Before we start our narrative of the Anderson family journey inland to Minnesota and eventually Sauk Centre, let us spend a little time discussing how Minnesota became such a draw for the Swedish people.

Of the roughly 1.25 million Swedish men, women, and children who came to the United States between 1845 and 1930, more settled in Minnesota than in any other state. A few may have likened Minnesota’s geography to Sweden’s when deciding where to settle, but most chose the state for more practical reasons. Opportunities for immigrants to obtain land or find employment coincided with increasingly limited access to these resources in Sweden. For the ultimately nearly 300,000 Swedes who settled in the state, Minnesota presented the right place at the right time.

Sweden’s population expanded markedly between 1750 and 1850, doubling in size from approximately 1.78 million to 3.58 million. This growth stemmed from Sweden’s improved health conditions, limited military conflicts, and increased food supply, with widespread social consequences. The number of landless agricultural workers increased dramatically. Agricultural reforms such as farm consolidation increased the food supply but also decreased opportunities for land ownership. The rise in population, moreover, was not matched by an increase in employment opportunities in other sectors.

Sweden’s gradual shift from a rural to an urban-industrial society limited new employment opportunities for rural Swedes until an industrial labor market emerged. Mina Anderson, who chose to emigrate in 1890, expressed what many young Swedes likely felt: she was “tired of hard work and disappointment.” For Anderson and others like her, Minnesota was a destination that offered opportunities not available in their homeland.

Economic and other incentives motivated people to move, as did dissatisfaction with the Swedish political environment of the nineteenth- and early-twentieth centuries. Religious intolerance of minority religious groups motivated others—Swedish Baptists who settled in Isanti County, for example. Personal issues such as family conflict and pregnancy outside of marriage also influenced migration decisions.

The first Swede recorded as living in Minnesota was Jacob Fahlström (ca. 1795–1859), a fur trader-turned Methodist missionary. His presence was noted near Fort Snelling in the 1820s. He and his family (a wife and nine children) eventually settled in Washington County near Afton.
His migration, however, was unique and did not lead other Swedes to make the move to Minnesota.

Swedish migration to Minnesota really began three decades after Fahlström’s arrival. Swedes began to settle in Illinois in the 1840s, and their migration to Minnesota was part of a gradual spread northward. By 1854, a Swede arriving on the East Coast could travel by rail to Chicago and the Mississippi River and then take a steamboat to St. Paul. This stopping-off point in Minnesota Territory (established in 1849) made Minnesota a logical destination for farm-seekers. The Pre-emption Act of 1841 also encouraged settlement, as it enabled migrants to claim government land prior to its public sale.

Three men from southern Sweden took land in Washington County near Marine-on-St. Croix in 1850, though they did not become permanent settler-colonists there. A larger group of Swedes settled in Chisago County in 1851, encouraging more to follow them. Many took land there and in the surrounding areas.

Three core Swedish settlements were established in this first wave of migrants: the Chisago colony and two more colonies in Goodhue and Carver counties. Immigration to these areas was legal only after 1851, when Dakota people ceded most of their territory via the treaties of Mendota and Traverse des Sioux and agreed to move to a reservation. As a result, the Swedes and others who moved into the center of Minnesota Territory in the 1850s built their homesteads on the same prairie that had been occupied only a few years (and in some cases months) earlier by the Dakota.

New arrivals sent letters sent back to relatives and friends about opportunities in Minnesota that drew other Swedish immigrants to these initial cores. Their communication contributed to an “America fever” in Sweden that encouraged immigration to the state—especially in family groups—for decades. Settlement did decrease in the late 1850s, however, due to an economic downturn in the United States.

After this first wave (1849–1857), historians have identified four subsequent waves of Swedish immigration to Minnesota: 1863–1873, 1880–1893, 1900–1914, and 1919–1930. They are distinguishable by surges and declines in migration as well as the varying characteristics of the migrant groups themselves.

The earliest Swedish immigrants in Minnesota faced challenges common to settler-colonists on the frontier. Government programs and railroad land grants helped them claim their own farmland. Establishing a successful farm, however, required sustained effort, persistence, and good fortune. Housing in the first years might consist of a one – or two-room log cabin that became more and more cramped as family size increased. Severe weather and long distances between villages or towns require careful planning to survive harsh winters. Swedish immigrant women might be left to manage households on their own while husbands wintered in lumber camps or at other seasonal work to earn much-needed cash. All the while, the threat of potential crises such as crop failures, natural disasters, and reprisal by the Dakota people they had displaced (particularly in the wake of the US–Dakota War of 1862) weighed on the immigrants’ minds.

The establishment of churches and other religious institutions helped settler-colonists meet challenges and provided important support networks. Church communities were hubs for social as well as religious activities, countering isolation and offering assistance. They also helped immigrants maintain their ethnic identity through activities such as Swedish-language worship, summer Swedish-language instruction, and celebration of ethnic holidays and traditions. Country schools also helped Swedish immigrants and their children adapt to their new homeland through public education as well as social events. Many settler-colonists eventually established successful farms. Some were able to provide an agricultural legacy for their children. Those who struggled with farming (or children of successful farmers who did not enjoy rural life) sought to make a living elsewhere, often in urban areas.

Swedish settlement in the Twin Cities began in St. Paul. Migrants settled on the East Side, where housing was affordable and employment accessible. The first Swedish-occupied neighborhood in St. Paul became known as Swede Hollow and took shape in a ravine along Phalen Creek. In the late 1850s, a few Swedes occupied makeshift housing there that had been abandoned by earlier temporary residents. They found employment in the nearby breweries and mills. Over time ethnic businesses developed in the area, especially along Payne Avenue. These businesses met neighborhood needs with Swedish-speaking proprietors and culturally familiar goods and services.

Swedish Lutheran and other Swedish American churches were also founded in the area. Like other early-established core communities, Swede Hollow attracted other Swedish immigrants. Most residents, however, did not stay in the Hollow for long. They moved out of the ravine and toward the Arlington Hills area as their finances improved. These up-and-coming residents were quickly replaced by newly-arrived Swedes, and eventually, other new immigrant groups began to settle beside them. Though Irish, Italian, and, later, Mexican immigrants made homes in the area before it was demolished by authorities in 1956, it still retains the original name of Swede Hollow.

Swedish settlement in Minneapolis did not take off until the 1870s. At that time, Swedish immigrants began to populate areas along the north side of the Mississippi in the city’s Second and Ninth Wards, and on the south side of the river along Washington Avenue in the Sixth Ward. By the 1890s, Swedes settled further north and south, in areas such as Camden, near Shingle Creek, and in the Seward and Longfellow neighborhoods. Young Swedish women were often exceptions to these patterns, working in homes in wealthy upper-class neighborhoods as domestics, cooks, seamstresses, and nannies.

Further elucidation comes from another source, Paul Welvang:

The abridged explanation is that America’s westward expansion — and the displacement of Native people that accompanied it — reached Minnesota around the same time that Swedes and Norwegians were fleeing bad conditions in their home countries. Aided by free land from the federal government, new immigrants formed settlements and encouraged friends and family back home to join them. An early wave of Scandinavian immigrants — primarily farming families — came to America before Minnesota was even a territory. Many Swedes headed for Chicago and the surrounding agricultural areas of Illinois. Norwegians often settled in parts of Wisconsin and Illinois. But these early settlement areas grew increasingly congested, causing some immigrants to look west in the 1850s to the new opportunities available in Minnesota.

Minnesota’s immigrants sent influential letters back home that helped fuel “America fever” overseas. Those who made the journey often linked up in Minnesota with people from the same Scandinavian regions, according to “They Chose Minnesota.””

So, it turns out that initially, Minnesota was not the first choice of the Swedish immigrants. Only over time did it become a location of choice. With time, Minnesota started courting the Scandia people.

Some of Minnesota’s efforts to attract immigrants were more official. The state created a Board of Immigration in 1867 to lure certain immigrant groups, for example, with Swedish immigrant Hans Mattson as its first leader.


The board appointed agents speaking Norwegian, Swedish, and German to meet immigrants at New York and Quebec and guide them on their journey to Minnesota. The new immigrants gradually spread from their initial settlements to other corners of the state, and by the 1880s, more began moving into Minneapolis and St. Paul, according to MNopedia, the Historical Society’s online encyclopedia. By 1900, about 13 percent of Minnesota’s population was born in either Norway or Sweden, according to the state demographer’s office.

In conclusion: “Why do Scandinavians come to Minnesota?” Convery said. “Because when Scandinavians were most in need, the greatest opportunity happened to be in Minnesota.”

Finally, all the arrangements had been made, and their larders were full for the rest of their journey. The first leg was a steamboat voyage on he Hudson River from New York to Albany on the Isaac Newton. The steamer left at eight in the evening, loaded to capacity with passengers and baggage. The immigrants were crowded together on the lower deck, while their belongings were piled almost as high as the smokestacks of the steamer on the upper deck toward the bow.

This portion of their journey was a no frills affair for the Anderson family. There were no sleeping accommodations, and they were forced to either stand or sit on the decks as room allowed. Many parents were forced to hold their children in their arms when they became too tired to stand up. Thankfully, they only had to stay on board this boat for one night. However, it wasn’t a very auspicious way to start their journey inland. Thankfully, the Anderson family were made of stern stock. fewer individuals would have been broken after just suriving a three month voyage across the Atlantic.

The only consolation was that they knew they were relatively safe on the Hudson River. They no longer had to worry about storms that were all too common crossing the Atlantic. One hour after daybreak the Isaac Newton tied up at the pier in Albany. After they were herded into an open area at the station and their numbers were verified and cross-checked with their passenger contracts, they allowed to board the steam engine. For many of the passengers, including the Andersons, this was their first exposure to railroad travel. At least the exhausted passengers were finally able to sit down for this portion of their passage to Minnesota. They were allowed to keep their food baskets and smaller boxes with them, so they quickly started preparing something to eat. Everyone was starving, especially the younger individuals. Now that their stomachs are full and all their fears have been allayed by their translator, exhaustion overwhelmed them, and they quickly fell asleep. At the end of each cabin, there was a smallbooth where they could take care of calls of nature. Many of the passengers were suffering from diarrhea, so mugs of dark pepper-brannvin (Brännvin is a Swedish liquor distilled from potatoes, grain, or (formerly) wood cellulose. It can be plain and colorless, or flavored with herbs and spices) was doled out by some of the better prepared travelers. During the transalantic voyage, the passengers were eating their own food, and now that it had mostly all run out, they were forced to eat food that was, in some cases, strange to them. Unfortunately, this brought on many cases of irritable bowel.

The immigrants from Smaland rode on the steam engine through a green and fertile country. From their train, they saw vast fields covered with a thick fell of beautiful crops. They saw meadows with tall fodder grass where the cattle grazed in great numbers. They passed through forests of tall, lush leaf-trees and recognized oaks, maples, elms, and birches. At times, they saw hills and mountains, morasses (an area of muddy or boggy ground), plateaus, and forests of pine trees. Charles Anderson noticed that the cows, sheep, and horses appeared to be larger and healthier than those in Sweden. Even though it seemed like their ride on the train took forever, it only lasted a couple of days.

The Anderson’s fianlly at Buffalo in the afternoon. This gave them just enough time to transport all their belongings on the steamer of the Sultana. The remaining part of the journey would be on the water. It started with the crossing of Lake Erie and would continue up rivers and through canals. They would have to cross three large lakes. The Sultana was a fairly large steamer with one water wheel on either side. The cargo was loaded on the main deck, while the immigrants were given qarters below. Cabins were built in three rows in the hold, each one four feet wide, and each one accommodating two full-grown persons of the same sex or a married couple. Two children under eight years of age were counted as one grown person; children under three years of age were transported free of charge. This was not the practice since no one asked the age of the accompanying children, and they were allowed free passage. First-class accommodations were on the top deck adjoining the captain’s quarters and the wheelhouse.

This was the first time that the passengers did not have to provide their own sustenance. The ship’s fare wasn’t five star fare it was ample, even abundant, but to the Swedish peasants, it seemed oddly prepared and peculiarly flavored. American food consisted mainly of things mixed together, and one’s tongue was unable to distinguish one kind of food from another.

The ships’ passenger manifest was composed of an eclectic group of people, ranging from immigrants from all over Europe, fur trappers, free blacks, slaves and even two indians. The steamer had a large crew–bosuns, engineers, stokers, and deckhands. Washing buckets were set up for the steerage passengers, but the water was never changed. After a score of people washed their body parts in the tubs, the water became thick and dark.

The steamer Sultana entered a sound that soon turned out to be a river mouth and which led to a pier in Detroit. The immigrants were now approaching the northernmost boundaries of the United States. The passengers were all given time to go ashore to stretch their legs and do a little exploring. Detroit was an old town, well built, and was pleasing to the eye. It was a well-ordered town with well-built houses, buildings, and churches. There were vast orchards along the river, and the country surrounding the town was fertile. Finally, it was time to resume their voyage, and they all trundled back aboard the steamer.

After six days of sailing across the Great Lakes and the rivers and sounds that separated them, the steamer Sultana reached Chicago. The Anderson clan spent three days in Chicago waiting for a river steamer that had been arranged by Landgerg, their translator and facilitator. They were finally escorted to the steamer on the Chicago River. They would follow a canal that carried them to the upper Mississippi River, which carried them through an endless emptiness of open, grassy, flat prairies.. There were no trees, no groves, no hils, no gladesand no mountains, just endlast fields of tall golden colored grass.

Unfortunately, Cholera reared its ugly head on the Sultana. Our journey was now broken up by daily stops for burial details as our numbers were gradually whittled down. Cholera was a heartbreaking scourge that the Anderson’s had never been exposed to prior to their voyage to North America. The climate in Sweden was simply too cold for it to flourish there.

The final vessel was the Red Wing of St. Louis captained by B. Berger. It measured 147 feet in length, 24 in widthand had one engine for each wheel and a capacity of 190 tons. Captain Berger was well past middle age with gray hair and a thick beard. What was a welcome change he spoke a mixture of Swedish and Norwegian, so the Anderson’s were able to understand what he said. At last, it seemed like they had finally had some good luck. After the previous cholera-infested steamer, they were now on a clean, well-apportioned boat free from the blight of cholera.

From time to time, the river narrowed or broadened; at its greatest width, they thought the distance must be about two American miles. At times, the strong current slowed down their speed. But the steamer kept to the center of the streamand met the oncoming current with such force that the water spalshed over the forecastle (the forward part of a ship below the deck, traditionally used as the crew’s living quarters). Time dragged for the immigrants, as the steamer had to slow down to a crawl to navigate the winding rooted choked river. The patience of the Anderson’s was starting to wear thin. They had been living in cramped quarters for close to six months now, and they frankly could not wait to walk on terra firma permanently.

On the last day of July 1850, that day finally arrived as Anderson’s stepped ashore in the town of St. Paul (the capital since 1849) in Ramsey County, Territory of Minnesota. They arrived at a time of year most inconvenient for farmers. The summer was, by now, so far advanced that it was too late to sow or plant anything. They were peasants who had lost a year’s crops, and they knew that they were in dire straights. They were lucky that St. Paul had plenty of cheap lodging because they needed to stretch their remaining money as much as possible. They also knew that St Paul was too well established to find any available fertile land that was also financially viable for the cash-strapped family. So after establishing a cheap place to board, they decided to look for a more suitable location, that they could plant crops on next season. Their first order of business was to find land and then build a cabin on it so that they would be ready to move in next spring. This brings us to Chapter Seven.