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Their 1909 and 1919 Swedish Smoky Valley Community Chronicles
~ Compiled and written by Bethany Lutheran Church Rev. Dr. Alfred Bergin, members and others
~ Compiled and written by Bethany Lutheran Church Rev. Dr. Alfred Bergin, members and others
The sole responsibility to produce the first Swedish book in 1909 rested with the Swedish Bethany Lutheran Church Rev. Alfred Bergin (1866-1944) who would ask for assistance from his congregation to produce this chronicle on the settling and developing of Lindsborg and the neighboring Swedish enclaves in the Smoky Valley. The second Swedish book would also follow ten years later, in 1919, to update and include later information for the celebration of the Lindsborg settlement for its fiftieth (50th) anniversary.
The last paragraph of the "Foreword by Alfred Bergin, Lindsborg, Kansas, New Year's Day 1909" found in the translated 1965 Pioneer Swedish-American Culture of Central Kansas by Ruth Billdt reads:
"This work was authorized by a decision of the Bethany Congregation at its annual meeting in January, 1908, '. . . that the church board is authorized to have a book printed concerning the history of the Lindsborg settlement for its fortieth (40th) anniversary: The Church board later decided that “. . . the pastor alone be responsible for this publication, but may ask anyone for help.”
That was written first in Swedish for the 1909 "Lindsborg, Bidrag Till Svenskarmas och Den Lutherska Kyrkans Historia i Smoky Hill River Dalen" by Mrs. Billdt's father.
Other than the local newspaper and college newspapers and other publications from the College beginning in 1881, these would be the books that future Smoky Valley writers would refer to in their endeavors to create their own literary works on the Swedes of the Smoky Valley found in the various communities, mostly in Lindsborg. Other sources would be, and still are, the Bethany Lutheran Church archives, possibly the archives at the Smoky Valley Freemount Lutheran and the Salemsborg Lutheran Churches, and visiting with last-living-descendants of this history.
The last paragraph of the "Foreword by Alfred Bergin, Lindsborg, Kansas, New Year's Day 1909" found in the translated 1965 Pioneer Swedish-American Culture of Central Kansas by Ruth Billdt reads:
"This work was authorized by a decision of the Bethany Congregation at its annual meeting in January, 1908, '. . . that the church board is authorized to have a book printed concerning the history of the Lindsborg settlement for its fortieth (40th) anniversary: The Church board later decided that “. . . the pastor alone be responsible for this publication, but may ask anyone for help.”
That was written first in Swedish for the 1909 "Lindsborg, Bidrag Till Svenskarmas och Den Lutherska Kyrkans Historia i Smoky Hill River Dalen" by Mrs. Billdt's father.
Other than the local newspaper and college newspapers and other publications from the College beginning in 1881, these would be the books that future Smoky Valley writers would refer to in their endeavors to create their own literary works on the Swedes of the Smoky Valley found in the various communities, mostly in Lindsborg. Other sources would be, and still are, the Bethany Lutheran Church archives, possibly the archives at the Smoky Valley Freemount Lutheran and the Salemsborg Lutheran Churches, and visiting with last-living-descendants of this history.
Source: Lydia Sohlberg Photograph and found also in "The Smoky Valley in The After Years."
During the time that the first Swedish book was being written in 1908 about the settlements of the Swedes in the Kansas Smoky Valley in the late 1860s on Easter of that year, the Bethany Lutheran Church, Bethany College and Lindsborg hosted the Swedish American Presidential candidate, the honorable John A. Johnson of Minnesota, during his Easter Holy Week visit. Lydia's photograph shows the very tall imposing Johnson in the center of his supporters and to the right, equally tall and imposing, is Rev. Alfred Bergin, pastor of the mentioned church, shown with his hands behind his back, who was in charge of writing this first book. Note: The American flag behind them has 45 stars.
The group is in front of Sohlberg House, the retirement home of Lydia's parents A. G. and Ingrid Sohlberg, my great great grandparents, who retired in that home in 1904, from McPherson where they had been living since 1880.
The location of the house is at 322 North First Street, Lindsborg. In those days, the street was named College. Sohlberg Home would be home to 4 generations of Sohlbergs, including Lydia and Emil after they were married in 1916 for three years, my mother Lois Cochran for over 20 years, and my sister and me for a much shorter time.
The group is in front of Sohlberg House, the retirement home of Lydia's parents A. G. and Ingrid Sohlberg, my great great grandparents, who retired in that home in 1904, from McPherson where they had been living since 1880.
The location of the house is at 322 North First Street, Lindsborg. In those days, the street was named College. Sohlberg Home would be home to 4 generations of Sohlbergs, including Lydia and Emil after they were married in 1916 for three years, my mother Lois Cochran for over 20 years, and my sister and me for a much shorter time.
When Lydia Sohlberg and Emil Deere arrived in Lindsborg, it must have been a time of great anticipation and excitement for building the community and Bethany College! Lydia would move to Lindsborg with her two twin sisters, Anna and Ida, in 1900 after she graduated from McPherson College, to open up a millinery shop on Main Street. Emil O. Deere had arrived a year before in 1899 from his Manhattan Agricultural College studies to continue his education at Bethany College at the persuasive request of the College founder and president Dr. Rev. Carl Aaron Swensson, to Emil's father, his good friend from Moline, Illinois.
With Lydia's and Emil's attending Bethany Lutheran Church with Dr. Bergin as their pastor, they would have experienced the compilation of two books written in the Swedish language coming from the church, the one in 1909 was "Lindsborg, Bidrag Till Svenskarnas och Den Lutherska Kyrkans Historia i Smoky Hill River Dalen" which would by 1965 be translated to English, and renamed "Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas," by Dr. Bergin's daughter Mrs. Ruth Billdt, the second in 1919 was "Lindsborg Efter Femtio Ӓr" which would by 1969 be translated to English and renamed by his daughter and Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg to "The Smoky Valley in The After Years."
Over a half century later, as an elderly gentleman, Dr. Emil O. Deere, contributed his drawn map as a young Bethany College professor to the book. It is of the Smoky Valley's two counties: Saline County and McPherson County, and it is found inside the front cover of this 1965 "Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas." In the 1969 "The Smoky Valley in The After Years," are two articles prepared by Dr. Deere before his death in 1966. They appear, on page 79, titled "Climate and Health Conditions" by Prof. Emil O. Deere, and on page 163, titled "John Eric Welin" by Emil O. Deere.
With Lydia's and Emil's attending Bethany Lutheran Church with Dr. Bergin as their pastor, they would have experienced the compilation of two books written in the Swedish language coming from the church, the one in 1909 was "Lindsborg, Bidrag Till Svenskarnas och Den Lutherska Kyrkans Historia i Smoky Hill River Dalen" which would by 1965 be translated to English, and renamed "Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas," by Dr. Bergin's daughter Mrs. Ruth Billdt, the second in 1919 was "Lindsborg Efter Femtio Ӓr" which would by 1969 be translated to English and renamed by his daughter and Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg to "The Smoky Valley in The After Years."
Over a half century later, as an elderly gentleman, Dr. Emil O. Deere, contributed his drawn map as a young Bethany College professor to the book. It is of the Smoky Valley's two counties: Saline County and McPherson County, and it is found inside the front cover of this 1965 "Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas." In the 1969 "The Smoky Valley in The After Years," are two articles prepared by Dr. Deere before his death in 1966. They appear, on page 79, titled "Climate and Health Conditions" by Prof. Emil O. Deere, and on page 163, titled "John Eric Welin" by Emil O. Deere.
Our family knew Mrs. Billdt very well. She, Lydia and my grandmother Nina Sohlberg Fry, who Lydia would photograph and who would care for Emil and his home, after Lydia died in 1943, were good friends, and close friends in the early days when the Swedish Club was organized for preserving needlework.
My mother, Lois Cochran, was able to buy this house from retired mathematics Bethany College professor Anna Marm in the 1960s. As a teenager, in 1965, living in Sohlberg House, I remember the exciting summer day of meeting Ruth Billdt in a hallway at the Bethany Home for the Aged one afternoon to pick up her autographed book just hot off the press for my mother. It was the translation into English from the Swedish of her father's book.
My mother, Lois Cochran, was able to buy this house from retired mathematics Bethany College professor Anna Marm in the 1960s. As a teenager, in 1965, living in Sohlberg House, I remember the exciting summer day of meeting Ruth Billdt in a hallway at the Bethany Home for the Aged one afternoon to pick up her autographed book just hot off the press for my mother. It was the translation into English from the Swedish of her father's book.
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Dr. Bergin's 1909 Book
This could be the book that Mrs. Ruth Billdt worked from to translate it into English in 1965.
However, the "title" is new to me and confusing.
This book was just discovered.
Dr. Bergin's 1909 Book
This could be the book that Mrs. Ruth Billdt worked from to translate it into English in 1965.
However, the "title" is new to me and confusing.
This book was just discovered.
Source: Rev. Alfred Bergin, "Find a Grave" photograph
The title is clearly shown in
SWEDISH: "Lindsborg r n Svensk-Amerikansk Kulturbild från Mellerstakansas"
My computer translates this in
ENGLISH: "Lindsborg rn Swede-American Cultureimage from Middlekansas"
However, the reference always used in my research about this 1909 book is:
"Lindsborg, Bidrag Till Svenskarnas och Den Lutherska Kyrkans Historia i Smoky Hill River Dalen,"
This translates to:
"Lindsborg, Contribution to the History of the Swedes and the Lutheran Church in the Smoky Hill River Valley."
SWEDISH: "Lindsborg r n Svensk-Amerikansk Kulturbild från Mellerstakansas"
My computer translates this in
ENGLISH: "Lindsborg rn Swede-American Cultureimage from Middlekansas"
However, the reference always used in my research about this 1909 book is:
"Lindsborg, Bidrag Till Svenskarnas och Den Lutherska Kyrkans Historia i Smoky Hill River Dalen,"
This translates to:
"Lindsborg, Contribution to the History of the Swedes and the Lutheran Church in the Smoky Hill River Valley."
I will stick to the above reference and the renamed title in 1965 in English that is
"Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas"
"Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas"
To learn more about Mrs. Billdt's father, go HERE to Rev. Dr. Alfred Bergin ~ First author of Swedish foundational 1869 Smoky Valley Swedish Augustana Lutheran history ~ For 1909 and 1919, the 40th and 50th Bethany Lutheran Church founding anniversaries.
To learn more about his daughter's, Mrs. Ruth Billdt's 1965 book, "Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas," renamed from her father's book of 1909 "Lindsborg, Bidrag Till Svenskarnas och Den Lutherska Kyrkans Historia i Smoky Hill River Dalen," go HERE, and for Mrs. Billdt's and Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg's 1969 book, "Lindsborg, After Fifty Years" renamed from Mrs. Billdt's father's 1919 "Lindsborg, Efter Femtio Ӓr," go HERE.
To learn more about his daughter's, Mrs. Ruth Billdt's 1965 book, "Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas," renamed from her father's book of 1909 "Lindsborg, Bidrag Till Svenskarnas och Den Lutherska Kyrkans Historia i Smoky Hill River Dalen," go HERE, and for Mrs. Billdt's and Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg's 1969 book, "Lindsborg, After Fifty Years" renamed from Mrs. Billdt's father's 1919 "Lindsborg, Efter Femtio Ӓr," go HERE.
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"Let Us Celebrate Them"
* * *
Swedes: TheWayTheyWere
~ restoring lost local histories ~
reconnecting past to present
* * *
All color photography throughout Swedes: The Way They Were is by Fran Cochran unless otherwise indicated.
Copyright © since October 8, 2015 to Current Year
as indicated on main menu sections of
www.swedesthewaytheywere.org. All rights reserved.
"Let Us Celebrate Them"
* * *
Swedes: TheWayTheyWere
~ restoring lost local histories ~
reconnecting past to present
* * *
All color photography throughout Swedes: The Way They Were is by Fran Cochran unless otherwise indicated.
Copyright © since October 8, 2015 to Current Year
as indicated on main menu sections of
www.swedesthewaytheywere.org. All rights reserved.
