In
short, most Swedes went to the Mid-West. The abundance
and availability of land in the expanding western
states attracted the most Swedish immigrants, especially
Minnesota and Illinois. Swedish settlement can generally
be described as a western movement. At first, the
immigrants took up available land in Illinois and
Minnesota, creating bases of Swedish settlement.
As the immigration continued, land became available
further west, causing the Swedes to settle in Kansas,
the Dakotas, and beyond. The growth of Swedish population
in the western states can be seen [see Table 1]
around the turn of the century and into the 1930s.
Also near the turn of the century, a general disbursement
of Swedes took place as they immigrated to industrial
cities throughout the United States. A more specific
analysis of the settlement patterns can be done
by dividing the country into sections; New England,
the Mid-West, the South, and the Pacific.
Settlement patterns
of New England Swedes were much different than their
counterparts in the Mid-West. In New England, Swedes
mainly concentrated in the cities and industrial
centers. Only in Maine did the majority of Swedes
live in rural areas. The population of Swedes in
New England grew dramatically during the 1880s and
1890s as they came in search of factory jobs. In
Massachusetts, Swedes were scattered throughout
the cities, but Worcester served as their nucleus.
By 1930, over eight percent of Worcester was either
first or second generation Swede.(10) The
Swedes came to Worcester relatively late. In 1870
there were only 19 Swedish immigrants, but by 1930,
the combined population of Swedish born residents
and their American-born offspring rose to over 16,000.
They were attracted to the area because of an abundance
of manufacturing jobs. Nearly 50% of the Norton
Company's grinding and emery factory employees were
Swedish. There were also significant numbers of
Swedes in New York. This is not surprising because
New York was the main port of entry for immigrants,
and many simply stayed. New York was very important
because it was the first experience of America for
the new immigrants. In the 1830s, the Swedish Society
of New York was founded to provide help for Swedish
arrivals. There were also a number of men who offered
their assistance to the new immigrants for a price.
These people, called runners or agents, often swindled
new arrivals out of money or stole their luggage.
"Hardly a ship with immigrants on board had a chance
to enter New York harbor before a flock of these
persons, known as runners, put in their appearance,"(11)
said one immigrant. Once past the initial bombardment
of agents, the immigrants either made plans to travel
west, or settled in New York. Initially, many Swedes
settled in Manhattan, but migrated to Brooklyn as
Manhattan became more business oriented.
As
mentioned earlier, the majority of Swedish immigrants
settled in the Mid-West. Illinois and Minnesota
boasted the highest numbers of Swedes, but large
number also went to Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, and
Wisconsin as land in Illinois and Minnesota was
already claimed. In Illinois, Chicago became the
choice destination for many Swedes because, from
Chicago, they could gain access to available farmland
elsewhere in the state. Many arrived in Chicago
before migrating to the prairie land because transportation
between New York and Chicago was already established.
The journey to Illinois is described by H. Arnold
Barton as taking two to six weeks. "Most, arriving
in New York, traveled by river and lake steamer
and horse-drawn canal boat, sometimes with short
connections by railroad, up the Hudson River to
Albany, through the Erie Canal to Buffalo, on the
Great Lakes to Chicago…"(12) The Swedish
immigrant, Gustaf Unonius, described his ship ride
west as "A disorderly mess," where everyone was
"crowding and pushing as if his life depended on
it."(13) Illinois drew early immigrants
and became a "home base" for newly arriving Swedes
and those looking for land further west. The impact
of the western movement can be seen on Illinois
towns such as Jolliet and Lockport. At one time,
Lockport had a large Swedish population but it diminished
over time as the Swedes moved westward. The Grand
Prairie District of the state, consisting of towns
such as Rankin, Gibson City, Beaverville, and Wenona,
also drew many Swedes. After the turn of the century,
people in these settlements moved to larger towns
such as Aurora and Elgin. Winnebago County boasted
the highest Swedish population in all of Illinois.
Swedes centered in the town of Rockford because
of the industrial opportunities offered in the local
furniture making factories. Many Swedes worked in
factories making furniture, while others established
their own companies, such as the Rockford Chair
and Furniture Company founded in 1882 by a Swedish
immigrant named Peterson.
Minnesota's Swedish
population rivaled that of Illinois. Immigrants
were drawn to the state's vast farmland and as well
as it's industrialized cities. Swedes were the most
numerous of all foreign born in the state. Chisago
and Isanti counties had the largest concentration
of Swedes in America.(14) Swedes were attracted
to Chisago County because it's forested lands were
reminescent of the wooded areas of Sweden. The first
Swedes, arriving in 1851, decided to stay because
they preferred the forested area to the prairie
land available in other counties. The population
of the county increased dramatically in the late
19th century, and by 1910, 75% of the inhabitants
of the county were of Swedish decent.(15)
Immigrants were also attracted to the sister cities
of St. Paul and Minneapolis. These cities had burgeoning
industries that attracted Swedes in search of factory
jobs. The cities were located near many agricultural
centers with large populations of Swedes, so when
agriculture was unable to sustain the settlers,
they moved to the cities in search of work. Swedes
went from comprising 6.8 % of Minneapolis in 1880,
to 15.8 % in 1890.
Other Mid-Western
states, such as Iowa, Kansas, Wisconsin, and Michigan
received large numbers of Swedes as well. These
states drew settlers from older Swedish settlements
in Illinois and Minnesota as well as new immigrants
coming directly from Sweden. Iowa's New Sweden is
the first permanent settlement of Swedes in the
19th century. In 1869, Swedes in search of religious
freedom, founded the Lindsborg Settlement. Lumbering
and iron mines drew many Swedes into Michigan. The
settlement of Swedes in Michigan was different than
in other Mid-West states. Instead of mostly settling
on farms, 65.7% of Michigan Swedes lived in cities.(16)
Although the majority of Swedes who came to the
Mid-West did so in search of cheap land, the region
also drew many Swedes who were looking for industrial
opportunities. The cities in the Mid-West offered
a place to find work when the farms were no longer
able to sustain their inhabitants.
The
southern region of the United States drew the least
amount of Swedish immigrants. Depression, lack of
industrialization, and the Civil War repelled millions
of European immigrants who arrived in the 19th century.
Only Florida and Texas drew significant numbers
of Swedes. It seems that Florida's mild climate
was appealing to some Swedes who settled throughout
the state. Most of the Swedes lived in cities; only
15% were rural farm workers.(17) Alabama
had one Swedish colony, Silverhill, which was founded
in the 1890s. By 1910, Silverhill had 252 Swedish-born
residents and 202 American-born children.(18)
Besides Florida and Texas, Oklahoma drew more Swedes
because it was the most industrially developed state
in the South. Generally speaking, Swedes in the
South were more likely to spread out. Also, second-generation
Swedes were more numerous because they spread out
from their original settlements in the north. Texas
stands out from the rest of the southern states
because of immigration stimulated by assisted passage.
Sven Magnus Swenson, a Swede who arrived in Texas
in 1838, established a Swedish presence by founding
a hotel and a grocery store. His establishment attracted
some Swedes, as well as the assisted passage scheme
set up by one of his relatives. Despite the Swedes
who settled in Florida and Texas, the South failed
to draw a significant number of Swedes during the
19th and early 20th centuries.
The American West
also failed to draw as many Swedes as the Mid-West,
but as the homestead land of the Mid-West became
exhausted, westward expansion brought more and more
swedes to the region. The Gold Rush of the 1850s
attracted some Swedes creating a Swedish base in
the west. One Swedish immigrant described the situation
in a letter; "Up to now the others [Swedish gold-seekers]
have stayed in the area around here, so that we
are presently a large number of Swedes and Norwegians,
including those who were here before and have come
after us; we meet together in friendship and harmony,
and help each other with digging and washing gold."(19)
In 1850, there were 162 Swedes in California. Ten
years later there were more than 1,400, which was
the fifth highest in the nation. At the turn of
the century the westward movement was well underway
and many Swedes who previously settled in the east
or Mid-West migrated to California. In 1900, 5.6%
of all Swedish-born immigrants in America were in
California, and by 1910, that number rose to 10.3%.
Swedish immigration
to America was a significantly large movement that
began in the 17th century and was dramatically amplified
in the 19th century. The search for economic opportunity
by way of trade, land, or jobs drew over one million
Swedes to America. Swedes have contributed greatly
to this country, including early colonization in
the 17th century that played a critical role in
the creation of America as we know it today. Swedes
helped settle the western lands of the United States
by fighting the elements on rural homesteads far
away from civilization. One Swedish pioneer in Kansas
wrote this to her mother; "It was so cold, so cold,
the week before Christmas, that we never felt the
likes of it in Sweden. We have a thermometer with
us from Sweden which cannot show anything lower
than minus twenty-five degrees, but it was below
that; we don't know how many degrees, but Gustaf's
watch, which was in his vest pocket in among his
clothes, stopped one night from the cold…it was
terrible."(20) Despite the difficult journeys,
the Swedes persevered and established themselves
and their culture throughout the country. In Canada
and the United States, there are over 300 Swedish
place names that will forever mark the impact of
the Swedish-Americans.
By
Rickie Lazzerini
Historian
BA History
University of California, Santa Barbara
Index
of Historical Reviews
© 2005 Rickie Lazzerini,
All Rights Reserved
This page may be freely linked to but may not
be reproduced
in any form without prior written consent from
the author.
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