THE SOUTH in
Three states, ten pages, two cover stories NOVEMBER 15, 2018 1
We were able to introduce three states in the south from a variety of angles to our 26,000 readers. All based on input from local Swedish Louisiana Consul Cecilia Kjellgren and on research and phone interviews in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Sweden. The features follow here:
Southern hospitality, the Swedish way Traipsing through swampy forests with insects and temperatures well over 90 throughout the summer may not be on our minds when we think of Swedish immigration. But for groups of Swedish settlers in the South this must have been a reality. Early settlers sought a milder climate and fertile soil for growing food while others arrived there to work in the growing pulp and paper industry. In his book “The Swedish Heritage in America,” Allan Kastrup notes that “the most surprising feature of the Swedish-born population in the South was perhaps its wide dispersal,” adding that over half the counties in Alabama, South Carolina and Virginia had Swedish settlers as early as 1930. Florida, which Nordstjernan covered earlier this year, at the same time had no less than 55 of its 67 counties settled by Swedes. Even though each family had its own farm or small business, the settlers always worked together. As soon as enough families settled in any given area, 3 NORDSTJERNAN
there was soon a school, a church, a city hall and a police station, often built by the town’s inhabitants.
Swedes build a southern legacy
Some of the foremost contributions by Swedishtrained chemical engineers and businessmen in the pulp and paper industry during the early- to mid1900s were made in the American South. The area was choice for developing an abundant supply of fast-growing pine, ideal for the establishment of the sulfate or kraft industry which in contrast to sulfite mills could use pine as raw material to make packag-
ing materials. (The sulfate process was developed in Sweden and Germany in the early 1880s but didn’t arrive in the U.S. until well into the 20th century.) The largest pulp and paper operation in America in the 1920s, the Bogalusa Paper Company in Bogalusa, Louisiana, hired a man from Småland, Gunnar W.E. Nicholson, to run its operations in 1927. The technical director at the time was also Swedish born, Richard Låftman, educated at the Örebro Technical School. (The Bogalusa Paper Mill is still in operation, owned by International Paper and employing approximately 400 workers.) NOVEMBER 15, 2018 3
feature Continued from previous page Alabama is among the top 10 manufacturing states to this day; and when weighing only employment, the same is true about Mississippi. When it comes to Sweden’s present impact on the three coastal states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, close to 12,000 jobs are supported by Swedish interests, and the value of exports to Sweden is in excess of $100 million. Swedish roots go deep in certain areas.
Southern Swedish settlements
Between Birmingham and Montgomery is Thorsby, Alabama. Thorsby was settled in 1895 and incorporated in 1901 by Scandinavian immigrants - three Swedes and one Norwegian - who had originally settled in the midwestern United States but headed south seeking a milder climate and fertile soil. One of those settlers was Theodore T. Thorson, for whom the town was eventually named (the suffix “by” means village in Swedish). The town grew quickly, with two hotels, a sawmill and lumber company, and two wineries built within the first couple years. Thorsby was declared a promised land for northerners looking to relocate to a warmer climate, suitable for farming and better health. The fertile soil of the southern states produced grapes in large numbers, along with other fruits such as strawberries, and the peaches for which Thorsby’s Chilton County is famous. The founders formed the Concordia Land and Improvement Association and began advertising in New England newspapers about the “utopia” they had discovered in the southeastern United States. Many traveled by railroad to purchase a tract of land and start a better life. Thorsby affec-
tionately became known as the little “Swede town” by locals. Although not many Scandinavian descendant remain in Thorsby today, the town of about 2,000 residents celebrates its heritage each October with a Swedish festival. Laura Liveoak, whose family moved to Thorsby for its school system, has run the festival for 25 years. She says it’s hard to say how many visit the town for the Viking 5k race, the beauty pageant and parade, a car show and the many vendors: “There’s no entrance fee and people from neighboring counties just come and go all the time,” Liveoak says. “I was at one point asked by one of our vendors and estimated it at around 2,000 and he just laughed, saying ‘you have no idea, have you?’ and claiming it was much higher than that.” It was the festival’s 30th anniversary this year, initially founded to raise money for uniforms for the
school band and always celebrated on the second Saturday in October. All activities are family oriented and while there were no meatballs served this year, they used to be a staple at the festival and groups from Sweden have been known to perform. Silverhill, another town southeast of Mobile, Alabama and just west of the border to the Florida Panhandle was founded in 1897 by Oscar Johnson, C.O. Carlson and C.A. Valentin of Chicago, Illinois. Johnson, an immigrant from Dalarna, Sweden, founded The Svea Land Company in Chicago, which advertised land for sale in Silverhill. Scandinavian settlers came to Silverhill from virtually every state in the Union and began the development of what is now the Silverhill district. The name was derived from the hill where the turpentine still was located, at which workers were paid in silver money - hence the name Silverhill. For more memories preserved from Silverhill, see Immigrant Stories in our next issue!
Louisiana’s founding fathers
In Louisiana, the very first Swede to land in New Orleans met with the founding French father JeanBaptiste, Sieur de Bienville, in 1721. Frederick Darensbourg was a Swedish officer who became the commandant of the Germans for 40 years in Des Allemande, Louisiana. He also fought with the French militia trying to scare off the Spanish, but they spared his life due to his old age - he was 84 at the time. His great grandson Jacques Phillippe Villeré (1761-1830) was the second governor of Louisiana after it became a state. He was the first Creole and the first native of Louisiana to hold that office. Jacques’ mother was Louise Marguerite de la Chaise, daughter of Jacques de la Chaise and granddaughter, on her mother’s side, of the Chevalier Charles Frederick Darensbourg. And there were more. For the past 300 years, the Gulf Coast port city has received people from around the world seeking new lives and prospects, including notable people from Sweden. The Westfeldt Brothers coffee importers, one of the nation’s first green coffee importers, was founded by Vice Consul Gustavus Adolphus George Westfeldt, who emigrated from Sweden to Mobile, Alabama in 1835. The business was originally founded there in 1844 but changed names after two brothers joined George in partnership in 1851. The headquarters moved to New Orleans in 1870 where today a fifth generation - Thomas Duggan Westfeldt II - works as CEO and a sixth generation - Shelby Westfeldt Mills - is president. (www.westfeldtcoffee.com)
Hammond’s Crossing
5k race during Thorsby Swedish Festival. Photo: Glenn Littleton 4 NORDSTJERNAN
During the Battle of New Orleans, another Swede, Peder Hammond sailed across the ocean from Hammerdal, Jämtland where he was born. He left Sweden in 1812 but did not reach Louisiana until 1818 due to the War of 1812. Since the ship he was on came from neutral Sweden, two flags were flown: Whenever they sighted an American ship they would raise an American flag, and when they sighted a British ship,
they raised a British flag. At one point they sighted a ship they thought was British and raised the British flag, but when they pulled alongside the vessel they discovered it was American. They were immediately taken as prisoners, and Hammond took the oath of allegiance to the United States and promised to fight with them rather than become a prisoner of war. They were eventually taken over by a British ship. Everyone was captured and taken to England, held as prisoners at Dartmoor. After several years in captivity, there was a riot at the prison, and Hammond was able to escape; he left again for the Americas. When he arrived in New Orleans, he saw the pine forests of Louisiana and realized the potential that existed there. For only a few cents an acre he was able to purchase a large tract of land from the government and began to grow trees, which he made into masts, charcoal and other products for the maritime industry in New Orleans. In those days transportation in Louisiana was mainly by water, and he transported down the Natalbany River at Springfield, Louisiana. The tract of land from Hammond’s plantation to the
port at Natalbany River in Springfield was one of the first paths to access the area. It came to be known as Peter’s Trail. The New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad came through the area in 1854, making the city a commercial and transport center. The point where the railroad met Peter’s Trail to Springfield was at first known as Hammond’s Crossing, and he soon became a wealthy man. He owned over 30 slaves but was said to be a very kind master. During the years between 1830 and 1859 the Hammond area, about 50 miles northwest of New Orleans, became a well populated countryside. Hammond ran a commissary, bringing in supplies by ox team from Springfield. People including Native Americans came from all over to buy for cash or to trade furs or other products. He was a philanthropist who worked for the betterment of his community. During the Civil War, Hammond lost most of his property except his land. Two old slaves stayed with the family, Uncle Gabe and Aunt Patsy. The cautious Swede had buried some money, gold and paper, but termites ate the paper money, and he was basically
broke and had to start over. Peter Hammond and Caroline Tucker had eight children. In 1870, at the age of 72, Peter died from an infection caused by the arsenic spray he had used on his fields. He is buried under the Hammond Oak in their small family cemetery in Hammond, Louisiana, the town he founded. A total of nine graves are there, including his grave and that of his wife, three daughters and his favorite slave boy. The site was given the first official state historic marker in Louisiana and was dedicated by Lieutenant Governor Bill Dodd on October 22, 1950. Around the same time, Swedish opera star Jenny Lind came to New Orleans. Jenny Lind, often known as the Swedish Nightingale was one of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century. At the height of her fame she was persuaded by the showman P. T. Barnum to undertake a long tour of the United States, and in 1850-1851, Lind came to New Orleans several times where she was greatly loved and welcomed with enthusiasm.
Swedes in New Orleans New Orleans’ roots in jazz and blues and the arts go as deep and long as the waters of the mighty Mississippi River. It’s no wonder relatively many Swedes made New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA) their home, historically as well as in our time. A melting pot of music
Nowadays, we think of New Orleans as the birthplace of jazz, a new kind of music in the early 1900s that developed over time - through the meeting, mixing and melding of many cultures, emotions and skills of the inhabitants of this vibrant southern city.
Nowadays we also continue to celebrate Swedish influences in contemporary music. Two musicians were recently recognized by the Preservation Hall Foundation for being Master Practitioners who have contributed immensely to local jazz and culture in New Orleans: Lars Edegran and Orange Kellin were both born in Sweden but call New Orleans home.
Lousiana Landscapes Swedish painter and woodcarver, Knute August Heldner (1875–1952), was born in Vederslöv in Småland, Sweden and spent the latter part of his professional career in New Orleans, gaining national and international recognition for his Louisiana landscapes. Heldner’s formal training was at Karlskrona Technical School and the National Royal Academy of Stockholm. He immigrated to the U.S. around 1902, arriving in Boston and moving to the Midwest, where he worked and continued his art education at the Minneapolis School of Fine Art and Chicago Art Institute. By the mid-1920s, Heldner began spending his winters in New Orleans where Cabin in the Louisiana Bayou by Knute Heldner he painted scenes from life in the French Quarter and Louisiana landscapes. He was a charter member of the New Orleans Art League, taught painting at the New Orleans Art School and was showing his art in galleries in Sweden, Paris and the U.S. Heldner had a home in New Orleans (he lived above Preservation Hall in the French Quarter) from the late 20s until his death in 1952.
Theresa Andersson photographed for Swedish News by Nate Bressler.
Lars Edegran plays the piano, guitar and banjo. Born in Stockholm, Edegran studied at Juilliard in New York for two years and later worked at a record company in Chicago. As part of a wave of European musicians who moved to New Orleans, Edegran arrived in 1965. On his first day in the Big Easy, he entered Preservation Hall and was welcomed with open arms – and has periodically played with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band ever since. Örjan “Orange” Kellin grew up in Ljungby, Sweden, listening to the pop music of the day: jazz. His first encounter with a New Orleans record “was like a bomb went off. It was comNOVEMBER 15, 2018 5
feature Continued from previous page pletely different than anything else I’d heard.” He came to the U.S in the 1960s, and has played and made recordings, served as musical director and celebrated onstage with Louis Armstrong on his 70th birthday. In 2010, Kellin formed the New Orleans Deluxe Orchestra, an eight-piece group that resurrects music from the early 1900s with an emphasis on New Orleans jazz.
Swedes on tour
Singer-songwriter Anders Osborne was born in 1966 in Uddevalla, Sweden. He left Sweden as a teen and traveled all over the world before landing in New Orleans in 1985, making the Big Easy his home and mixing the eccentricities of the city into his music. His guitar work, songwriting and soulful vocals have brought him local fame and successful tours. After years of struggle, he has earned many additional fans as his recovery from addiction have benefited his music making and his colleagues in the industry. His program, called Send Me a Friend, pairs volunteers with musicians — for whom venues with bars are usually the workplace — trying to stay sober on the road and keep working. Osborne has released 15 albums and is currently touring the U.S. In 1990, Theresa Andersson was 18 and left Gotland, Sweden to join Anders Osborne in the Big Easy. She fell in love with the city and has lived there ever since. Inspired by the likes of Duke Ellington and Gil Evans, Allen Toussaint and
At the second annual Legacy Program Awards Ceremony on October 17, the Preservation Hall Foundation recognized outstanding musicians in New Orleans: Swedes Orange Kellin (left) and Lars Edegran (right), the 2018 Preservation Hall Legacy Program Inductees. The master practitioners are both residents of and active musicians in the Big Easy; they are shown here with Swedish Honorary Consul in New Orleans Cecilia Kjellgren.
Our stories from the Swedish South will continue in our next issue, No. 17. Betty Harris, Andersson is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has built an impressive network through her musicianship. In the U.S. she has learned several new instruments, including the drums and mountain dulcimer, and has performed with several well-known musicians, on television
and in movies. Andersson has released more than 50 recordings.
Other notable NOLA Swedes
Gustavus Schmidt was born in 1795 in Sweden. He joined the navy and in 1815 left for the United States where he established himself as a lawyer in Richmond, Virginia. In 1830 he left for New Orleans and by 1841 Schmidt had established the first law journal in the state of Louisiana and in the deep south: the Louisiana Law Journal. His journal, unlike any other law journal published in the United States but very similar to that of his brother Carl’s, had an international focus. In 1844, Schmidt established the Louisiana Law School, the first law school in the state; and in 1851 he published The Civil Law of Spain and Mexico, one of the first works on comparative law. For the 1884 World’s Fair in New Orleans, Swedish born architect Gustav M. Torgerson designed the Cotton Centennial Exposition’s main building. It was the largest of its kind and the exterior was to echo the towers, arches and turrets of the Louvre Museum in Paris. The interior exhibit halls had few obstructions, and the huge Music Hall at the building’s center could seat 11,000 people in the audience and 600 on the stage. For the first time at a world’s fair, elevators took visitors to upper floors, and electric lights illuminated the structures and grounds allowing the exposition to remain open until 9 p.m. In 1902, Swedish artist Thure de Thulstrup was commissioned to paint a large image for the St. Louis World’s Fair, commemorating the transfer of the Louisiana Territory from France to the United States. The painting, Hoisting American Colors, Louisiana Cession, 1803, was well received and has been on continuous display in the Cabildo Museum since the founding of the Louisiana State Museum. Artist Bror Anders Wikstrom made a name for himself as a prominent artist who took charge of creating the floats and decorations during the early decades of Carnival. Born in Sweden in 1854, Wikstrom came to New Orleans in 1883, and it wasn’t long before he was elevating the extravaganza of Mardi Gras through his fantastical designs for early krewes; he served as the chief designer behind 20 floats and hundreds of costumes. He also founded the New Orleans Artists Association in 1885, one of the civic groups that sparked the Delgado Museum of Art (NOMA) in 1910, and was a popular landscape and marine painter and sculptor. 6 NORDSTJERNAN
Anders Osborne (above) on tour; and (below) 2018 Jenny Lind scholarship recipient Kine Sandtrø performs near the Jenny Lind portrait at the Williams Research Center in New Orleans.
Photo: Onni Wiljami Kinnunen
Sweden’s impact in the southern states
I
Swedish global steelmaker SSAB will invest another approximately SEK 1 billion ($115 million) in the company’s steel mill in Mobile, Alabama.
n our most recent issue we covered how Swedes settled in the southern states, often encountering a very different environment than their brethren in the North and Midwest. The earliest settler arrived to Louisiana already in 1721 while two Alabama cities were settled by Scandinavians in the late 19th century. For an account by a daughter of one of the original settlers of Silver Hill, AL turn to page 22. Swedish interests today support nearly 12,000 jobs in the three coastal states—Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama—and the value of exports to Sweden is in excess of $100 million. The Lousiana company Westfeldt Brothers, in business importing coffee since 1851 and now run by a sixth generation Westfeldt, was no doubt once part of the statistics. In more recent years, Swedes have started businesses ranging from cafés to forestry equipment, to steelmills. Recently AT&T announced its new mobile 5G strategy for a variety of southern states. One of its main tech suppliers is Swedish telecom company Ericsson. Some other recent Swede stories:
Swedish steel in the South
SSAB Americas, part of Swedish global steelmaker SSAB, which has production facilities in Sweden, Finland and the U.S., is moving its U.S.
headquarters to Mobile, Alabama. Early projections estimated the move could bring up to 60 new jobs to Mobile. The move is in progress, a temporary office is up and running in downtown Mobile, the administrative office at the mill is being expanded and the present Chicago office is expected to close at the end of March 2019. When the decision was made public in October 2017, Chuck Schmitt, president of SSAB Americas said, “Mobile is a growing community with a booming economy; we are excited to expand our presence in the area as a trusted employer and community partner.” In 2001, the company opened a steel mill in Axis, about 20 minutes north of Mobile, employing 600 people. Schmitt said, "Moving our team to Mobile will ensure that our senior leaders and support staff work in closer proximity to our front-line operations, where key decisions are made for our business and customers.” In late October 2018 the steel manufacturer decided to invest another approximately SEK 1 billion ($115 million) in the company’s steel mill in Mobile, Alabama. “The investment will take place over the period 2019-2021, increasing the annual capacity for quenched and tempered (Q&T) steels in Mobile from 300,000 tonnes to 400,000 tonnes,” the company said in a press release. Investment focuses mainly on three areas; format-
“We are excited to expand our presence in the area as a trusted employer and community partner.” - Chuck Schmitt, SSAB ting, blasting and painting, as well as shipping capacity. “This eliminates bottlenecks in production,” writes SSAB, which calculates the investment repayment period for over four years. The U.S. company also operates a steel mill in Montpelier, IA, has offices in St Paul, MN and Houston, TX and has a total of 1,300 employees in the U.S. True to its vision for a stronger, lighter and more sustainable world, SSAB U.S. was winner of the American Metal Market Award for Steel Excellence in Environmental Responsibility/ Stewardship in 2015, 2017 and 2018. The company was also ranked first in quality among domestic steel plate producers from 2013 through 2017. Its president, Chuck Schmitt, served as Chairman of the American Iron and Steel Institute in 2015-2016 and was awarded the industry’s highest honor, the Gary Memorial Medal, in 2016. With an annual revenue in 2017 of $1.5 billion, the U.S. operation has a production capacity of 2.5 million tons. Continues on next page NOVEMBER 15, 2018 7
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Care for the source
Forestry in the American south is still on the radar for Swedish companies. Earlier this year IKEA Group acquired its first U.S. forest property, covering approximately 25,000 acres in Lowndes County, Alabama. "As a responsible forest owner, we are interested in identifying and applying sustainable management methods that will allow us to preserve and even increase the quality of the forest over time," says Krister Mattsson, head of Financial Asset Management, IKEA Group. The investment is clearly part of a broader strategy to invest in the sustainable production of resources that IKEA Group consumes directly, such as energy, or indirectly through its products (wood raw materials, recycled materials, etc.). IKEA Group also owns more than 250,000 acres of forest land in Europe. "Entering the U.S. market is a milestone for our investments in forests, and we believe we will learn a lot here while implementing our long-term approach to forest management and applying for the Forest Stewardship Council certification,” Mattsson said. IKEA Group has partnered with Campbell Global, a leader in sustainable timberland and natural resource investment, to oversee and operate the property.
Tending/nursing? the forest
Another Swedish company, Haglöf Sweden, which manufactures a full range of precision measurement solutions used by forestry professionals, opened a subsidiary in Madison, Mississippi in 1981. The company with headquarters and production in Långsele, a small village outside Sollefteå in northern Sweden, is a world leader on all kinds of instruments and tools for forest survey, management, testing and control work. While all research, development and production is located at the Sollefteå headquarters, 80 percent of the company’s production is exported with roughly 25 percent of the total volume passing through the Madison sales and service center. The parent company, which was sold to the Swedish investment company Lifco in 2017, turned 75 this year. Its former principal owner,
Above: Haglöf Sweden’s U.S. office on Sollefteå Drive in Madison, Mississippi and right, its Långsele based global headquarters. Photo: Jonas Wikner
Ingvar Haglöf, started the Madison subsidiary himself 37 years ago. At the time Madison was a sleepy suburb to nearby Jackson where one of Haglöf’s main U.S. distributors is located, but Haglöf says this about the move: “Although Atlanta, Georgia where we started was small compared to today’s metropolis, it was a major city and I felt Madison was more in line with our origin and a good start for actually making a difference to the community. As for why in the south, it was simple; while most forestry related companies traditionally ended up in Washington and Oregon, the most promising growth industry was in the south where a pine has a rotation time of about 20 years, compared to what we were used to in Sweden’s north: 119 years.”
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Haglöf’s patented technology and manufacturing know-how combined with an experienced production team have made it one of the most respected brand names in the business. Ingvar Haglöf, son of the founder of Haglöfs Mekaniska, which was founded in Mora, Sweden in 1943, took over from his father in 1971 and moved the company to Långsele, Sollefteå further north where he had worked in
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the machinery and foundry industry. His strategy from the start was to introduce one new product every year as long as the previous year’s introduction broke even during its first year on the market. The company took off with its principal owner constantly developing and knocking on doors—to the main forest company of the area, SCA, or the agricultural college nearby to find out more about their needs and potential distributors in Sweden and abroad. It became clear to Haglöf at an early stage that Sweden or even the Nordic countries could not sustain the kind of development he saw, and he started looking west already in the 1970s. The partnership with Madison has come a long way since 1981. Its mayor, “Mayor Mary” Hawkins Butler, who was first elected when Haglöf was established in the town, is serving her ninth consecutive four-year term as mayor. Butler was recognized in 1998 by Sister Cities International as having the “Best First Year Program Worldwide” for cities under 100,000. Sister City in Sweden? Where else but Sollefteå, a city which has been a constant source of inspiration for the successful mayor. She was also named Member First Class of the Royal Order of the Polar Star by the King of Sweden in 2004. Madison was the first recipient city in the United States to have a 100 percent foreign-financed business incubator with assistance from the European Union. Ingvar Haglöf was made honorary town citizen and has the keys to the town where he and his family lived permanently for some time while establishing the business in the early 1980s. For more info, see www.ssab.com www.ikea.com www.haglofsweden.com
Photo: Cecilia Kjellgren
From subsidiary to sister city
Hans Karlsson, who went on his bike through South America, on his preferred means of transportation.
Life Made Sweder (where it really counts)
The “Wettex disk trasa,” a Swedish invention, will make life much Sweder in the kitchen - guaranteed! 6 3/4” x 8”, machine washable (use it over and over again) 100% biodegradeable. Two designs: God Jul for Christmas and Life Made Sweder for all year round. Mix and match designs, get five cloths for $20.
Destination New Orleans
It goes without saying that you'll find industrious Swedes everywhere, and in the south you'll find the big names such as H&M, Ericsson, ABB and others, but walking down Saint Charles Avenue in New Orleans, you'll be unable to miss the Swedish run Trolley Stop Cafe. The story? During the early 1950s, Swedish-born Hans Karlsson arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana with the clothes on his back and some change in his pockets. For decades, he worked a variety of jobs to save money to start his own business. Eventually, in 1994, Hans met the Cascio family (Lucian, Connie and Keith), and together they began to build a restaurant that would provide good southern food in large portions for an affordable price. The Karlsson-Cascio vision was realized in February 1995 when The Trolley Stop Cafe opened. For 22 years, the Karlsson-Cascio team ran the cafe on Saint Charles Avenue in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans. In January 2017 Hans’ son and grandson, Paul and Ragnar Karlsson, bought the restaurant to ensure the popular breakfast and lunch spot continued to be family owned and the founders’ vision of good food at affordable prices continued. Frequented by locals and tourists alike, the cafe is a renowned New Orleans destination for visitors from across the United States. And the Westfeldt Brothers coffee importers? The company was one of the nation’s first green coffee importers, founded by vice-consul Gustavus Adolphus George Westfeldt, who emigrated from Sweden to Mobile, Alabama in 1835. The business was originally founded there in 1844 but changed names after two brothers joined George in partnership in 1851. The headquarters moved to New Orleans, Lousiana in 1870 where today a fifth generation Westfeldt, Thomas Duggan Westfeldt II, works as CEO and a sixth generation, Shelby Westfeldt Mills, as president. UBM For more info, see www.thetrolleystopcafe.com, www.westfeldtcoffee.com
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Immigrant Stories
The settlers of Silver Hill: Elvera Armstrong Interviews with Silverhill, Alabama residents were conducted by Lennart Setterdahl in 1978. This is an excerpt from “Memories Preserved, Vol II” Scandinavians in Alabama by Lilly Setterdahl. Long-time Silverhill resident Elvera Armstrong, a daughter of Oscar Johnson, recalled the day she came to the settlement. Traveling by horse and wagon from Mobile Bay, the small party encountered people in another rig, who shot at them. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Having arrived in Silverhill unannounced at 2 a.m., she saw the whole area ablaze. The large trees were burning, stumps and all. "Mother cried out, 'I think we are going to hell,'
Elvera remembered. "She went out in the woods, sat down on a stump and cried. I don't blame her." Their home was not finished. "There was nothing inside," she said. Another family also lived in the house. The women had to do the cooking for the men in the turpentine factory. The food was served on long tables. "Grandpa kept the pigs away. They were hungry." Elvera said her grandfather did not work "a day in his life" after he came to this country, but he helped with whatever he could. Elvera's mother liked it better in Chicago where the family had rented a flat with a bathroom on West 22nd Street on the south side. The last job Mr. Johnson had in Chicago was at Wells French Car and Foundry Company. Elvera related an experience he had while he was the foreman for the division. Following a flash flood, "The sewage got stopped up and something was wrong down there. He was washed down through a big pipe. No one knew until they asked for him. Mother did not know until the next morning. She went there,
Entrance to the Oscar Johnson Park, Silverhill, named after Elvera’s father.
and they told her Dad was working. Mother said, 'I don't want to know if he's here. I want to see him.' The experience may have contributed to the Johnson family's decision to leave Chicago, but Elvera said her father foresaw the crash of 1893. He knew he was going to be laid off, so he quit his job. He wanted to get away from the cold winters. Being a machinist, he wished to open a machine shop down south, and he traveled back and forth between Chicago and Alabama for a few years. In about 1895, Elvera accompanied her mother and sister on a visit to Sweden. Mrs. Johnson came from a family of 10 children, eight of whom lived in Sweden; her father was a shoemaker and farmer. Elvera remembered picking wild strawberries along the railroad tracks and attending a service in Karlskoga Church, where her mother had been confirmed. She recalled they didn't visit her father's birthplace. "There was no one left there," she said. "They were either in America or in Australia."
A town grows
All the Silverhill settlers bought their land on time. They started with 40 acres. "When a farmer had 40 acres that was something. Now they can't make a living on 40 acres," Elvera said. As the children grew up, they often had to move to find jobs. "They went to Mobile to get a job. They paid whatever they could. Dad bought most of the land from Dr. Slosson. If someone could not pay and wanted to leave, Dad took over. Oftentimes I wonder where all these families are. Some went to California to live. They thought it was so much better, but they weren't better off there than they were here. The Victor Nilsons, they went to Montana. That cold country! "Everyone who lived here in the county gave so many days' work at the railroad when it was built. We donated the labor. Then they built a little depot for us. If anybody stood along the railroad track, the train would stop and pick them up. You just stood there and waved. That was service." Elvera said the courthouse was taken from them. At first it was located in nearby Daphne, but Bay Minette "stole it away." Somebody was paid off and there was a shootout one night. They took the books and loaded them on a logcart drawn by oxen, she recalled. Her father took care of almost everything in Silver10 NORDSTJERNAN
hill. In the beginning, he provided facilities for school classes and church services alike. When there was no pastor in the settlement, Oscar Johnson preached and conducted funerals. He donated the land for the cemetery. Sometimes he also paid for having a casket made and grave dug. The family was Lutheran, but pastors often exchanged pulpits and Elvera was married by a Baptist minister (in the Lutheran church). Due to a shortage of teachers in Silverhill, Elvera was sent to relatives in Chicago to attend school for three years. She continued her education in Mobile, staying there while the school was in session and coming home only for Christmas. Having taken secretary courses, she later worked as a stenographer in her father's office. She was the town clerk while her father served as mayor. After she was married she worked in the bank. Her sister became a teacher and taught for 33 years.
Holidays in the south
Elvira recalled the first Christmas in the family home in Silverhill. There was a Christmas tree and everyone in Silverhill was there. "We had such beautiful cakes, and cookies and candy, and apples and fruit of different kinds.... We had an arch built of two pine trees and hung our stockings on that. We must have been about 10 children. And we were served first - it was an honor to be served before the grown-ups. Agnes and cousin Olga and I were on the program. I think we read half the Bible. It was, to this day, the happiest Christmas in my life. "Christmas Eve was the big holiday. We had lutfisk, sillsallat (salad with herring, eggs and beets) and herring. No turkey, because that we had during the year." When they had lived in Chicago, she remembered the children would sit by the window and wait for Santa Claus to come on the street car. "Dad played Santa. He turned his coat inside out and had no beard. We didn't know it was Dad." Elvera remembered getting a doll one Christmas and a small tin trunk from her aunt, Mrs. Olaf Nordine. The tin trunk is still in the family. The young people enjoyed dancing. "Dad gave two lots for a pavilion. When we got it, we danced there," Elvera said. "Dr. Winberg and his wife and all the parents went with the young people and looked on as they danced." They danced the waltz, the two-step, and square dances to the accordion, the mandolin, or the violin. They also had an old piano. At 12 o'clock sharp everyone went home. "Then we went to Sunday School in the morning as usual. The pastor did not say anything. We had our parents with us. "On Sunday evenings we used to sing. We had friends at home all the time. We had a piano and my sister played and we all sang. Mother served supper every Sunday and we could be 10-12, up to 18 people. We all gathered at our home. After she got married, Elvera lived with her husband in Omaha, Nebraska for about three years, where Mr. Armstrong worked in the office of the Union Pacific Railroad. Upon their return to Silverhill, he served as president of the State Bank of Silverhill, which had been founded by his father-in-law in 1924. The bank
Elvera Armstrong, nee Johnson, photographed in 1978 by Lennart Setterdahl.
was forced to close in September 1930. Elvera told us how the library was started. "There were seven of us. We started to meet every other week because there wasn't any other fun than that. We met in homes - we had parties and got money that way. We would buy books, and we asked for books for the library. Dad had one end of the old house for his office, and we got the other for a library. The children only had to pay .05 cents for each book they borrowed. Everyone but the rich people gave us books; they gave to the large libraries. We were 30 in the club, now there are only seven or eight left. We gave it (the library) to the town. Now they have to take care of it." Elvera said she got used to the climate. In the
beginning, they had typhoid or intermittent fever. "My sister had typhoid fever and she lost her hair. They got medicine from Mobile. People usually survived. We had a doctor, a woman, she had a white horse and a cart. She stayed at somebody's house for two or three days and the sick people went there and she took care of them." She pointed to a banana tree outside her house and said her bananas don't taste the same as those sold in stores. "They are a little raw. But one year I let them stay on the tree, and they were so delicious that year." Elvera Armstrong, one of the first settlers and one of the last, died at the age of 97 on May 29, 1985. Her interview was conducted in Swedish. NOVEMBER 15, 2018 11
Sweden’s Honorary Consuls in the U.S. Who are they? In an effort to find out more about the Swedish consuls in America, the work they do and the people they represent, contributor Helen Teike interviewed each of them, published here throughout the year.
Louisiana
Honorary Consul: Cecilia Kjellgren, New Orleans How long have you been the Swedish consul? I was nominated the new Swedish Honorary Consul in New Orleans in January of 2017, and later confirmed in 2018.
Do you eat pea soup on Thursdays? Lutfisk or surströmming? How about sill och nubbe at Midsummer? I do love pea soup but rarely eat it, unless I have Swedish punsch to go with it. As far as the sill and nubbe is concerned, the Swedes in New Orleans usually get together every year and enjoy traditional food for Midsummer.
What is your full-time occupation? I have been a small business owner for more than 15 years and produce custom made linens for a local retailer. The designs are historical and very traditional to New Orleans. I am also a certified tour guide. How much time do you spend on consular matters? It depends if we have a large group of visitors from Sweden and if we have special events going on. I do not have any help, but for special events I rely heavily on my wonderful and dedicated volunteers. How many Swedish citizens are in your area? I estimate we have about a thousand Swedes in our area. Since I have multi-state jurisdictions, including Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, I also assist and provide services in those areas on some weekends. What is your most important task? If you had more funds what would you do to spread the word about Sweden? The Gulf Region is vulnerable to disasters and it is very important to maintain a sense of who is in the area. We stay connected through social media, newsletters and an updated website. We aspire to spread the news about Sweden celebrating Swedish history and culture and are planning exhibits and events to accomplish that goal. What is your most important job for the Swedish American community? The local population has a great interest in learning about Swedish history, innovation, sustainability, equality, art and education. Tourism is the number one industry in New Orleans, and there is an increase in consular activities during our festivals. During my 30 years in the U.S. and over 20 years in New Orleans, I have established a close connection with and knowledge of our local business community. I can assist those who wish to establish a business here; I am also well connected in Sweden, so I can assist with trade missions over there. 12 NORDSTJERNAN
Are there other local Swedish organizations you cooperate with? We have a wonderful collaboration with various culture centers in New Orleans. We also partner with local universities, the Jazz Museum and the Historic New Orleans Collection to promote Swedish artists. Does your consulate differ from the other Swedish honorary consulates? World Trade Center of New Orleans was the very first one established among what are today over 300 World Trade Center organizations in nearly 100 countries; and career and honorary consuls have had a presence in Louisiana since the 1800s. What is your personal connection with Sweden? I was born in Sweden and have dual citizenship. I visit family every year in Sweden, and we speak Swedish at home since my husband, who works as a cardiologist, is also from Sweden. I am involved in various cultural events throughout the year and this is an effective way to reach out to the local community. Our yearly Scandinavian Festival, Midsommar Festival and Lucia are always well attended. Honorary Consulate of Sweden in New Orleans 504.460.2825 neworleans@consulateofsweden.org www.facebook.com/honoraryconsulateofneworleans
How do you introduce Sweden to someone who’s unfamiliar with the country? My favorite subject is talking about Sweden, and I usually talk about the social welfare, the freedom to roam (allemansrätten) and the fact that Sweden is a great country to raise a family. I am very proud of where I come from, even though I only spent 13 years of my life in Sweden. But, I return as often as I can to visit with family and friends. What is Sweden’s biggest achievement in history? As a peace maker, Dag Hammarskjöld was able to mitigate the impact of several crises in the world during his tenure. What Swedish person do you admire most? Alva Myrdal, a Swedish sociologist and politician who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1982. She is most known for her contributions in promoting social welfare, especially in the 1930s, and helping to create the Swedish welfare state. What is the biggest misconception about Sweden? That crime is spinning out of control.Like any other country, we have our share of challenges when it comes to crime, but Sweden is dealing with the issue aggressively and successfully, while enjoying a strong economy and a shrinking unemployment rate. What do you feel the U.S. can learn from Sweden? Universal healthcare, child support and better affordable housing for families in need. Parents who live and have children in Sweden, receive child allowances which is a tax-free and paid monthly until the child reaches the age of 16. Also, parents are given 480 days paid parental leave, and Sweden was actually the first country in the world to replace gender-specific maternity leave with parental leave in 1974.