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Kansas: Swedish American

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Background[edit | edit source]

A good background article about the emigration and life of Swedish Americans in Kansas was written by Emory Lindquist.  The article can be found in the Kansas Historical Quarterly, Spring 1963 (Vol. XXIX, No. 1) pages 1 to 24.  The article can also by found and read at the following website:  http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1963/63_1_lindquist.htm

Archives[edit | edit source]

Bethany College Archives[edit | edit source]

Serves the Central States Synod and the Augustana Heritage Association
Record of holdings include: Closed Church Archives for Kansas, Missouri, and Colorado
Conference and Synod Minutes
Publications
Other holdings
Phone: 785-227-3380 ext. 8342
Fax: 785-227-2860
E-mail: carsond@bethanylb.edu
Will do searches for fee.

Kansas State Historical Society[edit | edit source]

Kansas State Historical Society Archives
Center for Historical Society Archives
Reference Dept.
6425 SW Sixth Avenue
Topeka, Kansas 66615-1099

Phone: (785) 272-8681, ext. 117

Website: http://www.kshs.org/  

McPherson County Old Mill Museum Archive[edit | edit source]

The Old Mill Museum Archive in Lindsborg, Kansas has a number of collections for McPherson County: Census records(also for Saline County), marriage records, divorce records, wills and probate records, cemetery records, church records on microfilm, naturalization records, school records, land records, tax records, newspapers, directories & phone books, maps, and some miscellaneous records.

McPherson County Old Mill Museum
120 Mill Street/P.O. Box 94
Lindsborg, Kansas 67456
Phone 785-227-3595
Email: info@oldmillmuseum.org
Website: www.oldmillmuseum.org  - click on Archives
Call ahead for appointment

Midwest Historical and Genealogical Library[edit | edit source]

Midwest Historical and Genealogical Society
1203 North Main
Wichita, Kansas, 67201

Phone:(316)264-3611

Website: http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/mhgs/mhgs_library.htm  


Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center[edit | edit source]

Although this center is not in Kansas, it has records (church records, newspapers, etc.)for Swedes in Kansas

Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center
Augustana College
639 38th Street
Rock Island IL 61201-2296

Website:  http://www.augustana.edu/swenson/index.htm

For the index to the Swedish Church Records of Kansas at the Swenson Center see website:   http://www.augustana.edu/swenson/SwedishAmericanChurchIndex/KS-MI.html
These records can be searched at the Swenson Center or they will do searches there for a fee.  These records are not available on interlibrary loan.

Regional Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church In America[edit | edit source]

The ELCA synodical and regional archives collect records relating to synods and congregations, including records from dissolved congregations. Some may also have records from early ELCA predecessor bodies.

Region 4 (Central States Synod) of the ELCA for Kansas and Missouri

For the Central States Synod, the archives are located at Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas, which had been the traditional location of the archives of the former Augustana Kansas Conference and its successors. 

Bethany College Archives
Wallerstedt Library
335 E. Swensson Street
Lindsborg , Kansas 67456-1897
(785) 227-3380, Ext. 8342
Fax: 785-227-2860
Archivist E-mail: carsond@bethanylb.edu  


Biographies of Swedish-Americans[edit | edit source]

Biographical sketches of Swedes in Kansas
Available at the Swedish Connection online at:  http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/republic/Swedish/TSC-BIOS.html


Index to files of biographical information in Kansas, primarily newspaper clippings
http://www.kshs.org/genealogists/individuals/vertical/index.htm
created by the Kansas State Historical Society Library and Archives division


Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Swedish Cemeteries in Kansas

Name of Cemetery County Township
Swedish Lutheran Cemetery Allen Savonburg
Swedish Evangelical Cemetery Clay
Swedish Bethlehem Cemetery Dickinson Logan
Swedish Union Cemetery Dickinson Center
Swedish Cemetery Douglas Clinton
Swedish Lutheran Cemetery Gove Lewis [1]
Swedish Cemetery Marshall Murray
Swedish Lutheran Cemetery McPherson Marquette
New Gottland Cemetery McPherson
Smoky Hill Cemetery McPherson Lindsborg
Lindsborg Cemetery McPherson Lindsborg
Swedish Cemetery Morris Diamond Valley
Swedish M.E. Cemetery Morris Diamond Valley
Eng. Swedish Lutheran Cemetery Rawlins Laing
Swedish Baptist Cemetery Rawlins Laing
Swedish Lutheran Cemetery Republic Scandia
Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery Riley Bala
Swedish Lutheran Cemetery Saline Smokey View
Swedish Lutheran Association Cemetery Saline Smokey View
Swedish Mission Rh. Cemetery Saline Smokey View
Bethany Cemetery Wallace Stockholm
Stockholm Cemetery Wallace Stockholm
Swedish Lutheran Cemetery Washington Brantford


Reference: Cemeteries in Kansas, 1906 http://www.kshs.org/genealogists/vital/cemetery.htm

See also Cemeteries of Kansas:  http://www.interment.net/us/ks/index.htm


Churches[edit | edit source]

The Swedish American churches listed below have microfilmed records in the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center at the Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. These microfilms are not available via interlibrary loan but may be searched in person or a search may be requested for a fee. See http://www.augustana.edu/x13917.xml  for years of availability, guidelines, and research request forms.


Allen County[edit | edit source]

Evangelical Covenant Church
Savonburg, Kansas

Friends Home Lutheran Church
Savonburg, Kansas

Clay County[edit | edit source]

Evangelical Covenant Church
Clay Center, Kansas

First Lutheran Church
Clay Center, Kansas

Cloud County[edit | edit source]

The Baptist Church
Concordia, Kansas

Dickinson County[edit | edit source]

Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Enterprise, Kansas

Douglas County[edit | edit source]

Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church
Lawrence, Kansas

Grove County[edit | edit source]

Saron Lutheran Church
Grove, Kansas

Johnson County[edit | edit source]

First Lutheran Church
Shawnee Mission, Kansas

Logan County[edit | edit source]

Bethesda Lutheran Church
Page City, Kansas

Marshall County[edit | edit source]

Salem Lutheran Church
Axtell, Kansas

Zion Covenant Church
Axtell, Kansas

Cottage Hill Lutheran Church
Waterville, Kansas

McPherson County[edit | edit source]

Bethel Lutheran Church
Galva, Kansas

Bethany Lutheran Church
Lindsborg, Kansas

Evangelical Covenant Church
Lindsborg, Kansas

Freemount Lutheran Church
Lindsborg, Kansas

Messiah Lutheran Church
Lindsborg, Kansas

Swedish Baptist Church
Lindsborg, Kansas

Trinity Methodist Church
Lindsborg, Kansas

Elim Lutheran Church
Marquette, Kansas

Evangelical Covenant Church
Marquette, Kansas

Evangelical Covenant Church
McPherson, Kansas

New Gottland Covenant Church
McPherson, Kansas

New Gottland Lutheran Church
McPherson, Kansas

Trinity Lutheran Church
McPherson, Kansas

New Andover Lutheran Church
Windom, Kansas

Morris County[edit | edit source]

Hebron Lutheran Church
Burdick, Kansas

Marion Hill Lutheran Church
White City, Kansas

Neosho County[edit | edit source]

Grant Avenue Baptist Church
Chanute, Kansas

Osage County[edit | edit source]

Grace Lutheran Church
Osage City, Kansas

Mission Covenant Church
Osage City, Kansas

Osage City Baptist Church
Osage City, Kansas

Stotler Mission CovenantChurch
Osage City, Kansas

Evangelical Mission Covenant Church
Scranton, Kansas

Pawnee County[edit | edit source]

Garfield Lutheran Church
Garfield, Kansas

Pottawatomie County[edit | edit source]

Mariadahl Lutheran Church
Cleburne, Kansas

Olsburg Lutheran Church
Olsburg, Kansas

First Lutheran Church
St. Marys, Kansas

Rawlins County[edit | edit source]

Bethel Lutheran Church
Herndon, Kansas

Reno County[edit | edit source]

Emanuel Lutheran Church
Hutchinson, Kansas

Republic County[edit | edit source]

Ada Lutheran Church
Kackley (Courtland), Kansas

Amana Lutheran Church
Scandia, Kansas

The Methodist Church
Scandia, Kansas

Riley County[edit | edit source]

Alert Covenant Church
Leonardville, Kansas

Walsburg Lutheran Church
Leonardville, Kansas

First Lutheran Church
Manhattan, Kansas

Evangelical Mission Covenant Church
Randolph, Kansas

Saline County[edit | edit source]

Assaria Lutheran Church
Assaria, Kansas

Falun Lutheran Church
Falun (Smolan), Kansas

First Covenant Church
Salina, Kansas

Immanuel lutheran Church
Salina, Kansas

Salemsborg Lutheran Church
Smolan, Kansas

Smolan Evangelical Covenant Church
Smolan, Kansas

Smolan Lutheran Church
Smolan, Kansas

Shawnee County[edit | edit source]

Brookwood Evangelical Covenant Church
Topeka, Kansas

Trinity Lutheran Church
Topeka, Kansas

Trego County[edit | edit source]

Emanuel Lutheran Church
Ogallah, Kansas

Wabounsee County[edit | edit source]

Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church(see Bismarck)
Auborn, Kansas

Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church
Bismarck, Kansas

Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church (see Bismarck)
Carbondale, Kansas

Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church (see Bismarck)
Junction City, Kansas

Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church (see Bismarck)
Manhattan, Kansas

Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church (see Bismarck)
Topeka, Kansas

Wallace County[edit | edit source]

Bethany Lutheran Church
Weskan, Kansas

Washington County[edit | edit source]

Zion Lutheran Church
Clyde (Brantford), Kansas

Brantford Evangelical Covenant Church
Clyde (Cloud), Kansas

Wilson County[edit | edit source]

Bethel Lutheran Church
Vila (Chanute), Kansas

Wyandotte County[edit | edit source]

Messiah Lutheran Church
Kansas City, Kansas


Newspapers[edit | edit source]

Title of Newspaper City of publication
Academia Lindsborg
Facklan Kansas City
Framåt Lindsborg
Kansas Posten Lindsborg
Kansas Stats Tidning Lindsborg
Lindsborg News and Record Lindsborg
Lindsborg Posten Lindsborg
Pedagogen Lindsborg
Svenska Härolden Salina and Kansas City
Svenska Tidningen Kansas City
Vestern Kansas City


The above Swedish-American newspapers are available on microfilms at the Swenson Center at Augustana College and are available to borrow via interlibrary loan throughout the United States.

See http://www.augustana.edu/x14666.xml to see specific years you would like to view. Contact your local library if you are interested in placing a request. Supply your library with the following information:

  • Title of newspaper
  • The specific years you need for your research
  • Inform your library that the requests can be sent directly via OCLC (“ICY”), fax 309 794-7230, or via mail to Augustana College Library, 639 38th Street, Rock Island, IL 61201-2296

The Above and Other Newspapers in Kansas
Virtually all newspapers published in Kansas from 1875 to present are available on microfilm or in original form at the Kansas Historical Society. Some newspapers prior to 1875 have also been acquired by the Society. These are available through interlibrary loan and some microfilm may be purchased from the society. Use the following website address to access the form to search the Society’s newspapers on microfilm database: http://www.kshs.org/library/news.htm
You may search by any of the following:

  • City of Publication
  • Word in Title
  • County
  • State
  • Date Range (years)

You may borrow up to two reels of film at a time, for two weeks, by submitting a request to your local library or participating Family History Center. Films may only be used in the borrowing library. The loan period is for three weeks, including shipping time, with no renewal.



Social Life and Customs[edit | edit source]

Social Life and Customs of Swedish Americans in Kansas

The Swedish Immigrant and Life in Kansas.
By Emory Lindquist. This article appeared in the Kansas Historical Quarterly, Spring 1963 (Vol. XXIX, No. 1) pages 1 to 24.
This article can be found and read at the following website: http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1963/63_1_lindquist.htm

Svensk Hyllningsfest in Lindsborg

Lindsborg, Kansas is a town that still retains visible Swedish characteristics.  A biennial tribute to the Swedish pioneers occurs here in October of odd numbered years. The festival features art, crafts, special foods, ethnic music, folk dancing, parade, smörgåsbord, and special entertainment. The festival coincides with the Bethany College homecoming.  For information about the festival see http://www.svenskhyllningsfest.org/

Historical Fiction - Swedes in Kansas.

Butter in the Well: A Scandinavian Woman’s Tale of Life on the Prairie
A book by Linda K. Hubalek. This is a fictional diary based on real life facts of Maja Kaja Swenson Runeberg who homesteaded in Saline County Kansas in 1868. Detailed insight of the Swedish immigrant’s humble life and beginnings on the prairie.
This book is available for purchase among other places at http://www.amazon.com/Butter-Well-Scandanavian-Womans-Prairie/dp/1886652007


Prärieblomman: The Prairie Blossoms for an Immigrant’s Daughter
A book by Linda K. Hubalek. This is the sequel to Butter in the Well. The story of the Swedish immigrant family featured in Butter in the well is continued as the children grow up and marry. Swedish traditions are intertwined with tidbits of Kansas history.
This book is available for purchase among other places at http://www.amazon.com/

Societies[edit | edit source]

Kansas State Historical Society
6425 SW Sixth Avenue
Topeka, Kansas 66615-1099
Phone: (785) 272-8681
Website: http://www.kshs.org/


Midwest Historical and Genealogical Society
1203 North Main
Wichita, Kansas, 67201

Phone:(316)264-3611

Website: http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/mhgs/mhgs_library.htm



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