FINDING AID

Swedish American Old Settlers’ Association of Knox County (Ill.) records, 1894-1943

COLLECTION SUMMARY

Collection Title:    
Swedish American Old Settlers’ Association of Knox County (Ill.) records

Collection Number:    
I/O:35

Dates:            
1894-1943

Size:            
1 box (.5 linear feet)

Language:        
English (bulk), Swedish 

Creator/Collector:    
Lundgren, Edward
Williamson, M.O.
Swedish American Old Settlers’ Association of Knox County (Ill.)

Subject Headings:    
Swedish American Old Settlers’ Association of Knox County
Knox County (Ill.)
Galesburg (Ill.)
Swedish Americans--Illinois

Repository:    
Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois.

Abstract:    
The Swedish American Old Settlers’ Association of Knox County (Ill.) was a social group for the early Swedish settlers of the Knox County area in existence from 1894 until about 1941. The collection contains membership lists, the group’s constitution, annual meeting minutes, necrology rolls (death lists), several obituaries, newspaper clippings, and one photograph from 1935.

RIGHTS AND ACCESS

Conditions Governing Access:    
Collection is open for research.

Reproduction and Use:    
Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the Swenson Center and the copyright holder. 

Preferred Citation:    
[item identification], in I/O:35 Swedish American Old Settlers’ Association of Knox County (Ill.), Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois.

ACQUISITION AND RELATED MATERIALS

Provenance:    
From the estate of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Lundgren of Galesburg, Illinois. Edward Lundgren was a past secretary of the association. The collection was given to First Lutheran Church of Galesburg from the estate.

Source of Acquisition:    
Gift of Reverend Ordell W. Peterson, First Lutheran Church, 364 E. Water St., Galesburg, Illinois in 1984.

Processed By:    
Processed by Kermit Westerberg, 1980s. Finding aid written by Shelby Jensen, 2018.

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE

Administrative/Biographical History:    
The Swedish American Old Settlers’ Association of Knox County (Ill.) was organized on 2 July 1894 in Galesburg, Illinois. This association served as social group for the early Swedish settlers of the area. Members of the club had to be of Swedish parentage, as well as have lived in the Knox County area for a total of 30 years. The association held an annual summer picnic, usually held in July, August, or early September.

The following were present at the initial meeting on June 20, 1894: Hon. A.W. Berggren of Galesburg, Swan Peterson of Knoxville, Lewis L. Gibson, Nels Nelson, Lewis Burgland, Captain C.E. Landstrum, John Peterson, John N. Holm, and George Eckstrand. 
At the meeting on 2 July 1894, the constitution was adopted and the following officers were elected: Hon. A.W. Berggren  as president, Swan Peterson as vice-president, M.O. Williamson as secretary, S.W. Swanson as treasurer, and Nels Nelson as historian. 

It is not clear when the organization disbanded, but the last meeting minutes are from 1941. 

Scope and Content:    
Collection contains one ledger of membership lists and two ledgers that contain the group’s constitution, annual meeting minutes, necrology rolls (death lists), newspaper clippings and one photograph from 1935. The collection also contains a few loose-leaf meeting minutes, obituaries for some members, and a treasurer’s report. 

System of Arrangement:    
Materials arranged in order received.

Collection Inventory:    

Box 1:

Folder 1: Membership Ledger. Contains detailed index of members including birth dates, immigration dates, death dates, and the dates members joined the association, ca. 1894-1933, English.

Folder 2: Official Ledger. Contains association’s constitution, annual meeting minutes, and pasted necrology rolls (death lists), newspaper clippings, and membership list, 1894-1918, English (bulk), Swedish.

Folder 3: Official Ledger. Contains annual meeting minutes, a program, resolutions, necrology rolls, newspaper clippings, and photograph of the association (1935), 1919-1941, English. 

Folder 4: 

• Necrology report and list of members deceased in 1917, English.
• Newspaper clippings (9) pertaining to the association, 1911-1918, English.

Folder 5:

• Newspaper clippings (30) pertaining to the association, 1921-1940 and undated, English.
• Obituary for Mrs. A. W. Berggren (member), 1921, English.
• Obituary for C. Atle Nelson, the association’s historian, 1943, English.
• Letter to association regarding Swedish flag from Mrs. Nels Larson, undated, English.
• Loose-leaf meeting minutes (5), 1926, 1933, 1938, 1940, and 1941, English.
• Lists of officer nominations (4), 1941 and undated, English.
• Treasurer’s report, 1927, English.
• Membership lists (2), undated, English.