"The Other Swedes"
~ Honoring Them and Remembering Them ~ The Smoky Valley Writers ~
Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist
1994 "Pioneer Cross: Swedish Settlements Along the Smoky Hill Bluffs"
~ The Words of Mr. Holmquist
~ Honoring Them and Remembering Them ~ The Smoky Valley Writers ~
Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist
1994 "Pioneer Cross: Swedish Settlements Along the Smoky Hill Bluffs"
~ The Words of Mr. Holmquist
"The Galesburg search committee arrived in Salina in late August of 1868. The next morning, just as the first rays of the sun were glimmering in the eastern sky, the men road south from Salina. Before them lay the land, misty in the morning light, with a constant haze that gave the valley its name. The grass stood as high as a man’s shoulder and teemed with the creatures of the prairie, a sign of good land. The Swedes passed numerous creeks and streams, marked only by cottonwoods, the only trees to be seen. From their vantage point they could follow the path of a great river, the Smoky Hill River, as it snaked its way across the length of the valley, heading in its unending flow toward the ocean.
"Every so often the men would bend down and scratch into the earth to touch the rich, black soil. They were amazed as they pressed the earth in their hands and smelled the thick rich aroma. These men of Sweden, used to the thin rocky soil of their homeland, could not believe that the earth could be as rich and fertile as in this valley.
"As they gazed through the midst, the men could see in the distance the blue – green Bluffs rising above the valley floor. Once the lookout of the Spanish explorer Coronado, searching for a treasure that he never found, the bluffs stood above the true treasure, the land itself. Little could they know that eventually a cross of stones would lie on the crest of the northernmost hill to commemorate the day they entered the valley and found themselves a home. Home not only for a few, but for many whose children still reap the riches that these five men discovered in the Smoky Valley of Kansas."
Thus ends Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist's description of what it must have been like to set your eyes on this virgin Kansas Smoky Valley land and the Smoky Hill Bluffs for the first time for these five men of the Galesburg Colonization Company Search Committee who were Olof Thorstenberg, President; John Rodell; Gustaf Johnson; William Johnson; and Pastor A. W. Dahlsten, whose photograph is shown near the end of the section, while three others are shown here. Missing is William Johnson. In his place is J. P. Stromquist, the Secretary of the Company Search Committee.
"Every so often the men would bend down and scratch into the earth to touch the rich, black soil. They were amazed as they pressed the earth in their hands and smelled the thick rich aroma. These men of Sweden, used to the thin rocky soil of their homeland, could not believe that the earth could be as rich and fertile as in this valley.
"As they gazed through the midst, the men could see in the distance the blue – green Bluffs rising above the valley floor. Once the lookout of the Spanish explorer Coronado, searching for a treasure that he never found, the bluffs stood above the true treasure, the land itself. Little could they know that eventually a cross of stones would lie on the crest of the northernmost hill to commemorate the day they entered the valley and found themselves a home. Home not only for a few, but for many whose children still reap the riches that these five men discovered in the Smoky Valley of Kansas."
Thus ends Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist's description of what it must have been like to set your eyes on this virgin Kansas Smoky Valley land and the Smoky Hill Bluffs for the first time for these five men of the Galesburg Colonization Company Search Committee who were Olof Thorstenberg, President; John Rodell; Gustaf Johnson; William Johnson; and Pastor A. W. Dahlsten, whose photograph is shown near the end of the section, while three others are shown here. Missing is William Johnson. In his place is J. P. Stromquist, the Secretary of the Company Search Committee.
Members of the Galesburg Colonization Company Search Committee
1994 "Pioneer Cross" Page 49
What a perfect scene from neighbor and friend, Mr. Holmquist, has described so fluently for those readers who have lived in the Smoky Valley all of their lives, and for the rest of us who have not! These words can be found in "The Search for Land" chapter, page 52, of his 1994 Pioneer Cross, Swedish Settlements Along the Smoky Hill Bluffs.
Following are Mr. Holmquist's continuing words of honor and respect on the Swedish Augustana Lutheran Pioneers of the Illinois Galesburg Colonization Company who were to found the churches of Salemsborg and Freemount and to establish their namesake settlements, a story not well known beyond the confines of the Swedish Augustana Lutheran Synod until 1994. As well, are his words of gratitude to those who assisted him with this project, the first book of its kind recognizing these Lindsborg neighbor communities, their Swedish pioneers and leaders whose significant historical and cultural contributions of the past live on to this very year of 2022.
The continuation of these fluent words of Mr. Holmquist's are presented below in the following order:
Following are Mr. Holmquist's continuing words of honor and respect on the Swedish Augustana Lutheran Pioneers of the Illinois Galesburg Colonization Company who were to found the churches of Salemsborg and Freemount and to establish their namesake settlements, a story not well known beyond the confines of the Swedish Augustana Lutheran Synod until 1994. As well, are his words of gratitude to those who assisted him with this project, the first book of its kind recognizing these Lindsborg neighbor communities, their Swedish pioneers and leaders whose significant historical and cultural contributions of the past live on to this very year of 2022.
The continuation of these fluent words of Mr. Holmquist's are presented below in the following order:
Dedication, Acknowledgements, Preface, Introduction, Epilogue,
----------------
"Contents" and "List of Illustrations"
are found in the next section
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----------------
"Contents" and "List of Illustrations"
are found in the next section
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1994 Published, 128 Pages
- The Words of Mr. Holmquist -
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Dedication
This book is dedicated to my father, Darrel Holmquist,
and to the memory of my uncle, Evan Holmquist. They
planted a seed, repeated the stories, and nurtured a sense
of history and the true heritage of the Smoky Valley of
Kansas in the heart of a small boy.
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Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
"I would like to express my sincerest thanks to all of the people who made Pioneer Cross possible. So many individuals and families have shared their family histories with me that I could not even begin to list them all. I would especially like to thank Arthur Olson of Smolan, who shared with me the immense collection of correspondents and scrapbooks that his late sister, Stella, kept during her lifetime. Jo Holmquist shared with me the many keepsakes and photo albums that belonged to her husband, Evan. Phillip 'Pip' Nelson and James Nelson shared so much information about the Brodine Family. Emory Frost, Roger Thorstenburg, Elaine Lundquist, Allan Lindfors and Mrs. Edna Dahlsten also supplied important information. Many thanks also go to Pastor Leo Combs-Lay for sharing his books and his thoughts on Lutheran Church history. The many hours of translations from Swedish to English were done by Dorothy Esping. Without her advice, criticism and encouragement, I would have never been able to complete my research.
"I also wish to express my appreciation to the Salemsborg and Freemont Lutheran Churches, the Swensson Swedish Immigration Center in Rock Island, Illinois, the Bethany College Library, the Saline Public Library and especially to Mrs. Mary Jane Mayfield of the Marquette Public Library who loaned me her rarest books for my research.
"Thanks to Dr. Thomas Isern who encouraged my work and directed me toward my own backyard to find a story worth telling and to Linda Hubalek, who worked so very hard to guide me through the many pitfalls of the editing and publishing process.
"Finally, I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to my family. My children, Ryan, Majkin and John saw little of their dad for months on end, but always understood. My parents who gave me constant encouragement and to Mark, Mardel, Marla and Larry who believed in me--thank you. To my wife, Marlysue, who did so many things so that I could research and write. Her listening, criticizing, and continued encouragement were vital to the completion of this book. She always knew that someday I would write this story.
"The Swedish heritage of the Smoky Valley is worth the time it takes to pass it on to a child. Tell them the stories, teach them the traditions, and pass on to each one the legacy of the Pioneer Cross."
"I also wish to express my appreciation to the Salemsborg and Freemont Lutheran Churches, the Swensson Swedish Immigration Center in Rock Island, Illinois, the Bethany College Library, the Saline Public Library and especially to Mrs. Mary Jane Mayfield of the Marquette Public Library who loaned me her rarest books for my research.
"Thanks to Dr. Thomas Isern who encouraged my work and directed me toward my own backyard to find a story worth telling and to Linda Hubalek, who worked so very hard to guide me through the many pitfalls of the editing and publishing process.
"Finally, I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to my family. My children, Ryan, Majkin and John saw little of their dad for months on end, but always understood. My parents who gave me constant encouragement and to Mark, Mardel, Marla and Larry who believed in me--thank you. To my wife, Marlysue, who did so many things so that I could research and write. Her listening, criticizing, and continued encouragement were vital to the completion of this book. She always knew that someday I would write this story.
"The Swedish heritage of the Smoky Valley is worth the time it takes to pass it on to a child. Tell them the stories, teach them the traditions, and pass on to each one the legacy of the Pioneer Cross."
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Preface
Preface
"As the morning sun rises on the eastern horizon, I often walk the fence paces from the farmhouse door to the edge of the nearest field of growing crops. This land upon which I stand was first turned by my great grandfather 125 [now 157*] years ago and is now entrusted to my care. My gaze starts with the progress of the ripening crops before me, but soon my attention is drawn beyond the field and even the distant trees. The twin towers of a country church can be perceived in the distance. It is not the small white framed wood church that usually comes to mind when one thinks of a rural church building. It is, instead, a great red brick cathedral, bright in the morning light, standing alone in the center of the Smoky Valley at the crest of an ancient alluvial hill.
"This church stands not in the square of a busy town but alone in a valley among the gently rolling fields and pastures. It is the ultimate symbol of the hard work, sacrifices and devotion the early Swedish immigrants made when they arrived here in 1869. The construction of this building was their way of thanking and praising God for their new life on the virgin prairie of Kansas. These pioneers of the past now keep a lonely vigil from their graveyard beds in the shadow of the giant structure.
"This church stands not in the square of a busy town but alone in a valley among the gently rolling fields and pastures. It is the ultimate symbol of the hard work, sacrifices and devotion the early Swedish immigrants made when they arrived here in 1869. The construction of this building was their way of thanking and praising God for their new life on the virgin prairie of Kansas. These pioneers of the past now keep a lonely vigil from their graveyard beds in the shadow of the giant structure.
- Salemsborg Lutheran Church -
Source: pending. Added by Fran Cochran
"The Swedes who arrived here in 1869 called this hill Salemsborg, meaning "fortress of peace." Little did they know when they named their first crude earthen shelter, that a later church would truly become a fortress on the prairie and that it would become the spiritual home of five [now 6] generations of people, as vital today as it was at its founding 125 [now 157]* years ago.
"Looking past the church in the distance, I can see the Smoky Hill Bluffs towering above the Smoky Valley. This four-mile-long stretch of hills is the most dominant feature of the terrain. Upon the crest of the northern most hill, visible for many miles in the morning light, stands a monument to the courage, hardship, privation and suffering of the Swedish pioneers. Built in 1941, this white cross, painstakingly constructed of white-painted stones embedded in the side of the hill, reminds all who see it that in the shadow of these hills, a hardy people planted their roots, grew in the fertile soil, and blossomed into the strong people, who lived there today.
"A Swedish Lutheran pastor from Galesburg, Illinois, and four other men from area congregations, first saw this region in 1868. They were searching for land for a group of Swedish immigrants from their churches that wanted to move out of crowded Illinois. A group of over 300 families formed the Galesburg Colonization Company and these men were given the mission to find enough land to settle all of these people into a new community.
"Little did they realize when they first gazed through the midst at the blue-green bluffs, that a monument would be placed on the crests of the northern-most hill to commemorate the day they entered the valley and found themselves at home.
"Twenty miles to the southwest of Salemsborg, over the Smoky Hill Bluffs and down into the fertile valley along the Smoky Hill River stands another great rural church, Freemont Lutheran. In front of this brick building, nearly hidden by a grove of towering cottonwood trees, is a small stone church, built by part of the Galesburg group that settled in the southern area of the land bought by the committee. This lonely whistle stop along the Missouri Pacific Railway is named Fremont, so named after the great explorer John C. Fremont. But the immigrants called it "Free Mount," which translated meant the "liberated place." They were now free to live and worship as they pleased on the prairie of Kansas.
"The Swedish settlers who came to live in the southern portion of Saline County, and the northwestern quarter of McPherson County, Kansas were strong willed, adventurous and pious. They came to Kansas in the years following the American Civil War and were among the flood of migrants from the east and immigrants from across the sea that had moved, looking for an opportunity to build homes, create businesses and find the happiness and security that had been denied them in their European homelands. It was here, in Kansas, that they found that opportunity; here they decided to stay. Today, [in 2022 as well] the descendants of those hearty Swedish pioneers are still here in the Smoky Valley-- prosperous farmers and businessmen, educators and musicians, homemakers and laborers.
"Questions arise in the mind of an observer admiring these two great churches and wandering around the cemeteries reading the names of so many born in Sweden and having died in Kansas. What brought these people, the lifeblood of Sweden, to these plains? Why did they settle here? Who were these daring pioneers, and what made them leave their ancestral homes, travel halfway round the world, and settle on an unknown prairie?
"Many books, articles, and papers have been written about the Swedes that settled the Lindsborg community of northern McPherson County. Their story has been documented and related fully in every way. The Lindsborg community remains, because of its location, the center of Swedish culture in Kansas. The contributions of Lindsborg Swedish heritage have been significant and long lasting.
"However, little thought or time has been spent documenting the settlement and history of the communities of Swedish people who settled directly north and west of Lindsborg. The Salemsborg community to the north, and the Freemount community to the West emerged as centers of an entirely separate colony of Swedish pioneers, a group of people whose history was similar in many ways to that of the Lindsborg Swedes, and yet also very different. Those who made up the Salemsborg and Freemount communities also contributed much to the Swedish culture of the Central Plains and the cultural diversity of the state of Kansas. Unfortunately, the contributions and history of the colony of pioneers of Salemsborg and Freemount have been neglected.
"This book seeks to recognize the pioneers of Salemsborg and Freemount and to recount the history of their journey "to the peaceful mountain." They are now at rest, but their memory and accomplishments live on.
"The cemetery at Salemsborg contains a very small, gray obelisk among the great memorial stones erected for the pioneer families. It is so unobtrusive that you have to search for it. On that stone, nearly unreadable after years of weathering, are the words: "A. W. Dahlsten." It is fitting that his monument is so humble, and underneath it lies the remains of a modest, yet great man. This book has been written to recognize A. W. Dahlsten: Pastor, builder, a man of great vision and ceaseless energy. He was always too busy doing God's work to ever garner any recognition for himself. It is for this reason the story of the Galesburg Colonization Company and Pastor Dahlsten should be told.
"The pioneers of southern Saline County, and northwestern McPherson County, are worthy of receiving recognition for fulfilling their hopes and dreams through great trials and difficulties. They came to Kansas looking for the "liberated place" and once there, they built the "fortress of peace." Their story is common to many of the ethnic groups who settled Kansas during the second half of the nineteenth century, yet it is also a unique tale of hardship, courage. and the ultimate victory of a people of great faith. It also enriches our knowledge of the cultural diversity of Kansas and adds to our historical and cultural understanding of the pioneer experience. Here then, is the story of Pioneer Cross."
* Calculated from year 2022
"A Swedish Lutheran pastor from Galesburg, Illinois, and four other men from area congregations, first saw this region in 1868. They were searching for land for a group of Swedish immigrants from their churches that wanted to move out of crowded Illinois. A group of over 300 families formed the Galesburg Colonization Company and these men were given the mission to find enough land to settle all of these people into a new community.
"Little did they realize when they first gazed through the midst at the blue-green bluffs, that a monument would be placed on the crests of the northern-most hill to commemorate the day they entered the valley and found themselves at home.
"Twenty miles to the southwest of Salemsborg, over the Smoky Hill Bluffs and down into the fertile valley along the Smoky Hill River stands another great rural church, Freemont Lutheran. In front of this brick building, nearly hidden by a grove of towering cottonwood trees, is a small stone church, built by part of the Galesburg group that settled in the southern area of the land bought by the committee. This lonely whistle stop along the Missouri Pacific Railway is named Fremont, so named after the great explorer John C. Fremont. But the immigrants called it "Free Mount," which translated meant the "liberated place." They were now free to live and worship as they pleased on the prairie of Kansas.
"The Swedish settlers who came to live in the southern portion of Saline County, and the northwestern quarter of McPherson County, Kansas were strong willed, adventurous and pious. They came to Kansas in the years following the American Civil War and were among the flood of migrants from the east and immigrants from across the sea that had moved, looking for an opportunity to build homes, create businesses and find the happiness and security that had been denied them in their European homelands. It was here, in Kansas, that they found that opportunity; here they decided to stay. Today, [in 2022 as well] the descendants of those hearty Swedish pioneers are still here in the Smoky Valley-- prosperous farmers and businessmen, educators and musicians, homemakers and laborers.
"Questions arise in the mind of an observer admiring these two great churches and wandering around the cemeteries reading the names of so many born in Sweden and having died in Kansas. What brought these people, the lifeblood of Sweden, to these plains? Why did they settle here? Who were these daring pioneers, and what made them leave their ancestral homes, travel halfway round the world, and settle on an unknown prairie?
"Many books, articles, and papers have been written about the Swedes that settled the Lindsborg community of northern McPherson County. Their story has been documented and related fully in every way. The Lindsborg community remains, because of its location, the center of Swedish culture in Kansas. The contributions of Lindsborg Swedish heritage have been significant and long lasting.
"However, little thought or time has been spent documenting the settlement and history of the communities of Swedish people who settled directly north and west of Lindsborg. The Salemsborg community to the north, and the Freemount community to the West emerged as centers of an entirely separate colony of Swedish pioneers, a group of people whose history was similar in many ways to that of the Lindsborg Swedes, and yet also very different. Those who made up the Salemsborg and Freemount communities also contributed much to the Swedish culture of the Central Plains and the cultural diversity of the state of Kansas. Unfortunately, the contributions and history of the colony of pioneers of Salemsborg and Freemount have been neglected.
"This book seeks to recognize the pioneers of Salemsborg and Freemount and to recount the history of their journey "to the peaceful mountain." They are now at rest, but their memory and accomplishments live on.
"The cemetery at Salemsborg contains a very small, gray obelisk among the great memorial stones erected for the pioneer families. It is so unobtrusive that you have to search for it. On that stone, nearly unreadable after years of weathering, are the words: "A. W. Dahlsten." It is fitting that his monument is so humble, and underneath it lies the remains of a modest, yet great man. This book has been written to recognize A. W. Dahlsten: Pastor, builder, a man of great vision and ceaseless energy. He was always too busy doing God's work to ever garner any recognition for himself. It is for this reason the story of the Galesburg Colonization Company and Pastor Dahlsten should be told.
"The pioneers of southern Saline County, and northwestern McPherson County, are worthy of receiving recognition for fulfilling their hopes and dreams through great trials and difficulties. They came to Kansas looking for the "liberated place" and once there, they built the "fortress of peace." Their story is common to many of the ethnic groups who settled Kansas during the second half of the nineteenth century, yet it is also a unique tale of hardship, courage. and the ultimate victory of a people of great faith. It also enriches our knowledge of the cultural diversity of Kansas and adds to our historical and cultural understanding of the pioneer experience. Here then, is the story of Pioneer Cross."
* Calculated from year 2022
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Introduction
"The Galesburg Colonization Company was a very unusual tool to bring a group of people to a new land. The Swedish pioneers who made up this company were strong, willful, and independent. They expected no help from any outside source and relied wholly on their own abilities to solve any problems they faced. These Swedes formed an informal committee company, sent representatives they could trust to search for promising land, and used their own resources to find a home for themselves and their children.
"They found that place in Kansas and a settlement was started. Within a few years, one of the largest concentrations of ethnic Swedes anywhere in the United States had developed from this group. Today, their culture is preserved, and it continues to flourish in the central Kansas area. In some cases, the land, chosen for them by a lottery, has been farmed continuously by the same family for over 125 [now 157*] years, extending now to the 4th [now 5th*] and 5th [now 6th*] generations.
"The Galesburg Colonization Company played a vital role in the settlement of one small part of the Great Plains. It provided a means for the Swedish settlers to find a home among their own ethnic group, ensuring the preservation of their distinctive culture and traditions. The migration to Kansas allowed for a temporary release from the religious turmoil afflicting the Swedish Lutheran Church during the late 1860s. The Galesburg Company gave rise to the spread of Lutheranism in the new region. Eventually Galesburg people, and especially Pastor A. W. Dahlsten were responsible for founding 11 new Lutheran churches and three Mission Covenant churches.
"The immigrants who came to America left a harsh and very poor homeland in Sweden. Even though life in Kansas proved to be very difficult and full of hardship, it was a good decision for most of the people. A large percentage of the Swedes who came with the Galesburg Company to Kansas found economic prosperity greater than they could have ever imagined in their homeland. Within five years, they were landowners with prime farmland. Within a generation they had achieved financial success.
"There were many groups in colonies that founded settlements on the Great Plains. Most were only a "specialized response to a temporary" situation. These decisions were made with gravity. "They had to adapt. This step they took to . . . Kansas was a very long one, spiritually and physically, and for them there was no turning back."
"The Galesburg Colonization Company was an informal tool that one group of potential settlers used to find a place for themselves on the Kansas prairie. It is significant that these individuals were not recruited by a railroad company land agent, nor anyone else. They found a place for themselves and created a community of ethnic Swedes who have preserved their culture and heritage of their homeland, while adapting to a new environment, and a new land. In this way the Galesburg Colonization Company contributed to the rich cultural heritage of the Great Plains."
"They found that place in Kansas and a settlement was started. Within a few years, one of the largest concentrations of ethnic Swedes anywhere in the United States had developed from this group. Today, their culture is preserved, and it continues to flourish in the central Kansas area. In some cases, the land, chosen for them by a lottery, has been farmed continuously by the same family for over 125 [now 157*] years, extending now to the 4th [now 5th*] and 5th [now 6th*] generations.
"The Galesburg Colonization Company played a vital role in the settlement of one small part of the Great Plains. It provided a means for the Swedish settlers to find a home among their own ethnic group, ensuring the preservation of their distinctive culture and traditions. The migration to Kansas allowed for a temporary release from the religious turmoil afflicting the Swedish Lutheran Church during the late 1860s. The Galesburg Company gave rise to the spread of Lutheranism in the new region. Eventually Galesburg people, and especially Pastor A. W. Dahlsten were responsible for founding 11 new Lutheran churches and three Mission Covenant churches.
"The immigrants who came to America left a harsh and very poor homeland in Sweden. Even though life in Kansas proved to be very difficult and full of hardship, it was a good decision for most of the people. A large percentage of the Swedes who came with the Galesburg Company to Kansas found economic prosperity greater than they could have ever imagined in their homeland. Within five years, they were landowners with prime farmland. Within a generation they had achieved financial success.
"There were many groups in colonies that founded settlements on the Great Plains. Most were only a "specialized response to a temporary" situation. These decisions were made with gravity. "They had to adapt. This step they took to . . . Kansas was a very long one, spiritually and physically, and for them there was no turning back."
"The Galesburg Colonization Company was an informal tool that one group of potential settlers used to find a place for themselves on the Kansas prairie. It is significant that these individuals were not recruited by a railroad company land agent, nor anyone else. They found a place for themselves and created a community of ethnic Swedes who have preserved their culture and heritage of their homeland, while adapting to a new environment, and a new land. In this way the Galesburg Colonization Company contributed to the rich cultural heritage of the Great Plains."
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Epilogue
Gust, Charles, Magnus and August Holmkvist
1994 "Pioneer Cross," Page 100
"The year 1870 dawned with bright hopes and expectations for the future of the new settlers in the Smoky Valley. Their letters to family and friends back home in Sweden were filled with enthusiasm, encouraging the readers to join them in their grand adventure on the prairie.
"During the following months and years, many others did come to the valley. The Holmqvist brothers sent word and money to their family in Småland. Eventually four brothers, their sister, and finally their widowed mother joined them in Kansas. Pastor Dahlsten's four brothers also came to Kansas and settled in the Freemont community. Dahlsten's wife, Wilhemina, encouraged her family to migrate from Illinois to Kansas. Most of them did come, including her aging parents.
"The reunions between family members who had not seen each other for years were times of great excitement and anticipation. Vera Schultz remembered hearing stories decades later about how her family had prepared and anticipated the arrival of their younger brother, Pete Pehrson, Vera's grandfather. It was such a memorable event that it became one of the most often told stories in the family.
"The immigration to the Smoky Valley after the first year no longer came from Galesburg, Illinois. Swedes came to Kansas from many different places, such as Chicago, Minnesota, and more often like, like Pete Pehrson, directly from Sweden. No longer was there much separation between Swedes of the Galesburg Company and those of Lindsborg's Chicago Company [Used by Rev. Olof Olsson's Sweden's Värmland Swedes]. From the very first, the communities became intermixed, and newcomers arrived looking for land and a home among their countrymen, not just the Chicago Swedes or the Galesburg Swedes.
"The Fred Norberg family arrived in the Salemsborg community from Chicago in 1872. They had lost everything in the great Chicago Fire of that year and so left to rebuild their lives in the Swedish settlements of central Kansas. They found a good piece of land in Section 21, Township 16 South, Range 3 West, built a farm and found a lifelong home.
"There was soon a general mixing of Swedes from many provinces in Sweden. A vast majority of the original Galesburg settlers were from Småland Province. Many of the original Chicago Company Swedes were from Värmland. Before long, most provinces in Sweden were represented in the Smoky Valley and a great security developed by being Swedish among countrymen.
"The Swedes, however, were not the only ethnic group represented in the Smoky Valley. Along the fringes of the Swedish settlements were many German, Scotch, Irish and many others of differing ethnic backgrounds. Even in the heart of the Swedish settlements, non-Swedes were found living and working harmoniously together. On the western edge of the Falun settlement, a small group of former slaves took homestead land and were generally well accepted in the Swedish communities. Some of these black homesteaders even learned to speak the Swedish language. The Americanization of all the people in the Smoky Valley slowly began until they more closely resembled Americans than people of their native country.
"Some traditions changed very slowly. Most Swedes soon learned to speak a combination of Swedish and English, and eventually English became the dominant language. A few of the settlers refused to accept the new language and spoke Swedish exclusively until they died. It was nearly fifty years before English services were allowed in the church, and then only once a month. By the time the third generation had reached school age, they were completely Americanized, and many could no longer speak or understand the Swedish of their parents and grandparents.
"Many stories still survive from the early pioneering period and have been handed down from generation to generation, mostly through the oral tradition. Stories of sorrow and catastrophe, as well as joy and happiness, can often be heard. There are numerous and often amusing stories of contact with Native Americans who happened by the Swedish homesteads. The cultural shock of these encounters must have been noteworthy for both groups. They certainly were vividly remembered.
"The homes of the Swedes in the Smoky Valley were also along several branches of the Chisholm Trail. Several stories survive about seeing the cattle herds pass, as well as run-ins with cowboys. In most cases the pioneer women were much more afraid of the cowboys than they ever were of the Indians.
"Nature itself was also the cause of many hardships for the pioneers. Blizzards, prairie fires, floods, droughts, tornadoes, and grasshoppers all plagued the Smoky Valley at one time or another. These occurrences too, have been remembered in very vivid stories--many tragic--but some which are also humorous.
"The Smoky Valley did not become the final destination for all who came here from Illinois or Sweden. Beyond the horizon were new adventures and better land to settle. Those who came late, or whose land was of poor quality, often moved on to new places. Many of the children of the pioneers moved to new areas. The first expansion of the Swedish settlements was to the Andover community near the Little Arkansas River on the McPherson and Rice County Line. The towns of Vilas in Wilson County, Garfield in Pawnee County, and Sharon Springs in Wallace County were also a few of the places where Swedes settled in the following years. These settlements were partially offshoots of the Smoky Valley settlements and partially original settlements from Illinois and Sweden. Other Swedes also left and settled in Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
"A significant number of individuals migrated to California and Washington. They were usually second or third generation after settlement. These Swedes generally moved to the areas of Whittier and Downey, California, and Seattle, Washington.
"The Swedish Lutheran Church was also a significant factor in the development of other ethnic Swedish communities in Kansas. Pastor Dahlsten did not just minister to his people in the Freemount and Salemsborg communities. Over the next twenty years he founded Lutheran congregations in New Andover, Assaria, Salina, Lawrence, and Smolan, Kansas and Golden Colorado. He was also the founder of the Kansas Conference of the Augustana Synod of the Lutheran Church and served as its first President.
"Olof Olsson founded the Bethany Lutheran Church in Lindsborg and later became President of the Augustana Seminary. He also brought the idea of the formation of the Bethany Oratorio Society and the yearly presentation of George Frederick Handel's Messiah to Lindsborg. Olsson's successor at Bethany Church, Dr. Carl A. Swensson founded Bethany College and the Bethany Oratorio Society in Lindsborg.
"The hyperevangelical movement also followed the Swedes to the Smoky Valley. This movement eventually resulted in the formation of the Covenant Church and soon congregations started near Salemsborg, Rose Hill near Lindsborg, in Marquette and many other places.
"Education and culture also flourished among the Swedes in the Smoky Valley. Bethany College in Lindsborg became the center of music and art, but the fine arts were not exclusive to the town of Lindsborg. Many pioneers and their children from Salemsborg and Freemount supported and participated in the cultural activities in the valley. For example, the second performance of Handel's Messiah was sung by the newly formed Bethany Oratorial Society on March 29, 1882, in the sanctuary of the Salemsborg Lutheran Church.
"Many of the children of the Salemsborg and Freemount congregations became significant contributors in their chosen fields. Numerous young men became Lutheran pastors and missionaries. Included in the list would be Eugene Nelson, Carl Lund-Quist, Theodore Bjorkman, Emmet Ecklund, J. A. Frost, Donald Hawk, Robert Segerhammer, Vernon Swenson, Luther Dahlsten, Alexis Andreen, Phillip Andreen, Gustaf Andreen, and others.
"Several persons from the Smoky Valley and descendants from the Galesburg Company pioneers have made significant contributions on the state and national scene. Vern Lundquist is a nationally known sports broadcaster. Alex Johnson served as Ambassador to Japan and Under Secretary of State. Elwell Mattson Shanahan served as Kansas Secretary of State. John Carlin, great-grandson of Salemsborg's founder C. J. Brodine, served as Governor of Kansas from 1978 to 1986.
"Though a few have gained notoriety and fame for their achievements, those who have remained nameless have also made great contributions. The farmers, teachers, housewives, businessmen, laborers, and shopkeepers who built the farms and businesses, schools and churches -- the communities that make up the Smoky Valley -- they are the true achievers of the dreams their pioneer fathers and mothers brought with them to this once empty Prairie. . . ."
"In 1941, one of the sons of these hardy pioneers, Carl G. Linholm, had over the course of several years, written a series of articles about the history of the Swedish pioneers in southern Saline County. These articles contain a wealth of information about the area. The idea began to develop in his mind that a monument should be built honoring these pioneers who bore the "cross of privation and hardship" in their efforts to build a home on the prairie. When he completed his project, an article appeared in the Salina Journal explaining his reason for the project. "Mr. Linholm wrote:
'Readers of the Journal who have read my former articles on this subject are acquainted with my endeavor to rouse an interest in these hills in the way of beautifying them as a monument to those who, by their hardship and denials, laid the foundation for these well-organized communities.
'Lack of success in my efforts did not dampen my ambitions and the question arose, "Is there anything I myself could do?" In my travels I have noticed figures or letters on hills and mountain sides which always recalled our own Smoky Hills, and could we not create some marker near the top of the summit that would be visible over most of the county? In a reflective mood I was inspired again and again by the vision of a cross as the most appropriate figure, since the pioneers had many crosses to bear.
'It was not so much the hard work and privations as the constant fear of dangers on these wild prairies, of the many serpents that were everywhere. The rattlers and copperheads were dangerous for the children who were always barefoot. It was our mother's constant fear, and her every morning prayer, that a higher hand would hover over and protect her children during the day. There was a spirit of thanksgiving at night. Then the Indians, who also cause fear for mother along with us children. The Texas cowboys were not less dangerous as they were much under the influence of liquor. My conclusion was that fear was the heaviest cross, especially of the mothers, and to the memory of our own, as well as to all pioneering mothers I dedicate the white cross at the summit of the Smoky Hills. Mother's love in the dugout, or soddy, was just as deep and strong for every one of her little ones, as mother's love in the mansion. It was for this love and love of the creator as taught by the story of the cross that they derived courage and strength to bear the many crosses of pioneer days.'
'A Mr. Oberg, owner of the summit, resides in Assaria. He was delighted in giving permission to build the cross. It was created by laying stones flat on the steep hillside. The dimension of the main stem is ten feet by forty feet high. These stones were covered with white cement and along the base of the cross is written [anonymously],
"In loving remembrance of pilgrims on the prairies, in the 400th anniversary of Coronado, 1941."
'On a large rock is this [anonymous] quotation: "Since the universe began, until it shall be ended, the soul of man, the soul of nature, and the soul of God have blended. We hold that the love of nature is spiritual, and it behooves us all to study nature and learn all possible about our hills and rocks, our trees, flowers, and lakes, and with greater love our lives may be enriched until our days shall be ended."
'In pioneer day we all wondered if these hills did not hold some valuable minerals.....Out of the Smoky Hills, as they are today, can be developed greater values by far than any mineral, be it silver or gold. The former can only be shared by a few, while all, even the poorest, may have a share of treasures by developing a greater love and appreciation of the beauty and wonders of creation. Mr. Oberg holds the abstract, but the hills belong to all those who love them, and in the measure we appreciate the beauty, we hope that many who vision the white cross....and with a wider horizon in moments of silence, drink in the vigor, the peacefulness and calm, that comes to one on higher ground. I am sure that many of you mothers, as you view the cross, perhaps from your kitchen window, will be prompted to lift your voices in some of the many hymns inspired by the significance of the cross, and thus be lifted to higher ground....
'It would be desirable if the cross could be built more endurable in order to keep the grass and weeds out of it, but to the extent of my ability, I shall endeavor to keep it white and clean, and if perchance it has been the means of pointing some soul to a fuller, higher and richer life, I shall be even happier and richer for building the cross on the summit of the Smoky Hills."
"It has been fifty-two [now 81]* years since Carl Linholm built the white cross, and one-hundred and twenty-five [now 153]* years have passed since the Galesburg Land Company search committee visited the Smoky Valley for the first time, and found their ultimate treasure, a home for themselves and their people. The pioneers are all gone now, and most of their descendants have scattered to all parts of the country, but to most of them, the Smoky Valley will always be home. They come back now and then to visit, to attend church, greet old friends, to place a flower in the cemetery. The pioneers are not forgotten, the hardships and privations which were there cross to bear are remembered in a story, a thought, a glance at the old picture albums.
"And always, a lift of the head will bring the Smoky Bluffs into view -- the same now as one hundred and twenty-five [now 153]* years ago. Their lofty presence, rising through the haze above the valley floor, gives us a sense of peace. The monument, white and glorious, immediately greets our eye and we know that we are home -- under the shadow of the pioneer cross.
* Calculated from year 2022
"During the following months and years, many others did come to the valley. The Holmqvist brothers sent word and money to their family in Småland. Eventually four brothers, their sister, and finally their widowed mother joined them in Kansas. Pastor Dahlsten's four brothers also came to Kansas and settled in the Freemont community. Dahlsten's wife, Wilhemina, encouraged her family to migrate from Illinois to Kansas. Most of them did come, including her aging parents.
"The reunions between family members who had not seen each other for years were times of great excitement and anticipation. Vera Schultz remembered hearing stories decades later about how her family had prepared and anticipated the arrival of their younger brother, Pete Pehrson, Vera's grandfather. It was such a memorable event that it became one of the most often told stories in the family.
"The immigration to the Smoky Valley after the first year no longer came from Galesburg, Illinois. Swedes came to Kansas from many different places, such as Chicago, Minnesota, and more often like, like Pete Pehrson, directly from Sweden. No longer was there much separation between Swedes of the Galesburg Company and those of Lindsborg's Chicago Company [Used by Rev. Olof Olsson's Sweden's Värmland Swedes]. From the very first, the communities became intermixed, and newcomers arrived looking for land and a home among their countrymen, not just the Chicago Swedes or the Galesburg Swedes.
"The Fred Norberg family arrived in the Salemsborg community from Chicago in 1872. They had lost everything in the great Chicago Fire of that year and so left to rebuild their lives in the Swedish settlements of central Kansas. They found a good piece of land in Section 21, Township 16 South, Range 3 West, built a farm and found a lifelong home.
"There was soon a general mixing of Swedes from many provinces in Sweden. A vast majority of the original Galesburg settlers were from Småland Province. Many of the original Chicago Company Swedes were from Värmland. Before long, most provinces in Sweden were represented in the Smoky Valley and a great security developed by being Swedish among countrymen.
"The Swedes, however, were not the only ethnic group represented in the Smoky Valley. Along the fringes of the Swedish settlements were many German, Scotch, Irish and many others of differing ethnic backgrounds. Even in the heart of the Swedish settlements, non-Swedes were found living and working harmoniously together. On the western edge of the Falun settlement, a small group of former slaves took homestead land and were generally well accepted in the Swedish communities. Some of these black homesteaders even learned to speak the Swedish language. The Americanization of all the people in the Smoky Valley slowly began until they more closely resembled Americans than people of their native country.
"Some traditions changed very slowly. Most Swedes soon learned to speak a combination of Swedish and English, and eventually English became the dominant language. A few of the settlers refused to accept the new language and spoke Swedish exclusively until they died. It was nearly fifty years before English services were allowed in the church, and then only once a month. By the time the third generation had reached school age, they were completely Americanized, and many could no longer speak or understand the Swedish of their parents and grandparents.
"Many stories still survive from the early pioneering period and have been handed down from generation to generation, mostly through the oral tradition. Stories of sorrow and catastrophe, as well as joy and happiness, can often be heard. There are numerous and often amusing stories of contact with Native Americans who happened by the Swedish homesteads. The cultural shock of these encounters must have been noteworthy for both groups. They certainly were vividly remembered.
"The homes of the Swedes in the Smoky Valley were also along several branches of the Chisholm Trail. Several stories survive about seeing the cattle herds pass, as well as run-ins with cowboys. In most cases the pioneer women were much more afraid of the cowboys than they ever were of the Indians.
"Nature itself was also the cause of many hardships for the pioneers. Blizzards, prairie fires, floods, droughts, tornadoes, and grasshoppers all plagued the Smoky Valley at one time or another. These occurrences too, have been remembered in very vivid stories--many tragic--but some which are also humorous.
"The Smoky Valley did not become the final destination for all who came here from Illinois or Sweden. Beyond the horizon were new adventures and better land to settle. Those who came late, or whose land was of poor quality, often moved on to new places. Many of the children of the pioneers moved to new areas. The first expansion of the Swedish settlements was to the Andover community near the Little Arkansas River on the McPherson and Rice County Line. The towns of Vilas in Wilson County, Garfield in Pawnee County, and Sharon Springs in Wallace County were also a few of the places where Swedes settled in the following years. These settlements were partially offshoots of the Smoky Valley settlements and partially original settlements from Illinois and Sweden. Other Swedes also left and settled in Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
"A significant number of individuals migrated to California and Washington. They were usually second or third generation after settlement. These Swedes generally moved to the areas of Whittier and Downey, California, and Seattle, Washington.
"The Swedish Lutheran Church was also a significant factor in the development of other ethnic Swedish communities in Kansas. Pastor Dahlsten did not just minister to his people in the Freemount and Salemsborg communities. Over the next twenty years he founded Lutheran congregations in New Andover, Assaria, Salina, Lawrence, and Smolan, Kansas and Golden Colorado. He was also the founder of the Kansas Conference of the Augustana Synod of the Lutheran Church and served as its first President.
"Olof Olsson founded the Bethany Lutheran Church in Lindsborg and later became President of the Augustana Seminary. He also brought the idea of the formation of the Bethany Oratorio Society and the yearly presentation of George Frederick Handel's Messiah to Lindsborg. Olsson's successor at Bethany Church, Dr. Carl A. Swensson founded Bethany College and the Bethany Oratorio Society in Lindsborg.
"The hyperevangelical movement also followed the Swedes to the Smoky Valley. This movement eventually resulted in the formation of the Covenant Church and soon congregations started near Salemsborg, Rose Hill near Lindsborg, in Marquette and many other places.
"Education and culture also flourished among the Swedes in the Smoky Valley. Bethany College in Lindsborg became the center of music and art, but the fine arts were not exclusive to the town of Lindsborg. Many pioneers and their children from Salemsborg and Freemount supported and participated in the cultural activities in the valley. For example, the second performance of Handel's Messiah was sung by the newly formed Bethany Oratorial Society on March 29, 1882, in the sanctuary of the Salemsborg Lutheran Church.
"Many of the children of the Salemsborg and Freemount congregations became significant contributors in their chosen fields. Numerous young men became Lutheran pastors and missionaries. Included in the list would be Eugene Nelson, Carl Lund-Quist, Theodore Bjorkman, Emmet Ecklund, J. A. Frost, Donald Hawk, Robert Segerhammer, Vernon Swenson, Luther Dahlsten, Alexis Andreen, Phillip Andreen, Gustaf Andreen, and others.
"Several persons from the Smoky Valley and descendants from the Galesburg Company pioneers have made significant contributions on the state and national scene. Vern Lundquist is a nationally known sports broadcaster. Alex Johnson served as Ambassador to Japan and Under Secretary of State. Elwell Mattson Shanahan served as Kansas Secretary of State. John Carlin, great-grandson of Salemsborg's founder C. J. Brodine, served as Governor of Kansas from 1978 to 1986.
"Though a few have gained notoriety and fame for their achievements, those who have remained nameless have also made great contributions. The farmers, teachers, housewives, businessmen, laborers, and shopkeepers who built the farms and businesses, schools and churches -- the communities that make up the Smoky Valley -- they are the true achievers of the dreams their pioneer fathers and mothers brought with them to this once empty Prairie. . . ."
"In 1941, one of the sons of these hardy pioneers, Carl G. Linholm, had over the course of several years, written a series of articles about the history of the Swedish pioneers in southern Saline County. These articles contain a wealth of information about the area. The idea began to develop in his mind that a monument should be built honoring these pioneers who bore the "cross of privation and hardship" in their efforts to build a home on the prairie. When he completed his project, an article appeared in the Salina Journal explaining his reason for the project. "Mr. Linholm wrote:
'Readers of the Journal who have read my former articles on this subject are acquainted with my endeavor to rouse an interest in these hills in the way of beautifying them as a monument to those who, by their hardship and denials, laid the foundation for these well-organized communities.
'Lack of success in my efforts did not dampen my ambitions and the question arose, "Is there anything I myself could do?" In my travels I have noticed figures or letters on hills and mountain sides which always recalled our own Smoky Hills, and could we not create some marker near the top of the summit that would be visible over most of the county? In a reflective mood I was inspired again and again by the vision of a cross as the most appropriate figure, since the pioneers had many crosses to bear.
'It was not so much the hard work and privations as the constant fear of dangers on these wild prairies, of the many serpents that were everywhere. The rattlers and copperheads were dangerous for the children who were always barefoot. It was our mother's constant fear, and her every morning prayer, that a higher hand would hover over and protect her children during the day. There was a spirit of thanksgiving at night. Then the Indians, who also cause fear for mother along with us children. The Texas cowboys were not less dangerous as they were much under the influence of liquor. My conclusion was that fear was the heaviest cross, especially of the mothers, and to the memory of our own, as well as to all pioneering mothers I dedicate the white cross at the summit of the Smoky Hills. Mother's love in the dugout, or soddy, was just as deep and strong for every one of her little ones, as mother's love in the mansion. It was for this love and love of the creator as taught by the story of the cross that they derived courage and strength to bear the many crosses of pioneer days.'
'A Mr. Oberg, owner of the summit, resides in Assaria. He was delighted in giving permission to build the cross. It was created by laying stones flat on the steep hillside. The dimension of the main stem is ten feet by forty feet high. These stones were covered with white cement and along the base of the cross is written [anonymously],
"In loving remembrance of pilgrims on the prairies, in the 400th anniversary of Coronado, 1941."
'On a large rock is this [anonymous] quotation: "Since the universe began, until it shall be ended, the soul of man, the soul of nature, and the soul of God have blended. We hold that the love of nature is spiritual, and it behooves us all to study nature and learn all possible about our hills and rocks, our trees, flowers, and lakes, and with greater love our lives may be enriched until our days shall be ended."
'In pioneer day we all wondered if these hills did not hold some valuable minerals.....Out of the Smoky Hills, as they are today, can be developed greater values by far than any mineral, be it silver or gold. The former can only be shared by a few, while all, even the poorest, may have a share of treasures by developing a greater love and appreciation of the beauty and wonders of creation. Mr. Oberg holds the abstract, but the hills belong to all those who love them, and in the measure we appreciate the beauty, we hope that many who vision the white cross....and with a wider horizon in moments of silence, drink in the vigor, the peacefulness and calm, that comes to one on higher ground. I am sure that many of you mothers, as you view the cross, perhaps from your kitchen window, will be prompted to lift your voices in some of the many hymns inspired by the significance of the cross, and thus be lifted to higher ground....
'It would be desirable if the cross could be built more endurable in order to keep the grass and weeds out of it, but to the extent of my ability, I shall endeavor to keep it white and clean, and if perchance it has been the means of pointing some soul to a fuller, higher and richer life, I shall be even happier and richer for building the cross on the summit of the Smoky Hills."
"It has been fifty-two [now 81]* years since Carl Linholm built the white cross, and one-hundred and twenty-five [now 153]* years have passed since the Galesburg Land Company search committee visited the Smoky Valley for the first time, and found their ultimate treasure, a home for themselves and their people. The pioneers are all gone now, and most of their descendants have scattered to all parts of the country, but to most of them, the Smoky Valley will always be home. They come back now and then to visit, to attend church, greet old friends, to place a flower in the cemetery. The pioneers are not forgotten, the hardships and privations which were there cross to bear are remembered in a story, a thought, a glance at the old picture albums.
"And always, a lift of the head will bring the Smoky Bluffs into view -- the same now as one hundred and twenty-five [now 153]* years ago. Their lofty presence, rising through the haze above the valley floor, gives us a sense of peace. The monument, white and glorious, immediately greets our eye and we know that we are home -- under the shadow of the pioneer cross.
* Calculated from year 2022
* * *
Rev. Dr. A. W. Dahlsten
- A Member of the Galesburg Colonization Company Search Committee to first see the Smoky Valley land -
- A Significant Smoky Valley Salemsborg and Freemount Leader -
With the Galesburg Swedes, he founded 11 Lutheran Churches & 3 Mission Covenant Churches
Rev. Dr. A. W. Dahlsten
- A Member of the Galesburg Colonization Company Search Committee to first see the Smoky Valley land -
- A Significant Smoky Valley Salemsborg and Freemount Leader -
With the Galesburg Swedes, he founded 11 Lutheran Churches & 3 Mission Covenant Churches
1994 "Pioneer Cross," Page X
* * *
Rev. C. J. Brodine
- A Significant Smoky Valley Salemsborg and Freemount Leader -
"The Pioneer Missionary of Smoky Valley"
(On his grave marker)
1919/1965 "Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas"
In 2019, Mr. Holmquist finished his third book titled
Salemsborg, A History of the Salemsborg Evangelical Church, Volume I: 1869-1939.
It is a complete history of the Smoky Valley communities of Salemsborg and Smolan and missionary leader Rev. C. J. Brodine, who was the first pastor of both the Freemount and Salemsborg congregations, members of the
Swedish Augustana Lutheran Synod.
* * *
From small sod and stone churches to Smoky Valley Swedish Augustana Lutheran Cathedrals
- Salemsborg Lutheran Church -
1869
From small sod and stone churches to Smoky Valley Swedish Augustana Lutheran Cathedrals
- Salemsborg Lutheran Church -
1869
1994 "Pioneer Cross" Page 92
Salemsborg Lutheran Church
1909 photograph. This church was struck by lightning and destroyed by fire in 1925.
Source: Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas by Alfred Bergin in Swedish 1909 / by Ruth Billdt in English 1965
-------
Freemount Lutheran Church
1870
Source: Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas by Alfred Bergin in Swedish 1909 / by Ruth Billdt in English 1965
Freemount Lutheran Church
1909 photograph. This church was struck by lightning and destroyed by fire in 1926.
Source: Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas by Alfred Bergin in Swedish 1909 / by Ruth Billdt in English 1965
* * *
For 1994 "Pioneer Cross: Swedish Settlements Along the Smoky Hill Bluffs" ~ Contents & Illustrations, go HERE.
It is important to note that other accounts from Mr. Holmquist's Pioneer Cross have been included elsewhere in SWEDES, as follows:
Go HERE for Lydia's and Emil's Smoky Valley Swedish Immigration Background ~ With a far larger account of why Swedes were leaving Sweden by Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist
Go HERE for "Their 1869 Swedish Lutheran Galesburg Colony and Olsson Colony Smoky Valley Arrivals
~ With a Galesburg account by Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist."
Go HERE for "The 1860 Formation of the Augustana Synod ~ An Account by Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist."
Go HERE for The 1941 Smoky Valley "Pioneer Cross Memorial" ~ By Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist.
It is important to note that other accounts from Mr. Holmquist's Pioneer Cross have been included elsewhere in SWEDES, as follows:
Go HERE for Lydia's and Emil's Smoky Valley Swedish Immigration Background ~ With a far larger account of why Swedes were leaving Sweden by Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist
Go HERE for "Their 1869 Swedish Lutheran Galesburg Colony and Olsson Colony Smoky Valley Arrivals
~ With a Galesburg account by Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist."
Go HERE for "The 1860 Formation of the Augustana Synod ~ An Account by Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist."
Go HERE for The 1941 Smoky Valley "Pioneer Cross Memorial" ~ By Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist.
--------------
These shared selections of Pioneer Cross have been shown to author Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist for approval as of 9-12-22.
--------------
These shared selections of Pioneer Cross have been shown to author Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist for approval as of 9-12-22.
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* * *
"Let Us Remember Them"
* * *
Swedes: TheWayTheyWere
~ restoring lost local histories ~
reconnecting past to present
* * *
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