SWEDES: TheWayTheyWere
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    • The Bethany Artist & the Bethany Scientist: Lydia & Emil >
      • Their 1869 Swedish Lutheran Galesburg Colony and Olsson Colony Smoky Valley Arrivals, ~ With a Galesburg account by Mr. Holmquist >
        • Their Värmland Swedes ~ The "First Swedish Agricultural Company" Lindsborg Founders, 1868, ~ An account by Dr. Lindquist >
          • Swedish Pastor Olof Olsson Emigrating to Lindsborg 1869, June 27th Arrival ~ An account by Dr. Lindquist >
            • Bethany Lutheran Church and Lindsborg Founder Pastor Olsson, 1869 - 1876 ~ An account by Dr..Lindquist
      • Their 1869 "Bethany Lutheran Church" ~ Accounts by Dr. Lindquist and Mr. Carlson >
        • ​Their 1860-1962 "Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Synod" ~ Gaining and losing its Swedish identity >
          • The 1860 Formation of the Augustana Synod ~ An Account by Mr. Holmquist
          • Their 1892 "Augustana Women's Missionary Society" ~ An account by Ms. Humphrey
          • The 2000 - 2016 "Augustana Heritage Association"
      • Their 1907 "Bethany Lutheran Home" ~ Accounts by Bethany Home Writers >
        • 1976 Lindsborg’s Bethany Home’s Swedish King's Visit ~ An account by Mr. Carlson's
      • Their 1909 and 1919 Swedish Smoky Valley Community Chronicles ~ Compiled and written by Bethany Lutheran Church Rev. Dr. Alfred Bergin, members and others >
        • 1909 translated to "Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas," 1965 ~ By Mrs. Bergin Billdt
        • 1919 translated to "The Smoky Valley in The After Years," 1969 ~ By Mrs. Bergin Billdt & Mrs. Jaderborg
      • Their 1910 Messiah Lutheran Church conducting services in English ~ An account by Dr. Lindquist >
        • ~ An account on the Messiah Lutheran Church formation from Rev. Dr. Alfred Bergin's 1909 ​"Pioneer Swedish-American Culture of Central Kansas"
      • Their 1916 Sohlberg House ​ ~ 322 North First [College] Street ~After their honeymoon
      • Their 1920 Old Main Apartments of Bethany College ~ Living on campus with the students for 20 years
      • Their 1940 Deere Home to 1943 ​~ 344 North First [College] Street ~ With new occupants after Lydia
      • Their 1936 1873 Swedish Homestead," "Our Peaceful Acres" >
        • Their 1873 Swede House ~ A close twin of Founder Rev. Olof Olsson's stone house >
          • Peaceful Acres Smoky Valley descendant friends and helpers ~ Honoring them and remembering them
      • 1943, after Lydia, Emil's part in the building of the Lindsborg Community Hospital ~ An account by Dr. Lungstrom
    • Their “1882 on . . .” Bethany College Handel’s “Messiah" Performances” >
      • "Messiah" Performers, Venues & Audiences, Press and Broadcasts >
        • Special 20th Century "Messiah" Performances
      • Handel's "Messiah" & Bach's "St. Matthew Passion" ~ Described for viewers unfamiliar with these oratorios
    • Their “1899 on . . .” Bethany College “Swedish Artists’ Midwest Art Exhibition” ​~ An account by the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery
    • Their “1902 on . . .” Bethany College ‘Terrible Swedes,’ Their “1903 on” ‘Rockar Stockar’ ~ An account by Dr. Lindquist
    • Their “1904 on . . .” Bethany College St. Louis World's Fair “Swedish Pavilion”
    • Their "1895 to 1981" Bethany College Anniversary Celebrations ~ 15, 20, 25, 100 years >
      • Their Celebrating 15 Years of Bethany College, 1881-1896. The First Bethany Annual, 1895-96
      • Their Celebrating 20 Years of Bethany College, 1881-1901. The "Forget-Me-Not," 1902 >
        • The King of Sweden's Emissary, 1901
        • Yale University's Bethany Club
      • Their Celebrating 25 Years of Bethany College, 1881-1906, "Souvenir of Lindsborg and Bethany College"
      • Their Celebrating 100 Years of Bethany College, 1881-1981, "The Centennial of Bethany College"
    • Their "1937" Bethany College's Introduction to New Sweden ~ Founded in 1638 >
      • Deere's Introduction to New Sweden
  • Swedish Immigration Story, 1854
    • "The Story of the Old Spoon" by Ingrid Anderson Sohlberg & Daughter Lydia Sohlberg Deere, 1937
    • Who They Left Behind
    • From Sweden with Love Collections >
      • The Swedish Sohlberg Kosta Portraits, 1867 >
        • The Swedish Sohlberg Kosta Glass
        • The Swedish Sohlberg Letters
      • The Swedish Sohlberg Royal Gold Thread Embroidery Sampler (c1890s)
      • The Swedish Sohlberg Post Cards (c1890s)
      • The Swedish Sohlberg Magazines, (c1940s)
      • The Swedish Sohlberg Books, 1819/1886 to 1899
      • The Swedish Sohlberg Albums, ~ Late 19th early 20th centuries
      • The Swedish Deere Coins -- 1801-1929
  • Artist Lydia Sohlberg Deere
    • Lydia's Lindsborg Photography, 1900-1925 >
      • The Hats
      • The Smoky River
      • The Smoky Hills >
        • Coronado Heights -- One Winter's Day
      • In and Around Lindsborg
      • Sohlberg House with Parents >
        • Our Sohlberg Home and Neighbor Alma Luise Olson
      • Sohlberg House with Emil 1916 to 1920 >
        • Lydia's Travels with Deere 1916 - 1930s >
          • Lydia's California Photographs for Painting
          • Lydia's Palm Springs Pictorial Magazine, 1938-1939
          • Lydia's California Pressed Wild Flowers, c1930
      • "LYDIA'S WORLD" Photography Exhibitions in Lindsborg, 2005 - 2011
    • Lydia as Bethany College Lane Hart Hall Dean of Women, 1906 - 1913 >
      • Lydia's Signatured Black Book of Her Handwritten Sewing Instructions >
        • Nina Sohlberg's Child's Sewing "Little Dots" PICTURE BOOK
      • Lydia Sohlberg Deere's 1927 "Lindsborg Swedish Club's" Handwork >
        • The Lindsborg Swedish Club's "Allers Monster-Tidnings" magazine, 1940
    • Lydia's Art, 1919-1938 >
      • Lydia's Art: The Kansas Collection >
        • The Sketches
      • Lydia's Art: The Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico Collection >
        • The Sketches
      • Lydia's Art: The California Collection >
        • The Sketches
        • Lydia's "Palm Springs Magazine " 1938-39
    • Lydia's Art Professor Sven Birger Sandzén, 1871-1954 >
      • Lydia's Assignments for Professor Sandzén >
        • Students of Sandzén 2019 Exhibition
        • Bethany Home ~ Celebrating Artist Birger Sandzén through his students' paintings
    • Lydia's Art Professor Birger Sandzén's "Art Exhibitions" and "Reviews" .. 1893-1940 >
      • Lydia's Art Professor Sandzén's Exhibition at the Babcock Gallery in New York, 1922
      • Lydia's Sandzén's Body of Work Reviewed by N.Y.C, 1984 "American Impressionism," author William H. Gerdts
    • Lydia's and Sandzén's Swedish Artist Friend Charles Edward Hallberg, 1855-1940
    • Lydia's and Sandzén's Swedish Artist Friend Oscar Brousse Jacobson, 1882-1966
    • Lydia’s Sohlberg Family Connection to Sandzén, 1880-1894-1993
  • Scientist Emil O. Deere
    • Deere & Lydia's Bethany -- Lydia's Photography, 1906-1925 >
      • Bethany College "Campus from Above"
      • Bethany College "The Gateway," 1917 and "Bethany Campus Association," 1912
      • Bethany College "College Street," today's "North First Street"
      • Bethany College "Campus Life"
      • Bethany College "Field Trips"
      • Bethany College's "Earliest Buildings" >
        • Bethany College "​Ladies Dormitory" / "Lane Hart Hall" 1883 - 1899 - 1983
        • Bethany College "Old Main" 1887-1968 >
          • Lydia's and Emil's Old Main Apartments, 1920 to 1940
          • Deere's Bethany College Classes in Old Main
        • Bethany College "Messiah Auditorium" / "Ling Auditorium" / "Ling Gymnasium" 1895 - 1946
        • Bethany College "Swedish Pavilion," 1904
        • Bethany College "​Carnegie Library" / "Bethany Library" 1908 - 1980
        • Bethany College "​Bethany Academy" 1882 -- Swensson's Bethany's Beginnings
    • Deere's 1959 Interview on Rev. Dr. Carl A. Swensson (On YouTube) >
      • Rev. Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson, 1857-1904 ~ An account by Dr. Lindquist >
        • Swensson's "Bethany Lutheran Church" and the "Augustana Lutheran Synod"
        • Swensson's Bethany's Beginnings: "The Bethany Academy of 1882"
        • Olsson's Influence, the Swenssons,' the Musicians' and Singers,' "Messiah," 1882 on … >
          • Thure Olof Jaderborg ~ One Lindsborg "Messiah" Commitment from 1901-1954
        • Swensson's Swedish Artists of the 1890s
        • Swensson's "Bethany College Museum," 1882 - 1966
      • In Memorium**Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson, 1904 ~ An account by Dr. Lindquist
    • Deere's Rev. Dr. Ernst F. Pihlblad, 1873-1943 ~ An account by Dr. Lindquist >
      • In Memoriam**Dr. Ernst F. Pihlblad, 1943
      • Rev. Dr. Pihlblad on Bethany College, 1904 - 1941
    • Deere's Smithsonian Institution's Souvenir, 1904
    • Deere's 1940 Presidential Address to the Kansas Academy of Science
    • Deere's 1955 Letter to President Eisenhower re Tuttle Creek
    • Deere's Service, 1901-1966 >
      • Deere's Education & Degrees
    • The Deere's Library ~ What remains of 2,000 books -- pending project
  • "The Other Swedes"
    • Honoring Them and Remembering Them ~ The Smoky Valley Writers >
      • A suggestion to individuals and entities in charge of these books ~ ​Digitalize for posterity and perpetuity
      • Rev. Bror Carlsson and Mr. Alf Brorson from Sweden ~ Tracing Värmland's Rev. Olof Olsson's church life in Sweden and in Swedish America with the Augustana Lutheran Synod >
        • ​"He Gave God Glory" "The Story of Olof Olsson, ​" 1841 - 1900 ~ By Rev. Bror Carlsson
      • Rev. Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson ~ Author of countless Swedish & English publications, newspapers articles & books for local, national & European readers
      • Bethany Church, Bethany College, Augustana Synod Writers ​~ Remembering Rev. Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson and Rev. Dr. Ernst Frederick Pihlblad
      • Rev. Dr. Alfred Bergin ​~ Compiling foundational Swedish Smoky Valley Augustana Lutheran settlements' histories and more
      • Dr. Emory K. Lindquist ~ Chronicling Swedish Augustana Lutheran Lindsborg and Bethany College from their earliest years >
        • ​1953, "Smoky Valley People, A History of Lindsborg, Kansas" ~ The Words of Dr. Lindquist and Contents & Illustrations
        • 1975 "Bethany in Kansas, the history of a college" ~ The Words of Dr. Lindquist >
          • "Bethany in Kansas" PART I ~ Contents & Illustrations
          • "Bethany in Kansas" PART II ~ Contents & Illustrations
        • 1984 "Hagbard Brase, Beloved Music Master" ~ The Words of Dr. Lindquist >
          • "Hagbard Brase" ~ Contents and Illustrations
      • Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg [Selma Lind] ​ ~ Chronicling the Lindsborg of her day, its early histories, its early citizens >
        • 1965 "Lindsborg On Record" ~ Contents & Illustrations
        • 1967 "Living in Lindsborg and Other Possibilities" ~ Contents & Illustrations
        • 1973 "Talk About Lindsborg" ~ Contents & Illustrations
        • 1976 "Why Lindsborg?" ~ Contents & Illustrations >
          • 1975 Why Lindsborg ~ For the King of Sweden
        • ​1990 "Two Reprints" ~ Contents & Illustrations Lists
      • Mr. Thomas N. Holmquist ~ Chronicling Lindsborg's neighbors, the Galesburg Swedes of Salemsborg and Freemount, with a personal connection, 1868
      • Mr. Bill Carlson ~ Chronicling Lindsborg's earliest and later histories, with a personal connection, 1867
      • Ms. Karen A. Humphrey ~ Chronicling highlights of Swedish Augustana Lutheran Lindsborg and Bethany College culture in the earliest years >
        • 2012 "Grace, Faith and the Power of Singing: The Alma Christina Lind Swensson Story" ~The Words of Ms. Humphrey
        • "Grace, Faith and the Power of Singing" ~ Contents & Illustrations
      • Mr. A. John Pearson ~ Chronicling the Bethany College Presidents from 1882 to 1983
      • Mr. Kenneth Sjogren ~ Chronicling the Bethany College Presidents from 1941 to 2016
      • Mr. Chris Abercrombie ~ Remembering him as "The Historian," the SVHA president and his body of work
      • Rev. Eugene K. Nelson and the Bethany Home Writers ~ Chronicling the "only known" Smoky Valley story on Bethany Home since 1907
      • Smoky Valley Historical Association Members ~ Chronicling 1993 " Where Did They Live? " "Early Residences of Lindsborg, Kansas"
    • Honoring Them and Remembering Them \\// >
      • Mrs. Alma Christina Lind Swensson ~ Remembering her as Mrs. Rev. Dr. Swensson, the "First Lady" of Lindsborg, organizer of the "Messiah Chorus" and much more ~ From ​Ms. Humphrey's Book
      • ​Samuel Thorstenberg ~ Remembering him as the "earliest" internationally acclaimed Bethany College "Messiah Chorus" conductor
      • Dr. Hagbard Brase ~ Remembering him as the second "earliest" internationally acclaimed Bethany College "Messiah Chorus" conductor
      • B.G. Gröndal ~ Remembering him and his photography in the earliest years of Lindsborg and Bethany College >
        • B.G. Gröndal ~ Accounts by Mr. Abercrombie and Mrs. Jaderborg with LINK to Mrs. Eddy, B.G.'s granddaughter's book review
      • International "NY Times" Correspondent Miss Alma Luise Olson ~ Remembering her as "First Honored American Woman by Sweden" ~ An account by ​Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg* >
        • ​​Miss Alma Luise Olson ~ Remembering her and the extraordinary life she led at home and abroad ~ An account by Ms. Karen A. Humphrey
      • Artist Birger Sandzén ~ Remembering him for "sharing his art with the world," starting "first" at Lindsborg's Bethany College >
        • Dr. & Dr. Mrs. Charles Greenough III ~ Remembering them for their gift of the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery -- pending
      • William Holwerda, M.D. ~ Remembering him as "Doc Bill," a city father and loving citizen, by Dr. Leon Lungstrom and Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg >
        • "Svensk Hyllningsfest" ​ ~ Remembering Dr. William Holwerda as a founder and "the key" organizer in 1941
        • Dr. William Holwerda ~ Remembering their family doctor and Messiah Lutheran Church tributes to him by Dr. Leon Lungstrom
      • Artist Lester Raymer ~ Remembering him as the renowned virtuoso artist and "behind the scenes" community supporter
      • Dr. Arvin W. Hahn ​​~ Remembering him for saving Bethany College from going under!​ >
        • Dr. Arvin W. Hahn ~ Remembering him handing me my Bethany College Diploma on Sunday, May 26, 1968
      • Dr. ​& Mrs. Elmer Copley ~ Remembering them and their 29 years of dedication to that Bethany College "Messiah" tradition of excellence >
        • 1976 Dr. Elmer Copley ~ Remembering him as the “Messiah” conductor for the Bethany College "Swedish King’s," Carl XVI Gustaf's, performance >
          • 1981 Dr. Elmer Copley ~ Remembering him as the "Messiah" conductor for the Bethany College "Centennial Celebration" performance >
            • 1986 Dr. Elmer Copley ~ Remembering him as the televised "American Easter" conductor of the Bethany College Oratorio Society Holy Easter Week
      • Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg ~ Remembering her as the founder of the 1963 "Lindsborg Swedish Folk Dancers" ~ An account by Mr. Chris Abercrombie
      • Mr. & Mrs. Hilding Jaderborg ~ Remembering them and their “Swedish Crafts Shop” of 65 years and 50 trips to Sweden
      • The Swedish Lindsborg Builders ~ Remembering them for the lovely homes they built
      • Mr. Chris Abercrombie ~ Remembering him for "first" shining an international light on Lindsborg and Bethany College, via YouTube
      • Dr. Greta Swenson and Mr. & Mrs. Mark Esping ~ Remembering them for founding Lindsborg's “first” "Swedish-American Folklife Institute of Central Kansas," 1986 >
        • Remembering their Lindsborg's Folklife Institute's "Swedish-American Heritage Center," 1996
      • Mr. Claude Koehn ~ Remembering him as restorer and preservationist of Smoky Valley stone farmhouses and other stone structures
      • Ms. Rebecca Copley ~ Remembering her as Bethany College's “first” graduate to become an International Concert & Opera Soprano >
        • Ms. Copley's "International Concert and Opera Soprano" ​~ The REVIEWS
      • Mr. Bruce Karstadt ~ Honoring him as a Bethany College graduate for heading up a major national Swedish American institution
      • Dr. Mark Lucas ~ Messiah conductor bringing the Lindsborg “Oberammergau of the Plains" to a "new" world audience
    • 1894-1962 Bethany College Graduates in Augustana Lutheran Synod World Mission Work ~ An account by Dr. Emory K. Lindquist
    • 1901-2014 The ​Bethany College Swedish Knights and Ladies ~ Honored by the Kings of Sweden
    • 1961-2021 ​"McPherson County Old Mill Museum" leaders ~ Moving forward in August 2021 as "The Lindsborg Old Mill and Swedish Heritage Museum"
    • 1971 -2020 "American Scandinavian Association of the Great Plains" leaders ~ Providing cultural history and heritage programs with meaningful links to Sweden and Swedish America
    • 1976 His Majesty the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf's Visit to Lindsborg April 17th >
      • The Lindsborg & Bethany College "Swedes" ~ Honored by the King of Sweden, June 6, 1976
    • 1977​ Swedish Emigrant Institute Staff from Växjö, Småland Visits Lindsborg October 16-18
    • 1978 Swedish Documen- tary Film Crew Visits Lindsborg October 2-9 >
      • "Lindsborg News-Record" Clippings of 1978 Swedish Film Crew Visit
    • 1992 - 2020 ​Honoring Them and Remembering Them ~ Their ​Smoky Valley History Research Writers Website Designers
  • Contacts
    • For 1869 Lindsborg CONTACT Today >
      • "A Time to Remember" 1882 - 1988
    • ​For 1881 Bethany College CONTACT Today >
      • "Bethany Campus Walk” ~ Remembering the buildings and the "Bethany Family" of their era, 1882 - 2015
      • Their "I WAS THERE" Coin ~ Bethany College 21st Year Celebration, 1902
    • For 1957 Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery CONTACT Today >
      • Sandzén: "Ecstasy of Color" ~ PBS Doucmentary ~ Aired 6/11/21
    • Closing Remarks >
      • Traveling through SWEDES ​~ The Table of Contents ~ The "Outline" "Online"
      • SWEDES' Swedish American Legacy Photographs >
        • ​Lydia's Lindsborg Photography​, ​1900 - 1925 >
          • Lydia's Bethany College Photography, ​1906 - 1925
    • Kansas Smoky Valley Swedish People's Memorial, 2009 ~ The virtual one >
      • In real time, the real 1941 memorial, the "Pioneer Cross" ​~ Created by Messrs. Lindholm and Oberg
"The Other Swedes"
​~ Honoring Them and Remembering Them ~ The Smoky Valley Writers ~
Dr. Emory K. Lindquist

​1953, "Smoky Valley People, A History of Lindsborg, Kansas"
~ The Words of Dr. Lindquist and Contents & Illustrations

This is the only comprehensive Lindsborg, Kansas, history book.  No one will duplicate it!  It should be preserved for posterity and perpetuity through digitalization!  Smoky Valley People is a "classic" and a "must read" for Kansas Smoky Valley educators, Bethany College professors, scholars in Sweden and elsewhere, and others interested in cultural sustainability issues unique to this very well preserved Swedish American community and its neighbors, for education and conservation development.  It is also a "must read" for Swedish Universities studying early Swedish American culture and traditions in Swedish America that have had early historical connections to the Swedish Smoky Valley communities.

Like Dr. Lindquist's other books, "Smoky Valley People" is characterized by "extensive" research and "extensive" documentation: "Notes," "Biography" and "Index."
To drive the point home on the uniqueness of this community, Lindsborg born, former fourth Swedish American Bethany College President, Dr. Emory K. Lindquist finishes his "Preface" of March 15, 1953, with

​ "The central factor in writing this volume is my genuine conviction that Bethany College and Lindsborg present distinctive values that are truly meaningful for individuals and society.  I do not believe that this unique combination of cultural and spiritual values in a friendly small town setting can be readily duplicated."

​                                                                                                                 

As a "last living link" to this early history, of these Swedes, his friends, his neighbors, and his colleagues, he writes his story of the Smoky Valley People!  To share his strong feelings and compassion for his subject, below is his verbatim "Preface" [with Acknowledgements] and the book's "Contents" and "List of Illustrations" as well as sharing the last chapter "​Forward in Faith."
​
Preface [with Acknowledgements]
     "In the Smoky Valley of Central Kansas is Lindsborg, a town of some two thousand people who for the most part trace their origin to Swedish immigrants of the last century.  The pioneers have passed on, but their values and institutions remain.  The third generation is now entrusted with the rich legacy associated with Bethany College, the "Messiah" chorus, and unique cultural and spiritual values.

     "The achievements of the Lindsborg pioneers and their descendants are distinctive.  Lindsborg is known nationally for the great music festival and art exhibition, which annually brings thousands of visitors to this small college community during Holy Week.  An oratorio society of five hundred members, a symphony orchestra, an artists guild numbering almost tweny members, and a fine college offering studies in Liberal Arts and Sciences and in Fine Arts are some of the manifestations of the unique aspects of Lindsborg.

     "The pattern of development in Lindsborg is not the result of chance.  It has its roots in the devotion and faith of Swedish immigrants who came during the last century to make their rich contribution to the great symphony of American life.  Great leaders like Olof Olsson and Carl Swensson inspired their generation to build magnificently for the future through the abiding resources of Christian faith and life.  People thought, prayed, and worked together to improve the quality of life for themselves and for future generations.

     "The history of Lindsborg records the adaptation of Swedish immigrants to life on the Kansas prairies, the struggle with nature, the building of homes, churches, and schools, the resources of faith in God and in the future, and the emergence of a community devoted to great values.  It is a thrilling story of faith, courage, and sacrifice.

     "Many people have made possible the writing of this volume.  Any history of Lindsborg will always be indebted foremost to the works of the late Dr. Alfred Bergin, whose two volumes in Swedish are indispensable sources for the early period.  The interesting, Olof Olsson, The Man, His Work, and His Thought, by E. W. Olson, is a valuable source for several aspects of the life of Lindsborg's pioneer pastor and leader.  Anton Peterson, who has been associated many years with the county clerk's office of McPherson County, has rendered invaluable assistance over a long period.  Dr. Julius Lincoln has often thrilled me with his eloquent accounts of Lindsborg's and Bethany's history.  Kirke Mechem has given me helpful encouragement and suggestions.  Nyle H. Miller and the staff of the Kansas State Historical Society have been unfailing in their helpfulness.  Dr. Carl J. Kulsrud, my former history teacher at Bethany College, developed my interest in history as an undergraduate and aided me in research in the National Archives.  Dr. Ira Nothstein was very helpful in making available material from the fine Swedish American collection in the Denkman Memorial Library at Augustana College.  Inez Esping and Charles Pelham Greenough III have aided me again and again in the use of materials from the Bethany College Library.  I wish to thank Miss Lydia Olsson for permission to use letters written by her father and mother, Dr. and Mrs. Olof Olsson.  My appreciation goes also to Miss Annie Theo Swensson and Mrs. Bertha Vestling for permission to use manuscript items associated with their father, Dr. Carl Swensson.  I am also indebted to many others, including Esther Gottfried, Daniel Gottfried, Dr. Hagbard Brase, Jerry Cuchman, Dr. T. W. Anderson, Dr. Sam Ronnegard, Marilyn Bengtson, and Arthur Hanson.

     "It is a privilege to present reproductions of five prints by Dr. Birger Sandzen dealing with subjects in the Smoky Valley.

     "The preparation of the manuscript for publication has been made possible through the capable assistance of Leona Holmberg and Lucile Holmberg.  My brother Ermal and I have discussed this project over a long period of time with real profit to me.

     "The central factor in writing this volume is my genuine conviction that Bethany College and Lindsborg present distinctive values that are truly meaningful for individuals and society.  I do not believe that this unique combination of cultural and spiritual values in a friendly small town setting can be readily duplicated.  If this volume tends to develop a great interest than heretofore in these values at Lindsborg, I shall be exceedingly grateful for having had the opportunity of chronicling a story which I cherish so highly."

Lindsborg, Kansas  EMORY LINDQUIST.
March 15, 1953
Picture

​Forward in Faith
Chapter XVI
The people of the Smoky Valley have shared in the blessings which have come from the dreams and aspirations of previous generations. Devout and courageous men and women in faraway Sweden dreamed of freedom and opportunity, and Lindsborg came into being. While seeking to wrest a living from the rough materials of nature, they dreamed of great values, and Bethany College, the "Messiah" chorus, churches, and meaningful culture and spiritual values became the real assets of the people.

Another dream for the future of the Smoky Valley appeared in an interesting fantasy entitled Lynnsbury-1993, which the beloved pioneer pastor, Olof Olson, wrote in 1893, describing the shape of things to come in a century, hence.  Lynnsbury, the name used for Lindsborg, is a thriving, prosperous city of 20,000 inhabitants in 1993 according to Olsson's vision. The thrift and energy of the people have provided economic security in contrast with the hard privation of the pioneer era. Dairy farms, orchards, and sugar beet tracts serve as the basic agricultural endeavors of the Lynnsbury community. A large cannery of sugar beet factory provide good markets for the produce of the area and employment for many residents. The hills to the northwest are covered with great groves of oak and walnut trees; those to the east and south contained luxuriant vineyards, orchards, and flowers.  Electric trains transport people to these hills where great throngs assemble on spring and summer evenings for song festivals and religious service. There are inspiring moments also when at dawn and twilight thousands of birds create a wonderful harmony of sound.


Lynnsbury is best known in 1993 as a college town with a great tradition in fine arts, especially in music. There is a large brick auditorium which seats 10,000 people.  In it is a semicircle stage which accommodates a chorus of 2,000 and a large organ.  Here the great Passion music of Handel and Bach is presented annually during Holy Week. The college holds a central place in the life of Lynnsbury and the surrounding community because the people genuinely understand the meaning of Christian education and great cultural values.

It is not 1993 yet.  Certain aspects of Olof Olsson's fantasy have been realized; some yet await fulfillment. A town of some 2,000 inhabitants is only 1/10th as large as Olsson envisaged by 1993. No forests cover nearby hills; No vineyards and only occasional orchards are seen. The cultivation of sugar beets still awaits water for irrigation although the first project has already been established four decades before Olsson's prophecy was to be fulfilled. No electric trains take passengers to surrounding hills although a road provides transportation by automobiles for thousands of visitors who view the beautiful Smoky Valley from historic Coronado Heights.

The productivity of the Lindsborg area is different from that described by Olsson in Lynnsbury, but it is, nevertheless, great.  Well-tilled fields yield from twenty-five to forty bushels of wheat, and in good years seventy bushels of corn are grown per acre.  Cattle feed upon the hills to produce good income for the owner.  Nature's bounty underground has created wealth from oil wells to a far greater extent than the most fantastic dreams of Olsson could have conceived.  Two flour mills process wheat from neighboring fields.  And adequate business district serves the needs of the people in the community. Two railroads, bus lines, and good highways provide fine means of transportation. 

​There is no building with a capacity to seat 10,000 people, but an unusually fine auditorium and music building on the Bethany campus, acclaimed one of the best in America, seats 2,500 in the audience and 500 on the stage. In faithful adherence to Olsson's prediction's, the great oratorios of Bach and Handel are performed annually as religious services during Holy Week. Thousands of visitors make an annual pilgrimage to Lindsborg to share in this great tradition of sacred song. 

A contemporary generation is not really qualified to evaluate its own achievements. Certain facts are, nevertheless, available.  The people of Lindsborg and the surrounding community have been intimately influenced by the values and ideals of the God-fearing, courageous Swedish pioneers. It would be unrealistic to deny that secular forces and the march of time have produced some changes in the pattern of life which once prevailed in the older generation.  The basic values, however, are still there in the life of the people and their institutions.

Lindsborg may never become Lynnsbury.  It may never attain the quality of thought and action which were in the dreams of Olof Olsson and Carl Swensson and the many people who are unsung heroes in the story of achievement. There have been failures and disappointments, great hopes unrealized and problems unsolved. It could be scarcely otherwise since the destiny of Lindsborg has been in the hands of people who are subject to human frailty. But the imperative from the pioneer period is undimmed by the passing of the years.  It is based upon the promises of God as revealed in Jesus Christ.  It calls for faith in God and man and in the future.  It speaks of the meaning of beauty in music and art. It creates the spirit of cooperation in the interest of community progress.  It is dedicated to the great promise of American life.

The record of the past is clear as to the source of greatness. New generations will be called upon to understand it,  believe it, and transmit it.  The ideals of the past can be considered only as points of historic reference, or they can be ever present realities in the lives of people across the decades and centuries.  That chapter in the history of Lindsborg cannot be written because it has not yet been lived.

While time will write its own chronicle about the future, certain aspects can, nevertheless, be sensed as faith lights the unknown path of tomorrow. The people of the Smoky Valley will continue to dream, and well they might, because great dreams have come true there. They will recall their rich legacy and strive to respond so that it can be transmitted to generations unborn. Appreciative crowds of people will continue to come to Lindsborg during Holy Week to join in the great imperative, "Hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth."  Eager students will share across the decades in the unique resources of a fine educational experience on the friendly Bethany campus.  The years will bring an increasingly deeper appreciation of the distinctive qualities that have made for the uniqueness that is Lindsborg.  People will cherish the wise observation of Madame Schumann-Heink:  "America has no other Lindsborg."


When Madame Schumann-Heink declared,  "America has no other Lindsborg," she added significantly, "I want to have a part in this one."  Many people have had a part in Lindsborg, past and present, and many more will have a part in future Lindsborg. A great cause calls for great understanding, appreciation, and support. The material can join with the spiritual to build that which is meaningful. Embodying the distinctive quality in the life of this Smoky Valley is Bethany College.  Great dreams can become even greater realities as individuals translate their devotion by financial support to share greatness with the future. In that manner, faith will be kept with the past.

It may only be a legend, that when the Indians viewed the Smoky Valley and saw the mystic haze on spring and autumn days, they considered it endowed with some unusual quality. The Swedish pioneers, however, described not the legendary but the real, when they wrote to friends in faraway Sweden that America was framtidslandet, "the land of the future."  And so it was for them and for their children, and for their children's children.  And so it will continue to be, as freedom and faith are joined with vision and work to build for tomorrow.  The Smoky Valley people have shared in this vision of greatness. The future beckons with even greater dreams and hopes.


Contents
of
"Smoky Valley People, A History of Lindsborg, Kansas"
​
Dedication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Preface [with 
Acknowledgements] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Contents . 
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ix
Chapter  I:   The Smoky Valley Discovered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Chapter  II:   The Coming of the Swedes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Chapter  III:   A Church is Founded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter  IV:   The Settlement Develops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Chapter  V:    Pastor Olof Olsson:  Founder of the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Chapter  VI:    How the People Lived . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Chapter  VII:   Bethany College:  Founding and Early Period. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 
Chapter  VIII:  The Lindsborg "Messiah" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108

Chapter  IX:    Dr. Carl Swensson:  Leader, Dreamer, Enthusiast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
Chapter  X:     Along Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Chapter  XI:    The Swedish Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Chapter  XII:   C
hurches, Schools and Civic Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Chapter  XIII:  Art in the Community:  Artists and Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208
Chapter  XIV:  Bethany College:  Organizations and Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Chapter  XV:   Bethany College:  The Later Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 
Chapter  XVI:  Forward in Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
​Notes .
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  253
Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267

​List of Illustrations
of
"Smoky Valley People, A History of Lindsborg, Kansas"
Portrait of a Pioneer by Birger Sandzén, 1922 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
Olof Olsson's Homestead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Home of a Pioneer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
The Mill on the Smoky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Farm on the Smoky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Dr. and Mrs. Olof Olsson
 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Dr. and Mrs. Carl Swensson
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Dr. Olof Olsson
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Dr. Carl Swensson
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Dr. Edward Nelander
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Dr. Ernst F. Pihlblad
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Dr. Hagbard Brase
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Dr. Birger Sandzen
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
"Messiah" Chorus in College Chapel
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  134
Bethany College Oratorio Society in "Messiah" Auditorium
. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Bethany College Oratorio Society in Presser Hall
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Old Main
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Bethany Carnegie Library
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
Main Street in 1878 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
98
​Main Street in 1953 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198
Bethany's "Terrible Swedes" of 1902
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Alma Swensson Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Presser Hall
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
214
​Lindsborg in the Smoky Valley
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215

For Dr. Lindquist's 1975 Bethany in Kansas, the history of a college, go HERE.
​
Dr. Emory Kempton Lindquist
(1908-1992)
​The "Swedish Kansan"
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