the Danish language is lost to our posterity, they might still retain all that is good and true in the Danish character ; for just as a man can take his material inheritance into a foreign country, so he can take his spiritual inheritance into a foreign tongue. We older people must remember that we can hardly imagine ourselves in our children's places. They have a fatherland which is not ours. In a measure it is impossible for them to be Danes; for they lack the Danish environments, and in a measure the Danish tongue must always be a foreign tongue to them. To keep the children born in this country from coming in contact with its language and life is a viola tion of nature which will at last revenge itself." The first of October, 1896, the representatives of the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church Association in America, and the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America, met in Minneapolis, Minn., and formed the United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. According to their report of that year, the new organization comprised over seventy pastors and missionaries, seventy-five congre gations in actual union, and in addition about fifty not 56 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. formally united with the new body, but served by its clergy men. Assuming that the 125 congregations had on an average 100 souls each, which was the exact proportion of the Danish Association at the time of the union, then the whole United Church would number 12,500 members ; and all the persons in direct or indirect connection with that body would certainly not exceed 15,000. But as yet the organization is rather loose, several of the congregations served by Anti-Grundtvigian pastors having taken no formal step to separate themselves from the old alliance. It -was agreed at the first meeting that Trinity Seminary, Blair, Neb., should be the theological school of the church; the two papers, Kirkebladet and Missionsbladet, were con solidated into Dansk Luthersk Kirkeblad ; and a temporary arrangement was made for the management of Elk Horn College. The church sustains an Indian mission in Indian Territory, and a seamen's mission in New York. Historical Review of the Moravian Church -A. ISC ID Its Scandinavian-American Wort — BY — FZB>Sr. J-OIKINC GRBBNFIBLD. The Unitas Fratrum was founded in Bohemia, in 1457, by followers of the Bohemian reformer and martyr, John Hus. It spread to Moravia, Prussia, and Poland, and flour ished greatly in spite of frequent persecutions. In the first quarter of the seventeenth century it was overthrown, in its original seats, by the so-called Bohemian anti-reformation. Only a "hidden seed" remained. In Poland and Prussia, and eventually in Hungary, it continued to exist until the first quarter of the eighteenth century, when the few parishes that still bore its name were gradually absorbed by other churches. About the same time the secret remnant in Mora via was revived, and descendants of the ancient brethren began to emigrate to Saxony -where they found an asylum on the estate of Count Zinzendorf, and built a town known as Herrnhut. Theyintroduced the discipline of their fathers and the ancient episcopate, which had been carefully pre served in the Polish branch. As these refugees came from as 57 58 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Moravia the church at the present time is commonly known as the Moravian Church, but its real name is the Unity of the Brethren.The church endorses the Augsburg Confession, and has a total membership in Europe and America of about 36,000, while in heathen lands no less than 96,000 souls are being ministered to by Moravian missionaries. The first American colony of the brethren -was founded at Savannah, Ga., in 1735, whence a remnant of it was transferred, in 1740, to Bethlehem and Nazareth in Pennsyl vania. The Moravian Church, since the renewal in 1722, has devoted its main energies to the evangelization of heathen nations. It was while the noble Count Zinzendorf attended the coronation of Christian the sixth of Denmark, in 1731, that he heard from the lips of a negro servant in Copen hagen the pitiful tale of his nation's wretched and degraded condition as slaves in the Danish West India Islands. On the same occasion the pious count also learned of the self- denying but hitherto unsuccessful labors of Rev. Hans Egede in Greenland. Within two years the Moravian Church at Herrnhut, consisting of only six hundred members, had sent forth missionaries both to St. Thomas, W. I., and to Green land. These were the two first foreign missionary enter prises of the Moravian Church. Since that time, more than a century and a half ago, it has sent hundreds of mission aries into heathen lands. Not a few of its faithful and successful laborers have been Scandinavians. First and fore most must be mentioned Jens Haven, a Dane, who first served as a Moravian missionary in Greenland, and then HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIAN MORAVIANS. 59 labored for many years in a similar capacity in Labrador. The first attempt to evangelize Labrador had, humanly speaking, failed. The devoted missionary, John Christian Ehrhardt, was murdered by the native Eskimoes. The second attempt was made by Jens Haven in 1764. Upon his first landing the natives desired him to follow them to an island half an hour distant. Considering the fate of Ehr hardt, Haven might well have refused to accompany them. He says, however: "I confidently turned to the Lord in prayer, and as soon as we arrived there, all set up a shout, ' Our friend is come !' " For a nnmber of years Jens Haven labored in Labrador with great self-denial and success. When nearly blind, and sixty-six years of age, he was brought back to Europe where he spent the last six years of his life. Another faithful and devoted Scandinavian mission ary was Hans Torgersen,a Norwegian, who emigrated with his parents to the United States in 1854, settling in Door county, Wis., a few years later. He served a number of years on the Indian mission in Moraviantown, Canada. Thence he was called as one of the pioneer Moravian mis sionaries to Alaska. Only a few weeks was he permitted to do service here. One day while sailing in the little mission- boat, he fell overboard and was drowned. The first Scandinavian Moravian church in America was organized in the year 1849, in Milwaukee, Wis., and num bered fifteen communicant members. These persons had become acquainted with the Moravian brethren in Norway and Denmark through what is known as the Diaspora. It has, namely, for upwards of a century been customary for the Moravian Church to send forth evangelists for the pur- 60 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. pose of calling to repentance and living faith some of the many who are nominal members of the state churches in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The converts were not received into the membership of the Moravian Church, but remained in their respective state churches, and were called the Diaspora brethren. A few of these formed the nucleus of the first Scandinavian Moravian church in America. In 1850 the little congregation, under the leadership of Rev. A. M. Iversen, of the mission-school in Stavanger, Norway, and Otto Tank,* also a Norwegian, and formerly a mis sionary, left Milwaukee, and eventually established colonies and congregations in Fort Howard, Sturgeon Bay, and Ephraim, Wis., which places are still the principal strong holds of the Scandinavian Moravians in the United States. A new edition of the Scandinavian Moravian hymn-book was prepared in 1894, and for some years past a monthly paper called Det Glade Budskab has been published. There are at present in the United States one Swedish, one Nor wegian, and four Danish Moravian ministers in active service, who have in their pastoral care upwards of 1,500 souls of whom about 700 are communicant members. "According to the fanatical Autobiography of A, Cederholm, later a Swedish Methodist clergyman, this Tank was an old nobleman from Eredrikshald, who started to build a town, on the Herrnhutplan, at Green Bay, and to erect a theological seminary there. Cederholm, one Dane, and three other young men attended the school which, however, in a short time was discontinued. — Editor. According to "Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography," O. C Krogstrupp, a Danish Lutheran clergyman, became a Moravian in 1748; emigrated to America in 1753; served Moravian congregations at Philadelphia and other places in the Ea?t until his death in 1785 ; and was a powerful and eloquent preacher.— Editor. Historical Review of the Scandinavians in Iowa. — BY — O. TSt. KHM^SOIJ*. 'The traveler, in wending his way across the fair state of Iowa, with its evidences of civilization upon every hand ; its magnificent churches, with spires pointing heavenward ; its school houses upon almost every hill ; its palatial residences, evincing wealth and refinement, can scarcely realize that half a century ago this "beautiful land " was the home only of the red man, who roamed over the fertile prairies, hunting in the woods and fishing in the streams. The change seems too great to be real. Yet these magnificent churches, nu merous school houses, palatial residences, extensive railroads, and countless telegraph and telephone wires, have nearly all been located or placed on Iowa soil within the space of the last fifty years.' Numerous agencies of human activity have been employed to bring about this great, almost miraculous change. The mind of man has been taxed to its utmost by bold speculation, undreamt-of inventions, and daring achieve ments. The industry, energy, and perseverance of the hands 61 62 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. of men have almost made a garden out of the wilderness. To accomplish these wonderful results in such a short space of time, the Scandinavians have, during the whole history of Iowa, been powerful agents, not only in assisting in developing the natural resources of the state, but also in promoting its intellectual and religious welfare. The numerous well cultivated farms, owned and tilled by North men, largely contribute to the material wealth of the state. About forty Danish, two hundred and fifty Norwegian, and one hundred and fifty Swedish churches of various denomi nations testify to their spiritual and moral activity. A large number of these churches maintain parochial schools, and all of them employ Sunday-school teachers. Besides, there are half a dozen Scandinavian schools of a higher grade in the state of Iowa. I. Pioneers and Settlements. The first permanent settlement of whites in Iowa was established at Dubuque as early as 1788. But emigration westward must not have been very rapid in those days, and there were scarcely 25,000 persons, within what is now the boundary lines of the state, fifty years later. There were in all probability some scattering Scandinavians in Iowa at the very beginning of this century, although no person can be mentioned with certainty until the year 1837, and no per manent settlement of Northmen occurred until eight years later. But as the increase, for the last forty years, of the population of each of the Scandinavian nationalities in every county in the state can be found in the tables published at the end of this article, it has been deemed unnecessarv to HISTORY OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 63 endeavor to describe all the settlements separately, as a gen eral result can be obtained by examining said tables. Besides, it would have been impossible to give the correct data con cerning the origin even of half the Scandinavian colonies ; therefore, only a few of those settlements -which were estab lished before 1856 will be mentioned. Danish. In 1837 N. C. Boye arrived and settled in Mus-' catine county — his biography is in this volume. But as there were, according to the United States census, only nineteen Danes in Iowa in 1850, no important Danish settlement could have been made until after that year. In 1852 the well-known Rev. C. L. Clausen became the leader of several Norwegians, -who settled in Mitchell county— Clausen's biography can be found in the first volume. According to the state census of 1856, there -were only one hundred and seventy -two Danes in the whole state at that time, and four teen years later about three thousand. Since, however, a large number have arrived, and in!857there were in the neighbor hood of 40,000 Danish-born or having Danish parents with in the state. There were also several thousand Danes, especially in the counties along the Mississippi river, who were born in Slesvig, and as a consequence some of them were probably classified as Germans in the census reports. Norwegian. There were undoubtedly Norwegians in the southeastern part of the state, near Keokuk, probably as early as 1840; but the various authorities do not agree regarding the particulars, except that the settlement was not permanent. Reiersen, in his Veiviser for Norske Emi granter, published in 1844, claims that the colony consisted of thirty or forty families, several of whom were Mormons ; 64 history of the Scandinavians in the u. s. that the land was rich, but covered with dense woods ; and that the settlers would, perhaps, be unable to pay for their claims. The probabilityis that the whole colony was simply a gathering of adventurers of the Kleng Peerson type, and he is said to have been the founder of the settlement. But there were Norwegians in the northeastern counties as early as 1848, at least, but no permanent settlement was estab lished until 1850, when two caravans of Norwegian imi- grants, consisting of about a dozen persons, came from Racine and Dane counties, Wis., and founded a colony in Winneshiek county. Other pioneers soon folio-wed, and Win neshiek county has al-ways been, and is, one of the most important Norwegian strongholds in the United States, where about half of the total population are of Norwegian birth or extraction. A small settlement was founded in 1851, near McGregor, Clayton county; and, ofcourse, the counties farther -west were not settled until a fe-w years later ; for example, the first Norwegians in Story county did not arrive there until 1855, although today that nationality is very numerous in that part of the state. The most interest ing account of the establishment of a settlement is that given in regard to Rev. Clausen's colony. Clausen had vis ited Iowa in 1851, and the next year, in the spring, he and about twenty families, besides several unmarried men, left Rock count}', Wis. In order to avoid confusion in marching such a large number in one body, the crowd was divided into two sections. Clausen himself and family, being the only persons who rode in a carriage, led in advance. The caravan consisted of numerous children and women in -wagons men on foot, and two or three hundred cattle — all obeying the HISTORY OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 65 command of the leader. Most of these immigrants settled at St. Ansgar, Mitchell county, and later some of them in turn became leaders in establishing settlements in counties farther west. According to the United States census of 1850, there were only 361 Norwegians in the whole state at that time ; six years later they numbered nearly 3,000. In 1870 about 17,500 Norwegian-born persons resided in Iowa, and twenty years later 10,000 more had settled within its boundary lines. There were about 75,000 Norwegians of the first and second generations in 1897. Swedish. Iowa has the honor and distinction of being the first state in the Union -where a permanent Swedish set tlement of any importance was founded in the nineteenth century. This occurred at New Sweden, Jefferson county, in 1845. This is also the first prominent Scandinavian colony established in the state — but for full particulars con cerning the foundation of this interesting settlement, see Peter Cassel's biography in this volume. Burlington seems to have been the place through which nearly all the first Swedish pioneers of Iowa passed, and, as a consequence, several resided here at an early date. Norelius claims that about two hundred Swedes lived in and around Burlington in 1850, and Col. F. Brydolf located there in 1846— his biography is in this volume. At Swede Point, Boone county, a settlement was effected in 1846, and the next year some pioneers located at Munterville, Wapello county, while Rev. John Linn has the honor of being the father of the first white child that was. bora in Webster county, which hap pened Jan. 8, 1851— an interesting account of pioneer life can be obtained by reading John Linn's biography in this 66 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. volume. Some Swedes settled in the northeastern part of the state, near McGregor and Lansing, in the early fifties. According to the United States census there were 231 Swedish-born persons in Iowa in 1850, twenty years later they numbered nearly 11,000, and in 1897 about 75,000 of the first and second generations resided in the state. Causes of Immigration to Iowa. It is impossible to determine the causes which have been operative in directing the northern immigration to Iowa. But the chief reason has been, undoubtedly, the same as that which directed the move ment toward the northwest. Such well-known pioneers as Peter Cassel, Rev. C. L. Clausen, Prof. L. P. Esbjorn, Rev. V. U. Koren, and Dr. T. N. Hasselquist have done a great deal in directing the Scandinavian immigration towards the state. But the honor and credit of settling the state with a good class of people, does not belong exclusively to one, or a few, but to hundreds and thousands of Scandinavian im migrants who induced their relatives and friends to join them. It might also be noticed in this connection that a large portion of the early Norwegian settlers in Iowa had previously resided in Wisconsin, while many of the Swedish pioneers had arrived from Illinois. II. The Civil War. During the Civil War over seventy-five thousand men from Iowa served as soldiers in the Union army, some out side of the state regiments, and about two-thirds of that number entered the service before the year 1862 ended, all being volunteers up to the last of 1864, when a few were drafted into the army. According to the reports of the HISTORY OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 67 adjutant-general of Iowa for the years 1861-66, not less than twenty Danes, one hundred seventy -eight Swedes, and four hundred twenty-five Norwegians— in all 623 Scandina vians—fought against the Confederates. But as many names of all nationalities are omitted in these reports, not to men tion the difficulty of correctly counting all the names in such publications, it is fair to estimate that 1,000 Scandinavians from Iowa enlisted under the Stars and Stripes. In 1860 Iowa had a population of 675,000. One-ninth of the total population of the state enlisted under the Union flag, and the same proportion, at least, of the Scandinavians in Iowa fought for their adopted country ; while every sixth North man in Minnesota and Wisconsin served in the army during the war, although only about one-eighth of the total num ber of persons in the latter states participated in the struggle. Unlike their kinsmen in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota, the Scandinavians in Iowa seem to have had no leader to organize them or spur them to action. Not one of the many Norwegians became widely known as an officer ; a few were promoted to minor commands of but little import ance. The Swedes, on the other hand, had such men as Lieut. C. E. Landstrum, of Des Moines, who after the fierce battle of Shiloh and other engagements received special mention of his superiors for excellent conduct. Col. F. Brydolf also distinguished himself— his biography is in this volume. But these two men had, during their service, little or nothing to do with their countrymen. About fifty Norwegians, mostly from Winneshiek county, enlisted in the Twelfth Iowa In fantry the latter part of 1861, constituting half of Company G ; twenty-five of them fell in the battle of Shiloh the 6th 68 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IX THE U. S. and 7th of April, 1862, and most of the remaining enlisted afterwards in other regiments. Not less than sixty-five Nor wegians from the northeastern counties of Iowa joined the famous Fifteenth Wisconsin, or Scandinavian, Regiment, in 1861-62 ; and about half of Company K of that regiment were from Iowa ; while a Dane from that state, Rev. Clausen, was chaplain of the regiment. Perhaps half of the Norwe gian soldiers in Iowa came from Winneshiek county, and nearly all from the northeastern part of the state ; but the Swedes seem to have hailed from different localities. In this connection it might not be amiss to mention that only four Scandinavian-born — all Swedes — have ever, up to 1893, grad uated from the United States military academy at West Point, and two of these were appointed from Iowa. III. Political Influence. The present state of Iowa is a small portion of that immense stretch of land -which -was ceded by France to the United States in 1803, for a consideration of $11,250,000, and out of -which a large number of states have since been carved. In 1838 the territory of Iowa was organized, and the state organization dates from 1846. At the latter date there were perhaps one hundred persons of Scandinavian birth in the state, mostly Swedes. In the course of fifty years this handful has increased, until at present nearly one- tenth of the population of Iowa is of Scandinavian birth or parentage. But, unlike their kinsmen in some other states, they have never held their proportion of the higher offices in the gift of the voters of the state. It would be rash to assume any one particular reason for this defective represen- HISTORY OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 69 tation in politics among a race which unquestionably has an inborn knack for practical politics. It seems, however, that the political apathy of the Northmen of Iowa is largely due to a peculiar lack of able and aggressive leaders. But, on the other hand, the office holders have generally been above the average in point of character and ability, and therefore have been a credit to their countrymen. The first Scandinavian who occupied a seat in the legislature -was Rev. C. L. Clausen, a Dane, -who represented his district in 1856-57. For the next four years no Scandinavian was elected to the legislature. Since 1876 there has always been one or more Scandinavian-Americans in the legislature. In other words, the Scandinavian-born inhabitants of Iowa have been represented by one or more of their own country men in 15 out of the 20 general assemblies which have been elected since the election of Clausen in 1855 . During 1892-96 four of the members were of Scandinavian birth or parent age, this being the largest number of that category occupy ing seats simultaneously. Of the whole number of Scandi navians elected members of the legislature, two were Danes, five Swedes, and about a dozen either Norwegians or the sons of Norwegians. Only four Northmen were senators, viz : M. N. Johnson,01eN. 01eson,G.S.Gilbertson,and C. J. A. Erickson. The first mentioned has since for years represented North Dakota in the United States Congress. No Scandinavian has ever been elected to any state office by a popular vote. But in 1888 the legislature elected Otto Nelson as state binder. Lars S. Reque was appointed United States consul to Hol land by President Cleveland in 1893. Ole 0. Roe has served as deputy state auditor since 1892. A glance at the names 70 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. of the county officers will soon convince any one that the Scandinavians have been very poorly represented, Worth and Winneshiek being the only counties where the number of Scandinavian office-holders has somewhat corresponded to the Scandinavian population. IV. Occupation. Of course, most of Iowa's Scandinavians have been, and are, common laborers, servants, and farmers. Yet today there is not a single learned profession in -which they cannot be found, and in some they have distinguished themselves and become famous. Three of the best and most -widely cir culated Scandinavian newspapers in the country are pub lished in Iowa, and at least half a dozen well-known authors and literary men of Northern extraction reside in the state. V. Statistics. In 1850 one out of every 310 persons in Iowa was a Scandinavian by birth ; twenty years later, one out of 38 ; and in 1890, one out of 26. This, however, includes only those people born in the North, while a much larger per cent. have Scandinavian parents, and as a consequence can not only speak the language of their ancestors, but can feel as Northmen. For example, according to the United States census for 1890, there were 25,240 persons in Iowa born in Denmark, or having Danish parents, this being the largest number of Danes in any one state ; 59,822 Norwegians ; and 52,171 Swedes — in all 137,233 Scandinavians. But the census reports are far from being correct ; they omit many persons of all nationalities, and frequently confound foreign- HISTORY OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 71 ers with native-born ; but, as a general thing, the reports fall below and not above the real number. And, without doubt, the nearest approach to the truth in regard to the number of Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, and their children in this country, can be had by multiplying the Scandinavian-born by 2Yi- The number of Scandinavian-born persons in each state and territory, from 1850 to 1890, can be found on pages 256-60 in the first volume ; and in each county in the state of Iowa from 1856 to 1895, in the following statistical tables : Therefore, by multiplying the numbers found in these tables by 2%, a fair estimate can be obtained of the total Scandinavian population of the first and second generations of any state, territory, or county. According to this calcu lation, there were about 190,000 Scandinavians in Iowa in 1897 ; that is, nearly one out of every ten persons in the state was a Northman by birth or parentage. It might, in this connection, not" be out of place to remark, that although the Norwegian-born in Iowa in 1890 numbered over 3,000 less than the Swedes ; yet the former nationality, the same year, exceeded the latter by 7,500, when both the first and second generations are taken into consideration. 72 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. TABLE II. Showing the Number of Scandinavians Born in the Scan dinavian Countries, and the Total Population in Each County of Iowa. Counties. Adair Adams Allamakee . . . Appanoose... Audubon Benton Black Hawk. Boone Bremer Buchanan. ... Buena Vista. Butler Calhoun Carroll Cass Cedar Cerro Gordo.. Cherokee Chickasaw Clarke Clay Clayton Clinton Crawford Dallas Davis Decatur Delaware Des Moines . . . Dickinson Dubuque Emmet Fayette Floyd Franklin Fremont Greene Grundy Guthrie Hamilton HancockHardin Harrison Henry Howard HumboldtIda Iowa STATE CENSUS OF 1856. 21 505 24 274 14 84 14 227 26 10 I*E-m. o Oh 663 1,0197,709 9,075 283 6,2475,5383,5183,1885,125 2,141 119251 815 9,481 632 2,6513,978 664 13,441 235 3,991 11,528 6,2698,099 20,198 25,871 8,3572,441 780 3,368 1,089 435 2,149 4,0331,900 15,395 444 4,873 U. S. CENSUS OF 1870. 340247 16 4 1 2 20 61 77 7 16 4 19 5 19 39 195 64 az < r% 14 9 2,180 44 396 37 1,230 15 14 194 15 51 189142 14 197 99 333 9 32 1,327 564187177 11 5 23 1,039 6061 285 512 80 172 1421 7 26 596 3083 39 429 140114 3 «< I* Ph 3,982 4,614 17,86816,456 1,212 22,454 21,706 14,584 12,52817,034 1,585 9,9511,6022,451 5,464 19,731 4,7221,967 10,180 8,735 1,523 27,77135,357 2,530 12,019 15,565 12,01817,432 27,256 1,?~ 38,969 1,392 16,97310,768 4,738 11,174 4,627 6,399 7,061 6,055 999 13,684 8,931 21,463 6,2822,596 226 16,644 STATE CENSUS OF 1895. 58 24 14 36 1,252 57 805 94 18 174 541 143130 31 334167 201 8934 5 399 6 1,015 102 14 7 11 4 204 6356 287 44 8 420 3730 327 30 293 368100 213 10 56 305 44 19 M M t- ¦< < s Is S5 a W o M S5 25 83 1,094 4 18 323 31 101 4 12 606 1276 107235 399 88 227 5 137 580 260 25 22 1 17 8 12 184 25 610470 68 167 4 3 16 3 1,643 257 406 32 3 254 1,149 90Sr, 53 34 146 398 44 73 40 2,461 2343 1,019 23 434 57 126 26 172543 14 8 236143 509511118 14 20 126 2,019 34 97 119 1943929252 20 52 594272 59 118469 2336 303 15 15,504 12,93417,98125,38312,836 24,24426,94127,03915,403 20,53915,02916,96615,788 19,49320,92619,00818,30215,66415,696 11,51511,277 26,570 43,39820,06921,023 15,01516,639 18,10337,629 6,023 60,177 7,619 24,794 17,11413,679 17,17616,29913,41817,95818,51*11,14120,57623,09118,27813,221 11,43111,425 18,964 HISTORY OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. TABLE II.— Continued 73 STATE CENSUS OF 1856. U. S. CENSUS OF 1870. STATE CENSUS OF 1895. Counties. aM azH 0 % o ZH B TSl Z OD EH ft.O Ph < zH a 0z¦~V. ADOLPH BRBDKSBN. The seven pastors and twenty-eight churches that, in February, 1853, at East Koshkonong, Dane county, Wis., founded the Norwegian Synod, were nearly all located in southern Wisconsin, and for a number of years this state continued to hold the bulk of the pastors and churches of this organization. For this reason the synod was some times called the Wisconsin Synod. By the year 1876, how ever, the synod had spread over ten or twelve different states and territories, and a division of the synod into dis tricts had for some time been felt to be a necessity. The revised constitution adopted by the synod in June, 1876, at Decorah, Iowa, made provision for such division into dis tricts. The constitution also provided for triennial meetings of the synod and for annual meetings of the districts. Three districts were formed, namely, the Eastern, or Wisconsin; the Western, or Iowa; and the Northern, or Minnesota. 145 146 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. The Eastern District was made to include all the pastors and churches of the synod located east of the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers. These pastors and the representatives of these churches attending the synod meeting at Decorah in 1876, convened, June 22, 1876, and organized the Eastern District, electing the following officers: President, Rev. P. A. Rasmussen, of Lisbon, 111.; vice-president, Rev. J. B. Frich, of La Crosse, Wis.; secretary, Rev. C. M. Hvisten- dahl, of Stoughton, Wis.; treasurer, Halle Steensland, of Madison, Wis.; lay member of the church council, J. J. Naeset, of Stoughton, Wis.; auditors, T. J. Widwey and John Lienlokken, both of La Crosse, Wis. At the time of its organization the Eastern District numbered 49 pastors and 175 churches. Of the latter, 145 were in Wis consin, 14 in Illinois, eight in Michigan, t-wo in New York, two in New Jersey, one was in Indiana, one in Ohio, one in Maine, and one in Ontario. The following, compiled from the parochial reports, show the growth of the district during its first decade: Pastors, in 1876, 50, ten years later, 68; churches, 180, and 225; communicants, 25,862, and 32,313 ; number of souls, 46,788, and 57,118. It will be seen that the growth of the Eastern District during the decade, though steady, was comparatively slow. This was due chiefly to little immigration, and much emigration to states and territories farther west. During the next decade the numerical strength of the dis trict was greatly reduced, through the withdrawal of the Anti-Missourian faction, at the close of the great controversy on election, or predesti nation, and kindred questions. The story of the great con troversy, which lasted for years, and resulted, in 1887, in EASTERN DISTRICT OF NORWEGIAN SYNOD. 147 the disruption of the Norwegian Synod, is told in Vol. I of this work. The Eastern District suffered most severely through this sad schism. In this district two of the founders and fathers of the Norwegian Synod -were deposed by Anti- Missourian majorities in churches which they served. One of the two was Rev. H. A. Preus, for thirty-two years the president of the Norwegian Synod. The Eastern District at Ashippun, Wis., in 1886, and at Stoughton, Wis., in 1887, by a majority vote sustained all pastors thus deposed, and recognized the protesting minorities in the churches that deposed them. At the district meetings in 1884-85 the presidency of the district was a matter of contention and heated discussion, the Anti-Missourians attempting to oust President Frich and to seat Rev. P. A. Rasmussen. The matter was submitted to a committee of arbitration, con sisting of Judge G. R. Willett, of Decorah, Iowa ; Judge J. H. Carpenter, of Madison, Wis.; and Hon. Elihu Colman, of Fond du Lac, Wis. The decision of the arbitrators was in favor of President Frich. After the Synod meeting of 1887, held at Stoughton, Wis., the Anti-Missourians, or adherents of Professor F. A. Schmidt, gradually withdrew from the synod, and peace was restored. The statistics of 1889 bear witness to the severe losses suffered by the Eastern District through this secession. In that year the strength of the district was: Pastors, 48; churches, 163; communicant members, 19^682; number of souls, 34,707. In January, 1896, the figures were : Pastors, 68 ; churches, 196; communicants, 20,410; number of souls, 35,018. Of these 196 churches, 131 were in Wisconsin, 32 in Michigan, 18 in Illinois, three in Indiana, three in Ohio, three in Ten- 148 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. nessee, seven in New York, four in New Jersey, two in Mass achusetts, two in Ontario, and one was in Rhode Island. Rev. J. B. Frich, of La Crosse, Wis., Rev. 0. Juul, of Chicago, 111., and Rev. H. Halvorsen, of Westby, Wis., have held the office of president of the Eastern District. Rev. P. A. Ras- mussen, of Lisbon, 111., was elected president in 1876 and in 1883, but both times refused to accept office. He was again elected in 1885, but his election was declared illegal by the committee of arbitration mentioned above. The annual meetings of the Eastern District have been held as follows: In 1877 at Winchester, Wis.; in 1878, pending synod meeting, at West Koshkonong, Wis. ; in 1889 at Lee, 111.; in 1880 at Wiota, Wis.; in 1881, during synod meeting, at Spring Grove, Minn.; in 1882 at Blair, Wis.; in 1883 at Perry, Wis.; in 1884, during synod meeting, at Minneapohs, Minn.; in 1885 at Roche-a-Cree, Adams county, Wis.; in 1886 at Ashippun, Wis.; in 1887, during synod meeting, at Stoughton, Wis.; in 1888 at Rush River, Wis.; in 1889 at Spring Prairie, Columbia county, Wis.; in 1890at Minneapolis, Minn., pending synod meeting; in 1891 at Lee, 111.; in 1892 at Menomonie, Wis.; in 1893 at Chicago, during synod meeting; in 1894 at West Kosh konong, Wis.; in 1895 at Halfway Creek, Wis.; and in 1896 at La Crosse, Wis., during synod meeting. At these meetings of the district the rule has always been to devote the afternoon sessions to business matters and the morning sessions to the elucidation of doctrines and principles. This is an unwritten law in the Norwegian Synod, as has been explained in the article on the Iowa District in this volume. Among the topics thus discussed in EASTERN DISTRICT OF NORWEGIAN SYNOD. 149 the Eastern District were the following: The Divinity of the Scripture; Gratitude to God for Blessings Bestowed; Re ligious Awakening; the Scriptural Doctrine of Election; Conversion; Assurance of Salvation; the Nature of the Divine Call ; Ways and Means of Building up True Lutheran Churches ; Dangers that Threaten the Church in Our Day ; True and False Lutheranism; Ephesians II. 8-10; the Nature and Object of Missions; the Missionary Spirit; Home Missions ; Seamen's Missions ; Mission Work Among the Mormons. Under the constitution of the Norwegian Synod, each district has its own board of home missions, and attends to the home mission work to be done within its borders. Of late years the amount which the Eastern District has expended for home mission -work has been about $4,500 annually. At present twenty missionary pastors, serving fifty-one churches, are receiving more or less aid from the home mission fund. Of these missionaries, five are stationed in northern Wisconsin, three in the state of New York, two in Chicago, three in northern I\Iichigan, and the others in Tennessee, Canada, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Massa chusetts. The Eastern District, as such, owns and controiS no institutions of learning or charity. In the Norwegian Synod districts are not incorporated, and all such institutions are established, controlled, and supported either by the synod, or by merely local associations. The theological seminary of the Norwegian Synod, Luther Seminary, was located at Madison, Wis., from 1876 to 1888, when the institution was removed to Minneapolis. Monona Academy -was established 150 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. at Madison, Wis., in 1876, by the churches around Madison. The academy was discontinued in 1881. In 1882 Rev. E. J. Homme built an orphans' home at Wittenberg, Wis., the churches and pastors of the Norwegian Synod furnishing the necessary means. This home is now well housed and in a flourishing condition and doing good work, Rev. Homme still being the superintendent. The institution is not now connected with the Norwegian Synod. It was lost to the synod eight or nine years ago, as the result of the with drawal from the synod of Rev. Homme and other Anti- Missourians. The Bethany Indian Mission School, opened in tne autumn of 1884, is owned by the Norwegian Synod. It is located on a farm of 120 acres, near Wittenberg, Wis., and has a neat church and two brick buildings, steam-heated, -with accom modations for about 160 inmates. This Indian school was conducted by the synod, under the contract system, down to 1895, when the grounds and buildings were leased to the United States government. The institution was then changed into a government school, but the principal, the teachers, and the matrons were retained. The Tabitha Hospital, opened three years ago, at Humboldt Park in Chicago, is the prop erty of the Tabitha Society, a local organization. The hos pital has a commodious and well-appointed building, and a fine staff of physicians, surgeons, and trained nurses. The Stoughton Academy and Business Institute, at Stoughton, Wis., was opened in the fall of 1888, and is conducted by the Stoughton Academy Association. The academy building is of brick, three stories above basement, and beautifully located. The average annual attendance is nearly 200. EASTERN DISTRICT OF NORWEGIAN SYNOD. 151 The Martin Luther Orphans' Home, near Stoughton, Wis., is the property of the Norwegian Synod. This institution was opened in 1889 at Madison, Wis., but was removed to Stoughton in the spring of 1894. The home is located on a farm of over 100 acres, two miles from the city of Stough ton, and has two fine frame buildings, steam heated, afford ing accommodations for about 100 children. The numberof inmates at present is seventy -six. From 1877 to 1896 the annual contributions of the Eastern District to the treasury of the Norwegian Synod have averaged about $11,000, ranging from about $5,000 to over $20,000, the total amounting to nearly $215,000. To the annual remittances to the synodical treasury and to the home mission fund of the district should be added large sums given to the orphans' homes at Wittenberg and Stough ton, to the church extension fund, to the Monona and the Stoughton academies, to the Pacific Lutheran University, to the Lutheran Ladies' Seminary at Red Wing, Minn., to the Tabitha Hospital, to various relief funds, etc. The officers of the Eastern District at present (1897) are: President, Rev. H. Halvorsen, of Westby, Wis.; vice- president, Rev. A. K. Sagen, of La Crosse, Wis.; secre tary, Rev. J. Nordby, of Lee, 111.; treasurer, A. H. Dahl, of Westby, Wis. BRYNILD ANUNDSF.N. DKCORAIT. A. ANDERSON, SIOUX CITY. KEY. J. A. ANDERSON, CRESTON. A. CARLSON, DES MOINES. REV. A. NORRBOM, SWEDESBURG. Biographies of Scandinavians in Iowa. L Anderson, Andrew G„ the hero of the flood of 1892— Sioux City — born 1854, in Lena, Vestergotland, Sweden; died 18 May, 1892. He emigrated in 1870, settling in Sioux City three years later; at first worked as a common laborer; was fireman and engineer on a ferry-boat at Sioux City, and in 1876 fireman on the steamboat Tiger, the boat that made the first trip up the Yellowstone river ; and at the time of his death was employed as stationary engineer of the Sioux City brick and tile -works at Springdale, a suburb of Sioux City. Anderson was a member of the Scandia Lodge of K. P., and of the Brotherhood of Stationary Engineers ; was married in 1879 ; and at his death left a wife and three children. The deeds accomplished by Andrew G. Anderson during the last moments of his life perhaps have no counter part in the history of the -world, and entitle his name to be remembered to the end of time. In the disastrous flood which visited western Iowa, he, at the evident risk of his own life, 18 May, 1892, saved twenty-seven persons from drowning. Though almost exhausted, he swam out to save one more, a woman who was struggling for life; but his strength failed, and both were drowned. Nordlyset, a 153 154 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Danish weekly, published in New York, said of Anderson's heroism : " Such a deed can be explained only in one way — 'I love my neighbors more than myself.' " Rev. D. L. Mackenzie, in his funeral sermon over the remains of Ander son, expressed himself thus : " Braver Knights never buckled on armor and went to the fray. An expert waterman, he was inspired by naught but unselfish desire to save human life, and he breasted waves that made the stoutest hearts grow faint. But after twenty-seven people had through his efforts been saved he was at last compelled to yield up his life to the remorseless waters. Our heroes of Gettysburg immortalized themselves, yet they fought for home and native land. This hero won greater honors, for he fought for no such selfish result." The funeral services took place at the Trinity Lutheran Church of Sioux City, 22 May, under the auspices of the Scandia Lodge of K. P., Rev. J. A. Christenson speaking in Swedish, and Rev. Mackenzie in English. Anundsen, Brynild, publisher — Decorah — born 29 Dec, 1844, in Skien, Norway. He commenced to work in a cigar factory at the tender age of seven, and afterwards in a stone quarry and in small grist mills. At the age of fifteen he learned the printer's trade and then folio-wed the sea for a couple of years. Anundsen was kept so busy during his boyhood that he could attend school only at irregular intervals and in the evenings. He left for America in 1864, and tried his hand at various occupations in Wisconsin. He soon settled at La Crosse, however, as type-setter in the office of Faedrelandet og Emigranten, -where he remained until 1866. About this date he started a paper of his own, BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA 155 Ved Arnen, a monthly magazine for "novels, stories, poems, etc., by the best authors." At the close of the first year of the existence of the paper, its financial condition was such that the publisher had to balance its accounts by working on the road for some time. In 1868 Anundsen removed to Decorah, Iowa, with his printing outfit, which, together with the rest of his earthly possessions, made up two -wagon loads. Here he continued the publication of hismagazine and also printed Kirkelig Maanedstidende, the official organ of the Norwegian Lutheran Synod; but in spite of his best efforts, the receipts of his magazine persisted in lagging behind the expenditures, and after a three years' struggle, Ved Arnen gave up the ghost. Anundsen continued the printing of the organ of the synod, besides occasional pam phlets for the same body, until the synod started a printing office of its own. In 1874 he began the publication of Decorah-Posten, at first only a highly unpretentious local weekly. This marks the turning-point in the life of Anundsen, and the paper through -which this was accomplished deserves more than passing mention. Decorah-Posten differs from the average Scandinavian-American newspapers in that it does not meddle with opinions on any subject whatever. It is perfectly colorless as to religion and politics. In order to avoid all kinds of controversy it has no editorials. But on the other hand, its reading matter is exceedingly varied. The aim of the paper seems to be exclusively that of furnish ing interesting reading matter. And to judge by the phenomenal success which the paper has made, Anundsen hit the nail squarely on the head when he conceived the idea of such a paper. In less than twenty years after its estab- 156 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. lishment, the circulation of it exceeded that of any other newspaper printed in the Norwegian language, and now it has over 35,000 regular subscribers. Ved Arnen was revived again a number of years ago, and is sent as a supple ment to Decorah-Posten. The latter has been published twice a week since the fall of 1894. All this business is managed on a sound cash basis ; consequently, Anundsen is looked upon as one of the most solid and substantial busi ness men in that part of the state, andthe people of Decorah take pardonable pride in his establishment which now employs thirty men the year round. A few years ago Anundsen bought a large brick building for his establish ment. Anundsen is a member of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church. He was married in 1865 to Mathilda Hofstrom, of Ostergotland, Sweden. They have grown children. Bergh, Knut E., educator and state legislator — Decorah — born 27 May, 1838, in Voss, Bergen stift, Norway; died in Hardanger, Norway, in 1875. He emigrated to America in 1857; began to teach parochial school the same year at Liberty Prairie, Wis.; then attended English schools at Liberty Prairie, Madison, and Evansville, Wis., successively; attended Concordia College, in St. Louis, in 1860 and 1861; and entered the school of the Norwegian Synod at Halfway Creek, Wis., in the fall of 1861, but was forced to leave at the close of the first term on account of poor health. Bergh then spent three years in teaching, devoting his spare moments to study. In 1864 he entered Luther College at Decorah, but poor health again interrupted his studies. His health improving, he took up the study of law, and was BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 157 admitted to the bar in 1869. The same year he accepted a chair at Luther College, and for several years was connected with the institution. In 1870 he began the publication of For Hjemmet; and a couple of years later -was elected a member of the state legislature by an overwhelming major ity. In this capacity he served on several important com mittees. Bergh was a powerful speaker, mastering the tongue of his adopted, as well as that of his native country, and those who attended his classes at Luther College have spoken of his work as a teacher in glowing terms. Boye, Nils Christian, pioneer— Iowa City— born about 1786, in Laaland, Denmark; died of cholera in 1849, in St. Louis, Mo., -where he had gone for the purpose of buying goods. He received a good education in his native land; emigrated to this country in 1827, for the purpose of attending to some inheritance which had been left by one of his brothers who had come to this country a couple of years before, and -who had surveyed the state of Virginia. N. C. Boye had also lost thousands of dollars in Denmark during the anarchy of the Napoleon wars. He had been a merchant and miller in Denmark, and for seven years had a small store in Philadelphia, but went to Muscatine county, Iowa, in 1837. After having resided at the latter place for about one year, he settled in Linn county, and moved to Iowa City in 1842, where he engaged in merchandise. Boye is the first Scandinavian settler in Iowa, as far as could be ascertained by all the researches made for the compilation of this work. Of Boye's thirteen children, one son became quite prominent as a merchant in New Orleans, and one son in Denmark became a noted physician. 158 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Brydolf, Fabian, pioneer and soldier — Burlington — born 28 Nov., 1819, in Hellestad, Ostergotland, Sweden; died 25 Jan., 1897. His father was a minister in the state church of Sweden. Young Brydolf received a good general edu cation, and at an early age developed a talent for landscape painting, which profession he followed with considerable success until 1841, when he emigrated to this country. At first he located in Cleveland, Ohio ; worked at his profession in various cities until 1846, when he came with a party of Swedish immigrants to Burlington, Iowa, being their inter preter on the journey, as well as assisting them in securing land after their arrival at their destination. In 1847 Brydolf enlisted in the Fifteenth Regiment of the regular U. S. army, and participated in several battles during the Mexican War. From 1848 to the outbreak of the Civil War he worked quietly at his profession in Burlington; then organized a company, of which he became captain, and joined the Sixth Iowa Infantry. The 6th of April, 1862, -while leading his company to action in the fierce battle at Shiloh, Tenn., he lost his right arm; but nothing daunted the brave descendant of the Goths, and shortly afterward Brydolf -was promoted to lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty- fifth Iowa Infantry. He served in that regiment until the capture of Vicksburg, Miss., in 1863, when he resigned, and President Lincoln commissioned him lieutenant-colonel of the Second Regiment of the Veteran Reserve Corps, and he served in that capacity until 1886. Since the close of the war Brydolf has devoted his time to painting, working with his left hand. An historian, speaking of Col. Brydolf, says: ' He was a brave and gallant officer, alwavs readv to lead BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 159 where he expected his men to follow. He has served his adopted country faithfully in two important wars, and his empty sleeve bears testimony to his bravery and fidelity to his duty. His success as an artist in later years of his life is all the more remarkable when we consider that he is obliged to do the work with the left hand. His eye is keen, his taste excellent, and his skill with the brush remarkable, when we think how late in life the left hand -was trained to work.' In 1850 he was married to Fannie West, an English lady, who died several years ago. They had seven children, a few of whom are living yet. Burnquist, Sam., legislator— Dayton— born 16 Sept., 1849, in Broddetorp, Vestergotland, Sweden; died 8 Jan., 1895. He was the youngest of a family of seven children. Being brought up on the farm, he was accustomed to hard work ; but the poverty of his parents prevented him from enjoying any better means of education than that afforded by the parish school. What he lacked in schooling, how ever, was made up for by a strong will and an upright char acter. In 1864 he emigrated to America in company with his brother John, and they soon found profitable employ ment at Andover, 111. In the course of one year they saved nough money to pay for the passage of their parents to this country, and in 1866 they purchased eighty acres of land near Dayton and settled on the same. In 1868 their crops were destroyed by the grasshoppers, and Sam. started for Ft. Dodge in hopes of obtaining work on the railroad. On his way he stopped in Dayton, and asked the leading merchant of the town if he could have a pair of boots on credit. The merchant eyed him as though he was capable of judging the 160 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. character of the poor man before him, and answered, "no." Burnquist then repeated his request to Geo. Porter, who kept a small store in the same town ; and the reply -was a prompt "yes." This kindness was never forgotten, and the friendship then formed lasted until Porter's death After repeated disappointments, Burnquist obtained work and returned late in the fall with a new suit of clothes on his back and one hundred dollars in his pocket. He next made quite a reputation for breaking prairie land, and at the same time saved enough money to give him the first substantial start in a financial way. In 1875 he and his brother sold their farm property and went into business in Dayton. Year after year their business was enlarged, and some ten years ago they dissolved the firm, Sam. continuing the busi ness in his own name. To accommodate this, he erected a ne-w brick block, the most elegant of its kind in the whole town. It did not take the people of Dayton long to find out that Burnquist was a public-spirited as well as an absolutely trustworthy man. Accordingly, they bestowed upon him the highest honor in the gift of the town by electing him mayor for a period of eight years. He also served as a member of the board of township trustees for six years. In the fall of 1893 he -was nominated for representative to the legislature from Webster county by the Republicans, and though the county is regarded as strongly Democratic, he was elected by a handsome majority over his opponent. During the campaign Burnquist was called " the most popu lar man in Webster county." In the legislature he was appointed chairman of the committee to visit the School for the Deaf, and served as a member of several other com- BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 161 mittees. Burnquist's family belonged to the Augustana Synod, and he was a prominent member of the order of Freemasons. At his death he left a wife and two children. Cassel, Peter, pioneer— New Sweden (post office, Four Corners) — bora 1791, in Asby, Ostergotland, Sweden ; died 1857. His ancestors had come from Germany and settled in Sweden in the sixteenth or seventeenth century. In his native land he had been a miller as well as a manufacturer of a kind of threshing machine, propelled by the hand, which he had invented and patented. Cassel, no doubt, was a man of energy and mental vigor, although his education had been limited. He could read and write, that -was all ; but it must be remembered that to be able to do this in those early days was an accomplishment -which only a few of the peasants in Sweden had acquired . Captain P. von Schniedau — who was one of the pioneers at Pine Lake, Wis., who have been so admirably described by Rev. G. Unonius in his Minnen — had written to his father in Kisa, Ostergotland, who was a prominent man, concerning this country. It might in this connection not be out of place to remark, that the most of the Swedish adventurers and fugitives from justice at Pine Lake had received an excellent education in their native land; and although they were unable and unfit to clear the woods in Wisconsin, or directly to be of much account in a new country, yet indirectly they did much in making America known in Sweden. This might serve as a good lesson for that school which looks to the lower strata of society for the originators of great popular movements. The contents of these letters became known among the common people, who at once became interested in America, and a few of the 162 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. bolder of them decided to emigrate in order to improve their economical conditions. Cassel was then nearly fifty-five years of age, yet he concluded to take his family with him, and settle in the American wilderness. He became, in 1845, the leader of twenty -five emigrants, mostly farmers, some of whom had their families -with them. They secured a passage on a sailing-vessel from Gothenburg to New York for about $20.00 each, being eight weeks on the ocean. They seemed to have had a joyous time, playing and dancing on the deck during the week days, and attending divine service on the Sabbaths, the captain of the ship officiating as their religious instructor. Besides those people from Kisa, there were on the vessel about ten other persons from different parts of Sweden, including some noblemen, and four of the ten had been several years in America before. Originally the party had intended to settle in Wisconsin, probably at Pine Lake, which place the Swedish adventurers there had, through correspondences, made known in Sweden, but they decided to go to Iowa instead. From New York to Philadelphia they traveled on railroad, and from the latter place to Pitts burg on canal boats, -which part of the time were -wheeled on the railroad tracks. They sailed, or rather plodded, on the Ohio river from Pittsburg to the Mississippi, and on that up towards Burlington, Iowa; where, according to the assertion of one of Cassel's sons, they met a Dane, who had a drug store in the village, and who had been in America some time previously, which goes to prove that the Scandi navians were among the very first pioneers in the Western states. Others of the party, however, maintain that no Dane was met at Burlington, but they remembered having BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 163 slept in a museum in Cincinnati which belonged to a Swede or a Dane by the name of Natt och Dag. This is probably the same concern which is referred to in the first volume, page 294, in Minnen, by Unonius. He claims that an ex.- officer of the Swedish army conducted a kind of museum in Cincinnati, consisting of several curiosities, and among other things exhibited an artificial infernal region, which attracted a great deal of attention, and on which the pro prietor became -wealthy. At times the owner employed Swedes to manage the thunder and lightning, the falling of brimstone and the movement of evil spirits, as -well as to clean the lamps in Gehenna ; and in that place he, perhaps, permitted the Swedish immigrants to remain over night. Nearly all immigrants from Kisa settled at New Sweden, Jefferson county, thus becoming the founders of, virtually, the very first Scandinavian settlement in Iowa, and of the first permanent Swedish settlement of any importance in America in the nineteenth century; where also the first Swedish Lutheran church organization was effected by Rev. M. F. Hokanson three years later. Cassel wrote several letters to his native land, and in that way induced many more to cast the die in favor of the " land of the free and the home of the brave." During the religious confusion among the Swedish Americans in the first half of this century, the pious and enthusiastic J. Hedstrom, the learned and cere monious G. Unonius, the bold and unscrupulous F. 0. Nilson, endeavored to convince the Swedes in this country that only by joining the Methodists, Episcopalians, or Baptists, respectively, could they expect to gain salvation in the next world and happiness in this. Cassel, who had, of course. 164 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. been brought up a Lutheran and had always been a very religious and temperate man, joined the Methodists; and later in life preached occasionally in the interest of that denomination. Erieson, C. J. A., banker and state senator — Boone — born 8 March, 1840, in Sodra Vi, Smaland, Sweden. At the age of twelve he came to America with his parents, who -were among the early Swedish settlers of Rock Island county, 111. Young Erieson worked on his brother's farm, besides being engaged in other kinds of common labor until 1855, when he removed to Altona, Knox county, 111. In 1859 he settled at Ridgeport, Boone county, Iowa, thus becoming one of the Swedish pioneers of that part of the country. In this connection it may be proper to mention that the first white settlers of Boone county located there in 1843, while some Swedes arrived there in 1846 and settled at Swede Point in the same county. Among the latter were four men by the name of Dalander. Erieson was engaged in the merchandise business at Rridgeport for a number of years ; served also as postmaster of the village for twelve years ; and held various other positions of trust and honor. In 1870 he removed to Boone and began to follow the same line of business as before. Erieson was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Boone, and for some time its vice-president. In 1878, this bank having voluntarily sur rendered its charter, the City Bank was organized by him and others, the capital stock being $50,000, and the surplus accumulated by the bank now amounts to $150,000. Erieson has been the cashier as well as the actual manager of this bank ever since it was started. He is also interested BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 165 in other business enterprises, and owns a great deal of city and farm property. In 1871 Erieson was elected a repre sentative to the state legislature, and to the state senate in 1895, being the first Swede who occupied a seat in these bodies. Erieson has held various local positions of trust in the city of Boone, such as those of president and treasurer of the school board, city treasurer, and member of the city council. In 1894 Erieson and his daughter made an exten sive tour of the Old World, visiting Spain, Italy, Egypt, Palestine, Turkey, Greece, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Germany, England, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. He had not seen his native country in forty-two years. As to politics, Erieson affiliates with the Republican party. He is a prominent Freemason, and a member of the Presbyterian church. For years he has been a member of the board of trustees as well as treasurer of his home congregation. Erieson is very popular in his own county and in the state. In 1895 Judge Stevens publicly said: "More than forty years ago there came to this county a barefooted Swedish boy with a brave heart, a good brain, and willing hands. He came fully resolved to make a true American, and if ability and willingness to labor intelligently for the best interest of his country makes a good citizen, then he stands a model. Like every true-hearted man, he never forgot the land of his birth. No poor emigrant from his native land ever appealed to him in vain, but his liberality and charity are too broad to be confined to his own nationality." He was extensively and favorably recommended by the leading men in the state, as well as outside of the state, in 1897 for the appointment of minister to Sweden-Norway. In 1873 166 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Erieson was married to Nillie Linderblad, of Princeton, 111. In 1899 he gave over $12,000 to Augustana College. Hatlestad, 0. J., clergyman and author — Decorah — born 30 Sept., 1823, in Skj old, near Stavanger, Norway; died in 1891. His grandfather, who had been a personal friend of Hans Nilsen Hauge, the great lay preacher and national evangelist of Norway, had charge of the education of the subject of this sketch. The religious instruction thus received made a lasting impression upon the mind of young Hatle stad, and before he was confirmed he resolved to devote his life to the service of his Redeemer. At one time he seriously thought of going to Africa as a missionary ; but this plan had to be given up, and for several years he taught the parish school of Nerstrand. In 1846, Hatlestad, in company with his parents, brothers, and a sister, left for America, and after a ten weeks' voyage arrived in New York. They settled at Muskego, Wis., the same year. In 1847 Hatlestad obtained a position as teacher at Jefferson Prairie; but removed in 1850 to Racine, where he, in company with his brother-in- law, Knud Langeland, published Nordlyset, the first Nor wegian paper published in this country. While here, Hatle stad began to conduct the devotional exercises of a limited circle of friends ; but the attendance increased, until a church was organized, 0. Andrewson being its first pastor. In the fall of 1853 Hatlestad quite unexpectedly received a call from the Norwegian Lutheran church at Leland, La Salle county, 111.; and he was licensed to preach by a joint meeting of the Chicago and the Mississippi Evangelical Lutheran Confer ence at Chicago in January, 1854. A few months later he removed to Leland, and was formally ordained the next BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 167 year. The congregation was small, and the salary at first amounted to about $200 a year. Hatlestad served the congregation for five years, during which period it enjoyed a healthy and vigorous growth. In 1859 he removed to Mil waukee, where he spent sixteen and a half years of hard and almost ceaseless labor. Indeed, so onerous was his position as a preacher at this flood-gate of Scandinavian immigra tion, that his health was impaired ; and this was the chief reason why he left his " dear Milwaukee " in 1 876. Having spent the next two years in Forest City Iowa, he accepted a call from a church near Decorah, -where he remained until his death. For twenty years Hatlestad was the most con spicuous figure in the Norwegian Augustana Synod, which he served as president from 1870 to 1880, and again from 1888 to 1890, said body being merged into the United Nor wegian Lutheran Church at the latter date. He was also editor of Luthersk Kirketidende for a number of years. In 1887 he published Historiske Meddelelser om den Norske Augustana Synode, which is not only a history of the Nor wegian Augustana Synod, but also touches upon the history of the other Norwegian-American Lutheran churches, as well as on the settlements. It was the most complete Nor wegian-American history that had appeared. In 1848 Hatlestad married Aasa L. Landru. They had eight chil dren, two of whom are James Hatlestad, attorney-at-law, Canton, S. D., and Joseph Hatlestad, president of Gulf Coast College, Handsboro, Miss. Hokanson, Magnus Fredrik, clergyman and pioneer — Munterville — born 7 Sept., 1811, in Ronneby, Blekinge, Sweden; died 2 Jan., 1893. His father, whose education 168 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. had been very limited, was a shoe-maker in the village, and he compelled his son to learn the same craft early in life ; but young Hokanson, who evinced an intense religious enthu siasm even as a child, was far more anxious to attend to the -welfare of men's souls than to mend their soles. He desired to become a clergyman in the state church; his father objected. The young man consulted a clergyman in the neighborhood; no encouragement. In this perplexity, Hokanson left his native town and went to Stockholm, where he worked in a shoe establishment, owned by an educated man who sympathized with Hokanson's endeavor to secure a better education than he had, in order to become a minister. With this object in view, Hokanson consulted various leading divines in the Swedish capital, but to no avail. He had only received a common school education, and before he could study theology, his mental faculties had to be trained. After the Foreign Mission Society in London, England, to which Hokanson had appealed, had refused to accept his services, he decided to go to the extreme northern part of Sweden and try to convert the Lapps. But during his preparation for the Lappish mission, a friend of his, an influential man in Stockholm, advised him to "stick to his last" and remain in the capital, and this man promised to introduce him to a respectable and wealthy young lady; and thus, his friend argued, his happiness would be secured, and his anxiety would vanish. This argument was too tempt ing even for the would-be clergyman, -who had also become tired of his many adversities. He acted upon this advice ; won the affection of the young lady ; but the parents refused to give their consent to the partnership until he had proved C. J. A. ERICSON, BOONE. P. IV. CHANTLAND, FORT DODGE. I'KOF. A. E. EGUE, IOWA CITY. ( E. T. JOHNSON, DECORAH. Ii. L. WICK, CEDAR RAriDS. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 169 to be a successful business man, which he failed to do, and the engagement contract -was dissolved. On account of business failure, disappointed hopes, and unsuccessful love, he had become mentally and spiritually depressed. But at this time a friend of his accompanied him, in 1847, to the New World, and paid for his passage. It is proper, however, to remark that Hokanson later settled in full for the expense incurred during the voyage. The same year he reached the colony at New Sweden, Jefferson county, Iowa, which had been founded a couple of years before for a more com plete description of this early and important settlement, see Peter Cassel's biography in this volume. But Hokanson, who was used to comfortable accommodations in Stock holm, could not and would not endure the hardships of pioneer fife. He sold some of his clothes and effects, and intended to return to New York ; but during the journey he became sick ; lost the trunk which contained his clothes and money, and as a consequence was compelled to stop in St. Louis, Mo. Being unable to speak the English language, he could secure no work ; and for seven days he lived on apples, picked up on the streets, and -washed in the Missis sippi river. During the nights he slept in an open shed. In other words, he was a tramp, but his Northern sense of independence deterred him from begging. By selling his only coat, he secured enough means to return to Burlington, Iowa, and soon recovered all his effects in good condition. His health was broken down, and, being unable to work, he, after a few months' stay in Burlington, decided to return to New Sweden, where board and other necessary expenses were lower than in towns and villages. It was at this place that 170 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Hokanson, then about thirty-seven years of age, commenced his life-work. Although he was neither learned nor brilliant, yet, from an historical standpoint, he is an important char acter. He organized, in 1848, the first Swedish Lutheran congregation in America, in the nineteenth century; and since the Swedish Augustana Synod, -with which this congre gation is connected, undoubtedly has exercised a greater influence upon the Swedish-American people than all other spiritual and intellectual forces combined, it will be necessary and useful to minutely discuss the attempts of Hokanson to instruct his countrymen in the faith of their fathers. In the first place, Rev. E. Norelius, the historian of the Augustana Synod, says, in Ev. Lutherska Augustana Synoden i Nord- Amerika, page 15: "The people of New Sweden united themselves into a Lutheran congregation in 1848, and made use of the privilege of the church of God in selecting one of the multitude to become their instructor and to administer the sacraments"; adding, in a foot-note, that this proce dure was a case of necessity, and not recommendable under ordinary circumstances. But the same author in his larger history, published in 1890 (which has been extensively con sulted in the preparation of Hokanson's biography), claims that there was no formal church organization in 1848 ; but that the young people were confirmed, the sacraments administered, the Swedish church ritual used, and the pioneers considered themselves as members of the Lutheran church in Sweden. Secondly, the church reports of the Augustana Synod have annually, for very nearly forty years, asserted that the church organization at New Sweden was effected in 1850. Partly on account of these conflicting BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA 171 statements, the editor of this work made a special visit to New Sweden in the summer of 1894, and with the kind assistance of Rev. C. J. Bengston, the following facts were deduced from the old church books and records, as well as through conversation with several of the men who had been there since the settlement was established in 1845 : I. The early pioneers in New Sweden appear to have been extremely moderate in their virtues as well as in their vices. They were not very religious, nor irreligious. But after Hokanson's arrival, he succeeded in arousing a spiritual awakening among them, so that they commenced to feel the need of attending devotional exercises, of partaking of the Lord's Supper, and of having their children brought up under religious influences. It is true, that now and then an American clergyman, or itinerant evangelist, visited the settlement; but most of the Swedish people could not under stand English. It was under such circumstances that Hokanson, in 1848, was requested to lead in religious meet ings, administer the sacraments, and baptize and confirm the children. At the church parsonage, there are no records of any description that a church was ever organized at New Sweden. But in the church record, compiled by Rev. Hakan Olson in 1859, two persons are registered as having joined in 1848, and five names are entered for 1849. II. Whether this unpretentious organization was formal or not, depends entirely upon the definition of the word formal. That the proceedings were not so regular and solemn as the rituals of the Lutheran state church of Sweden, in such cases, prescribe, or that parliamentary rules of order were as closely observed as when the United States Congress con- 172 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. venes, could hardly be expected in this instance, when most of the participants were barely able to read and write. Yet the organization was unquestionably legal. For according to the civil law of the land, any set of persons, capable of making a contract, may engage another to be their religious instructor, and to perform all the religious ceremonies in concordance with their belief; and this will be considered a lawful church organization. But another question arises. Was the organization of this congregation in conformity with the discipline of the Lutheran church ? Rev. E. Nore lius, in Korsbaneret for 1894, says : " The manner of calling Hokanson -was simple, natural, and correct." Nor is there anything in the fundamental doctrines of Lutheranism to prove that the pioneers at New Sweden did not act in accordance with the creed of the church in selecting a lay man as their clergyman, when no ordained minister could be secured. In fact, they could by imposition of hands have or dained Hokanson, and no Lutheran church body would have re-ordained him. Lutheranism, properly interpreted, consists in unity of faith more than anything else. But it must be admitted that this is, perhaps, the only instance in the world where a Lutheran congregation has been organized in such a democratic manner. III. It has been claimed that Prof. L. P. Esbjorn re-organized the church when he visited the settlement in 1851; but this is highly improbable, as neither Esbjorn himself nor Norelius, in any of their writings, men- tionsthefact, although both of them speak at length concern ing the religious condition at New Sweden. On the contrary, the former urged Hokanson and his congregation to con tinue as they had begun, and to remain true Lutherans, and Dr. C. M. Esbjorn claims that several Swedish-American Lutheran churches have had a similar origin as the church at New Sweden. He also maintains that documen tary evidence can be produced from his father's writings to prove that his father effect ed a permanent, or regular, church orgaota's.'arn at New Swed«a Ar,ril 27. 1851.— Epitob. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA 173 he made no attempt to re-confirm any of the five children whom Hokanson had confirmed in 1848. According to Norelius' history, Esbjorn promised to attend to the neces sary requirements, that the church might join some Lutheran synod. Esbjorn probably assisted the pioneers in selecting deacons and trustees. It was also then decided to build a church. Norelius, in his large history, page 93, says: "In 1853 Prof. T. N. Hasselquist visited the settlements and further assisted Hokanson in the arrangement of church matters, when also a kind of constitution was adopted"; and five years later a new constitution was adopted. Hokanson, who had reluctantly consented to lead the pioneers at their devotional exercises, was soon forced to become an unwilling participant in fierce religious strifes and fanatical controversies, in which sectarianism rather than religion seems to have been the main object of some of his opponents. In 1849 the well-known Rev. G. Unonius, Episcopalian, visited the settlement; and, being a strong believer in the Apostolic succession, he, of course could not, nor did he, endorse Hokanson's course. The next year Rev. Jonas Hedstrom, Methodist, arrived upon the scene, and soon succeeded in convincing a large number of the people that they could attain human and divine perfection upon this wicked earth of ours if they joined his denomination. He condemned all the Lutheran forms and practices of wor ship, and endeavored to convert Hokanson to Methodism, but failed. As, however, more than half of Hokanson's con gregation had become Methodists, he was worried and depressed, and in the presence of Hedstrom resigned. After Hedstrom's departure from the settlement, the remaining 174 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Lutherans again requested Hokanson to act as their leader; but he declined, recommending an older member. The people proceeded to vote for the two candidates. Hokan son was elected. But not satisfied with this, he proposed that they cast lots, which they did, proceeding in accordance with the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, which describes the manner of choosing a successor to Judas Iscariot. The lot fell upon Hokanson, and he then again consented to take charge of the congregation. In 1854 Revs. G. Palmquist and F. 0. Nilson, Baptists, came to New Sweden — Nilson'sbiogrophycan be found in the first volume. Hokanson had known the former in Sweden as a pietistic Lutheran, and it is claimed that at first Palmquist did not tell any one in the settlement of his change of faith. In the hands of the refined and polished Palmquist, and of the bold and unscrupulous Nilson, the weak and confiding Hokanson became a mere plaything. He wavered, again resigned his charge, and -was immersed. Hasselquist, who had heard of Hokanson's vacillation, hastened to the settlement, and met him and others just as they were proceeding towards the river to immerse Hokanson. Hasselquist politely asked them where they were going ; they told him ; he kindly blessed them, and calmly went into the house and conversed with Mrs. Hokanson. It would be interesting to know the contents of the conversation which occurred be tween these two men, after Hokanson's return to his house. He was re-converted to Lutheranism in a few hours. The liberal views of Hasselquist were amply illustrated by the fact that he permitted Hokanson to remain as the pastor of the congregation, without any re-ordination whatsoever. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 175 Through the influence of Esbjorn, Hokanson had received a hcense to preach from the Joint Synod of Ohio, in 1851, and $70 in cash ; and was ordained by the Lutheran Synod of Northern Illinois two years later, at Galesburg. Up to 1858 Hokanson -was the only Swedish Lutheran clergyman in Iowa, having charge of five congregations, located in as many different counties. His churches in Burlington and Swede Bend, Webster county, were exactly one hundred and seventy-five miles apart in a straight line. Considering that there was hardly a bridge, or even a path, in the whole state at that time, Hokanson's ministerial comforts can be better imagined than described. In 1856 he left New Sweden and moved to Munterville ; settled at what is now Madrid three years later; but returned to Munterville in 1862, where he lived and preached for nearly thirty years. The last two or three years of his eventful life he spent with his adopted daughter at Red Oak, where he died. He was buried at Munterville. Hokanson was married in 1848 to Anna E. Anderson, from Horn, Ostergotland. They had no children. Jacobsen, Jacob D., educator — Decorah — born 16 July, 1842, near Skien, Norway; died 1 April, 1881. His parents emigrated to America when he was less than one year old, and settled at Pine Lake, Wis. Their pastor, N. Brandt, in the course of time discovered unusual talents in the boy, who, by the assistance of Brandt and his congregation, was enabled to enter Concordia College and Seminary, in St. Louis, Mo., in the fall of 1858. Here he pursued his studies uninterruptedly until the spring of 1861, his expenses being largely defrayed by Brandt's congregations. Jacobsen next studied a few months at Concordia College, Ft. Wayne, Ind., 176 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. but soon returned to St. Louis, where he remained until the spring of 1863. In the fall of 1863, he was employed as assistant professor at Luther College, Decorah ; then studied one year at the same place; and again entered Concordia College, Ft. Wayne, finishing his collegiate course and grad uating in 1867. Having completed a regular theological course in the Concordia Seminary, in St. Louis, he gradu ated in 1870. He was ordained for the ministry the same year, and in 1872 accepted a professorship at Luther Col lege, which position he held until his death. Jacobsen was very successful as a teacher. "He was capable of teaching about all the branches comprised in the college course; and the choicest productions of the great authors, he had read either in the original or in translations." He married Guro Ingebrigtsen in 1871; they had four children. Koren, Ulrik Vilhelm, clergyman and pioneer — Decorah — born 22 Dec, 1826, in Bergen, Norway. He received a col lege education in his native city, and in 1852 was graduated as a cand. theol. from the University of Norway. Having accepted a call as minister from congregations near Deco rah, he emigrated to America in 1853. Although Koren has received numerous calls from other churches, he has remained where he first located. Being the first Norwegian Lutheran minister who permanently settled west of the Mississippi, his charge at first comprised an extensive territory, which since has been divided into a large number of charges. Koren was one of the pioneers of the West, and as such ex perienced all the hardships characteristic of early settle ments. In this connection it is only proper to mention that Koren has been instrumental in drawing a highly desirable BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA 177 class of emigrants from his native country to the northeast ern part of Iowa and the southeastern part of Minnesota. Rev. A. Bredesen says of Koren : " The task that confronted him was one before which a weaker, or less devoted, man would have quailed. His parish proper was about fifty by forty miles in extent, and his mission field was all north eastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota. Passable roads were few, and much of the traveling between the widely scattered settlements must be done on horseback or on foot. There were difficulties, hardships, and privations of every description to overcome or endure. But Koren was the right man for the post. A man of European university education, and accustomed to mingle in the most cultured society of the fatherland, with his equally refined helpmate, he took up his abode in a rude log cabin a few miles from the present city of Decorah, and with an heroism born of a strong faith devoted himself to his life-work, the building- up of the Church of the Reformation among his scattered and destitute countrymen in those western wilds." Since 1861 he has served as a member of the executive committee of the Norwegian Lutheran Synod ; from 1876, when the synod was divided into districts, to 1894, as president of the Iowa District ; and from the latter date as president of the whole synod. Koren secured the land on which Luther College was established, and, with the exception of Presi dent Larsen, no man has done more than he toward making that institution what it is. His culture and solid attain ments, his unflagging interest in the institutions of the synod, his enthusiasm and earnestness, his versatility in advocating what he has conceived to be the truth, and his 178 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. untiring perseverance, have made him one of the most con spicuous of Norwegian Lutherans in this country. He has written much for the religious papers of the synod, and is the author of: Vore Kirkelige Modstanderes Vaaben, Kan og bbr en Kristen vaere vis paa sin Salighed, Hvad den Norske Synode har villet og fremdeles vil, De Kirkelige Par- tier blandt vort Folk i Amerika, and other pamphlets, which are contributions to the controversies which have agitated the Norwegian Lutheran churches in this country, also con taining much, especially the last named, of great historical value. Det Gamle Hus is a poem about that schism in the synod which led to the withdrawal of the Anti-Missourians during the eighties. His most lasting literary work is his contribution to the new hymn book of the synod. His gifts as a preacher, and his conscientious devotion to his duties, have won for him the lasting esteem and love of his parish ioners; his alertness and readiness for any emergency, his calmness in adversity and prosperity alike, have made him a tower of strength in the Norwegian Synod. And if any man, above all others, deserves the title of defender of the principles and the practices of the Norwegian Synod, that man is Ulrick Vilhelm Koren. He married Else Elisa beth Hysing, of Larvik, Norway, in 1853 ; they have had eight children. One of his sons is also a minister in the Norwegian Synod, and another is a prominent statistician. Larsen, Laur., educator— Decorah— born 10 Aug., 1833, in Kristiansand, Norway. "I was born on the same day as the town organization of Chicago was perfected," said Lar sen in a talk to the students of Luther College a few years ago. "My father was the youngest of twelve brothers and BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 179 sisters, and yet I have scarcely any relatives on my father's side." His mother's father, Oftedahl, was a member of the convention of Eidsvold, which framed the constitution of Norway. Larsen further says : " My parents were married 17 Sept., 1832, and I attended their golden wedding in 1882." Larsen's father was an officer in the army, and his income was so small that the family had to practice the strictest economy to make both ends meet. Larsen -was exactly nine years old when he entered the Latin school of his native city, and the instruction he received there was certainly of a high grade. "Upon the whole," he says, "I must consider it fortunate that I received a very good school education. Most of my instructors were able men, the classes were small, and -we were more isolated from the dis turbances of the world than the students of the present day are, or can be." Even as a school-boy, Larsen gave unmis takable evidence of conscientiousness and a strong will. Once, some of his school-mates tempted him to begin to smoke cigars. He soon regretted this, and decided never to touch tobacco again until he became a man, and he kept his promise to the letter. Larsen was enthusiastically devoted to athletic sports, and particularly distinguished himself as an expert swimmer. That these exercises did not interfere with his studies, is demonstrated by the fact that his stand ing, at the examinations for the degree of A. B.,was 1 — which virtually equals 100 in this country — for all languages. Upon entering the University of Norway, at Kristiania, in 1850, Larsen rented a room scarcely 8x8 feet, for which he paid $2.00 a month; and his expenses were kept correspond ingly low in other lines. But a new and rich world was 180 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. opened to his mind, and so intensely did the young man apply himself to his studies that his health began to fail. He was compelled to leave the uniyersity, and spent the first months of the year 1851 as private tutor at the house of his uncle, Rev. Bassoe, of Raade. This enabled him to save some money, and he re-entered the university in the fall. But his funds were soon completely exhausted, and he had to earn his living by teaching in schools or private families. For some time he gave two private lessons every afternoon for a consideration of $6.00 per month. Larsen received his degree as cand. theol. in June, 1855, after having devoted three and one-half years to theological studies. After this he continued to teach in Kristiania, his favorite branches being French, German, and Hebrew. But from childhood he had made up his mind to serve as a minister of the gospel, and with that aim in view he emigrated to the New World in 1857. He served as pastor of a congregation near Rush River, Pierce county, Wis., until the Norwegian Synod, on 14 Oct., 1859, called him as its theological professor at Con cordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. The Norwegian Synod, at its annual meeting at Rock Prairie, Wis., in the summer of 1861, decided to build a college of its own. Accordingly, a school was opened the same year in the Halfway Creek par sonage, thirteen miles from La Crosse. Larsen was appointed principal of the school, which was removed to Decorah, Iowa, the next year, and has since been known as Luther College. As Larsen has been at the head of this col lege from its beginning until now, his subsequent biography and the history of the school are intimately interwoven. The accommodations at Halfway Creek were so limited that BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 181 the office of the president had to be utilized as sick-chamber for the students, and another room served both as sitting- room and bed-chamber for him and his family. The pro fessors and their families dined with the students, and all the inmates of the building became accustomed to look upon themselves as members of the same family. And they all agree that those days were some of the happiest and most beautiful in their lives. After the removal to Decorah, larger quarters were secured ; but the reputation of the school was such that in* a year or two many applicants for admission had to be turned away for lack of room. Hence a mag nificent brick structure was erected during the years 1864- 65, and the formal dedication of it occurred on 14 Oct., 1865. Great numbers, even from distant congregations, came to attend the dedication exercises. With surprise they witnessed the grandeur and beauty of the new building. About six thousand people attended the ceremonies, and the occasion marked an epoch in the history of the Norwegian Lutheran churches in America. The building cost $75,000. In view of the comparative poverty of the congregations which had to raise the funds, this amount was large, and no one knows better than the president of the college how difficult it was at times to save the whole plan from tempo rary collapse, to say the least. "It often happened," he says, "that on a Saturday we did not know whence the $1,000 were to come wherewith the numerous laborers were to be paid on the following Monday." The attendance at the college steadily increased, and in a couple of years the whole building was occupied. Nine years later an addition was built. In 1889 the main college building was destroyed 182 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. by fire, but at the meetings of the three districts of the synod the same year, it was resolved immediately to rebuild it. The next year it was again completed at a cost of $56,000. Larsen has always enjoyed the utmost confidence of the synod, and the devotion of many of its members to the col lege was once expressed by an aged clergyman in these words : "I am sure I have offered up as many prayers for Luther College as there are bricks in the building." In the fall of 1884 Larsen had served the synod as a professo uninterruptedly for a quarter of a century, an'd the event was fittingly commemorated at Luther College. On 22 Oct. some three hundred students and other friends of Larsen, including many of the ministers of the synod, gave vent to their feelings of gratitude and devotion by demonstrations of various kinds, and in the evening Larsen was the recipient of several valuable presents. As to Larsen's work at Luther College, The Midland Monthly, June, 1894, says: "The amount of work he has performed, and to a great extent is still performing, will be better appreciated -when it is stated that his duties as president alone have comprised what in many colleges is distributed among the offices of president, registrar, and dean, and, inasmuch as Luther College is a boarding school, also a general supervision of the students' conduct." And yet Larsen finds time to do all his work thoroughly. Not only is his private work performed with the minutest care ; but every public duty assigned to him is discharged with the same conscientious painstaking, the same scrupulous exactness. This characteristic undoubtedly furnishes the main key to the reputation of Luther College as an institution of learning. It is at least certain that BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 183 Luther College has a far better standing among our great institutions of learning than has any other of the advanced Norwegian schools in this country. Larsen has also per formed a large amount of work not connected with the college. While the college was located at Halfway Creek, he served as pastor of five congregations in and around La Crosse, besides preaching at Trempealeau and Beaver Creek, during the Christmas and Easter vacations. After having removed to Decorah, Larsen at first preached regularly every other Sunday, and afterwards was called as regular pastor of a new congregation in Decorah. In 1865 he was relieved of this duty, but still for many years continued to preach on t-wo Sundays out of every three. In 1882 the Decorah congregation called Larsen as its pastor, which position he held for some time. Since 1890 he has not been connected with any church as pastor, though he still con tinues to preach occasionally. In 1868 Larsen was appointed editor-in-chief of Kirkelig Maanedstidende, the official organ of the synod, and held the position until January, 1889. As a member of the most important boards and committees in the synod, he has directly exerted a powerful influence upon the history of that body, and from 1876 to 1893 was its vice-president. Most of the clergymen serving in the Norwegian Synod today, as well as several other Norwe gian-American Lutheran ministers, have completed their literary studies at Luther College ; and since Larsen became president of the institution up to 1897, about three hundred persons — including clergymen, lawyers, physicians, authors, journalists, etc. — have graduated from the college. Besides, there has been many times that number who have attended 184 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. the school without completing any regular course of stuuy.-; and Larsen has, unquestionably, been able to stamp his indi viduality upon the educated Norwegian-Americans to a greater extent than any other person, living or dead. In 1855 Larsen was married to Karen Neuberg. She died in 1871, leaving him with four children. The next year he was married to Ingeborg Astrup, by whom he has had ten children. In 1895 he lost his oldest son, who, a year before, had entered upon a promising practice as physician in Texas. Linn, John, clergyman and pioneer — Dayton — born 29 May, 1826, in Dodringhult, Smaland, Sweden. He emi grated in 1849 and, after much suffering, settled at Swede Bend, Webster county, Iowa, which was then a wilderness. While log huts were being put up for the winter, Linn and his wife took up temporary quarters under the trunk of a basswood tree which had been felled so that its butt end rested on the stump ! They were among the earliest settlers of Webster county, and it is claimed that their daughter Julia was the first white child bora in that county, her birth day being 8 Jan., 1851. Meat was plenty in those days. Professional hunters were in the habit of taking only the hind quarters of the deer, leaving the rest of the carcasses ; wild turkeys were so abundant that Linn one winter caught dozens of them by a peculiar trap ; and he -was engaged by a Boone county farmer to catch a lot of hogs which had been running at large until they were practically wild, Linn receiving one-half of the hogs for his trouble. The distance to the nearest reliable grist-mill was so great that Linn con structed a hand-mill on which a strong man could grind two bushels of corn in a day, and this for some time was a great PROF. LAUR. LARSEN, DECORAH. REV. U. V. KOKEN, DECORAH. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 185 boon to the neighborhood. These mill-stones may still be seen in the foundation of William Linn's house, at Pilot Mound, Boone county. Salt cost ten cents a pound ; but, on the other hand, maple sugar was abundant, and Linn, in company with another man, gathered three barrels of wild honey in one week ! In 1853 a man tried to sell eighty acres of land, where the city of Des Moises now stands, to Linn for $320 ; but the latter declined the offer, looking upon the price as excessive. Linn for years tended to his work as a com mon farmer, without paying any extraordinary attention to rehgious matters. But in the spring of 1854 he was aroused to an unusual degree by Gustaf Smith, a Methodist preacher; a church was organized, and Linn became its first member and exhorter the following year, though no licence to preach was given him until 1857. He now divided his time between the cares of his home church and the management of his farm. As road supervisor Linn acquired the title of "Swede King," by requiring the farmers of his district to work so long on the road that they received vouchers for the pay ment of their poll tax for the next ten years ! In 1868 he accepted a call as pastor from a church in Moline, 111., where he remained three years. He next served churches succes sively at Rockford and Galesburg, 111.; and in 1874 was ap pointed presiding elder of the Iowa district, and removed to DesMoines. Inl877he settled atSheldahl,as presiding elder of the new Burlington district, and in the course of the next few years served charges at Sheldahl and Des Moines. His work in the capacity of presiding elder was most satisfac tory, and in 1884 he raised $700 for the Swedish theological seminary at Evanston, 111. In the fall of 1888 he removed 186 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. to Dayton, in order to spend the eve of his life with his brothers. The native powers of Linn were of a high order; yet it seems strange that he could accomplish so much, con sidering that he never enjoyed a day's schooling, nor could even write his name until he was a grown man. In 1848 Linn was married to MarySomberg, who died in 1853; and again to Mrs. Jacobsen in 1854. Linn had children in both wedlocks. Lysnes, David, clergyman and educator — Beloit — born 31 July, 1832, near Larvik, Norway; died 11 Aug., 1890. He lived and worked among the peasants of his neighbor hood until he was nineteen years old, at which time he began to teach parochial school, and he continued uninter ruptedly for seven years, his salary being $20.00 a year and room and board. In 1859-61 he completed a course at Asker Seminary, and afterwards taught three years at Hans Kappelens Minde, an orphans' home at Skien; and four years at Kristiania. In 1868 he emigrated to America, and settled as pastor of a Norwegian congregation at Pontiac, 111. ; in 1870 removed to Decorah, Iowa, where he labored for eight years ; and four years later was called as theologi cal professor, by the Norwegian Augustana Synod, whose theological seminary was located successively near Decorah, at Marshall, Wis., and finally at Beloit. Lysnes worked in this capacity until the Augustana Synod was merged into the United Church, at Minneapolis, in 1890, when he was appointed one of the theological professors of that body. For some time he also served a church at Elk Point, S. D. Though Lysnes never had enjoyed the advantages of a clas sical training, his intellect was keen and powerful, and his BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 187 personal influence upon his pupils and parishioners was marked. He was married in 1867 to Maren Andrea Heiret, of Eidsvold, Norway, who died in 1868; and in 1871 to Maren Jonetta Nas, of Asker, Norway. He had four children by his second wife. Olsen, Johan, clergyman— St. Ansgar— bora 3 July, 1834, in Bindalen, Tromso stift, Norway. His parents had come under the influence of the great revival inaugurated by Hans Nilsen Hauge in the early part of this century, and the boy was brought up in a religious atmosphere. At an early age he evinced a keen taste for books, and more than once he would give vent to his religious feelings by preaching -while herding cattle in the woods and mountains, his audience con sisting of cows and sheep. But the boy was bound to rise. Though his opportunities for learning were meager indeed, he had learned enough to become a public school teacher at the age of fifteen. Three years later he entered the Tromso normal school, and was graduated with honors in 1854. He next served as teacher and precentor at his home. In 1857 he was appointed principal of a higher school in Kaafjorden, where he remained two years . For some time he had cherished the desire of studying theology, and this desire at last became irresistible. In spite of the lack of means, he went to Kristi ania for the purpose of fitting himself for the ministry. His life in the capital meant ceaseless work and privation. His patience and perseverance, however, overcame every obstacle, and he received the degrees of A. B. and Cand. Phil, in 1863 and 1864, respectively. The next two years were spent in studying theology. By this time his health was seriously impaired by over-work in studying and supporting his family, 188 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. now consisting of five persons. In 1866 Olsen emigrated to America, and was appointed adjunct professor of Hebrew and some other branches at Agustana College, Paxton, 111. In 1867 he was ordained for the ministry by the well-known Prof. T. N. Hasselquist, and settled as pastor of a congrega tion at Neenah, Wis. Later he removed to Ft. Howard, and while here he organized many new congregations in the northeastern part of Wisconsin. Olsen was a prominent figure among those who organized the Norwegian-Danish Lutheran Conference at St. Ansgar, la., 16 Aug., 1870. He served this body as vice-president from 1870 to 1872, and as president from the latter date to 1881. Since 1873 he has resided at St. Ansgar, where he enjoys the esteem and love of his parisioners to an unusual degree. St. Ansgar Seminary and Institute was started in 1878, chiefly through the efforts of Olsen, and for years he has given lectures at that school. He was married in 1858, and has had eleven children, six of whom are still living. One of his sons, Sigurd Olsen, is a professor in St. Ansgar Seminary and Institute. Ottesen, Jacob Aall, clergyman and pioneer — Decorah — born 1 June, 1825, in Fet, Kristiania stift, Norway. His father and grandfather were clergymen at his birthplace for fifty years previous, and more than forty of his relatives are, or have been, clergymen. Ottesen completed his theolo gical studies at the University of Norway, and graduated with honors in 1849. Having spent three years as instruc tor in Kristiania, he emigrated to America in 1852. Upon the request of Ole Bull, the famous violinist, who had started a Norwegian colony at 01eana,Pa., Ottesen stopped at that BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA. 189 place and preached to his countrymen before going west. He settled as pastor at Manitowoc, Wis., the same year, his charge consisting of three organized congregations in and about Manitowoc, and ten missionary stations located along the lake shore from Green Bay to Milwaukee. He was an exceedingly busy man in those days. His time was spent in unceasing travel, mostly on horseback, and he would cover from thirty to fifty miles a day. His exposure to all kinds of -weather resulted in a chronic rheumatism, which ever since has reminded him of the hardships of those early pioneer days. He -was one of the seven clergymen who organized the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod at Koshkonong, Wis., in 1853, and for a number of years served as secretary of that body. In 1857 Ottesen, together with Rev. N. Brandt, was appointed a delegate of the synod to visit the theological seminaries at St. Louis, Mo., Columbus, 0., and Buffalo, N. Y., with the view of finding a suitable institution for the education of young Norwegians for the ministry. The seminary at St. Louis was chosen, and Prof. Laur. Larsen was appointed to represent the Norwegian Synod in the theological faculty of that institution. In 1860 Ottesen moved to Koshkonong. Here he served as pastor of the oldest church of the Norwegian Synod until his re moval to Decorah in 1891. For a number of years Ottesen was associate editor of Kirkelig Maanedstidende, the offi cial organ of the synod. When the synod established Luther Seminary at Madison, Wis., in 1878, he was requested to serve as its first president, but declined. Later he served as a member of the board of visitors of his district for a num ber of years. In 1893 Ottesen wrote Kort Uddrag af den 190 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Norske Synodes Historie, which was exhibited at the World's Fair in Chicago the same year. As is indicated by the title, this work is brief; but it is one of the most correct and impartial histories of the Norwegian Synod written up to date. Since 1891, Ottesen has had no regular charge, but officiated from Nov., 1894, to Aug., 1896, as temporary pas tor during a vacancy in the Norwegian church in Decorah. Rev. J. C. Jensson in his great work, American Lutheran Biographies, says of Ottesen: 'His classical training, keen reasoning powers, ability as writer and counsellor, and, above all, his ardent devotion to the truths embodied in the confession of the Lutheran church, has made him a repre sentative man among his brethren — honored and revered as one of the fathers of the Norwegian Lutheran churches in America. Though the life and work of Ottesen have not attracted the attention of the -world — his work having been carried out in that obscurity which necessarily surrounds one, no matter how gifted, who devotes himself to the wel fare of any small community of foreigners in this country — his life has none the less been one of heroism and selfdenial, which deserves an honored mention. To men who, like him, have made it their aim and purpose of life to carry the truths of eternity to their fellow beings, our country owes its noblest achievements of true progress and civilization, and they deserve a lasting gratitude.' Ottesen married Cath erine Doderlein, of Kristiania, in 1852. They have had six children, four of whom are dead. His only living son, Otto Christian, is also a clergyman in the Norwegian Synod. Torgerson, Torger Andreas, clergyman— Somber— born 26 Jan., 1838, near Tvedestrand, Kristiansand stift, Nor- BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN IOWA 191 way. He emigrated in 1852 with his parents, who settled in Scandinavia, Waupaca county, Wis. After his arrival in this country, Torgerson's boyhood was spent mostly in attend ing school, working on his father's farm, and preparing for college. At the age of twenty he entered Concordia College, St. Louis, Mo. Three years later this institution was moved to Fort Wayne, Ind., -where he graduated in 1862; and, having completed a course at the Concordia Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., was ordained for the ministry in the Norwegian Lutheran Synod by Rev. H. A. Preus in 1865. The staying qualities of Torgerson may be inferred from the fact that he has served as a minister at his present home for thirty years. Rev. A. Bredesen says of him : "With the excep tion of Rev. Koren, no man in the Iowa District has done longer, harder, and more faithful and effective service than Torgerson." His field of labor has extended one hundred and fifty miles from east to west, and one hundred and twenty-five miles in the opposite direction, comprising in all thirty -four different churches, and for some time his charge consisted of eighteen congregations, scattered over this large territory. At present no less than thirteen ministers of the Norwegian Synod are laboring in that territory, besides a fair number of Norwegian Lutheran ministers not con nected -with the synod. Torgerson has been in danger of losing his life on no less than eight different occasions, his escape in several cases having been very narrow, not to say miraculous. His position in the synod has always been prominent, and he has officiated as secretary of the pastoral conference of the synod and of the Iowa District for twenty years. He has been president of the Albert Lea special pas- 192 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. toral conference since its organization in 1873 ; president of the general ministerial conference for six years ; and is at present president of the Iowa District, and a member of the church council of the synod. In 1870 Torgerson pub lished Markelige Tildragelser, a pamphlet of fifty-eight pages on local church disputes. He has also contributed much to different papers, and many of his sermons have been printed by request in Evangelisk Luthersk Kirke- tidende. He married Dina Anderson, a sister of Prof. R. B. Anderson, in 1866. They have had seven children, all boys, one of whom is a successful attorney-at-law at Lake Mills, Iowa, and another a clergyman in the synod. Biographies of Scandinavians in Wisconsin. Anderson, Mons, manufacturer and wholesale merchant —La Crosse — born 8 June, 1830, in Valders, Norway. He attended the parish school of his native valley ; and, being compelled to shift for himself by the death of his father, departed of his own accord for the Ne-w World at the early age of sixteen. During the first year after his arrival in this country he was employed at a hotel in Milwaukee, kept by the Hon. Daniel Wells, and afterwards attended school for two years. Having spent another year in the same city as salesman in a grocery store, he pushed further west, set tling at La Crosse in 1851. He first engaged as clerk in the store of S. T. Smith ; -was soon admitted as partner in the firm ; and afterwards formed partnerships successively -with W. W. Ustick and S. E. Olson, the latter now having a large dry goods store in Minneapolis. He finally bought out his partners and continued the business, in which he proved so successful that the volume of his trade was the second largest of its kind in the state. In 1885 he admitted both of his sons into the company, the firm assuming the name of Mons Anderson & Sons. In the same year he closed out his retail establishment, and since that time the firm has 193 194 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. been doing a wholesale dr}r goods and manufacturing busi ness. The firm employs several traveling salesmen and hun dreds of hands in the factory and the store. It is generally admitted that this establishment is the largest of its kind in America in proportion to the population of the locahty in which it is situated. He owns a great deal of real property, besides being interested in various financial enterprises. The reasons for Mons Anderson's success may be summarized as follo-ws : From the very start he kept strictly one price, treated everyone alike, and endeavored to represent his goods just as they were. The main key to his success, how ever, is undoubtedly to be found in his great energy, and the systematic order in which his affairs are managed. He is at his store at seven o'clock every morning. While he endeav ors to do his duty as a Christian and a citizen, he permits neither pohtics, religion, nor anything else to interfere with his business. Anderson has had in his employ three hundred clerks who have since gone into business on their own account, and who received their first training under Ander son's guidance. Some of these have since almost equalled him in business success. An authority says : "Anderson, as a man, does his own thinking, is original, has positive con victions, and shows his character and ability more by what he does than by -what he professes. In his pursuit of wealth he has not been unmindful of the comfort of his employes, nor has he been wanting in public spirit." Although he is a member of the American Baptist church, yet he has given large sums to Luther College and other Scandinavian insti tutions. Anderson has traveled very extensively both in this country and in Europe. His large collection of sculp- BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 195 ture, statues, paintings, and curiosities has been gathered from nearly every country in Europe. Fe-w Scandinavian- American business men have such a large and well selected library as Anderson has. His books are counted by the thou sand, including some rare productions, and several works on art. Anderson was married in 1853 to Jane Halvorson, who came with her parents from Norway to Wisconsin in 1846. They have two sons; Alfred H., the oldest, owns and manages a large property in the state of Washington ; and Samuel W., the youngest, is a member of his father's firm, which in 1891 was formally organized into a stock company; his oldest daughter is married to a prominent attorney, C. W. Bunn, located in St. Paul, Minn.; and his youngest daughter is Mrs. W. L. Crosby, of La Crosse. Anderson has in all ten grand-children, of whom he is very proud. Anderson, Rasmus B., author and United States minister to Denmark— Madison— born 12 Jan., 1846, in Albion, Dane county, Wis. His father was the son of a peasant near Stavanger, Norway, and his mother a member of the von Krogh family, the name of which for two hundred and fifty years past has figured very prominently in the military records of Norway and Denmark. Her relatives were greatly displeased with the union because of Anderson's humble rank in society. This difficulty was further aggravated by the fact that he was a Quaker, and in order to evade what virtually amounted to a mild type of persecution, they left for America in 1836. They lived successively at Rochester, N. Y., and in La Salle county, 111.; but in 1841 removed to Wisconsin, being the first couple of white settlers in the 196 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. township of Albion, Dane county. Here Rasmus B. Ander son was born. During his early boyhood he worked on the farm in summer, and attended the district school in winter. At the age of fourteen he left home for the purpose of acquir ing an education, and in the fall of 1861 entered the school established by the Norwegian Lutheran Synod at the Half way Creek parsonage, near La Crosse, Wis., afterwards located at Decorah, Iowa, and known as Luther College. Being impatient of the restraint imposed upon him by the faculty, Anderson rebelled to such an extent that he was expelled from the school when he had almost completed a classical course. In 1890, however, after Anderson had made a reputation, Luther College conferred the degree of A. B. upon him. In 1866 he was appointed professor of Greek and modern languages in Albion Academy, near his home. This was the signal for a genuine stampede of Nor wegian students to that institution, and three years later, when he withdrew, there was a similar stampede in the opposite direction. Having entered the State University of Wisconsin, at Madison, as a post-graduate student, he was appointed instructor in languages in that institution in 1869. In this capacity he served until the summer of 1875, when he was appointed to the chair of Scandinavian lan guages, which had just been established in the university, being the first native of Wisconsin to be honored with a full professorship in this institution. In this connection it must be mentioned that he was instrumental in establishing a Scandinavian library, which at present contains 1,500 vol umes of choice Scandinavian literature. In founding this library he was generously assisted by Ole Bull, the world- BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 197 famed violinist, who, on 17 May, 1872, gave a concert in Madison for the benefit of the enterprise. In 1883 Anderson severed his connection with the university, and for nearly two years -was connected with the New York Equitable Life Insurance Company. Up to this time he had generally supported the Republican party. But in the campaign of 1884 he gave his support to Cleveland, thus drawing upon himself the opprobrious title of "mugwump," a term intro duced by the Republicans during that compaign to stig matize those who left their ranks and joined those of the Democrats. In 1894 he again joined the Republican party, for which he stumped the state two years later, though not exactly "sound" on the fundamental principles of Re publicanism. In 1885 President Cleveland appointed Ander son United States minister to Denmark, and he served in this capacity for the next four years. During his stay in Copen hagen, most of his time was devoted to literary pursuits. After his return to America in 1889 he became connected with a New York firm which controls the sale of Moeller's cod liver oil in America, a position which he resigned in 1894. In 1895 he assisted in the organization of a new life insurance company in Madison, Wis., and was elected its president. For nearly thirty years past Anderson has been a speaker at 17th of May celebrations and other public demonstrations arranged by Norwegian-Americans, and in 1890 he began to agitate for the establishment of a "grape festival" in the fall of the year, in commemoration of the discovery of America by the Norsemen. This move ment met with vigorous opposition on the part of those who wish to maintain the habit of celebrating the 17th of May; 198 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. but in the fall of 1894 the originator of the idea was pleased to receive accounts of "grape festivals" from different localities in the Northwest. Anderson shares the honor with Ole Bull of having raised the funds for the erection of a monument to Leif Erikson in Boston. Perhaps no American of Scandinavian birth or blood has produced anything in the English language which has created such a wide-spread stir as have some of Anderson's works. There are two pro ductions in particular which deserve special consideration. By his Norse Mythology he has made the religion of the old Norsemen more accessible to the world at large, and the se lect translations from the Eddas incorporated into this work give English readers fascinating glimpses of the old Norse literature. Next to this ranks America Not Discov ered by Columbus, his first literary production. It is true that this is chiefly a compilation, and even its author no longer maintains all assertions originally made in it. But the extensive and favorable reviews which it received gave such a prominence to the discovery of America by the Norse men that thenceforth nearly every American historian took it into account, and treated the matter as a legitimate his torical fact. Some of his books have been translated into French, German, Italian, Norwegian, and Russian. A com plete list of the books either written or translated by Ander son would fill at least one page in this volume; hence, only some of the most important ones are given below. Den Norske Maalsag, Julegave, Where Was Vineland? and The First Chapter of Norwegian Immigration are among his lead ing original works. Of the translations may be mentioned: Heimskringla; Viking Tales of the North; The Younger BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 199 Edda; seven volumes of Bjornstjerne Bjornson's novels; His tory of Scandinavian Literature, by F. W. Horn; The Spell bound Fiddler, by Kristofer Janson; Eminent Authors of the Nineteenth Century, by Georg Brandes; Teutonic Myth ology, by Viktor Rydberg; and Among Cannibals, by Carl Lumholtz. As to bulk, Anderson's original books aggregate about 1,500 pages, and the books translated by him about 5,000 pages. Besides the books he has also written contri butions to the American supplement to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, to five other cyclopaedias, and to a few maga zines. Anderson is a fighter, and a great number of articles, mostly in Norwegian-American papers, amply testify to his combativeness. In 1868 he was married to Bertha Karina Olson, of Cambridge, Wis., a sister to Prof. Julius E. Olson. They have four children living, some of them grown and married Dundas, Johan Christian, physician and poet — Cam- Dridge — born 1815, in Helgeland, Norway; died in Madison, in 1883. He was a lineal descendant of Peter Dundas, or Don Dass, a Scotchman, who in about the year 1630 settled in Norway, having left his native land on account of re ligious persecution. This man married a Norwegian woman, Maren Falch, and was the father of Peter Dass, the famous poet of northern Norway, who was the first real poet ia Norway after the Reformation, and whose poems are still widely read, for they contain sparks of nature's fire. Dass was a minister, and such an impression did he leave upon those to whom he sang and preached two centuries ago, that many strange traditions of his supernatural powers are still current among the people of Norway and their kinsmen in Since 1898 Prof. Anderson has been the editor and proprietor of "Amerika," the semi official organ of the Norwegian Synod, which organization he joined at about the same time.— Editoe. 200 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. this country. Tradition has it that he could pray so fer vently that the air was suddenly filled with birds which devoured the worms and insects that were destroying the crops ; subdue the thunder with his preaching ; control the malicious magic of the hostile Finns and Lapps by a word ; and even force the devil into his service. These traditions indicate that Peter Dass was a man of marked personality, to whom the people in their adoration ascribed supernat ural powers, and are interesting in this connection, as they serve to explain an inherited trait of J. C. Dundas's char acter. His personality, too, -was so marked, that any one who met him, even once, would scarcely forget him; and many of his countrymen about Cambridge verily believed that he could cure any disease, if he simply wished to do so. Bjornstjerne Bjornson, who made his acquaintance in this country, considered him the most original person that he had ever met. Ole Bull was very fond of him, and visited him twice in his Cambridge home. His father, Isaac Georg Dun das, was a man of means, and liberally educated. He had eleven children, and sought to give them a good education. Johan, the youngest, was early sent to Bergen to attend school, and later went to the University of Norway, where he studied during the years 1837-39. Here he began the study of medicine, which he continued at Copenhagen, Vien na, Helsingfors, and Berne. After a voyage to the East In dies in the service of the Dutch East India Company as a surgeon, he spent the year 1849 in the larger English hos pitals. The next year he came to America, and proceeded to the Koshkonong settlement in Wisconsin, where his country men were suffering from the cholera. After having made a N. P. HAUGEN, RIVER FALLS. REV. T. H. DAHL, STOUGHTON. REV. H. HALVORSEN, WESTBY. REV. L. LUND, ELROY. II. STEENSLAND, MADISON. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSDvL 201 tour of the country he returned to Holland, whence he sailed as physician on board a ship bound for China. In the course of about two years he returned to Cambridge to take up his permanent abode, and here he remained as a practicing physician until his death. Dundas was a remarkable char acter, a skilful surgeon, and a clever poet, being well versed in literature, history, and politics. In his younger days he had familiarly known the poets HenrikWergeland and Johan Ludvig Runeberg. In his later years he wrote a great deal of verse, much of which was printed in the Norwegian and Danish papers in this country. In 1856 he married an Amer ican lady, Malina E. Tracy. They had two daughters. Gjertsen, J. P., clergyman— Stoughton— born 25 Oct., 1803, in Askvold, Bergen stift, Norway; died in 1892. While a young man he served as school teacher, and later on held a couple of local offices. He was also engaged as temperance lecturer for five years, and was deeply inter ested in the spiritual and moral welfare of his countrymen. In 1864 he emigrated to this country, and for a series of years served as pastor of churches at Racine, Bostwick Valley, Winneconne, and Oshkosh, Wis. The last nine teen years of his life were spent with his children in Stough ton, Wis. Mainly through his tireless efforts, the Zion Mis sion Society for Israel was oganized in 1877, Gjertsen him self serving as its first president. He devoted much time and labor to this society, which during its history has been the means of converting a number of Jews to Christianity. Gjertsen also edited a hymn-book, Missionssange for Israel. especially adapted for use at services devoted to the cause of the Jewish mission. He was married in 1841 to Berthe 202 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Johanne Gaasevor. Among their children may be mentioned Rev. M. F. Gjertsen, of Minneapolis, and Mrs. Rev. T. H. Dahl, of Stoughton. Wis. Haugen, Nils P., congressman — River Falls — born 9 March, 1849, in Modum, Kristiania stift, Norway. In 1854 he emigrated with his parents, who located in Rock county, Wis. In the spring of 1855 they moved to Martell, Pierce county, where his father purchased government land, and where he made his permanent home until his death in 1896. His father was a school teacher in Norway, and had some experience in blacksmithing, which was the trade of young Haugen's grandfather. Young Haugen spent most of his boyhood working on his father's farm; but also tried his hand at other kinds of hard work, such as logging in the pineries, working in a saw mill in Menomonie, and rafting on the St. Croix river. He attended the common school until fourteen years of age; entered Luther College, De corah, Iowa, in 1868, where he remained over two years, finishing the studies up to the sophomore class. After returning from college he taught one term of Norwegian parochial school, and common school for two years, in his county. In 1872 he entered the law department of the State University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, graduating two years later; then located at River Fall's, and began to prac tice law. But in 1874 he was appointed court reporter of the eighth judicial circuit, including several counties, in which capacity he served for a period of seven years, besides devoting some time to his practice. In 1881 he resigned this position, and formed a law partnership with Frank L. Gilson. In 1879 and 1880 Haugen served two terms in the BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 203 state assembly. While in this position he was one of the main supporters of Mat. H. Carpenter, who was elected U. S. senator in 1879; and -was a member of several important committees. In 1881 he was elected railroad commissioner, to which position he was re-elected, serving five years in all. Upon the death of the congressman-elect of his district, in 1887, Haugen was made his successor at a special election, and was re-elected three times successively, serving as a member of congress for a longer period, excepting M.N. John son of N. D., than any other Scandinavian. Both Haugen and Lind, of Minnesota, were firm opponents of the proposition which aimed at placing the three Scandinavian kingdoms under a common legation, and this proposition was defeated. The bill by -which Oklahoma was organized as a territory originally provided that persons who were not citizens of the United States should be debarred from enter ing government lands. Haugen proposed an amendment to the bill, placing all -who have declared their intention to become citizens, on an equal footing with actual citizens in regard to government lands, and the amendment was car ried. He strongly advocated the commercial interests of the Great Lakes ; made several strong and consistent speeches in favor of a protective tariff; deprecated experimentation, and recommended conservatism in regard to the money question. Haugen was a very strong candidate for gov ernor of Wisconsin in 1894; but Upham proved a trifle stronger than Haugen at the state convention, and the latter failed to receive the nomination. Haugen has always been a Republican. He has devoted much time to the Ger man language, and has made French a special study, being 204 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE V. S. better versed in modern literature than is usually the case with our public men, and may be said to have made a special study of the humorous and witty literature of the Scandinavian countries. In 1875 he was married to Inge- borg A. Rasmussen, of Pierce county, Wis. They have one grown daughter, who has been attending the normal school, River Falls, for years. Heg, Hans Christian, pioneer and soldier— Waterford— born 21 Dec, 1829, near Drammen, Norway; died 20 Sept., 1863, at Chicamauga, Tenn. In 1840 he came to America with his father, who settled in town of Norway, Racine county, Wis.; and was one of the early settlers of the noted Muskego settlement. Young Heg was a wideawake boy, and although he enjoyed no means of a higher education, he managed to keep himself well informed on all questions of the day, and took pains to familiarize himself with the English language. In short, he became -withal the brightest young man of the neighborhood, and was noted as an enthusiastic and active anti-slavery man long before he became of age. In 1849 he went to California, where he was fairly successful as a gold digger, but upon the death of his father, in 1851, was forced to return and take care of his younger brothers and sisters. Having settled down on his father's homestead, he was elected to some local office at every election, and invariably discharged his duties to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. In 1859 he removed to Waterford where he, in company with two Americans, opened up a general merchandise business. In the fall of the same year he was elected state prison commissioner on the Republican ticket, being perhaps the first Norwegian elected BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 205 to any state office in America. Many of his countrymen were somewhat apprehensive lest he should fail to give satisfaction in such a trying position. But, to use the language of K. Langeland, "he was praised by his col leagues as well as other leading men in the state. He intro duced many important reforms and improvements, and never has there been such order, activity, and economy within the walls of the penitentiary as during his adminis tration. The expenses were smaller and the receipts larger in proportion to the number of convicts than ever before or since ; but to crown his work : His accounts were perfectly clean, which had never been the case with those of his predecessors. Said a leading Milwaukee man to the writer shortly after the funeral of Heg : ' He is the only man who has left a clean record at the state prison.' " He was renominated for the same office in 1861, but declined the nomination because he had already decided to enter the war. He was appointed colonel of the Fifteenth Wisconsin, or Scandinavian , Regiment, which was organized under his supervision — a full account of the regiment is given in the first volume of this work. At the battle of Chickamauga, in which he was killed, he commanded a brigade, having been brevetted brigadier general. Heg left an enviable record in the war. He displayed true bravery on several occasions, and if his life had been spared a little longer he would have been advanced to a higher rank. His par ticipation in the battle which cost him his life is described as follows by K. Langeland : " His conduct in the battle at Chickamauga won the admiration of all who saw him. When his brigade was overwhelmed and beaten back on 206 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. that terrible Saturday afternoon, he was present every where, encouraging his soldiers to check the victorious march of the rebel legions. The Twenty-first Illinois was sent as re -enforcement to Col. Heg. They marched bravely on, but their lines were broken, and they were repulsed. Then Col. Heg rode up, swung his hat, and shouted they should follow him. It seemed as though they were almost electrified, with a shout they charged the rebels and drove them back almost six hundred feet, but were again over whelmed and forced to retreat. An officer has told me that Heg continually remained in the thickest of the fray unscathed." As he was riding to another part of the line, however, he was mortally wounded by a stray shot, and died the same night. Heg was a man of more than ordi nary courage and ability, and his sincerity was beyond all doubt. This accounts for his great popularity, which was most conspicuously demonstrated when his remains were laid to rest in the Norway church cemetery, near his home. Heg is one of the few Norwegians who prominently dis tinguished themselves in the Civil War. He was a Free mason, but was not connected with any church organization. He was married in 1851 to Gunhild Einung. They had four children. One of them is James E. Heg, who has held the office of vice-president of the state board of control of Wisconsin, and who has held numerous minor offices. He was president of the Wisconsin press association for several terms, and also president of the Republican editorial asso ciation for a number of years. Another son, Dr. Elmer E. Heg, has been president of the state board of health of the state of Washington. A daughter, Hilda S. Heg, married BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 207 Congressman C. N. Fowler, of the state of New Jersey. Hoyme, Gjermund, clergyman— Eau Claire— born 8 Oct., 1848, in Valders, Norway. He came to America in 1851 with his parents, who settled at Port Washington, Wis. Four years later they removed to Winneshiek county, Iowa, where young Hoyme soon had to earn his living as a wage- worker on the farm. Having an insatiable craving for knowledge, he borrowed books and devoted every spare moment to reading. For twelve successive winters he at tended English schools, and in 1869 entered the theological seminary at Marshall, Wis., where he remained two years. He next took up a course in languages, especially English, German, Latin, and Greek, in the State University of Wis consin, at Madison. Hoyme still remembers with gratitude how Hon. J. A. Johnson met him at the depot, took him to his home, and kindly assisted him in many ways. Prof. R. B. Anderson, who at that time was instructor in the univer sity, also took pains to encourage and assist him. Having finished his course at the university, he resumed his theolog ical studies at Augsburg Seminary, Minneapolis, Minn. Lacking pecuniary means, and receiving urgent calls to en ter the ministry, he discontinued his studies earlier than he originally had intended, and began his life-work as pastor at Duluth in 1873. While there he taught a Norwegian par ochial school in the day, devoted the evenings to English in struction, and preached twice every Sunday. But Jay Cook's failure all but ruined the young city, and the congre gation was so crippled financially that Hoyme had to leave it. He next served three congregations at Menomonie,Dunn county, Wis., and finally settled at Eau Claire in 1876. This 208 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. date marks a turning point in his external life. Earlier in life he and grim poverty had been on most familiar terms. According to Am. Luth. Biographies, by J.C.Jensson, Hoyme himself once wrote to a friend about his trials at college as follows: "The money I earned at hard labor dur ing the summer vacation, was not sufficient to carry me through to the next vacation. It frequently happened that I did not have enough money to pay the postage on letters to my old mother. My apparel was often too plainly an in dex to the condition of my purse. When a change of clothes seemed indispensable, my method of renovation generally consisted in giving the old and threadbare ones a thorough brushing." His success since his arrival at Eau Claire forms a pleasant contrast to this picture. Gradually his power for good has increased, and in many respects he is now abso lutely the strongest man in the city of Eau Claire. His in fluence in the church union to which he belongs, is thorough ly in keeping with his local standing. From 1881 to 1886 he was the secretary, and from the latter date to 1890, the president of the conference; and since the organization of the United Church in 1890, he has served that body as pres ident. As a parliamentarian and presiding officer he has no superior and, perhaps, no equal among the Scandinavian clergy in the United States. His preaching is very earnest; his language lofty and dramatic ; in fact the man is so se rious that it would be difficult to find a single humorous sal ly in all his public utterances. Hoyme, unlike most of the leading men in the Norwegian American churches, has writ ten very little for publication. Harpen, a hymn-book pub lished by him and L. Lund, has had a large sale, seventeen BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 209 editions having been exhausted. In 1893 Hoyme published Saloonen, a strong invective against the saloon, and fifteen thousand copies of the book were disposed of in a few weeks. In 1874 he -was married to Mrs. Ida Othelia Olsen, of Duluth. Johnson, John A., state senator and manufacturer — Madison — born 15 Apr., 1832, near Skien, Norway. He came to America in 1844 with his parents, who settled in Walworth county, Wis., but a few years later removed to Pleasant Spring, Dane county. Young Johnson began the battle of life at the early age of twelve. His educational ad vantages were rather meager ; but by dint of untiring efforts, guided by a decidedly practical turn of mind, he not only made steady progress in his purely practical work, but also acquired a considerable amonut of theoretical knowledge. In 1861 he settled at Madison, and was dealing in farm ing machinery for the next few years ; and in 1881 began to manufacture the same kind of goods as he had been trading in, by organizing the manufacturing firm of Fuller & John son. A little later he was also the chief organizer of the Groutholdt machine company, and has always been presi dent of these two enterprises, which now give employment to about three hundred men the year around. The farming machinery turned out by the former company is sold chiefly in the Northwest, while the turret lathes manufactured by the latter are largely shipped to the East. Johnson is one of the very few Norwegian Americans who are engaged in man ufacturing enterprises on a large scale. Though the business enterprises over whose destinies Johnson presides are so ex tensive as to actually furnish employment to the bulk of the laboring people of his city, he has also found time for prac- 210 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. tical politics and literary pursuits. Thus, from 1861 to 1869 he served as county clerk of Dane county; in 1857 as mem ber of the state Assembly ; and in 1873 and 1874 as state senator. He was also a member of the board of trustees of the State Hospital for the Insane, near Madison, from 1878 to 1882. Johnson is a Republican on general principles. In 1884, however, he supported Cleveland for president, and in 1886 received 117,909 votes for state treasurer on the Dem ocratic ticket. This was a couple of thousand more than the average number of votes cast for the other candidates on the ticket, but he was defeated by the Republican candidate, who received a majoriiy of 11,649. Johnson's most noted literary work is Det Skandinaviske Regiments Historie, which was published in 1869. This is the earliest systema tized account of the famous Fifteenth Wisconsin Regiment. In 1888 he published Fingerpeg for Farmere og Andre, a book containing about 200 pages. The newspaper articles written by Johnson cover a considerable number of different topics, and these as well as his books are characterized by a systematic arrangement of the subject matter, coupled with an easy and lucid style, and an unmistakable tendency to arrive at practical results. Johnson has contributed liberally to some of the Norwegian-Lutheran institutions of learning, but is himself a member of the Unitarian Church. He was married in 1861, and has five children, four of whom have graduated from the University of Wisconsin. Kumlien, Thure L. T., scientist— Milwaukee — born 9 Nov., 1819, in Harlunda, Vestergotland, Sweden; died 5 Aug., 1888. His father, who was a quartermaster in the Swedish arnnr, owned several large estates in that part of BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 211 the country. Kumlien, having received his first instruction from a private tutor, entered the college at Skara, and sub sequently attended the University of Upsala, graduating in 1843. During his stay at the university, he devoted himself especially to the study of botany, and was the favorite pupil of the celebrated Swedish botanist, Elias Fries, the most renowned Swedish botanist since the days of Linne, under whose guidance he laid the foundations for his thor ough knowledge of that branch of science, and acquired such a familiarity with the lower types of plant life, as, for example, ferns, mosses, lichens, fungi, etc., that he equalled, if not surpassed, his more renowned instructor in these departments. What makes his familiarity with so many branches of botany the more remarkable, is the fact that from boyhood his special study seems to have been ornithol ogy, and even in later years he devoted a great deal of time to this study. In 1843, shortly after having completed his studies at Upsala, Kumlien, then but twenty -four years of age, emigrated to America, accompanied by his young wife. They came at once to Lake Koshkonong, Jefferson county, Wis., having decided upon this locality without any previ ous knowledge of the place, but merely from the study of the map, for a locality affording facilities for the pursuit of his favorite studies. It is, however, probable that he had received some information in regard to Wisconsin from a former acquaintance during his stay at Upsala, Gustaf Unonius, a Swedish Episcopal clergyman, who came to this country in 1841. Unonius, who visited Koshkonong in 1843, says in his Minnen in regard to Kumlien: "It was really curious to see how he divided his time between agri- 212 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. culture and scientific researches. Necessity tied his hands to the plow and hoe, while mind and disposition were fastened upon flowers, birds, and insects. A fine herbarium, and a not inconsiderable, though on account of limited space, somewhat confused, ornithological cabinet testified to greater activity as a naturalist than as a farmer." Ulti mately, he found it more profitable to rent out his farm and to devote himself exclusively to the care of his garden and to his favorite studies. In addition to a thorough scientific education, he possessed also an unusual skill in taxidermy, which enabled him to procure some additional income. At last, several scientific associations in the Eastern states had their attention drawn to the young naturalist, who had concealed himself from the eyes of the world in an insigni ficant cottage in the western wilderness. During the first twenty years after his arrival at Koshkonong, he was engaged in making collections in many branches of natural history for several large museums, both in Europe and in this country. Among the institutions whose collections he thus enriched, are the celebrated museums in Stockholm and Leyden, the British Museum in London, and the Smith sonian Institute, in Washington, D. C. In 1867 he was called to a position as instructor in botany and zoology in Albion Academy, Albion, Wis., remaining for a few years. Later he was employed in forming and arranging collections for the state normal schools and the State University. From 1883 to the time of his death he held the position of conser vator at the Public Museum in Milwaukee. Kumlien received several honorary degrees from institutions of learn ing, and was corresponding member of various scientific BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 213 societies in Europe and America. On account of his modest and reserved disposition, he was averse to parading his own superior attainments before the public. Consequently, very few of his valuable observations have been published, and he himself has remained almost unknown to the world, while others have succeeded in acquiring both fame and honors, though not so well equipped either intellectually or morally. A friend and colleague, writing shortly after the death of Kumlien, gives the following estimate of his char acter: "Mr. Kumlien was no narrow man. He was passion ately fond of painting, music, and poetry. I have heard him repeat, with a glow of delight, verses from Runeberg and from Tegner's Frithiofs Saga, rendering the wonderful rhythm of the latter with exquisite grace and precision. He was a man of most refined tastes, without any of the extra vagant desires which such tastes often engender. He was satisfied to live most simply a life which philosophers might envy. Higher than his intellectual accomplishments rose his moral qualities. The leading features of his character were harmlessness and truthfulness." Two of his children sur vived him, one of whom, Ludwig Kumlien, is professor in Milton College, Milton, Wis. Langeland, Knud, pioneer and journalist — Milwaukee — born 27 Oct., 1813, in Samnanger, Bergen stift, Norway; died 8 Feb., 1888. At the age of thirteen he lost his father, and a little later was forced to begin to make a living on his own account. His school facilities were of a very inferior grade; but by availing himself of every means within reach, he acquired more knowledge than his comrades. For gen erations past Langeland's ancestors had been of an inde- 214 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. pendent turn of mind, and he himself was a chip of the old block in that respect. Thus, according to his autobiograplry, when the sons of the pastor and the government officials of his neighborhood made fun of the ragged clothes he was compelled to wear in his early teens, he wept and swore and was offended. In comparing his fate with that of the upper classes, he says: "This painful question, like the sharp steel, forced its -way to my young heart. What have I done, and what have these people done, to create such a difference between us?" At the age of fourteen he learned German, his only means of instruction being a German Bible -which he compared with the Norwegian Bible; and in spite of the protestations of the other members of the family, he began to extend his field of knowledge, without, however, having any distinct purpose in view. He was impelled by a natural inclination, and proceeded to Bergen, where he continued his studies under the guidance of a young student. Having taken a six months' course, he was appointed public school teacher and precentor in a settlement near his birthplace. Here Langeland worked very faithfully and with signal suc cess, and he always looked back upon this time as one of the happiest of his life. "In a life so full of vicissitudes, of joys and sorrows, of happiness and misfortune," he says, "there is nothing else in my past life which affords me so much joy and comfort as the memories from this time." His income the first year was about $11.00 ; but his position as precen tor and sexton gave the people of the parish an opportunity to testify to their great satisfaction with his services by giving him larger collections on Sundays and holidays, and his annual income more than doubled in a couple of years. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 215 At the early age of twenty he was also appointed public vaccinator, and for several years his time -was spent in teaching in winter and vaccinating children in summer. As impoitant incidents from this time may be mentioned that he spent several months in England, in 1835, on which occa sion he made a return trip by rail from Newcastle to Shields; and that later he was awarded a prize as the best teacher in the fifteen school districts of the parish. One of the most discouraging experiences of Langeland as an educator was his attempt to establish a parish library. Having raised about $100 for that purpose, he was authorized to make a selection of books. The list of the books shows that they were all of an educational, scientific, or practical character. But a few bigots succeeded in making the people believe that the books -were detrimental to religion and morality, and no end of abuse was heaped upon the head of Lange land, the soul of the undertaking. Almanakmanden was the most offensive book in the lot because it was supposed to contradict Joshua, X, 13: "And the sun stood still." The library was continued, but the stir which it had created henceforth hampered Langeland somewhat in his work, and after a seven years' service as a public educator in general, and an official teacher in particular, he resigned and became interested in a fishing smack. As to his success in this busi ness, suffice it to say that -whatever profits he made in one year, -were generally lost the next year, and in 1843 he gave it up as a failure and emigrated to America, following in the wake of a brother, Mons A. Adland, who had left Norway in 1837, with the first emigrant vessel that sailed from Bergen, and on which was also the well-known Ole Rynning. 216 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Langeland made his first home at Yorkville Prairie, Wis.; but in 1845 he settled in the southern part of Columbia county, and was one of the founders of the prosperous Nor wegian settlement of that locality. He sold out his claim and returned to Racine county in 1846, and in the course of the next few years made himself conspicuous by supporting everything that would tend to promote the prosperity of the Yorkville settlement. In 1849 he bought the outfit of Nord lyset, the first Norwegian paper in America, and, in company with Rev. 0. J. Hatlestad, began to publish it at Racine. The name of the paper -was changed to Demokraten, because the Democrats had poked fun at it and called it 'a will-o-the- wisp that led the Norwegians into the morasses of the Free Soil party.' The paper at one time had about 300 sub scribers, but its publication had to be suspended the next year for lack of funds. Shortly after-wards Langeland began to print Maanedstidende, and in 1852 removed to Janes- ville, Wis., but shortly afterwards sold out his printing out fit. He now spent some time on his farm at Yorkville. In 1856 he was engaged as editor of Den Norske Amerikaner, at Madison, Wis. The owner of the paper, Elias Stange- land, however, wanted to support Buchanan for president, while Langeland was an implacable anti-slavery man, and Langeland resigned, thus proving himself more of a man than the average American editor. The paper met with little or no sympathy among the readers, and soon died for lack of support. In 1860 Langeland was elected to a seat in the state assembly, and his most noteworthy effort as a legislator was the introduction and successful engineering of a bill by which 2,500 acres of state swamp land located REV. GJERMT'ND HOYME, EAU CLAIRE. REV. A. BREDESEN, STOUGHTON. PROF. JULIUS E. OLSON, MADISON. P. O. STROMME, MADISON. T. E. TORRISON, MANITOWOC. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSM. 217 in the township of Norway, was granted to said township. Having spent a numberof years on his farm, Langeland was again induced to enter the field of journalism, this time as editor of Skandinaven, which was started in Chicago in the summer of 1866, by John Anderson and Iver Lawson. This paper was an out-and-out advocate of Republican principles, and the rapid increase of its circulation soon made its editor known among his countrymen from one end of the country to the other. During the sixties and seventies, a considera ble number of Norwegians, chiefly ministers of the gospel, defended the doctrine of slavery as a mere theory — "slavery in itself" was the exact term used — and, on the other hand, they sometimes criticized the American common school sys tem as "godless." For a long series of years Langeland kept up a systematic warfare against these parties, and his advocacy of the cause of our common school system was subsequently recognized by the board of education of Chi cago, which named one of the public schools after him. It must be recorded as an historical fact that Langeland did more than any other man to attach his countrymen to the Republican party as well as to our common school sys tem. In 1872 he severed his connection with Skandinaven, and for a time edited Amerika, of Chicago. The latter was soon sold to the former, and Langeland again contributed to Skandinaven until the eighties, when he withdrew to Milwaukee to spend the closing days of his life. In 1880 the Republicans recognized his services by nominating him for presidential elector, and, being elected, he cast his vote for James A. Garfield. From this time on, however, he gradu ally became displeased with the practical politics of our 48 218 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. country. "The large Republican majorities have brought unscrupulous politicians to the front," he says, "and a little independence on the part of the voters is in its place — nay, it is the very essence of voting." Langeland's spirit of inde pendence remained unimpaired to the very last, ample proof of which may be found in the fact that a few months before his death he publicly defended the much-abused Prohibition party. The year after his death Skandinaven published his book Nordmaendene i Amerika. This work contains some valuable information in regard to the Norwegian immigra tion, the first settlements, and the early Norwegian-Ameri can press ; but, on the whole, it is more of an autobiography of Knud Langeland than a history of the Norwegians ; and it would, perhaps, never have appeared in its present form, if Langeland had lived to edit it. Langeland was married to Anna Hatlestad, who is a native of Skjold, Kristiansand stift, Norway, and is now living at Milwaukee. They had nine children, five of whom are still living. Among these may be mentioned Peter Langland, who is practicing medi cine in Milwaukee, and James, who is on the editorial staff of the Chicago Record. Nattestad, Ole K., pioneer— Clinton— born 24 Dec, 1807, in Veggli, Kristiania stift, Norway; died 28 May, 1886. While a young man he tried his hand at farming and black- smithing ; bwt, upon seeing that even his best efforts did not enable him to save anything for the future, he decided to emigrate; and in 1837, in company with his brother Ansten, went to America by way of Gothenburg, Sweden. Natte stad, or Natesta, as he spelt his name in this country, had first heard of America while on a visit to Stavanger. He BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 219 spent the first winter at Beaver Creek, 111.; but settled at Clinton, Wis., 1 July, 1838, being, as far as is known, the first Norwegian settler in the state of Wisconsin. Here he spent the rest of his life as a quiet and unassuming, but very prosperous farmer. His children received a good education, and several of them are prominent and respected members of the communities in which they reside. Nielsen, Andreas Sixtus, clergyman— Withee— born 6 Apr., 1832, in Aalborg, Denmark. His school advantages in his boyhood appear to have been very limited. In his younger days he spent a couple of years in Norway, where he became interested in a religious movement ; returned to his native land ; bought a small farm and engaged in agri cultural pursuits ; and began as a layman in 1866 to lead rehgious meetings in Vendsyssel, where he lived. During his travel as an itinerant missionary, he came in contact with several clergymen -who called his attention to the fact that a committee, called Udvalget, had been formed for the purpose of promoting the preaching of the gospel among the Danes in America, and the pastors advised Nielsen to go to the Western world and become a minister. After having, at the age of thirty-nine, attended a high school for one winter, he, in company with a clergyman, Grove Rasmussen, set sail for America in 1871 with the intention of taking a view of the field of his future labor. He landed in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where he became pastor of a Danish Lutheran congregation, which had been organized by Rev. C. L. Clausen a short time previously. Before accepting the pas- torage, however, Nielsen returned to Denmark for the pur pose of bringing his family with him, and in order to b° 220 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. ordained. As a matter of historical curiosity it may be mentioned that Nielsen had the Danish consul in Chicago indorse the letter written by five members of the congrega tion in Cedar Falls to Udvalget in Denmark, in which letter they requested Udvalget to ordain Nielsen as their pastor. The incident is an excellent illustration of the futile attempts, often indulged in, of bringing the western pioneers under the control, or at least under the influence, of the state church machinery of some European country. Nielsen, however, was not ordained in his native land, his time and education being too limited. But Udvalget did recommend that he should be ordained by Rev. Clausen in accordance with the Danish rituals, which was done. He remained in Cedar Falls for eight years, going through the usual hard ships of pioneer life, his salary being only three or four hundred dollars a year. He -was pastor in Chicago for four teen years, and has since resided at his present place, where he organized a new congregation. His influence upon the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has been great, most of its pastors having been ordained by him. His services have been recognized not only by his friends, but also by his opponents, and even on the other side of the water, for in 1896 the king of Denmark made him a knight of the order of Daneborg as a recognition of the meritorious work he had done among the Danes in this country. In 1858 he was married, and he has eight children. Preus, Herman Amberg, clergyman and pioneer— Mor- risonville — born 16 June, 1825, in Kristiansand, Norway died 2 July, 1894, at Lee, 111. His ancestors were Germans, the earliest known being Hans Preus, a rich estate owner, BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 221 living at Eisfeldt, Sachsen-Meinigen ; and this man's son settled in Norway about the year 1700. Preus's grand father was a Lutheran clergyman; his father, a college president; and his mother, a member of the illustrious Keyser family. He received a fine preparatory education at home, and spent the years 1843-48 at the University of Norway, receiving the degree of A. B. in 1843, and that of can. theol. in 1848. The next three years were devoted to teaching in the capital. In 1851 he accepted a call as pastor from three churches in the vicinity of Spring Prairie, Dane and Columbia counties, Wis., and was ordained before leav ing for the New World. Upon his arrival at Spring Prairie there were no church buildings, and he had to enter upon his work as a minister by preaching in small log cabins which often -were literally packed, while occasionally a large num ber of people had to stand outside the open doors and windows during the services. Being a hard worker, Preus soon extended his field of activity far beyond the original charge. He thus preached in numerous places within a radius of fifty miles, and often he would preach at places located over one hundred miles from his home. It has been estimated that his travels averaged 3,500 miles a year for several years before there were any railroads in that part of the county. During this pioneer period Preus preached once or twice every day, or at least once every other day. His qualifications soon assigned to him a prominent posi tion in the Lutheran church of America. On 4 January, 1851, a few ministers and lay delegates had organized a union of Norwegian Lutheran churches. But the constitu tion agreed upon contained a few words referring to bap- 222 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. tism in such a way as to favor Grundtvigianism, and Preus became very active in endeavoring to persuade the contract ing parties to dissolve the organization, in order to get wholly rid of this "leaven of Grundtvigianism" which already had caused some trouble. Accordingly, the organi zation was dissolved in 1852, and Preus was one of the seven ministers who participated in the organization of the Norwegian Lutheran Synod of America on 5 Feb., 1853. At the annual meeting of the synod in 1854, he was elected a member of the executive committee, and since that date till his death forty years later, he was one of the most promi nent and influential men in the synod. Preus, Laur. Larsen, V. U. Koren, and J. A. Ottesen have justly been called the " venerable fathers " of the Norwegian Synod ; and Rev. A. Bredesen says, "If any one man, before all others, deserves to be designated as the Patriarch of our church in America, that man is Herman Amberg Preus." But Preus was not such a successful organizer and leader among the Norwe gian-American Lutherans, as, for instance, Muhlenberg was among the Germans, or Hasselquist among the Swedes. Preus was too inflexible and conservative to adapt himself to the new conditions in the New World, even in cases when it is difficult to understand how the doctrine and practice of pure Lutheranism would have suffered by yielding a little. He was too frank to practice what may be called diplomacy or policy. His unrelenting conservatism has always to a great extent characterized the Norwegian Synod up to the present time; and that organization has largely on this account been forced to participate in many religious contro versies, which have resulted in schisms and direct loss to the BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 223 synod. Yet this very conservatism has not been without its bright sides. It has counterbalanced the anarchistic ten- ency, often misnamed freedom, -which a new country is always subject to, not only religiously, but also socially, politically, and financially. The original loose organization of Elling Eielsen's Samfund has, for example, in later years developed into the more stable Hauge's Synod, as a direct result of the conservative influence which the Norwegian Synod has exercised upon that body. Among all the promi nent Scandinavian- American pioneers, it is quite difficult to find a man that was more conservative than Preus ; and this characteristic to hold on to what is old and stable, constitutes a double virtue in an age -when change, for either good, bad, or indifferent, is the ruling passion of mankind. Realizing the power of the press, he devoted much time to the publication of Kirkelig Maanedstidende, the organ of the synod, and was appointed editor-in-chief of it in 1859, discharging his duty as such during the next nine years. In 1862 he was elected president of the synod, and so satis factory -were his services in this capacity that he -was re-elected at every subsequent meeting as long as he lived. He was a strong man ; but his endurance was often severely tested. Says a personal friend of his: "When he had to travel day after day he would sit up and work half of the night, and yet the next day be as vivacious as ever in preaching or debating, or presiding at some large meeting." In the early seventies he traveled several thousand miles a year, and in one year he covered no less than eight thousand miles. The division of the synod into three districts, in 1876, relieved him of a part of the burdens which had 224 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. become too onorous for almost any one man. His fine physique and his frankness won the sympathy of the people, and his earnestness and sincerity inspired thinking men and women with confidence. Hence, it is no wonder that so many people yet speak in a strain of touching tenderness about " Old Preus." His character was a rare combination of gentleness and firmness. Even his physiognomy was striking, and it is claimed that Prof. Walther, of St. Louis, upon first seeing him, exclaimed : " A determined man ; he will make his mark." He was rather slow in making up his mind, but did not often recede from a position he had once taken. On the other hand, his heart was highly responsive to the sufferings of his fellow-men, and his generosity was more than ordinary. Experience had taught him the difficulty of building up churches in ne-w settlements, and throughout his career as president of the synod he was par ticularly solicitous about the needs of the frontier missions. Another marked feature of his great life-work was his untiring efforts to give the people of the synod a thorough and Christian education, by means of parochial schools. In 1866 he expressed himself on that subject as follows: "It is our endeavor to arrange our parochial schools so that the English common schools may become superfluous to our church members. This, of course, can only be accomplished by taking up such branches in the parochial schools as are taught in the English schools. It involves many difficulties, but we must work with this purpose in view." And again in 1893: "Strive with all your might to build up good parochial schools ! Try earnestly to give your children a Christian education ! The growth of the Lutheran church, REV. H. A. PREUS, MORRISONVILLE. KNUD LANGELAND, MILWAUKEE. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 225 nay its very existence, largely depends upon this ; for the future belongs to the rising generation." His personal con tributions to the schools of the synod were comparatively large, and the example thus afforded undoubtedly has had something to do with the fact that the synod has done more for the cause of education than all the other Norwe gian church organizations in the country combined. Preus was a Lutheran of the old school. Indeed, the following expressions from his report to the synod in 1893, remind one strikingly of the very language of Martin Luther himself: "At this moment an exceedingly dangerous tendency pervades nearly all Christian denominations in the -world. It may not be the aim of the leaders and their followers, but it is the aim of the originator of this tendency, Satan, the deceiver, to get rid of the absolute, divine authority, by rejecting the biblical doctrine of the inspiration of the Scriptures." Having reviewed this tendency in the great Protestant churches in America and Europe, he continues: "We see the error threatening our very lives, and the spiritual atmosphere surrouriding our chureh people is full of its poisonous microbes. The Scrip tures are subjected to the judgment of the reason, and doc trines of men take the place of the divine articles of faith. The foundation of Christianity and of Holy Writ, which is the Prophets and the Apostles, with Christ as the chief corner-stone, is thus undermined, justification by faith alone becomes a problem, divine certainty of faith yields to uncer tainty and doubt, and the sinner is deprived of his consola tion and peace." The Catholics also received some atten tion in the same report: "The Catholic church stretches 226 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. forth its arms for prey. Its efforts to get the common schools into its clutches are well known ; in direct violation of the constitution it appropriates the money of the state for its church schools, and struggles for the acquisition of political power, in order to utilize it in the service of the Papal church. Woe to the Protestant churches if it suc ceeds! For still the Papal church thirsts for the blood of 'heretics!' " The materialism of this age is sized up thus: "Last but not least, the synod -will faithfully testify against the increasing worldiness, pursuit of riches, and love of pleasure. Our age is materialistic, it wants something for the eyes, something tangible. Here is the greatest dan ger that the church may become secularized." These expres sions were not dictated by any policy whatsoever. They sprung from the intense conviction of a cultured, intelligent, and singularly sincere man. Hence they give us, brief as they are, a reliable insight into the working of his mind. Such a man as Preus naturally found himself surrounded by true and trusty followers, whose devotion made life's ardu ous task less irksome. The great bulk of his parishioners looked up to him as a respect-inspiring, yet loving and tender father. His family relations were the most beauti ful and happy. On the other hand, his life was not -with out streaks of shadow. During the eighties the synod was rent in twain by doctrainal controversies. This was brought home to him in a particularly painful manner. On Good Friday, in the spring of 1883, a majority of the Norway Grove congregation which he had served as pastor for thirty years, deposed him because he refused to subscribe uncon ditionally to resolutions adopted by said majority. Upon BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 227 receiving the news he said: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." According to Prof. L. Larsen, however, something worried Preus still more than these reverses. Said Larsen at the dedication of the East Kosh konong Pioneer Monument 10 Oct., 1894: "The man who by right ought to have dedicated this monument, the man who for thirty-two years was the president of our synod, but who last summer entered the rest of his Lord, throughout his whole life-work complained of nothing so much as of the negligence -which we have manifested in regard to the Chris tian schooling of our children." Preus has written a large number of contributions to the organ of the synod. Syv Foredrag over de kirkelige Forholde blandt de Norske 1 Amerika, 144 pages, published in 1867; and OftedaTs og Weenaas's Wisconsinisme, 146 pages, published in 1876, are valuable contributions to the history of the Norwegian- American Lutheran churches. He made visits to Norway in 1866-67 and in 1888-89. On the former occasion he deliv ered the seven lectures mentioned above, thereby arousing renewed interest in American church affairs among the Nor wegians. He also officiated at the funeral of his youngest sister and that of his father, the latter having reached the age of eighty-eight years. In the spring of 1876 his silver wedding -was remembered by a few old friends -who gathered at his house ; in the fall of the same year the twenty-fifth anniversary of his entering upon the service as a minister of the gospel, was fittingly celebrated by a large concourse of people in a grove near his home ; and in June, 1887, at the annual meeting of the synod, at Stoughton, Wis., a great number of his friends devoted one evening to a commemora- 228 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. tion of the work accomplished by him during the twenty -five years he had served as president of the synod. On this occa sion he was the recipient of a valuable present from his brethren in the ministry. He was married in 1851 to Caro line Dorthea Margrethe Keyser, of Kristiania, Norway, who died in 1880. She was an accomplished lady, and equally shares the honor with her husband of having brought up children who are an ornament to the Nor-wegian- Americans: Rev. C. K. Preus, Rev. J. W. Preus, Mrs. Rev. I. Nordby, and Mrs. Rev. Dan. Kvaase. The remains of Rev. H. A. Preus and his wife rest in the Spring Prairie cemetery, at Keyser, Wis. Steensland, Halle, vice-consul of Sweden and Norway — Madison — born 4 June, 1832, in Sandeid, near Stavanger, Norway. His father, who was a farmer, for more than a quarter of a century held the position of non-commissioned officer in the Norwegian army. At the early age of twelve, young Steensland gave indication of that spirit of self- reliance which has characterized his later life, by leaving his parental homestead and entering the battle of life on his own account. He first hired out as a farm hand; this occupa tion, however, being neither pleasant nor remunerative, he obtained a position as clerk in a store in Stavanger. But in the long run this position did not suit the ambitious young man, and in 1854 he left for America, arriving in Chicago with less than ten dollars in his pocket. He proceeded to Wisconsin the same year, and since the spring of 1855 has been a resident of Madison. The record of Steensland as a business man for nearly half a century past is bright, indeed. Beginning at the foot of the scale, as clerk in a store, he soon embarked in business for himself, first as member of a BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 229 mercantile firm, and afterwards as sole owner of the busi ness. In 1871 he entered upon an entirely new branch of business by taking an active part in organizing the Hekla Fire Insurance Company, perhaps the first enterprise of its kind undertaken by Scandinavian- Americans. Steensland was the first secretary and treasurer of the company, acting in the capacity of the former about ten years, and in that of the latter for the -whole period of eighteen years during which he was connected with the enterprise ; and served also as its president for the last few years of its existence. The com pany was started with a nominal paid-up capital of $25,000, and its affairs were so well managed that in 1889 the company's assets amounted to nearly half a million dollars ; but next year the Hekla was transferred to other parties and moved out of the state. Immediately after the consummation of this deal Steensland organized the Savings Loan and Trust Company of Madison, the paid-up capital being $100,000. In less than six years the assets of this company increased to over $530,000. Halle Steensland is its president and treasurer, and his son, Edward B. Steensland, its secretary. From the above it will be seen that Steens land, not-withstanding the limited advantages he had in his early life as to education and opportunities for advance ment, has succeeded not only in acquiring a competency, but has built up for himself a reputation as a business man of high rank. In 1872 Steensland was appointed to the office of vice-consul of Sweden and Norway, and has filled that position with signal tact and ability, and to the entire satisfaction of his fellow-citizens, as well as to the govern ments of Sweden and Norway. In this connection it may be 230 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. mentioned that he takes pardonable pleasure in an inter view which he had with King Oscar II, in Norway, in 1889, on which occasion the king gave him a very cordial recep tion and, as a special mark of esteem, created him a knight of the Order of Vasa in 1898. Politically, Steensland has always been identified with the Republican party, and has taken active part in some of the campaigns, especially that of 1884, when James G. Blaine was the Republican candidate for president. Steensland and family belong to the United Church, and he has served as member of the board of trus tees of said body since 1890. In the summer of 1895 he, in company with a son, made an extensive trip through the Mediterranean countries and the Orient, and an account of his travels, which he sent to the papers, was eagerly read by thousands of people in this country and Norway. In 1857 he -was married to Sophia Halvorson, of Madison, and their home is widely noted for its attractiveness and the hospi tality of its occupants. Their children are also making their mark : Morten M. is a graduate of Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, and of the Lutheran theological seminary at Phila delphia, Pa.; Edward B., mentioned above as secretary of the Savings Loan and Trust Company , and Helen A. are both graduates of the University of Wisconsin; Halbert S. is studying medicine at Johns Hopkins University. They have also two other sons, Henry H. and Adolph E. Thorsen, John, pioneer and manufacturer — Milwaukee — born 20 March, 1820, in Stavanger, Norway. He received a common school education, and at the age of fourteen left his native city. Having made several voyages on the Baltic and Mediterranean seas, and visited the East and BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 231 West Indies, he spent two years on the coast of Norway. He came to America as early as 1838, and took up his home in Milwaukee in 1844, where he has resided ever since. In 1895 he returned to Norway to visit his native land after an absence of sixty years. On settling in Milwaukee he commenced as a ship chandler, and continued in that business until 1868, when he entered the lumber business in Manistee, Mich., but continued to reside in Milwaukee. He was one of the first to discover and develop the large salt resources of eastern Michigan, and had one of the first salt blocks in Manistee. In 1895 he sold out his salt and lumber business and retired. In his younger days he was a great oarsman, and on the Fourth of July, 1856, won the boat race in Mil waukee against all comers. Early in the sixties a large ship with a number of people on board was wrecked in a terrible storm off Milwaukee. He organized a life saving crew and brought one boat-load safely ashore, but the second load was not so fortunate, the boat being overturned in the surf, but with the heroic exertion of those on shore, all were saved. Thorsen, however, was takenhome in an insensible condition, and for some time his life was despaired of. He has been one of the most public spirited citizens of Milwaukee, having held many offices of trust and responsibility; for instance, in the Chamber of Commerce, the Milwankee Club, and the North western National Insurance Company. He has always been an enthusiastic Republican, but would never accept any political office. In 1849 he was married in Milwaukee to Sarah Kildahl, of Kristiansand, Norway. They have five children, three daughters and two sons, each of whom received a liberal education. Their son, William R., is a 232 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. large manufacturer at Manistee, Mich.; their daughter Emma is married to an English merchant in Rio de Janeiro; and the others are residing in Milwaukee. Thrane, Markus, radical agitator and writer — aEu Claire — born 14 Oct., 1817, near Kristiania, Norway; died 30 April, 1890. He received a college education, and gradu ated from the University of Norway, and he afterwards carried on a private school at Lillehammer. During a short stay in France, the liberal movement agitating the masses of that country made a powerful impression upon his liberty-loving mind, and upon his return to Norway he became the champion of a similar movement there. The movement culminated in the Revolution of 1848, -which swept western Europe in the course of a few months. His paper, Arbeiderforeningernes Blad, soon reached a circula tion of 40,000, and for a time no name was more frequently mentioned throughout Norway than that of Markus Thrane. His demands seem eminently reasonable and moderate at the present time ; but they were so far ahead of the age that Thrane was made to suffer for his labors in the interest of human progress. He was finally arrested, and though his followers seemed both willing and able to liberate their leader, he dissuaded them from doing so, believing that the authorities would dismiss him in a few days. In this he was mistaken, however, and he had to remain four years in jail, and afterwards three years in the penitentiary. Thoroughly disgusted with a government that was capable of perpetrating such an outrage against an honest man, he emigrated to America in 1864, remaining one year in New York, and afterwards settling in Chicago. In the latter OSULD TORRISON, MANITOWOC. REV. J. A. BERGH, ORFORDVILLE. O. GRANBERG, BLAIR. A. JENSON, EDGERTON. F. L. TRONSDAL, EAU CLAIRE. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 233 city he published Den Norske Amerikaner, Dagslyset, and Den Nye Tid, which papers were not only radical on social and political questions, but also very bitter against many of the practices of the Christian church. His Wisconsin- bibelen is a sarcastic attack on leading Norwegian Lutheran clergymen, and the biblical form in which the language of the book was cast made it exceedingly obnoxious to those against whom it was directed. Upon the whole, Markus Thrane was not in touch with the bulk of the Norwegian- Americans, on account of his pronounced hostility to the church. The closing days of his life were spent with his son, Dr. Thrane, of Eau Claire. Consistent to the last, he insisted that no clergyman should be allowed to speak at his funeral. He was married in 1840 to Josefine Buch, who died in 1863. They had five children. Torrison, Osuld, merchant — Manitowoc — born 6 March, 1828, near Grimstad, Kristiansand stift, Norway; died 3 Nov., 1892. His ancestors for many generations back had been highly respected tillers of the soil. Torrison received a common school education in his native land, at the same time learning to make himself useful as a farm laborer ; emi grated to America at the age of nineteen, making his first home at Port Washington, Wis., where he began to attend school ; removed to Manitowoc Rapids, where he clerked for about two years ; and in 1851 settled at Manitowoc, where he resided during the remainder of his life. Here he began to clerk in a store ; but two years later he, in company with another man, bought out his former employer, and success fully conducted a general merchandise business for five years. In 1858 Torrison purchased his partner's interest, and 234 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. under his able management the business became one of the most extensive enterprises conducted by Scandinavian- Americans. In 1882 he built a very large brick building, where his heirs, under the management of his son, Thomas E. Torrison, still conduct the business. But his activity was not confined to his general store ; he also dealt in real estate, lumber, etc., on an extensive scale; he owned several saw-mills and ware-houses; his vessels plowed the great lakes ; and his annual transactions aggregated about half a million dollars. Torrison -was a patriotic American, took some interest in politics, but had no political ambition, and on one occasion he made his Republican friends understand that their wishes to have him accept a nomination as candi date for Congress could not be complied with. He was a member of the Norwegian Synod and a generous supporter and patron of Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. Being a generous man, Torrison brought his mother, brother, and sisters to this country as soon as he had saved enough money to do so. One of the traits of Torrison's character was his love for his native land, which he visited four times, and he took active interest in the welfare ' of his country men everywhere. He was married in 1854 to Martha Hansen Findal, who was bora near Langesund, Kristiansand stift, Norway. They had ten children. Six of their sons are graduates of Luther College, the other two attended several years, and some of them have taken post-graduate courses in the best universities of this country and Europe. Thomas E., the oldest son, succeeded his father in the busi ness; Inanda A. is the wife of Rev. A. Bredesen, of Stough ton, Wis.; Isac B. is a clergyman in the Norwegian Synod' BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WISCONSIN. 235 Oscar M. and George A.. are practicing law and medicine, respectively, in Chicago, 111. Gusta H., Norman G., Aaron J., and William S. are connected with the business at Mani towoc, and Agnes M., the youngest child, is attending col lege at Wellesley, Mass. Every member of this family is developed to an unusual degree, physically as well as men tally, and it has been stated that in point of bodily develop ment and intellectual vigor and equipoise, these ten brothers and sisters constitute a family which have no peers among the two hundred and odd thousand Norwegian-American families. Warner, Hans B., secretary of state— Ellsworth— born 12 July, 1844, in Gudbrandsdalen, Norway; died in 1896. In 1849 he emigrated with his parents, who first settled in Dodge county, Wis. In the summer of 1855 they moved to Pierce county, where Warner resided ever since. Dur ing his boyhood, young Warner received such education as the common schools afforded, the greater part of his time being spent on the farm. In 1864 he enlisted as a private in company G, 37th Wisconsin regiment, but after a few months' service -was -wounded and captured by the Confed erates during the campaign in front of Petersburg, Ya., and was held as prisoner of war in Danville and Libby prisons until paroled. In July, 1865, he received his discharge from the service on account of wounds received in battle. He returned to his home, and at the election in 1868 was elected county clerk, and held that office until he resigned, in 1877, to assume the duties of secretary of state, to which position he had been elected. Warner has the distinguished honor of being the first Scandinavian in Wisconsin elected to one of 236 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE. U. S. the more important state offices, though in a few cases others had succeeded in reaching elective offices of minor importance and rank. He was re-elected in 1879, holding office until 1881. In 1883 he was elected state senator, and held that office for four years, being among the few Scandi navians ever elected to the upper branch of the state legis lature. At the close of his legislative career he was elected to the position of supervisor for the village for seven years, and was chairman of the county board of supervisors for the same length of time. In 1895 Warner was appointed a member of the state board of control for a term of five years, and at the organization of that body was elected president of the board. Warner was a life long Republican. In 1866 he was married to Julia E. Hudson; they had no children. Biographies of Scandinavians in Wisconsin and Iowa. Ager, Win., author— Eau Claire, Wis.,— born 23 March, 1869, in Fredrikstad, Norway. His ancestors for genera tions had been soldiers, and his father served in the Norwe gian army a long series of years. Young Ager received a good common school education, and has always been an ardent student of modern literature. In 1885 he emigrated to America, locating in Chicago, -where he learnt the print er's trade. Much of his time has been devoted to the temperance movement, and in 1891 he took a very active part in the organization of a Norwegian Grand Temple of the Templars of Temperance. From 1891 to 1894 he edited Templat-Bladet, the official organ of the Scandinavian templars, and has organized a number of local temples. Since 1892 he has been connected with Reform, of which he has been manager since 1896. In 1894 he published Paa Drikkeondets Konto, a collection of short stories and poems bearing on the drink problem, which work met with a very flattering reception. In 1896 he was elected treas urer of the total abstinence congress. He married in 1899. Akerniark, Gudmund E., poet and journalist— Wood Lake, Wis., — born 1863, in Gothenburg, Sweden. For some time he attended college in his native city, completing three classes; emigrated in 1887; was editor of a couple of Swed ish papers in Omaha for some time; for one year held the 237 238 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. same position on Svenska Amerikanska Posten, Minne apolis. Since 1893 he has edited Skbrdemannen, a Swed ish semi-monthly agricultural paper published in Minne apolis, and is also connected with Svenska Folkets Tidning, although he and his family reside on his farm at Wood Lake. The great Swedish-American literary critic, Ernst Skarstedt, in his Svenska Amerikanska Poeter, speaks highly of Akermark as journalist and poet. In 1891 he was married to Constance Nelson; they have children. Anderson, Abel, banker— Sioux City, la.,— bora 17 June, 1855, at Jernskog, Vermland, Sweden. He received a com mon school education in his native country; emigrated to this country in 1874, coming directly to Sioux City, -where at first he worked in brick yards, as well as on a farm in Union county, S. D. In 1877 he started a small grocery store of his own in Sioux City, which he kept for nine years; then traveled as a commercial traveler a couple of years in the Northwest, and in 1890 he, in company with others, organized the Northwestern National Bank, capital stock $100,000, of which he was vice-president one year, having since been president, and is now the principal owner of this bank. In 1892 he was elected, by the Republicans, city treasurer, being re-elected in 1894 by a very large majority. He is respected, not only by the Scandinavians, but is looked upon by other nationalities as being one of the most successful and prosperous financiers among the Scandina vians in the Northwest. He is a member of the Swedish Lutheran church, having been one of the trustees of his home congregation nearly ever since the church was organ ized in 1875. In 1882 he was married to Henrietta L. Carl- strom, of Sioux City. They have children. Anderson, Joseph Alfred, clergyman— Creston, la.,— born 10 July, 1868, in Lommaryd, Stnaland, Sweden. His BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 239 father was a farmer, who emigrated in 1868, and settled in Des Moines, lo-wa. Young Anderson, whose mother died when he -was an infant, came to this country at eight years of age, joining his father at Des Moines, where he attended the public schools during the winters, and parochial school during the summer time. In 1882 he entered Augustana College, from which institution he graduated six years later; took the degree of A. M. at his alma mater in 1891, being the first graduate of Augustana College to complete the regular course of study leading to the master of arts degree; completed his theological course the following year. Dur ing his school days, he clerked in grocery stores a couple of years; taught parochial school at Iron Mountain, Mich., during the summer of 1887-88; was professor at Hope Academy, Moorhead, Minn., the first year of its existence, in 1888-89. At the end of that time he went to Washing ton, where he had charge of the Swedish Lutheran churches in Seattle and Tacoma. During his vacation in 1890 he had charge of the Swedish Lutheran church in Keokuk, Iowa, and was stationed at Dalsborg and Newman Grove, Neb., the following year. Since his ordination in 1892 he has been pastor of the Swedish Lutheran church in Creston, served as secretary of the Iowa Conference of the Augustana Synod in 1893-8. He has been a member of the executive committee of the Alumni Association of Augustana College and of the Iowa Conference. Anderson married Ellen S. Carlson in 1896. They have children. Anderson, J. E., state legislator and journalist— Forest City, la.,— born 29 March, 1846, in Smaland, Sweden. In 1852 his parents came to America, and settled on a farm in Winnebago county, la., in 1860. Young Anderson attended the Upper Iowa University in 1866-69; took a full course of scientific and classical studies at the State University, gra- 240 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. duating in 1872; and completed his law studies at that institution four years later. Anderson is the author of a work on business calculations, and in 1872-75 visited about three hundred colleges, lecturing on his specialty. In 1881 he was elected state legislator on the Republican ticket. Up to about 1890, he was a Republican; since he has joined the People's party, and -was president of the first state conven tion of that party in 1891. Anderson is a member of the American Methodist Church. He is married, and haschildren. Bengston, Carl J., clergyman— New Sweden (Postoffice Four Corners), Iowa,— born 22 July, 1862, in Slafsinge, Halland, Sweden. He emigrated to this country at the age of thirteen; graduated from Augustana College in 1888; and completed his theological studies at that institution two years later. Bengston served for three years in Hartford, Conn., and in the summer of 1893 accepted a call to his present charge, which is the first Swedish Lutheran congre gation in America organized in the nineteenth century. He has since 1898 been secretary of the Iowa Conference, and is a member of the constitutional committee. In 1899 he was elected to the state legislature on the Republican ticket. In 1891 he married E. Otilia Swanson, of Jamestown, N. Y. Bergh, J. A., elergyman and author— Orfordville, Wis., —born 12 Jan., 1847, in Kristiania stift, Norway. His father -was a clergyman, and he received a good education at a private school in Kristiania. He emigrated to America in 1860; studied at Paxton, 111., and graduated from the theological department of the seminary at Marshall, Wis., in 1871. He accepted a call from Tordenskjold and other congregations in Otter Tail county, Minn. In 1877 he removed to Iowa; and in 1882 settled at his present home. Bergh, in addition to his labors as pastor of a large congre gation, has also extended his work into the fields of journal- BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 241 ism and literature. Some of his ablest newspaper articles are contributions to the controversies in the Norwegian Lutheran church, and his book, Den Gamle og Nye Ret- ning,is an exposition of a controversy which was'started in 1882. Among the books compiled by Bergh may be men tioned Underfuld Bbnhbrelse, I Sidste Oieblik, Livs- billeder, and I Ledige Stunder. He was married in 1873 to Birgitta Meland, who died in 1897. They had six children. Bergh, Martin, lawyer— La Crosse, Wis.,— born 16 Sept., 1862, in Kristiania, Norway. His father was of Norwegian, and his mother of Swedish parentage. In 1870 he emi grated with his parents to this country, going directly to La Crosse, Wis. Bergh graduated from the high school of La Crosse in 1882. After devoting three years to the study of law, he -was admitted to the bar in 1885. Besides an extensive practice in Wisconsin, he has conducted important cases in the adjoining states. After a partnership with J. H. A. Ginder from 1885 to 1887, he practiced alone until 1894, -when the firm of Bleekman, Bloomingdale & Bergh was formed, with which firm he has since been connected. In 1895 and 1897 he -was elected city attorney of La Crosse. Bergh has taken a prominent part in / the affairs and cam paigns of his party, and has several times represented his city in Republican state conventions. He ranks high in the Masonic order. In 1880 he was married to Hanna C. Fleischer, a daughter of the -well-known journalist, Freder ick Fleischer. They have children. Borchsenius, Hans, soldier and public officer — Baldwin, Wis.,— born 19 Sept., 1832, in Nest ved, Sjalland, Denmark. Borchsenius emigrated to America in 1856, settling at Madison, Wis. In 1858 he became proprietor and editor of Nordstjerneo, which position he occupied for the next two years. At the breaking out of the Civil War he enlisted in 242 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. the army, being appointed adjutant in the famous Fifteenth Wisconsin, and served as major on the march to Louisville, Ky. In 1864 he was appointed clerk of the state school land department, which position he occupied until 1869. In the fall of 1868 he was elected clerk of the board of super visors of Dane county, on the Republican ticket, and was re-elected two years later. During this period he also studied la-w at the State University of Wisconsin, and was admitted to the bar in 1872; removed to Baldwin in 1877; served five years as state agent for the government timber land along the Chippewa and Menomonie rivers; was chief of a division of the internal revenue department at Washington for two years; and in 1896 was elected to the state assembly. Bothne, Gisle, educator — Decorah, la., — born in Fred- rikshald, Norway, 7 Sept., 1860. He is a son of Th. Bothne. He attended the Latin school in his native city until fifteen years of age, emigrated with his parents to this country two years before he had completed his course, and graduated from Luther College in 1878, receiving the degree of A. M. from his alma mater in 1883. After he had completed his studies in Luther College, he graduated from the North western University in 1879, and spent one year at Johns Hopkins University. Bothne was called to the professor ship of Greek and Norwegian literature in his alma mater, Luther College, in 1881, where he has since remained, except ing the year 1883-84, when he again attended Johns Hop kins University. He has written a history of Luther College. Bredesen, Adolph, clergyman— Stoughton, Wis.,— born 25 Oct., 1850, in Solor, Hamar stift, Norway. His ances tors for many generations back were farmers, smiths, or lumbermen. He came to America in 1852 with his parents, who settled in Adams county, Wis. Bredesen entered Luther College at the age of fifteen, and was graduated in 1870. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 243 Having completed a theological course at the Concordia Theological Seminary, he entered the ministry in 1873, and for the next three years served a number of churches in Columbia county, Wis., as the assistant of Rev. H. A. Preus. During the school years of 1876-78 he was an instructor at Luther College; then accepted a call from three churches in the western part of Dane county, Wis., where he remained until the fall of 1881; and since the latter date has served a church at Stoughton, and another at McFarland, near the same city. For many years past Bredesen has been chair man of the board of directors of Stoughton Academy and Business Institute, and also of the board of directors of Martin Luther Orphans' Home, at Stoughton, and is a member of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Bredesen generally prepares his public utterances with great care, and some of his lectures in favor of total abstinence and prohi bition have been published in pamphlet form. He was chosen to deliver the English address at the dedication of the pioneer monument at East Koshkonong, Wis., 10 Oct., 1894. This address, published in a book called Kosh konong, contains, besides other important historical mat ter, an excellent summing up of the peculiar social condi tions prevalent among the early Norwegian pioneers, and it has been liberally quoted by other authors. In 1878 he was married to Inanda A. Torrison, a daughter of Osuld Torri son, of Manitowoc— an account of this remarkable man and his family is given in this work. Bredesen has children. Bull, Storm, educator— Madison, Wis.,— born 20 Oct., 1856, in Bergen, Norway. He is a nephew of Ole Bull, the world-famed violinist. He attended school in his native city, and completed a course at the celebrated polytechnic institute of Zuerich, Switzerland, graduating with the high est honors in 1877. In 1879 he emigrated to America, and 244 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVAINS IN THE U. S. at once accepted a position as instructor in mechanical engineering in the University of Wisconsin; five years later was appointed assistant professor in the same branch; from 1887-91 occupied a regular chair of mechanical engineering; and at the latter date took charge of the department of steam engineering. He is familiar with several languages, and speaks Norwegian, English, German, and French with fluency; belongs to several societies; and is a Unitarian. Burg, P. N., merchant— Shell Lake, Wis.,— born 15 Apr., 1860, in Sallerup, Skane, Sweden. His parents were farm ers, and young Burg commenced to earn his own living at the early age of fourteen. He worked as a farm hand until twenty years of age, -when he emigrated to America, coming to Grove City, Minn. For a couple of years he worked on the railroad during the summer, and attended school in the winter. He then moved to Princeton, Minn., where he remained for five years, being employed as clerk in a store. In 1887 he settled at Shell Lake, Wis., and after having clerked for three years, started a general merchandise store, having at that time a capital of only $200. In this under taking Burg has been very successful; has built up a large business; has an annual trade of about $50,000; and has one of the largest establishments of its kind owned by any Swedish merchant in the state. In 1885 he was married to Lizzie Hillman, of Falun, Dalarne, Sweden, whose ancestors were prominent in the public affairs of that place. Carlson, Anton, journalist— Des Moines, la.,— born 17 Oct., 1859, in Misterhult, Smaland, Sweden. After comple ting a course of study at a preparatory school in Oscars- hamn, Carlson entered Frans Schartau's commercial school at Stockholm, from which he graduated. In 1881 he emi grated to this county. After working as, clerk in clothing stores in Chicago, Ottumwa, la., and Holdrege, Neb., he BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 245 moved in 1889 to Des Moines, where he became connected with the Swedish Publishing- Company. In the latter part of the same year he became editor of Svithiod, a newspaper published by said company, continuing in the same capacity until May, 1898, when he, during the Spanish-American War, accepted a position in the office of the Assistant Quartermaster General at New Orleans, La. Carlson is a Republican, and ably advocated the principles of that party as an editor. He is a Freemason. Carlson, Oscar W., physician and surgeon— Milwaukee, Wis., — born 1 Aug., 1843, in Stockholm, Sweden. At the age of ten he emigrated to America; resided at Columbus, Ohio, for one year; moved to Waukesha, Wis., where he attended the public schools; worked for some time in a lum ber camp. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in the 28th Wisconsin Infantry, serving for three years. He took active part in the siege of Mobile and other places. After having returned from the army, Carlson commenced to study medicine in Milwaukee, and completed his studies in Chicago, in 1872. He then practiced his profession in Milwaukee for seven years; visited his native land as well as other European countries, studying at some of the larger hospitals in England and elsewhere. After his return he has practiced in Milwaukee, being the only Swedish physi cian in the city. His large practice, however, is mostly among the Americans, as he is hardly able to speak the Swedish language fluently. Carlson is a member of several societies, in which he has held high offices. Chantland, P. W., sheriff— Fort Dodge, la.,— born 11 Oct., 1840, in Aardal, Stavanger amt, Norway. His father was a sea captain, sailing along the coast, and most of his mother's ancestry had been in military service. At the age of thirteen he came from his native country to Primrose, 246 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Wis., where he remained until 1861, when he enlisted in the famous Fifteenth Wisconsin Regiment, serving over two years. In 1864 he moved to Fort Dodge, where he pur chased land, being one of the earliest Norwegians in Web ster county; but soon returned to Wisconsin, where he attended Albion Academy for a couple of years, as well as teaching some; then settled permanently in Webster county, and farmed from 1867-75. Chantland was sheriff for eight years; has since dealt in real estate and insurance, and was elected justice of peace in 1892 and 1894. He is a member of the order of Freemasons, of the I. 0. O. F., and of the A. 0. U. W., having held the highest offices in some of these organizations. He is also an active member of the G. A. R.; -was for a number of years captain of Company F, Sixth Regiment, lo-wa National Guards, and afterwards pro moted to lieutenant-colonel on the governor's staff. Chant land is a very prominent public man in Webster county, and has done a great deal for the welfare of the Scandinavians in the vicinity. He is a Republican. In 1869 he was mar ried to Julia Skavlem; she died in 1872, and three years later he was married to Anna Natesta, or Natestad, whose father -was the earliest Norwegian settler in Wisconsin, coming there in 1839. Chantland has had children by both wives. His eldest son, Wm. T. Chantland, was born 22 June, 1870; is a graduate of the collegiate and law depart ments of the University of Iowa; was captain of company G, 52nd Iowa Infantry Volunteers, during the Spanish War in 1898; has been county attorney of Webster county for some time; and is also interested in the beet sugar industry. Dahl, J. M., clergyman — Ratna, la., — born 14 Dec, 1836, in Karlso, Tromso stift, Norway. He left his native land and studied from 1860 to 1866 atthe missionary school at Hermannsburg, Germany, and passed the theological BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 247 examinations required by the royal consistory of Hanover. Shortly afterwards he was ordained, and departed for India as a missionary in the Telugu country. Dahl became a per sonal friend of the rajah of Venkatagiri, and the progress of his work -was gratifying. But he -was sunstruck at two dif ferent times, and was compelled to return to Europe. In 1873 "he accepted a call from a congregation in Winnebago county, Iowa, arriving at his present home in the fall of that year. Dahl is a highly influential member of the United Church. He has been married twice, and has children. Dahl, T. H., clergyman — Stoughton, Wis., — born 2 Apr., 1845, in Baadstad, Kristiania stift, Norway. He attended a Latin school in Kristiania for a -while; emigrated to Amer ica in 1865; completed his theological studies at Paxton, 111.; and in 1868 accepted a call from congregations in Meeker county, Minn., being the first Norwegian Lutheran pastor who settled west of "the Big Woods." In 1873 he removed to Ft. Howard, Wis., and settled at his present home in 1881. He joined the Norwegian-Danish Lutheran Conference in 1871, and served that body as secretary from 1876 to 1881, and as president from the latter date to 1886. His words and -works alike are characterized by Christian charity, and even in the heat of controversy he generally remains calm and impartial. His preaching is universally popular. In 1894 he published Fred og Strid, treating of the controversy raging in the United Church at that time. The same year he was elected vice-president of the United Church. In 1867 he married Lina Gjertsen, a daughter of Rev. J. P. Gjertsen. They have several children. Dahle, Onon B., merchant— Mt. Horeb, Wis.,— born 4 Oct., 1823, in Nissedal, Kristiansand stift, Norway. He graduated from Hvideseid normal school in 1842, and emi grated six years later. He settled in Dane county, Wis., 248 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. after having been in California for some time; and for over forty j^ears had a country store in Perry, being one of the leading men in that vicinity, as well as one of the most successful and wealthy Norwegian business men in the state of Wisconsin. He is a member of the United Norwegian Church. In 1854 he was married to Betsey Nelson, of North Cape, Racine county; they have three sons, and their daughter is married to the able ex-county attorney of Henne pin county, Minn., James A. Peterson. His son, H. B. Dahle, was born 30 Mar., 1855; attended the University of Wisconsin for a few years; has for many years been in the mercantile business at Mt. Horeb; and was elected on the Republican ticket to the U. S. Congress in 1898. Dan, Adam, clergyman and author — Fredsville, la.,— born 8 Feb., 1848, in Odense, Island of Fyen, Denmark. Dan's father -was an officer in the Danish army; his mother was of French descent. He studied for some time at the University of Denmark and at Basel, Switzerland. After extensive travels in Europe he proceeded to Egypt, then to the Holy Land, where he was missionary for nearly a year, when he accepted a call from the Danish Lutheran church in Racine, Wis., arriving there in 1871. After a period of nine years' successful labor in this field, Dan went to San Francisco, where he remained for four years. He now visited Denmark, and while there was called as pastor of the Danish Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minn., where he resided from 1884 to 1893, being also pastor of the Danish churches in St. Paul and Hutchinson. From 1893 to 1896 he filled the pulpit of one of the Danish churches in Chicago, and while there celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination, receiving expressions of esteem from Danes all over the country. Since 1896 Dan has been pastor at Fredsville. Dan was the first clergy- A. PETERSON, SOLDIERS GROVE. t t^^f>itr < m M. BERGH, LA CROSSE. P. N. BURG, SHELL LAKE. A. T. LINDHOLM, STILLWATER. PROF. E. G. LUND, MINNEAPOLIS. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 249 man of the Danish Lutheran Church in America. He was once president of the denomination, once vice-presi dent, twice editor of the church paper, Kirkelig Samler, which he founded, once editor of the children's paper, and has also been president of the board of trustees of the theological seminary. He is the author of numerous poems, essays, novels, and books of travel. His largest work, Kanaan, has gone through several editions, and gives an excellent description of his travels in the Holy Land. Dan is an able speaker, and his writings are polished and sympathetic. In 1871 he was married to Signe Sorensen, who died in 1895. His daughter Thyra is a good singer. Davidson, James 0., state treasurer — Soldiers Grove, Wis., — born 10 Feb., 1854, in Norway. He received a com mon school education in his native land, and emigrated to America in 1872, settling in Madison, Wis. Since 1877 he has resided at Soldiers Grove, where he has been engaged in mercantile business. He was elected to represent his district in the state assembly in 1892, in 1894, and in 1896; and was elected state treasurer as a Republican in 1898. Egge, Albert E., educator — Iowa City, la., — born 12 Feb., 1857, in Winneshiek county, la. His parents were born in Ostre Slidre, Valders, Norway. They emigrated to this country in 1850, residing until 1853 in Dane county, Wis., and afterwards in Winneshiek county. When a boy he attended the district school near his father's farm. In 1873 he entered Luther College, from which he graduated in 1879. After teaching for three years he went to Johns Hopkins University, where he spent five years (1882-87). Here he devoted himself specially to Teutonic philology and history, but gave much attention also to the Romance languages, comparative philology, and pedagogy. In 1884 he was appointed, by the trustees of Johns Hopkins Uni- 50 250 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. versity, graduate scholar in English, and shortly afterwards also assistant in English, holding the latter position for three years. In 1885 he was appointed fellow in Teutonic languages, and in 1887 received the degree of Ph. D. From 1887 to 1892 he was professor of English, German, and history in St. Olaf College. Then for four years he was instructor in English in the State University of Iowa, Iowa City. In 1896 he accepted the chair of English literature in the Washington Agricultural College and School of Science, Pullman, Wash. Egge has acquired an enviable reputation as a philologist, and as an authority on the English lan guage. In 1891 he married Sina Berge, of Decorah. Erdall, John L., assistant attorney general— Madison, Wis., — born 5 June, 1863, in Deerfield, Dane county, Wis. His grandfather and father came from Hardanger, Norway, in 1847, and settled in Deerfield. Young Erdall graduated from the classical department of the State University in 1885, from the law department in 1887. In 1888 he was elected district attorney of Dane county, holding that office for t-wo years. In 1895 he was appointed assistant attorney general for the state, being, perhaps, the first Scandinavian in the United States who has been appointed to a position which requires such high legal attainments, and involves such great responsibility. He is a member of the United Church. He was married in 1885, and has children. Erickson, Halford, commissioner of statistics— Superior, Wis.,— born 7 July, 1862, in Fogelvik, Vermland, Sweden. He received a common school education in his native land- emigrated in 1882; attended Minneapolis Academy for some time; worked for the Northwestern railroad company until 1889, when he removed to Superior, Wis. In 1890 Erickson was elected register of deeds of Douglas county, and was re-elected in 1892, being the first Swede in Douglas county BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA, 251 to be elected to that office. Erickson is a Republican, and in 1895 -was appointed by the governor commissioner of the bureau of statistics, and re-appointed two years later, being the first person of Swedish parentage who has received an appointment to any important office in Wis consin, in fact the only Swede in the state who at present is in any manner prominent in public life. Erickson has paid special attention to the study of political economy, and possesses one of the largest private collections of books treating of that subject in the Northwest. As a statistician and political economist Erickson has, probably, no superior or equal among the Scandinavians in America. In 1889 he was married to Annie Carlson. Estrem, Andrew, educator — Clinton, la., — born 6 Mar., 1864, near Cresco, Iowa. His parents came from the vicinity of Haugesund, Norway, in 1855, and settled in Howard county, Iowa. He graduated from Luther College in 1886; studied for a short time at the State University of Iowa; then went to Cornell University, receiving the mas ter's degree at that famous institution in 1889. He was instructor in Latin and history at Luther College the follow ing year, after which he returned to Cornell to pursue a more extended course in American history and in political science. He received the Ph. D. degree at Cornell University in 1892, and has since 1894 taught the English language and literature in Wartburg College, Clinton, Iowa. His ability as a writer and teacher is generally recognized. Fleischer, Frederick, journalist — La Crosse, Wis.,— born 18 June, 1821, in Vaaler, Kristiania stift, Norway; died 12 Nov., 1878. Being the son of a minister, young Fleischer received a liberal education, and received from the University of Norway the degree of A. B., and of LL. B., in 1840 and 1844, respectively. He emigrated to America in 252 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. 1853, and spent eight years in California, his chief occupa tion being gold-digging and farming. In 1863 Fleischer settled at La Crosse, and began the publication of F'adre- landet, but changed the name of the paper in 1868 to F'adrelandet og Emigranten, -which he published during the remaining ten years of his life, and accumulated a small fortune. In 1871 he was elected county treasurer of La Crosse county, and one year later presidential elector at large from his state. In 1875 he -was appointed register at the U. S. land office at La Crosse. His generosity and nobility of character made him popular among his acquaint ances, and at his death he had -won the hearts of thousands of his countrymen in the New World. Fleischer was an active Republican, and a member of the Lutheran church. He was married in 1866 to Josephine Johnson, of Rush- ford, Minn., and one of his daughters is the wife of Martin Bergh, a prominent attorney in La Crosse. Granberg, Ole, grain dealer — Blair, Wis., — born 11 Sept., 1856, in Grue, Hamar stift, Norway. He received a common school education, and emigrated to America in 1868, com ing with his parents directly to Trempealeau county, Wis., being among the early Norwegian settlers of that part of the country. He worked on farms at first, but has dealt in grain most of the time, doing an annual business of about $50,000. He has been chairman of the board of supervisors for one year, but has since refused to accept any kind of office, although several nominations have been offered him. He affiliates with the Democratic party. In 1882-84 he resided in Yellowstone Park, engaged as a carpenter. Gran berg is a radical free thinker, and has written newspaper articles on that subject, both in American and Norwegian papers, and has also performed other literary work. He takes interest in scientific topics and political economy. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDnMAYIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 253 In 1895 he married Kate Blottenberger, of Philadelphia. Grundtvig, F. L., clergyman and author— Clinton, la.,— bora 15 May, 1854, in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is a son of the renowned Danish bishop and poet, N. F. S. Grundtvig. F. L. Grundtvig graduated from the University of Denmark in 1880, having made a special study of the natural sciences. The next year he emigrated to this country, and settled in Outagamie county, Wis., -where he resided a couple of years. During his stay here he made a special study of ornithology, on which subject he published a small pamphlet, which has been very favorably received by eminent naturalists. He has also written several other books and pamphlets on various subjects, both prose and poetry. He was ordained as a minister in 1883, having ever since had charge of a Danish Lutheran church in Clinton. Grundtvig was the chief organizer of Dansk Folkesamfund i Amerika, in 1887, of which he was president until 1894. In 1881 he was mar ried to Kristina Nelson, a Swedish lady. Halland, B.M., clergyman — Stanton, la.,— born 15 Oct., 1837, in Drangsered, Halland, Sweden. He emigrated to this country in 1855; attended the theological department of Augustana College, Paxton, 111., for a while; and was ordained in 1864. He served the congregation in Burling ton, la., until 1870, when he founded the large Swedish settlement in the vicinity of Stanton, generally known as the Halland settlement. He remained in Stanton for nearly thirteen years, then accepted a position as business manager of Augustana College, which position he held for two years. He was a missionary in Wisconsin and Michigan for a couple of years, and served the Iowa Conference as secretary and also as president in its earlier days. During President Har rison's administration he was postmaster at Stanton. He was married in 1865, and has several children. 254 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Halvorsen, Halvor, clergyman— Westby, Wis.,— born 15 Sept., 1845, in Stavanger, Norway. During the years 1859-65 he was a sailor, serving one year as first mate; graduated from a Latin school in Kristiania in 1867; attended the theological department of the University of Norway, receiving the degree of candidate of theology in 1871. For one year Halvorsen served as principal of a private school in Stavanger; emigrated to America in 1872, coming directly to Coon Prairie, Vernon county, Wis. In the early days of his work in this charge, Halvorsen traveled 5,000 miles in one year, in order to attend to his minis terial duties. For several years he served as secretary of the Eastern District of the Norwegian Synod; in 1887 he was elected secretary of the synod, and re-elected atthe meetings held in 1890 and 1893; from 1888-93 served as vice-presi dent of the Eastern District; and since the latter date has been president of that district. He has written several articles for Evangelisk Luthersk Kirketidende, as well as for several other papers. He has published one book; besides, a few of his sermons have been published. He was married in 1871, and has several children. Haugen, G. N., congressman — Northwood, la., — born 21 April, 1859, in Rock county, Wis. His parents came from Hallingdal, Norway, in 1846, and settled at his birthplace. He received a common school education, attended school in Decorah for some time, and a business college in Janesville, Wis. In 1880 he started a hardware store at Kensett, and in 1887 was elected, by the Republicans, county treasurer, which position he retained for six years. In 1890 he was one of the organizers of the Northwood Banking Company, of which concern he became president in 1894. In 1893 and 1895 he was elected to represent his constituency in the state legislature, and was elected to Congress in 1898. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 255 Hendrickson, Peter, educator and journalist — Albion, Wis., — born 6 June, 1842, near Skien, Norway. In 1845 he came to America with his parents, who settled in Racine county, Wis.; entered Beloit College in 1859, graduating with honors in 1867; spent one year at the University of Norway, devoting his time to the study of literature, philology, and philosophy; proceeded to Germany and studied about one year at the University of Erlangen; traveled through Switzerland, Italy, France, Scotland, and England; and, having returned to America in the fall of 1869, concluded his studies by attending the Chicago Theo logical Seminary for one year. In 1870 he began to teach Greek at Beloit College, and at the end of the year was elected professor of modern languages in the same institu tion, which position he held for over fourteen years. In 1885 he severed his connection -with the college, and for the next eight years served as editor-in-chief of Skandinaven. After two years of partial rest he purchased the Albion Academy. Hendrickson served with the 40th Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteers during the Civil War. He was mar ried in 1873, and has several children. Holmes, Ludvig, clergyman and poet — Burlington, la., —born 7 Sept., 1858, in Strofvelstorp, Skane, Sweden. Young Holmes was forced to begin to shift for himself early in life, entering the struggle for existence as office boy and typesetter, in Helsingborg, at the age of fifteen. He next spent some time in Stockholm, and in 1879 emigrated to America; entered Augustana College the following year, where he spent three years; but on account of ill-health was unable to complete his literary studies, although he gradu ated from the theological department of that institution in 1886. Both before his ordination and afterwards, .he preached in Connecticut, and settled in Jamestown, N. Y., in 256 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S 1888; but moved to Burlington, Iowa, the next year, where he has since served as pastor of a Swedish Lutheran con gregation. Holmes was a member of the committee which edited Nya Hemlandsskngboken — the authorized hymn- book of the Augustana Synod — and has also served as secre tary of the executive committee of the Augustana Synod, and of the Iowa Conference. He is a fluent and happy speaker, and very popular as a preacher. He is widely known as a writer of religious and semi-religious poems. His poetry, according to Ernst Skarstedt, in Svensk-Amer- ikanska Poeter, "is generally characterized by a beauti ful form and by warmth of feeling." Bishop Von Scheele in his Hemlandstoner says: "Ludvig's Jubel Poem is remarkable for its deep thoughts, and the brilliant expres sion of these thoughts." In 1896 he published a large volume, being a collection of his poems, under the name of Dikter. For some years he has been president of the Swed ish Lutheran Mutual Fire Association. In 1891 he received the degree of A. M. of Bethany College, and 1897 the same institution conferred the degree of doctor of literature upon him. King Oscar II. of Sweden honored him with a silver medal in 1898. Holmes -was married in 1887 to Sophia Johnson, of Altona, 111. They have one child. Hoist, Mar tin, journalist— Cedar Falls, la.,— born 13 Apr., 1856, in Rodding, Slesvig. Young Hoist received a common school education and attended a college in Askov for three years. He taught Danish private schools in Denmark and Slesvig for seven years; but he concluded to emigrate, and came to Elk Horn, Iowa, in 1881. In 1882 he began to work in the office of Dannevirke, Cedar Falls, which paper he, in company with N. U. Christianson, bought the following year, and which Hoist has ever since continued to edit. He is one of the most prominent lay members of the Danish BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 257 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is married and has children. Homme, Even Johnson, clergyman— Wittenberg, Wis.,— born 17 Oct., 1843, in Moland, Kristiansand stift, Norway. He attended the common school of his native parish until emigrating with his parents to America in 1854. At the age of nineteen he entered Luther College, where he remained for two years, and in 1864 began to study theology at Con cordia Theological Seminary, graduating in 1867. Shortly afterwards he accepted a call from the Norwegian Synod congregation at Winchester, Wis., -where he resided for fifteen years. In 1880 Homme founded the village of Wittenberg. For years the Norwegian Synod had been dis cussing the need of an orphan asylum, and Homme decided to start such an institution on his own account at Witten berg. Accordingly, a building was put up in 1882. The. institution has experienced a healthy growth, and some 250 children and aged people have been cared for under its roof. In 1886 Homme superintended the erection of a building for an Indian mission school at Wittenberg, and through his efforts said school received large appropriations from the national treasury. In 1885 Homme established a printing office in connection with the orphans' home, and has since published three weekly papers. For several years he served as secretary of the Norwegian Synod, but since 1890 has been a member of the United Church. In 1893 he was nom inated for state senator by the Republicans, but accepted the nomination with reluctancy. He was defeated at the polls. Homme was married in 1869, and has several children. Hougen, J. 0., clergyman— Decorah, la.,— bora 6 Mar., 1857, in Kvinnherred, Bergen stift, Norway. His parents emigrated when he was only two months old. He received a common school education, entered Luther College at the 258 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. age of fifteen, graduating in 1879, and completed his theo logical studies at Madison, Wis., three years later. He served churches successively at Fargo, N. D.; Canton, S. D.; and Manitowoc, Wis. In 1898 he accepted a call from a church in Decorah. Hougen originally was a member of the Norwegian Synod, but joined the United Church in 1890. He was one of the founders of Concordia College, at Moor- head, Minn.; has been a member of the board of missions of the United Church; and has held other positions of trust and honor in the religious circles in which he has moved. Hougen is an active and energetic man, a fair speaker, a great reader, an extensive traveler, and a voluminous news paper writer. He has been married twice, and has children. Jeanson, R. E., emigration agent— Des Moines, la., — born 4 July, 1832, in Karlskrona, Sweden. His great grandfather came from England in the sixteenth century, and established a factory to color leather near Karlskrona. Young Jeanson received a common school education; went to sea at the age of eleven; for about ten years was captain of a vessel sailing on the coast of Sweden; emigrated to America in 1865, settling in New York City; and -was engaged as agent for the American Emigration Company. Jeanson remained with said company until 1893, having had the controlling interest of the concern till 1889. Through mismanagement the company failed in 1893. He moved to Swea, Kossuth county, Iowa, in 1879, -where he organized a large Swedish settlement. In 1894 he removed to Des Moines. Jeanson has always taken great interest in religious matters, having been ordained as a Baptist clergyman two years after his arrival to this country, and organized the first Swedish Baptist church in New York in 1867. He is married, and has children. Jenson, Andrew, merchant — Edgerton, Wis., — born 4 BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 259 June, 1843, in Sandsvar, near Kongsberg, Norway. At the age of twenty-six he emigrated to America, coming directly to Edgerton, Wis., where he worked in the vicinity as a farm hand the first summer, and attended school during the first winter, and one year after his arrival started to grow tobacco by working land on shares. He settled in Edger ton, and commenced to deal in leaf tobacco on a small scale; but in a short time Jenson became one of the leading dealers in his line in the state, besides being interested in other financial undertakings in the city, for example, in a brick yard and a pottery plant. He is one of the five proprietors of Amerika. He is a member of the Norwegian Synod, and the main supporter of his home congregation, having also been one of the trustees of Luther College, and a mem ber of the church council of the synod. Jenson has affili ated with the Democratic party since 1884; was presi dential elector in 1892; has been mayor of Edgerton for several terms; and was one of the judges on leaf tobacco at the World's Fair in Chicago, in 1893. In 1877 he married Hannah P. Johanson, of Edgerton; they have children. Johnson. E. P., county attorney — Decorah, la., — born 25 June, 1846, in Sogn, Bergen stift, Norway. When he -was five years- old his parents emigrated to this country, settling at Norway Grove, Wis. Young Johnson worked on his father's farm and attended the public schools during his boyhood; graduated from a business college in Madison, Wis., in 1872; received his literary education at the Uni versity of Wisconsin; and graduated from the la-w depart ment of the State University of Iowa in 1874. For one year he was assistant principal of Marshall Academy, Marshall, Wis. After having completed his legal education he settled in Decorah, where he successfully has practiced his profession ever since, and has now a very lucrative 260 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. practice. Johnson has been secretary of the Decorah board of education for ten years, member of the city council for two terms, city attorney for a couple of terms, and was elected county attorney on the Republican ticket in 1892, being re-elected twice. He is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran Synod. In 1875 he was married to Carrie Grinde, of Norway Grove, Wis. They have five children, their two sons are graduates of Luther College, and one of their daughters is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Johnson, Ole C, soldier— Beloit, Wis.,— born 1838, in Hollen, Telemarken, Norway; died in 1886. His father was an inn keeper at a place called Skibsnas, from which Ole took the name by which he was generally known. He came to America in 1844. He had attended Beloit College two years when the Civil War broke out, and he immediately enlisted in the service, recruited a company of volunteers, and received his commission as captain of the same, -which became a part of the Fifteenth Wisconsin Regiment. Later he was promoted to the rank of major; then to that of lieu tenant-colonel, and at the battle of Chickamauga com manded the regiment. During the second day of this battle he was captured by the Confederates, and was sent to Libby Prison, where he remained for eight months. While being transported to another prison, he succeeded in making his escape, and made his way to the Union lines, rejoining his regiment a couple of months later. At the expiration of his term of enlistment, Johnson was appointed colonel of the Fifty-third Wisconsin Regiment. Most of the time after the war he resided at Beloit, where he was engaged in business and held various offices. Larsen, Iver, merchant — Decorah, la., — born 1 Nov., 1837, in Hardanger, Norway. He came to America in 1850, and settled in Winneshiek county, Iowa., in 1851. In BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 261 1860-61 he studied at Concordia College, and in the fall of 1861 entered the new school of the Norwegian Lutheran Synod at Halfway Creek, Wis. He soon left his school, however, because he could not agree -with his professor who held that "slavery in itself is not sinful." From. 1866 to 1878 he was engaged in business on his own account at Brownsville, Minn.; but at the latter date removed to Decorah, where he has since built up the largest dry goods establishment in the city. Besides making his own business an unqualified success, Larsen, during the past fifteen years has managed to perform a large amount of work connected with his church. The following are some of the positions filled by Larsen: Treasurer of the Lutheran aid fund of St. Olaf College 1886-90; treasurer of the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood endowment fund, in which capacity he raised $90,000 by subscription; and president of the board of trustees of the United Church since 1890. In the last- mentioned capacity he had to conduct the famous lawsuit of the United Church against Augsburg Seminary, involv ing the title to the Augsburg Publishing House. Larson, Ole, county judge — Osceola, Wis., — born 2 Apr., 1841, in Nordre Aurdal, Hamar stift, Norway. He received a high school education, and visited various places in Nor way, before leaving for America in 1868. In 1872 he settled at Osceola, and five years later was elected county judge of Polk county, to which position he has been re-elec ted several times, having served over twenty years. Larson has been engaged in the real estate, loan, and insurance business during his entire stay at Osceola. In 1890 he bought Bethania Mineral Springs. Larson is one of the most influential Scandinavian Republicans in the state, and in 1895 Governor Upham appointed him a member of the board of immigration of Wisconsin. In 1870 he mar- 262 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. ried Ingeborg Johnson; they have two sons well educated. Lund, Lars, clergyman— Elroy, Wis.,— born 13 March, 1845, in Vefsen, Tromsd stift, Norway. He graduated from the normal school at Tromso in 1864; taught in the public schools for five years; and emigrated in 1868, coming directly to Racine, Wis., but shortly afterwards entered Augustana College, Paxton, 111., where he remained one year. He completed his theological course in 1870 at the school of the Norwegian branch of the Augustana Synod, located at Marshall, Wis. For six years Lund had charge of Conference congregations in southwestern Minnesota. From 1876-97 he was located at Menomonie, Wis. Since the latter date he has been located at his present place. Lund was cashier for the mission during eight years of his connection with the Conference, and since that organization became a part of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America, he has held the same position, being an influential member of this organization. Lund, in connection with Rev. G. Hoyme, published a hymn book called Harpen, in 1888. He was married in 1872. Naeseth, Christen A., educator— Decorah, la.,— born 1 March, 1849, in Koshkonong, Dane county, Wis. His father came from Nedre Telemarken, Norway, in 1844. In 1869 Naeseth entered Luther College, graduating five years later. He completed his theological studies at Con cordia Seminary in 1877; spent one year, traveling and studying, in Norway; from 1878-82 he served Norwegian Synod congregations in Rock county, Minn.; then accepted a call as professor at his alma mater, where he has since remained, having charge of English history, English litera ture, and other branches, besides being the college librarian. Having been granted a year's leave of absence, he spent 1884-85 at Cornell and Johns Hopkins universities. In 1886 BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 263 he married Caroline M. Koren, a daughter of Rev. V. Koren. Nelsenius, John D., clergyman— Ashland, Wis.,— born 12 Oct., 1850, in Mistelas, Smaland, Sweden. He received a common school education in his native land, and worked on his father's farm until eighteen years of age when he emi grated to America. In 1875 he entered Augustana College, pursuing studies in the collegiate and theological depart ments of this institution for seven years, and graduating from the latter department in 1882. He had charge of con gregations at Anoka and St. Cloud, Minn., and other places in the vicinity until 1886, when he moved to Ashland, being the first Swedish Lutheran clergyman to permanently locate in the northern part of Wisconsin. Nelsenius has been a member of the board of education of Ashland for three years, and has also taken a great deal of interest in local affairs, especially whatever concerns the welfare of the Swedish people. In 1896 he -was one of the presidential electors at large, on the Republican ticket, and he received the largest number of votes cast for any person during the whole history of the state. He was married in 1882. Nelson, Oley, state legislator— Slater, la.,— born 10 Aug., 1845, in Rock county, Wis. His parents came from Rollag, Numedal, Norway, to Jefferson Prairie, Wis., in 1844. Young Nelson received a common school education, and worked on his father's farm. His father served in the army during the Civil War, and after his death, through disease, young Nelson took his place in the army, and parti cipated in the battles of Memphis, Holy Spring, Jackson, etc. In 1867 he settled in Polk county, la., close to his present place of business, and has resided in the vicinity ever since, except for about eight years, when he lived in Des Moines. He has been in the general merchandise business ever since he came to Iowa, and now does an annual busi- 264 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. ness of about $100,000, being also engaged in banking. In 1885 he was elected to the state legislature, and -was re elected two years later. During his legislative career he secured the passage of several important bills, for example, one in regard to general tile drainage, and another for the purpose of securing cheaper text-books — these t-wo laws were very important, and Nelson deserves the credit of hav ing done some of the best work in the legislature that has ever been performed by any of the Scandinavians in the Iowa legislature. He is a member of the United Church, taking active part in the secular affairs of that body; was one of the trustees of the Norwegian-Danish Conference for several years; and has held the same position since that organization became a part of the United Church. He has also been one of the trustees of Jewell Lutheran College. Nelson was the chief organizer, in 1896, of the Norwegian- American old settlers' association, of which society he became president. In 1869 he -was married to Lizzie Ers- land, of Story county. They have several children. Nelson, Otto, publisher and state binder — Des Moines, la.,— born 14 Nov., 1843, in Ulrika, Ostergotland, Sweden. He received his education mostly through private instruc tion; enlisted in the army at the age of eighteen, and passed a non-commissioned examination, after having served for three years. For three years he was sergeant, but after having been in the army for six years, he emigrated to America in 1867. In 1870 he settled in Des Moines; worked for thirteen years for one book-binding firm, being the fore man of the establishment the last seven years; and com menced, in 1883, to publish Svithiod. Several other Swed ish newspapers have been started before and since, yet Svithiod has been, and is, the most influential and -widely circulated Swedish paper in Iowa. In 1895 Nelson severed O. C PETERSON, DES MOINES. 0. NELSON, SLATER. Ill ' C. H. TOLLEFSRUDE, ROLFE. REV. J. OLSEN, ST. ANSGAR. REV. J. A. OTTESEN, DECORAH. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 265 all connections with the paper, and engaged in the business of real estate and insurance until 1899, when he secured a position in the government printing office at Washington, D. C. In 1888 Nelson -was elected state binder of Iowa by the legislature, being the first Scandinavian that has ever been elected to any state office in the state. In 1890-92 he was re-elected to the same position. Nelson has taken active part in everything which pertains to the welfare of the Swedes in the city. Fe-w Swedes are more -widely known in the state, or out of the state, than he is. In 1874 he was married to Alfrida Jonson, who died in 1881, leaving two grown daughters, who have received a good education. Nordberg\ Bruno V., mechanical engineer — Milwaukee, Wis., — born 11 Apr., 1858, in Helsingfors, Finland. He is a direct descendant of Nordberg, the chaplain and historian of Charles XII., king of Sweden. Young Nordberg received a college education in his native place, and graduated from the Polytechnic College of Helsingfors in 1879, and shortly after emigrated, coming to Buffalo, N. Y., where he remained for about one year; then came to Milwaukee. In 1890 he started to manufacture steam engines of his own, is con sidered one of the best engineers in the Northwest, and has about thirty patents of his own. He was married in 1884, and has children. Norrbom, August, clergyman — Swedesburg, la., — bora 19 June, 1860, in Sjogestad, Ostergotland, Sweden. He received a common school education in Sweden; emigrated in 1876; studied during the winter for four years; attended Augustana College from 1881 to 1887, and graduated from the theological department of that institution the latter year; served Swedish Lutheran congregations at Peoria and Knoxville, 111., for over three years, and in Topeka, Kan., from 1890 to 1896, settling at his present place at the latter 51 266 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. date. Norrbom has been secretary of the Kansas Confer ence for two years, and treasurer of the conference for the same length of time, having also been a member of the board of directors of the orphans' home at Mariadahl, Kan., for six years, besides having held other offices in con nection with church work. During 1891-6 he published, in Topeka, Kan., a small religious monthly called Tempel- klockan. In 1887 he was married to Emma A. Ahlgren, of Kossuth, Iowa. They have children. Oden, Martin P., clergyman — Alta, la.,— born 13 Nov., 1852, in Onsala, Halland, Sweden. He almost completed a course at the Latin school in Gothenburg; emigrated to America in 1876, for the purpose of entering the ministry; spent one year at the college department of Augustana Col lege; graduated from the seminary in 1879; accepted a call to Big Rapids, Mich., where he remained for about two years; had charge of a congregation in Ottumwa, la., for eight years; returned to Michigan in 1889, and for a couple of years was pastor of the church at Tustin; then moved to his present place. In 1877-78 he was vice-president of the Iowa Conference of the Augustana Synod, and was re-elected to the same position in 1893; in 1895 was elected president of that organization. Being one of the oldest and best educated ministers in the Iowa Conference, he has naturally taken a conspicuous part in the affairs of that organization. He was married in 1870, and has children. Oleson, Ole, sea captain and soldier — Oshkosh, Wis.,— born 30 Dec, 1839, in Tonsberg, near Skien, Norway. He emigrated to America in 1843; received a common school education, and settled in Oshkosh in 1859, where he was engaged in the steam boat business until the outbreak of the Civil War. In 1861 he enlisted in Company E., of the Second Wisconsin Volunteers, serving until the next year. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 267 Then at the call of the navy department for volunteers to man the gun boats on the Mississippi river, he volunteered for the gun boat service, and took an active part in all naval battles until the river -was opened a couple of years later. In 1864 he returned to Oshkosh, where he resumed the boating, which he continued until he was appointed postmaster by President Harrison in 1890, which position he held for four years. Oleson has taken an active part in the -welfare of the Republican party, and is one of the influ ential public men in the state, especially in that part of the country. He was married in 1871, and has one daughter. Olson, Julius E., educator— Madison, Wis., — bora 9 Nov., 1858, in Cambridge, Dane county, Wis. His parents, who were born in southeastern Norway, emigrated to America in 1852, and have resided at Cambridge since that date. He graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin in 1884, and was immediately appointed instruc tor in the Scandinavian languages and German, and was elected professor of Scandinavian languages and literatures in 1892. Professor Olson is peculiarly well fitted for his work as an educator, his eloquence and enthusiasm arous ing the interest of his students, and the accuracy and scope of his knowledge making him an authority upon which they cheerfully rely. He has made a special study of the early history of the peoples of northern Europe, and the conclu sions arrived at by his researches in this line may be sum marized as follows: Scandinavia was the original home of the Aryan ancestors of all the fair-haired, blue-eyed peoples now scattered over Europe. According to this theory, the different Teutonic races did not enter western Europe from the east, as hitherto supposed, but came from the Scandi navian peninsulas. Olson is a fine lecturer and an inspiring orator. His Seventeenth of May and Fourth of July ora- 268 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. tions are polished, patriotic, and scholarly. Besides making contributions to various periodicals, Olson in 1889 pub lished an English translation of Vitus Bering, the Discov erer of Bering Strait, a work originally -written in Danish by Peter Lauridsen. In 1898 he published A Norwegian Grammar and Reader, with Notes and Vocabulary, and a high authority on the subject with which it deals. In 1897 he was married to Helen 0. Ericksen. Olson, Ole Br., journalist and temperance lecturer — Eau Claire, Wis., — bora 19 May, 1857, in Kristiania, Norway. When a yonng man he started Fakkelen, a humorous paper, which after a few years gave up the ghost. In 1879 he emigrated to America, settled in Chicago, and in 1882 started Afholdsbladet, a small monthly devoted exclu sively to the cause of temperance. In 1887 Olson removed to his present home, where he began to publish Reform, a weekly which for years past has been the most influential temperance and prohibition paper published in the Norwe gian language in this country. Besides editing and manag ing this paper, Olson has also lectured more or less on tem perance, having delivered more than one thousand lectures on that subject in the course of the past twenty years. The Prohibitionists of Wisconsin have nominated him for mem ber of Congress and lieutenant governor, and in the latter case he ran ahead of the state ticket of his party. In 1888 he issued, in two volumes, Haandbog for Afholdsvenner, which, however, as the author says himself, is mainly a compilation. Olson has unquestionably done more for the cause of temperance than any other Scandinavian- American. In 1895 he visited Norway and made a successful lecturing tour of the country, partly at the expense of the Norwegian- American temperance people. He was married in 1878. Paulson, Ole, soldier and clergyman — Blanch ardville, BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 269 Wis., — born 26 April, 1832, in Solor, Hamar stift, Norway. He came to America in 1850; entered the theological semi nary of the Augustana Synod in 1861; but soon discon tinued his studies in order to defend the cause of the Union on the battle field. He served two years in the war, hold ing the rank of second lieutenant in company H, Ninth Regiment Minnesota Volunteers; and resumed his studies at the same seminary in 1866. In 1868 he received a call as pastor in Minneapolis, and for two years was the only Scandinavian Lutheran minister in that city. In 1870 Paulson participated in the organization of the Norwegian- Danish Lutheran Conference, which body he repeatedly served as vice-president. He did more than any other man towards locating Augsburg Seminary in Minneapolis, and the supporters of this institution have honored him with the title "Augsburg's Father." From 1874 to 1885 he lived at Willmar, Minn., serving a number of congregations in and around that city; and since the latter date has resided at his present home. Paulson is an ardent advocate of total abstinence; for fifteen years past has been a frequent contributor to Folkebladet; and has written a few hymns, the most popular of which is Jeg er en Vandringsmand. He was married in 1857, and has several children. Peterson, Atley, banker and legislator— Soldiers Grove, Wis.,— born 21 Feb., 1847, in Lardal, Bergen stift, Norway. At the age of five he emigrated to America with his par- rents, and they settled near Soldiers Grove in 1854. He opened a general store here in 1866, remaining in this busi ness for eight years, when he started a saw mill. He is pro prietor of the Bank of Soldiers Grove, and was the leading spirit in bringing about the building of the Kikapoo Valley and Northern railroad. Peterson has held many local offices, in 1878 was elected to the state legislature, and 270 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. was re-elected three times. In 1886 he was elected railroad commissioner, and was re-elected in 1888. Peterson has been very active and influential in state politics. His success in the political arena is certainly to his great credit, when we take into consideration the fact that he resides in a county where only a small proportion of the population is of Norwegian extraction, thus having nothing of that nationality pull which often promotes persons in this country. In 1892 he was candidate for state treasurer on the Republican ticket, but was defeated with the rest of the ticket. He is a member of the I. 0. 0. F. and of the Free Masons, having taken many of the higher degrees in the latter order. He was married in 1869, and has children. Peterson, 0. C, lawyer and lecturer — Des Moines, la., — born 15 Dec, 1857, in Misterhult, Smaland, Sweden. He attended the common school of his parish, and left for America with his parents in 1868. They located in Webster county, la., and young Peterson graduated from the Iowa Agricultural College in 1882. He next took a post gradu ate course at the same institution, devoting himself espe cially to the study of philosophy, and received the degree of M. Ph. in 1883. The same year he entered the Iowa Col lege of Law, at Des Moines, and was admitted to the bar the following year. Peterson practiced la-w in Des Moines for t-welve years, then settled in Chicago, where he is now engaged in an extensive practice, besides being president of the Swedish National Association and secretary of the Swedish-American Central Republican Clubs. But he man ages to snatch enough time from his law practice to lecture on historical and popular themes. As a Republican cam paign speaker he has built up quite a reputation in the West, and has been engaged as such by the national and state committees during the past twenty years. Tie BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 271 North says: "As a speaker he is strong and convincing; magnetic rather than eloquent. He is pleasant in his man ner and voice, and a good thinker with an exhaustless fund of historical information." Peterson speaks English and Swedish with equal fluency. His literary taste is strongly developed, his favorite subjects being history and political science. Peterson -was married, in 1886, to Florence E. Felts, of Indiana, an American lady. They have two children. Peterson, Sewell A., state treasurer— Rice Lake, Wis.,— born 28 Feb., 1850, in Solor, Hamar stift, Norway. He emigrated in 1864; in 1883 entered the mercantile business at Menomonie; and since 1887 has been running a general store at Rice Lake. He has held various local offices; was register of deeds of Dunn county for six years; has been a member of the state assembly; and was elected state treas urer in 1894 and 1896, being the first Scandinavian ever elected to that position in Wisconsin. Qvale, Sigvald A., capitalist— Eau Claire, Wis., — born 18 July, 1852, in Haugesund, Norway; died 1890. He attended the high school of his native town; emigrated to America in 1868. He clerked in a dry goods store in Min neapolis, and in the land office of the Omaha railway com pany at Hudson, Wis. At Eau Claire he was so successful in his business that he was worth several hundred thou sand dollars at his death. His memory was so rententive that for many years in his extensive dealings with men he hardly kept a memorandum. He intended to establish a hospital; but he died before he realized his philanthropic plan. Reque, L. S., educator — Decorah, la., — born 12 Aug., 1848, in Dane county,Wis. His father came from Voss, Nor way in 1845. Young Reque graduated from Luther College in 1868, then studied law at the Iowa State University. He taught one year at St. Olaf College, but accepted a call as 272 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. regular professor at Luther College in 1875. This position he has since held, his principal branches being English and Latin. He is a Democrat and in 1893 President Cleveland appointed him United States consul to Holland. Reque married Margarita Brandt in 1882. They have children. Roe, 0. 0., deputy auditor of state — Des Moines, la.,— born 4 June, 1854, near Bergen, Norway. When he was eight years old his parents came to this country, and set tled in Story county in 1868. Young Roe graduated from the law department of Simpson College, Indianola, lo-wa, in 1878. Soon after he opened a law office in Story City, but was elected principal of the city schools at the same time. After having been principal for three years, he was elected county superintendent of schools; -was re-elected four times, and served in that capacity for ten years. In 1892 he was appointed deputy auditor of state, and -was re-appointed twice. Roe is a Republican, and a member of the English Lutheran church. He has been married twice. Sagen, Aandreas K., clergyman— La Crosse, Wis.,— born 11 Feb., 1851, near Rockdale, Wis. His parents came from Bo, Telemaken, Norway, in 1845. In 1869 he entered Luther College, graduating five years later, and completed his theological studies in 1879 at Concordia Seminary. He entered the ministry as pastor of a congregation at Wild Rice, Norman county, Minn.; in 1884 removed to Cal mar, la., where he acted as assistant pastor to Rev. V. Koren; and since 1888 has had charge of a synod congrega tion in La Crosse. Sagen has published a lecture on the question, Hviler Kriatendommen paa Hiatoriak Grund? and a pamphlet, Om Kiliasmen. Sagen has been chair man of the committee having charge of the church exten sion fund; member of the committee on missions for the Eastern District; and vice-president of the Eastern District G. N. SWAN, SIOUX CITY. REV. T. A. TORGKRSON, SOMBER. REV. O. P. VANGSNES, STORY CITY. PROF. A. A. VEBLEN, IOWA CITY. REV. N. P. XAVIER, RIDGEWAY. BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 273 of the Norwegian Synod. He was married in 1875. Stromme, Peer 0., journalist and author — Madison— Wis., born 15 Sept., 1856, in Winchester, Winnebago county, Wis. His father came from Vraadal, Telemarken, Norway, to America in 1844, and his mother arrived four years later. Stromme graduated from Luther College in 1876; completed his theological studies at Concordia Seminary three years later; had charge of a Norwegian Synod congregation at Ada, Minn., for seven years; was pastor in Buffalo county, Wis., during 1886-87; taught in St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn., for some time; and was principal of Mt. Horeb Academy in 1893-94. From 1888-92 he had charge of the editorial department of Norden, Chicago; was proprietor and editor of Posten, West Superior, in 1892-93; in 1895 became part owner and editor of Amerika; but severed his connection with this paper in 1 898; and has since been on the editorial staff of the Minneapolis Times. He served as county superintendent of schools of Norman county, Minn., for three terms; stumped the country, under the auspices of the Democratic national committee, during all the campaigns from 1888 to 1896; organized tariff reform clubs in Wiscon sin in 1892; visited and wrote up Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia in 1890; and was the Democratic candidate for secretary of state in Wisconsin in 1898. Stromme is well versed in American and European literature; speaks English, Norwegian, and German with equal fluency; but his reputa tion rests mainly on the merit of his historical fiction, Hvorledes Halvor blev Prest, published in 1893. This work contains many fine gems of wit and humor, and is written in a brilliant, but simple literary style. Throughout it bears the stamp of originality, and on the whole it is true to life, dealing principally with the trials and triumphs of a Norwegian-American pioneer, and the education of his son, 274 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINA VAINS IN THE U. S. Halvor, at Luther College. He has also written Paa Vest- ens Vidder and other works, both prose and poetry, and, of course, numerous newspaper articles — all of which evince the individuality of Stromme, being bright and pointed rather than deep or learned. In fact, the personality of the man himself is erratical rather than systematical, being more a man of genius than a man of talent. In 1879 he -was married to Laura Ericksen; they have several children. Swan, Gustavus N., banker and vice-consul of Sweden- Norway — Sioux City, la., — born 16 May, 1856, in Tjarstad, Ostergotland, Sweden. After having completed the regular course of instruction in the public schools, he emigrated with his parents at the age of fourteen; they settled in Belinda, Lucas county, la., where he attended the public school in the winter, and assisted on his father's farm the balance of the year. From 1877-79 he studied at Augustana Col lege, and in 1880 removed to Sioux City, and accepted a position as secretary of the Sioux City Plow Co., which position he filled until 1887. Since 1889 he has been con nected with the Merchants National Bank, of -which he is one of the directors and assistant cashier. In 1882 he was elected vice-president and secretary of the Scandia Printing and Publishing Company, the publishers of Nordvestern. From 1882-87 he served as secretary, and, from 1889 to 1896, as treasurer and member of the board of trustees of his home church, -which he also has frequently represented at conference and synodical meetings. From 1892-99 he served as treasurer of the Iowa Conference, and in 1894—96 was treasurer of the board of home missions of the synod. In 1893 he was elected member of the board of directors of Augustana College. In 1892 Swan was instrumental in organizing the Swedish Publishing Company of Sioux City, publishers of Skandia, serving also as editor of that paper BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 275 for a few months. In 1899 he was appointed by the Swedish government vice-consul of Sweden-Norway, having previ ously been acting vice-consul in 1896 and 1898. For many years he has been a frequent contributor to many of the leading Swedish-American, some English-American, and some Swedish newspapers and magazines; is also the anonymous translator of Fjettrad, a work of fiction of 356 pages, published in 1885; and contributed a list of pseudonyms and initials used by Swedish authors, for Cushing's Initials and Pseudonyms, second series, pub lished in 1888. He served as leader of the choir of his home church for more than fifteen years, and spends all his leisure moments in his well stocked library, which contains, per haps, the choicest collection of rare and standard books, in various languages, owned by any Scandinavian-American, and which Swan has spent a life-time in gathering. In 1891 he visited Europe and traveled extensively in England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Sweden. Swan was married in 1884 to Carrie S. Samuelson, who died in 1888. A boy survives her. Thorvilson, T. K., clergyman and lecturer— Eau Claire, Wis., — born 16 July, 1852, near Stoughton, Wis. His par ents had emigrated from Nissedal, Norway. Thorvilson entered Luther College, graduating in 1878. For eight years he had charge of Norwegian Synod congregations at Orford- ville, Wis.; then moved to Menomonie in 1889, where he served as pastor of congregations in that place for four years. Since 1893 he has lectured in the Northwest in the interest of the temperance cause, and is considered to be the most thorough and scholarly Norwegian-American temper ance lecturer. In 1889 he married, and has children. Tollefsrude, C. H., banker— Rolfe,Ia.,— bora 1 May, 1845, in Rock Prairie, Wisconsin. His parents emigrated from 276 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Torpen, Land, Hamar stift, Norway, in 1844, and settled in Rock county, Wis. Young Tollefsrude attended Beloit college for three years, taught in the public schools of Wis consin for some time, and in 1870 removed to Pocahontas county, la. The following eleven years -were occupied in farming and teaching. In the fall of 1881 he was elected county auditor of Pocahontas county, and re-elected two years later, serving till 1886. That year he became assis tant cashier of the Farmers' Bank of Pocahontas ; later on assisted in the organization of the Pocahontas Savings Bank, and became its cashier. Since 1888 he has been con nected with the Pocahontas Land and Loan Company, and removed to Rolfe in 1893, connecting himself with the State Savings Bank of that city. He has been an active and suc cessful business man, and is a Republican. He married Maria G. Shirley, of Avon, Wis., in 1869. They have one daughter. Torrison, Thomas E., merchant— Manitowoc, Wis.,— born 10 Oct., 1855, in Manitowoc. He is the son of Osuld Torrison. Thomas Torrison graduated from Luther Col lege in 1876. After his graduation he assisted his father in the business, and since 1890 has had full charge of the same, which includes, besides a general merchandise business, vari ous other financial enterprises, the annual trade of which amounts to over half a million dollars. Besides having been a member of the board of aldermen and county board, he served as mayor of his city in 1887-89, and again in 1895-97, at the latter date receiving the unanimous support of the two leading parties. Torrison has been a member of the school board for six years; is a member of the Norwegian Synod; and has been a member of the board of trustees of Luther College. In 1884 he was married to Jorgine Tosten- sen, of Manitowoc. They have one son. Trdnsdal, F. L., subscription manager of publishing BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 277 houses— Eau Claire, Wis.,— born 13 July, 1859, in Rindalen, Trondhjem stift, Norway. He received a good common school education and attended a high school in Opdal. In 1880 he emigrated to America; worked on farms a couple of years; and spent two years at Augsburg Seminary, three years at Minneapolis Academy, and two years at the North ern Indiana Normal School, Valparaiso, Ind. He gradu ated from the rhetorical and law departments of the latter institution. In 1889 Tronsdal settled in Eau Claire, where he has built up a prosperous business as subscription man ager of some of the largest publishing houses in the country. Much of his time has been devoted to temperance work, and he has been one of the leading members of the executive com mittee of the Scandinavian Total Abstinence Association of Wisconsin; and for four years did very creditable -work as secretary of said association, and -was elected its president in 1897. He has also been secretary of the Total Abstinence Congress. He has been the backbone of the former associa tion, as well as of the local temperance society of his city. Since 1893 he has been president of the company which pub lishes Reform. Tronsdal is a member of the United Church, having been one of the leading lay delegates at the annual meetings of said organization ever since he joined his home congregation. In 1889 he was married, and has children. Vangsnes, 0. P., clergyman — Story City, la.,— born 11 Jan;, 1855, in Sogn, Norway. At the age of eleven he came with his parents to America. Having finished his studies at Luther College, he entered, in 1875, Concordia Seminary, -where he studied for three years. He was pastor in Minne apolis from 1878 until he moved to Story City in 1899. In 1888 he was elected vice-president of the Minnesota District of the Norwegian Synod. When Luther Seminary was moved from Madison to Minneapolis, in 1888, he became 278 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. connected with the institution as English professor in homiletics for two years, when he resigned. In 1878 he married Oliva Brecke, by whom he has several children. Veblen, Andrew A,, educator — Iowa City, la., — born 24 Sept., 1848, in Port Ulao, Ozaukee county, Wis. His parents came from Valders, Norway, to Wisconsin, in 1847; moved to Sheboygan county the next year; settled in Manitowoc county in 1855; and ten years later removed to Rice county, Minn. He taught school for about one year; entered Carleton College at the age of twenty-three, gradu ating in 1877, receiving the degree of A. B. For four years he taught English at Luther College; went to Johns Hopkins University in 1881, where he remained two years, studying principally mathematics and physics. In 1883 he became instructor in mathematics in the State University of Iowa, and assistant professor two years later; was appointed assistant professor of physics in 1886, of which subject he -was elected professor two years later. Veblen earned his own way in school, and has been very successful in building up his own department in the State University. He is a charter member of the Baconian Club, which was organized for discussing scientific topics, and of which he has been sec retary for a number of years, and president one year. Before numerous gatherings of scientific men, he has read papers and delivered lectures on various subjects in connec tion with his specialty. Veblen was married to Kirsti Hougen in 1877. They have several children. Vig, Peter S., educator— Elk Horn, la.,— born 7 Nov., 1854, in Egtved, Denmark. He received a common school education; studied theology for three years at Askov; emi grated in 1879; but returned in 1882 and completed his theological studies at Askov and Copenhagen. Since he has been pastor of Danish Lutheran congregations in Shelby BIOGRAPHIES OF SCANDINAVIANS IN WIS. AND IOWA. 279 county, la., and Polk county, Wis., and professor of theol ogy at a seminary in West Denmark, Wis., for four years. In 1894, when a theological chair was established at Elk Horn College, Vig was elected to occupy the same, being a leading Anti-Grundtvigian. When the United Danish Luth eran Church was organized in 1896, he was elected presi dent of the theological seminary of that body, and moved from Elk Horn to Blair, Neb., to assume his new duties. Vig has published four treatises on practical theological questions, and was elected chairman of the board of direct ors of the Danish Lutheran Publishing House, Blair, Neb., in 1898. He was married in 1884, and has several children. Vinje, Aad John, circuit judge — Superior, Wis., — born 10 Nov., 1857, in Voss, near Bergen, Norway. He came to America in 1869; entered the University of Wisconsin in 1878; and graduated from the literary department of that institution six years later. From 1884 to 1888 he was assistant state librarian at Madison, and at the same time pursued the study of law at the university, graduating in 1887; was appointed assistant reporter of the supreme court in 1888, which position he held till the spring of 1891, when he settled in West Superior. In 1895 he was unanimously endorsed by the bar of Douglas county for the office of judge of the eleventh judicial circuit of Wisconsin, and was ap pointed by the governor; and the following year he was re elected, without opposition, to the same office for the term ending the first of January, 1901, being, perhaps, the only Scandinavian in the United States who has ever been elected to a judgeship of such importance and requiring such high legal proficiency. He was married in 1886, and has children. Wiek, Barthinius L., lawyer and author— Cedar Rapids, la., — born 1864, near Stavanger, Norway. His father was a cousin of Asbjorn Kloster, the great temperance apostle of 280 HISTORY OF THE SCANDINAVIANS IN THE U. S. Norway. Young Wick came to America in 1876, settling on a farm in Benton county, Iowa. He graduated from the Iowa City Academy in 1887; from the State University of Iowa in 1891, receiving the degree of B. Ph. from the latter institution, which also conferred M. A. and LL. B. on him in 1893. For two years he was fellow in history and instruc tor at the University of Iowa, and has since practiced la-w. Wick is a frequent contributor to magazines and newspa pers, and is the author of A History of the Amana Society and of Amish Mennonites in Iowa. Both works indicate a most thorough research concerning the subject matter dealt with, besides proving that the author is exceedingly well versed in church history in general. He has traveled extensively in this country and in western Europe. He is a Republican, a member of the Society of Friends, and of the Y. M. C. A. Xavier, Nils Paul, clergyman — Ridgeway, la., — born 26 Sept., 1839, in Kautokeino, Tromso stift, Norway. He graduated from Tromso seminary in 1860; came to America in 1873; completed a theological bourse at the German Lutheran Seminary at Springfield, 111., in 1876; and has since served as pastor in the Norwegian Synod, having resided in Renville county, Minn., from 1876 to 1891, and at Ridgeway since the latter date. Xavier has been a mem ber of the executive committee of the Lutheran Publishing House, and of the mission committee of the Iowa District of the synod. He married Amanda Magdalena Norum in 1868. They have several children. 6238 .:¦ I' m MM mm. i'.*i*,{