THE ALLEN COUNTY SWEDISH PEOPLE
As the lands of the west began opening up to those
peoples who lived in the eastern part of the United States, a large number of
people of Swedish ethnicity began their trek west. Many Swedes came directly to the Kansas Territories from Sweden,
but hundreds more came from older Swedish settlements in Illinois. Among these families are two of my ancestor
families.
My great grandmother was Sophia Johanna Boo. She was the daughter of Andrus Boo who had
been born in Dimbo, Skaraborg, Sweden in 1822, and Britta Christina Johnston
born in Varv, Skaraborg, Sweden in 1821.
Their children: John August, Gust A., Tura Albert, Maria, Clara, Anna
Charlotte and Sophia Johanna were all born in Sweden and immigrated to the
United States when Sophia was about 4 years of age, which would have made them
come to America ca 1868.
It is not known at this time where they settled upon
arrival in America but they came to Kansas at some point and lived in Allen
County. Andrus and Maria Christina are
both buried at the Lutheran Cemetery in Savonburg, thus my interest in the life
of the Swedes in Allen County.
The
following information has been taken from:
"The History of the Founding and Growth of the Swedish
Settlement in Allen County"* written by Carl E. Tyler as a
thesis. Published August 1938 by Kansas
State Teachers College, Pittsburg, KS.
(Kansas State Teachers College is now called Pittsburg State University)
In Tyler's thesis he stated that "Groups of
colonists came from Galesburg (IL)" and settled near where the railroad
lines had opened up. Many settled along
land in Saline and McPherson counties and along the L.L.& G. Railroad lines
in Allen County.
Another group led by Dr. C. Gran who had lived in
Henry County, IL found the Neosho Valley ideally suitable and settled in that
area in the 1860's. Tyler states that
people from the Farmersville and Knoxville, IL areas were among the very first
settlers of Allen County. This theory
is very familiar to me because this is the story I have heard for years about
where my family came from once they came to America, but I haven't found any
proof yet.
Tyler has quoted the source for his information as
coming from "Semi-Centennial Manual of the Swedish Evangelical Friends
Home Congregation, 1872-1922" by the Rev. F. E. Sard and published by
Augustana Book Concern, Rock Island, IL, no date. The Allen County settlers
greatly desired a formal religious service to be held in their area and began
working to that end. In early 1872 a congregation
called the Friends Home Church was begun and by September 1872 the Friends Home
Church was received into the Augustana Synod at Galesburg, IL.
Tyler writes, "The organization owns no
unquestionable record of charter members.
However, it appears from church registers, records and so forth, that
the following must have been charter members or have joined the congregation
before the first of May the same year:" (1872)
Below are the names Tyler listed in his thesis as
being charter members:
* Swen Olson, his wife Hanna and 7 children
* Olaf Nelson, his wife Inga and 4 children
* Nels Olson, his wife Anna and 8 children
* W.S. Holmes, his wife Karna and 7 children
* J.H. Johnson, his wife Elna and 3 children
* J.B. Johnson, his wife Ingjar and 4 children
* P. Hocanson, his wife Johanna and 1 child
* Lars Lauren and his wife Lorentina Cathrina
* A.G. Ryden and his wife Emma
* Peter Anderson and his wife Anna
* Nils Eilerston, Charles Nelson, Hans Laurens
Laurin, Christian Overgaard, Jonas Walqvist, Ola Anderson and Caroline Holmes.
Not all in this group were Swedes. Peter Anderson and wife; Nils Eilerson and
Christian Overgaard were Danes
(footnote 1: Tyler, Carl.
"The History of the Founding and Growth of the Swedish Settlement
in Allen County; published August, 1938 by Kansas State Teachers College. Chapter ll, page 12.
*This book may be obtained through interlibrary loan
from Southeast Kansas Library System in Iola, KS.
Contributed by Lonna Nevil
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