tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86590133328390262042024-03-14T08:26:12.547-07:00Elg familyThis blog is about the history of the Elg family, originating in Säfsnäs county, Sweden
Created by Lennart ElgLennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-45555881854055415622023-10-07T06:28:00.000-07:002023-10-07T06:28:16.279-07:00Origins of the name Elg<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">”Elg” is the Swedish name (old spelling) of the animal
Americans know as a ”moose” (not an elk!).While by no means a common name, ”Elg”
is not unique to our family.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two hundred years
ago, family names were mainly used by members of the nobility. Ordinary people
were known by their father´s first name, called a patronymic. If your first
name was Karl, and your father was John, you were known as Karl Johnson but
your children would by Karlsson, or Karlsdotter (-daughter)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">In our family, the Elg name first appears in 1779 when
Petter Jansson becomes a master blacksmith at Gravendal and adopts the name Elg
as his ”trademark”. This is one of the few exceptions to the use of
patronymics. A master blacksmith would be an independent contractor, hire his
own assistants etc, and his sons would often follow in his footsteps, founding
a dynasty of blacksmiths.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">A second source of ”Elgs” was the army. In a small village,
keeping track of ”Karl Svensson” was no problem, but in a larger group of
soldiers, too many Karl Svensson led to confusion, and no one cared who your
father was anyway. So the army assigned ”soldier names”, unique at least within
your company. Names were chosen to be short and easy to berk across a parade
ground or battle field, and often animal names were chosen to instill a sence
of strength or courage. And no, these names were not assigned as a badge of
distinction, they were only there to identify you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">In theory, these names should only be used in the army, but
many retired soldiers retained the name and passed it own to his cildren. But
in our case, I have found no military conntection, it is prely a ”blackamith
name”.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-85649945780276253362022-03-23T07:17:00.001-07:002022-03-23T07:22:13.506-07:00The untimely death of Karl Gustaf Bork<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />In my <a href="http://elgfamily.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-railroad-builder-in-family.html" target="_blank">article about Olaus Bork</a>, I mentioned the tragic death of Olaus son Karl Gustaf Bork, in
Glasgow, Montana.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Gustaf emigrated at the age of 23, to the US, accompanied by
his younger brother Leonard (18), in April, 1887. Their first destination was
McKeesport, Pennsylvania, a part of the steelmaking district around Pittsburgh
and the destination for many Swedish blacksmiths. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">However, the two brothers soon moved in to Glasgow, Montana,
where they found work in the newly erected railroad shops of the Great Northern
Railway. The railroad had just reached eastern Montana, on its quest to become
the northern-most transcontinental railroad. Glasgow was a new railroad town,
hastily built to serve the needs of the railroad. The brothers were loined by
several cousins from Barnesville.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have now found a
contemporary Swedish newspaper article which sheds more light on the circumstances
of Gustaf Bork´s untimely death:<o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p></blockquote><div style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVxtjqYx0oLd99UW58xog5qScbAKvX94KjWbChjZ8Et-cTWEc1vDhXZDjJVpcNg6E-eSfU7cJ5nRJMRaVCseYwiRdwYmo3WbDS9kd4TrfXemxjBUIUWPHTvJ7XGQEL-JcbkXavUeme5mQGm4sH0RnykZD_IedETzK1M5_XaU_ykgH7dJ-Lhp1WVPq/s735/Gustaf%20Bork%20death%20400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVxtjqYx0oLd99UW58xog5qScbAKvX94KjWbChjZ8Et-cTWEc1vDhXZDjJVpcNg6E-eSfU7cJ5nRJMRaVCseYwiRdwYmo3WbDS9kd4TrfXemxjBUIUWPHTvJ7XGQEL-JcbkXavUeme5mQGm4sH0RnykZD_IedETzK1M5_XaU_ykgH7dJ-Lhp1WVPq/w348-h640/Gustaf%20Bork%20death%20400.jpg" width="348" /></a></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="text-align: justify;">"Sad news</b><span style="text-align: justify;"> has recently reached us from across the Atlantic.</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gustaf Bork, oldest son of Olaus Bork, master mechanic at
Skyllberg, has passed away in Glasgow, Montana, after a few days’ illness.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bork left Sweden for America two years ago. At first he
worked in a steel mill in Pittsburgh, and then came to Glasgow, where he was
hired as a fitter in the shops of the great Manitoba railroad company. Here he
soon gained the respect and admiration of both foremen and colleagues for his
great ability and readiness. On receiving news of the death, his foreman, Mr.
Fryberg, stated: ”I will never see a man like that again”.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">At the end of March, he undertook a journey to the Rocky
Mountains and California, where he caught a cold which led to his death. Fate
ordained that his parents received a letter from him where he described his
journey without mentioning any illness, on the very day he was buried. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">He was carried to his grave by five cousins living in the
area, and a sixth Swede. The ceremony, attended by most Scandinavians in the
area, was performed by a Swedish priest.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">It appears that his passing has cut short a very promising career.”</span></p></blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Published in Nerikes Allehanda, May 20, 1889 </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">The ”great Manitoba railroad” refers to the St Paul,
Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway, a predecessor to the Great Northern Railway
controlled by James J. Hill: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Paul_and_Pacific_Railroad" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Paul_and_Pacific_Railroad</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Gustaf´s remains were later moved to Barnesville, Minnesota,
where several cousins worked in the railroad shops.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70b6DPYcdQa6gr3nVzIeBj0vRAeb07L2BC9QxbicQLwzA2nr9FNg68kOGACGe3_UPAhws3LZp50WftHPaKQDkMoRiwD3m1jLF1GaiRU9zIqzPE5koHWBlxIEg8D5yaV9KglGabdLfsocN3r7TlMsk9f0-U1kZZrODkv5C_ySYIciaIUny4TYMaHkN/s800/Aaron%20och%20Hanna%20800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="800" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70b6DPYcdQa6gr3nVzIeBj0vRAeb07L2BC9QxbicQLwzA2nr9FNg68kOGACGe3_UPAhws3LZp50WftHPaKQDkMoRiwD3m1jLF1GaiRU9zIqzPE5koHWBlxIEg8D5yaV9KglGabdLfsocN3r7TlMsk9f0-U1kZZrODkv5C_ySYIciaIUny4TYMaHkN/w523-h329/Aaron%20och%20Hanna%20800.jpg" width="523" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Aaron and Hannah Elg, at Gustaf´s grave in Barnesville, Minnesota, abt 1930.<br />Photo from Todd Lindahl</span></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">After Gustaf´s death, his brother returned to Sweden.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Note that both Gustaf´s father Olaus Bork, and uncle Per
Gustaf Bork were involved in railroad building in Sweden:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://elgfamily.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-railroad-builder-in-family.html">http://elgfamily.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-railroad-builder-in-family.html</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>about Olaus Bork<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://elgfamily.blogspot.com/2014/05/per-gustaf-bork-blacksmith-and-narrow.html">http://elgfamily.blogspot.com/2014/05/per-gustaf-bork-blacksmith-and-narrow.html</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Per Gustaf Bork<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Also, several cousins worked in railroad shops back in
Minnesota: <a href="http://elgfamily.blogspot.com/2013/10/blacksmiths-going-west-part-2-new.html">http://elgfamily.blogspot.com/2013/10/blacksmiths-going-west-part-2-new.html</a></span>
<o:p></o:p></p>Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-31801662155385987022020-10-25T09:29:00.002-07:002020-10-26T11:22:44.520-07:00A fateful encounter<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; line-height: 150%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJu1BoP0vSSpQyhESplqGLcAuOsv3i8MO9QIsXOUJ-5liID-MLsw0U0neKhB5k-5EhDwL2N7hX_3TWjpU6oyU_EM6ANpRe8nfWt2taqj_KByOlO47iuhaUb1L5WtgCjmTHDAsqhobUvk/s1200/City_of_new_york-ed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="1200" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJu1BoP0vSSpQyhESplqGLcAuOsv3i8MO9QIsXOUJ-5liID-MLsw0U0neKhB5k-5EhDwL2N7hX_3TWjpU6oyU_EM6ANpRe8nfWt2taqj_KByOlO47iuhaUb1L5WtgCjmTHDAsqhobUvk/w516-h257/City_of_new_york-ed.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The City of New York, as built in 1888</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #050505; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In 1892, Gustaf Elg, his wife Maria Sofia and family emigrated to the US,
on the Inman Lines "City of New York".<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">(see <a href="http://elgfamily.blogspot.com/2013/10/blacksmiths-going-west-part-2-new.html">http://elgfamily.blogspot.com/2013/10/blacksmiths-going-west-part-2-new.html</a></span><span style="line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://elgfamily.blogspot.com/2013/10/blacksmiths-going-west-part-2-new.html " target="_blank"> </a>).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">City of New York was designed to be the largest and fastest liner on the Atlantic, built by J
& G Thomson of Clydebank, Scotland.</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> When she entered service in August 1888, she was the first
twin screw express liner and while she did not achieve the westbound Blue
Riband, she ultimately held the eastbound record from August 1892 to May 1893
at a speed of 20.11 knots.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; line-height: 150%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCb9VpxoLU-OsCFEvRSELngb7OWTQD7pGaiS3Tb5PYH0_4K5QO-MQ2QxyvtdU_jMPXNMhZLYuOVj8NzPglXIDFOdHz57at3w9ovm-QY7P3dWtuvRDzPIvosiR0Lg4CDWaLZCeVUwyPhN8/s1200/Titanic_new_york-ed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="1200" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCb9VpxoLU-OsCFEvRSELngb7OWTQD7pGaiS3Tb5PYH0_4K5QO-MQ2QxyvtdU_jMPXNMhZLYuOVj8NzPglXIDFOdHz57at3w9ovm-QY7P3dWtuvRDzPIvosiR0Lg4CDWaLZCeVUwyPhN8/w495-h239/Titanic_new_york-ed.jpg" width="495" /></a></div><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Titanic passing New York and Olympia.<br />New York had lost one funnel in a rebuild in 1901.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #050505; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Fast forward to April 10, 1912:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">On 10 April 1912, New York, as she was now known, was berthed
in Southampton beside Oceanic. The three-inch steel hawsers that secured her
were torn from their moorings when the much larger Titanic (leaving port to
begin her ill-fated maiden voyage to New York City) passed by, creating a
suction effect. A collision was narrowly avoided when Titanic's captain, Edward
Smith, ordered the port propeller to reverse, turning the larger liner while a
nearby tugboat towed New York in the opposite direction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2NABpDfovzaFdYAI5e_-2Mkg7dLBgduzYSHIFZcGGHDMrt9le_U94GtWLadyn9uumBLc_60VntnHrtZd3ZLT7meuQnESjKk75Tbv_gp81IYOHhtVtQHExPBB-Kg6fcSlWIBynPDRVl0/s1116/Titanic-and-New+York.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1116" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2NABpDfovzaFdYAI5e_-2Mkg7dLBgduzYSHIFZcGGHDMrt9le_U94GtWLadyn9uumBLc_60VntnHrtZd3ZLT7meuQnESjKk75Tbv_gp81IYOHhtVtQHExPBB-Kg6fcSlWIBynPDRVl0/w421-h307/Titanic-and-New+York.jpg" width="421" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A close encounter..</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The photo is taken from the Titanic, <br />and somehow survived her sinking.</i></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Of course, if captain Smith had failed to avoid colliding with New York, her departure would have been delayed while the ship was inspected for possible damage. And she would not have been on time for that fateful encounter with an iceberg off Newfoundland..</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; line-height: 150%; padding: 0cm;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_City_of_New_York_(1888)?fbclid=IwAR2efH8QlVDpZ3BSSm4J6Sk0MHhSddLF-QYaAkYrYDarvWyyf9fGBQTzI3U" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_City_of_New_York_(1888)</a></span></span></span><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: SV;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">There is another possible family connection to the Titanic. My grandfather´s second cousin Sigfrid Elg emigrated to the US in 1912. According to family tradition, he was booked on the Titanic´s maiden voyage, but was delayed and had to travel on another ship from Oslo, Norway. His departure from Sweden is actually recorded on April 4, six days before Titanic´s departure, but that may not have given him enough time to travel to Southampton.</span></span></p>Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-36886264936497441652020-10-23T05:31:00.001-07:002020-10-23T05:31:53.082-07:00In search of our Finnish roots<p> <b style="font-family: arial;"><i>Lennart Elg,
October 2020</i></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The first known
ancestor of our Elg family was a Finnish settler who arrived in what is now the
village of Säfsnäs in the early 17th Century - Pål Larsson Turpoinen. Pål was
one of the first to settle in the area, and many Swedes with roots here count
Pål among their ancestors. For many years, the main source for this was oral
history, recorded by Finnish linguist Carl Axel Gottlund in the early 19th
century. The community of Finnish settlers had a strong tradition of oral
history, but the interviews were conducted 200 years after they arrived.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Finnish migrants</span></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Life in the woods</span></h3>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When Pål and
other Finnish-born settlers arrived in the area they were neither
"illegal" nor "immigrants". Finland was part of Sweden
since the 13th century, and would remain so for another two centuries, until we
lost Finland in a war against Russia in 1809. And the King of Sweden provided
tax incentives for settlers, not only to develop the economy, but also so he
would get early warning if Danish troops crossed the border to march on
Stockholm. The area is close to Norway, which was then controlled by our
traditional arch-enemy, the Danes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The Finnish
settlers aquired somewhat of an outlaw reputation, since they preferred to
settle deep in the forests, far from Swedish homesteaders. Pål first shows up
in a police investigation from 1622, suspected of hunting moose, which all
belonged to the Crown.. Pål was a suspect in this investigation, but - as usual
- rumour preceded the sheriff and he found no hard evidence. Pål was not
convicted, though remains of a slaughtered moose had been found close to his
cabin. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In later
documents, Pål is referred to as sheriff for the Finnish community
(finnelänsman). This indicates that he had become a man of substance in his
community, and also that he spoke Swedish in addition to his Finnish mother
tongue, and could communicate with Swedish authorities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Slash and burn
farming</span></h3>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">These Finnish
homesteaders practised a highly efficient form of slash-and-burn farming which
made it possible for them to subsist in remote forest areas, far from Swedish
farmers. They would cut down an area of forest and burn the vegetation. The
ashes would provide rich nutrients for the soil for a couple of years. However,
once these were depleted they would have to clearcut a new area.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Iron mills</span></h3>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The situation
would change as an emerging, but primitive, iron industry was growing in the
beginning of the 17th century. Smelting was powered by charcoal, and charcoal was
also required to reduce the iron oxide to pig iron. The Forest Finns with their
demanding slash-and-burn agriculture were suddenly considered an economic
threat by increasing the cost of charcoal as they burned off now valuable
timber. The burning of the forests was officially forbidden in 1647 and the
Finns were obliged to support the iron factories by providing charcoal at an
artificially low price.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> </span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugFdrUaAyrSfi7t1VaIkK9q7S-wCkbLCU6gXv_xkXrhz2p4gpVabjr0GI5R0rWfmL8bf13DtfYjhEq5RwsQ_EVsqb44TUXceuvQUHZ32JiqpPhUqYxnreImmPRjjT-OnjuVUbScEm-tU/s521/charcoal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="521" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugFdrUaAyrSfi7t1VaIkK9q7S-wCkbLCU6gXv_xkXrhz2p4gpVabjr0GI5R0rWfmL8bf13DtfYjhEq5RwsQ_EVsqb44TUXceuvQUHZ32JiqpPhUqYxnreImmPRjjT-OnjuVUbScEm-tU/w345-h259/charcoal.jpg" width="345" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Traditional
charcoal pile.<br /></i></span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcoal_burner</i></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">An iron mill was
founded ca 1720 at Gravendal, around 10 miles southeast of Säfsnäs. Here our
ancestors found work in the blacksmith shop, and blacksmithing became a family
tradition for more than 200 years... The name Elg was adopted by Petter Jansson
around 1770, when he became a master blacksmith, and this trade was taught from
father to son for at least four generations. Petter was a 3rd great-grandson of
Pål Larsson Turpoinen, and at least the fourth generation to be born at
Elgsjöhöjden (the Hill above Moose Lake – elg is Swedish for moose). Most of us
are descended from Petter´s son Lars Elg (1789-18539, who became a master
blacksmith at Gravendal, a few miles south of Älgsjöhöjden.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqU_1uzVA-5nSxqeilpgDAYF4V8r4G2opayl-y5gRRj8XQ4P-J1dZPkCa8FqXOD7fy4-RWkn-4Odf0ExpqLAjzADGmJFwac-P_DvlOBrMuHxX1NtoDfDq6Y0zMfV_zq4PmELTJ97HWdI/s554/blacksmith_shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="416" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqU_1uzVA-5nSxqeilpgDAYF4V8r4G2opayl-y5gRRj8XQ4P-J1dZPkCa8FqXOD7fy4-RWkn-4Odf0ExpqLAjzADGmJFwac-P_DvlOBrMuHxX1NtoDfDq6Y0zMfV_zq4PmELTJ97HWdI/w313-h417/blacksmith_shop.jpg" width="313" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>18th century
blacksmith shop, with a small waterpowered drop hammer</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">By the end of the
18th century the very existence of the Forest Finns was forgotten and they were
considered to have assimilated into the Swedish population. But they were not,
as was clearly shown by Finnish linguist Carl Axel Gottlund. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Gottlund made two
trips to the Forest Finns, the first in 1817 to Dalarna and the second, a
longer one in 1820--21 to Värmland. He collected folklore and other
ethnographic data as well as geneaological information. The last mentioned was
partly because he wanted to improve the social circumstances of the Finns and
to prevent the Sweden from taking their land ownings. It has been estimated
that in the beginning of the 19th century there were about 40.000 Finns, still
using Finnish as their mother tongue, in central Scandinavia, of which about 14.000
in Värmland.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-i5ShNEh_23V0L1BxsJBbxviO2maFJUHr-upZHEgVJ6oAEMVqL5EFYHkuk3-0O4fjlZYUmBfqJ1uVzJA-h7cYY5UqKRvAh3Qy4OlyTgPWOzaoCWjtq7VU5IIa4H4MaWjU6eXycn9XuE/s974/C._A._Gottlund.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="974" data-original-width="973" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-i5ShNEh_23V0L1BxsJBbxviO2maFJUHr-upZHEgVJ6oAEMVqL5EFYHkuk3-0O4fjlZYUmBfqJ1uVzJA-h7cYY5UqKRvAh3Qy4OlyTgPWOzaoCWjtq7VU5IIa4H4MaWjU6eXycn9XuE/s320/C._A._Gottlund.jpg" /></a></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Carl Axel
Gottlund</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">DNA research</span></h2>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Recently,
genealogists have come to suspect that Pål is identical to a man of that name
who grew up in a small village called Pihtipudas in central Finland, and who
disappears from Finnish records in 1603.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">One clue has been
that the name – now spelled Turpeinen - still lives on in Pihtipudas. Now, DNA
testing done by my distant relative Per-Göran Jansson has shown that both
Per-Göran and another Swedish descendant of Pål Larsson Turpeinen shares genes
with a member of the Pihtipudas Turpeinens, going back to around 1600. So it
appears that the origins of Pål Larsson Turpoinen/Turpeinen have been
confirmed. And since he disappears from Pihtipudas in 1603, his birth if
probably closer to 1580. I have parish records which show that Per-Göran and I
have a common ancestor in this line as far back as 1710.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">At present, we do
not yet know for sure whether it was Pål Larsson Turpeinen or his father who
left Pihtipudas. We also know nothing about his life before the first reliable
information about his existence in the Säfsen area appears in 1622. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You can find the
location of Pihtipudas here:
<i><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pihtipudas,+Finland/"></a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pihtipudas,+Finland/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pihtipudas,+Finland/ </a></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The Elgs are
descended from Pål´s son Jan/Johan. In an ”it´s a small world” moment, Ritva has
found that, according to MyHeritage, she is related by marriage to Jan´s
brother Erik Pålsson Turpoinen..<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Pihtipudas</span></h3>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Today, Pihtipudas
is a small town of around 4100 inhabitants. On a trip to Finland in 2018, we
stopped in Pihtipudas, and met our distant cousin Juha Turpeinen, who we had
found through the DNA research of Per-Göran Jansson. Juha showed us remains of
the early settlements. Close to the church is a museum dedicated to the early
settlers, and also a statue dedicated to the slash-and-burn farmers.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6FRZ7fkgg7YZ6bCLL2W4McQ8bHZuN3IRG5pXeNcPqBtgpCKqJyQBUKE6pBsV27phAAxEYOtt7cI3f07sO6WtV2AdXTv0PS73UZEGjq9gi2YBGYayXRX4NYuBddFbQ-gpRm4PIn5qz9o/w351-h263/Juha_Turpeinen_o_Lennart.jpg" width="351" /></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Juha Turpeinen
and Lennart, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">studying our
joint ancestors</span></span></i></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">History of
Pihtipudas</span></h3>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Before abt 1550,
the area where Pihtipudas lies today was unpopulated, used for hunting and
fishing. Around 1550, land for slash-and-burn farming was running out, and the
Swedish kings encouraged cultavation of new land in order to increase tax
revenue.Pihtipudas started to develop as a center for the new settlers. One of
the first settlers was Tapani Turpeinen. Tapani founded a large family in the
area, a 1638 survey lists five farms owned by Turpeinens.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Still, the
farming methods used continously required new land, and migration continued,
both north, and west across the Baltic sea, to Sweden. We do not know whether
it was Pål Larsson Turpoinen or his father Lars Pålsson Turpoinen who migrated,
or what triggered the migration across the Baltic in this case: It may have
been social unrest at the time, it may have been the risk of being conscripted
to the army, it may have been a son knowing he was not in line to enherit the
family farm. Also, the king of Sweden offered tax incentives for Finns who
settled in the west forest regions of Sweden. This was partly for economic
development, but also to provide early warning against our traditional enemy,
the perfidious Danes, who ruled Norway at the time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2M5mDMrdEb8uiEeSPnJQe9xFXbXBlbf8QgTCJRlOFElwROjYgbp9fXMJKnJD963-ibNYYjhgnrvXWSguswh3-vgkzI2rAlDD1gTwY_o-0vS77XYDOQfG6l5TRq9hcnS012q2LxfmgQ8/s1200/Monument_%25C3%25B6ver_svedjefinnarna-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="914" data-original-width="1200" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2M5mDMrdEb8uiEeSPnJQe9xFXbXBlbf8QgTCJRlOFElwROjYgbp9fXMJKnJD963-ibNYYjhgnrvXWSguswh3-vgkzI2rAlDD1gTwY_o-0vS77XYDOQfG6l5TRq9hcnS012q2LxfmgQ8/w406-h310/Monument_%25C3%25B6ver_svedjefinnarna-.jpg" width="406" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Monument to the
slash-and-burn farmers, </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Pihtipudas,
Finland</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Trip to Värmland</span></h2>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2IbVLQr9TehOiOW12YRWnWr_ylievWvgHECeN2PcIPHNnoPEBWs4SY7KIpGwDMa8y01t2fQ79P2l9FiLT8bjuC6NTc8WtkAcemCkRnaYJ4qiqzaFD3uet8FBwYCp6dzGPBt9UBAk56s/s848/central+Sweden+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="848" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2IbVLQr9TehOiOW12YRWnWr_ylievWvgHECeN2PcIPHNnoPEBWs4SY7KIpGwDMa8y01t2fQ79P2l9FiLT8bjuC6NTc8WtkAcemCkRnaYJ4qiqzaFD3uet8FBwYCp6dzGPBt9UBAk56s/w434-h246/central+Sweden+small.jpg" width="434" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Map of central
Sweden</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In the autumn of
2020, we made a trip to the northwestern part of Värmland county. There were
once Finnish settlements on both sides of the Norwegian border. On the
Norwegian side, there is actually a farm, Turbeinstorpet, named after a
descendant of Pål Larsson Turpeinen who was the first settler there. Värmland
has the best collection of preserved old buildings and artefacts. One of the
museums also had a café where we could try the forest Finns staple food, ”hand
porrige”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Hand porridge</span></h3>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3c1YJTQdEdtFHEY1x5QL0_M-p_ss3fxjF_4mza3qWfJIkvHzXKmEkJPBmoeslBmKflvXHjO29eaolH7oSlbpE8w3j0X4PXOnDwqkvbhRnZGYteNP2KpVayYdG2S1dyNt755XNpDjSsw/s900/n%25C3%25A4vgr%25C3%25B6t_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3c1YJTQdEdtFHEY1x5QL0_M-p_ss3fxjF_4mza3qWfJIkvHzXKmEkJPBmoeslBmKflvXHjO29eaolH7oSlbpE8w3j0X4PXOnDwqkvbhRnZGYteNP2KpVayYdG2S1dyNt755XNpDjSsw/s320/n%25C3%25A4vgr%25C3%25B6t_small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">”Hand porridge”
was a staple food of the forest Finns, nourishing and easy to take along. The
end result is dry lumps which can be picked up by hand with no need for fancy
cutlery. It is made with a flour ground from toasted oats.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Lingonberries are
a Swedish specialty, they resemble cranberries but have a lot more flavor.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Serves 4<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>4 cups of water</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>1 tsp salt</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>1 lb of toasted
oat flour</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Pork loin or
bacon</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Lingonberries</i></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Fry the pork or
bacon, and set aside. Leave the fat in the pan and keep it warm.</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Bring the water
to a boil with salt, and turn off the heat.</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Sprinkle the
flour on top of the water, use a ladle to push it into the water but do not
stir.</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Put the lid on
for 10 minutes. </i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Stir gently. The
aim is to get a dry and lumpy porridge, so you can pick up lumps and eat with
your fingers.</i></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Drizzle
pork/bacon fat over the porridge, serve with bacon and lingonberries.</i></span></li></ol><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i> </i></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Smoke cabins</span></h3>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In addition to
their proficiency at slash-and-burn farming, the forest Finns brought their own
style of buildings, known as ”smoke cabins”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Simple cross timbered log cabins, the earliest examples were heated with
an open fireplace, but these was soon replaced with massive stone ovens, which
could store heat overnight.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> </span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReBx3Z8RC33q-3-GuUBUnpTmd3yhFpmtWRNZw8tuUCF48ec1n2mUgEsr9HuDbNk5-Me0dL8o39JsZyLBBLqDnKC17iDPd-WJTI046RlMsz-rOQoCBXO1GE0hfatj-5JZMRsblrZtVudQ/s900/smoke_cabin900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="900" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReBx3Z8RC33q-3-GuUBUnpTmd3yhFpmtWRNZw8tuUCF48ec1n2mUgEsr9HuDbNk5-Me0dL8o39JsZyLBBLqDnKC17iDPd-WJTI046RlMsz-rOQoCBXO1GE0hfatj-5JZMRsblrZtVudQ/w439-h288/smoke_cabin900.jpg" width="439" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Traditional smoke
cabin. </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The window is a
later addition. Originally, there were only openings to let light and air in,
which could be closed with wooden shutters.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Instead of a
chimney, which would let out not just the smoke but also most of the heat from
the oven, the hot smoke was let out into the room, to collect under an
insulated ceiling supported by two strong ridge poles. From there the hot smoke
radiated heat across the whole room. A hatch in the ceiling regulated the
escape of hot smoke, and a set of hatches in the walls regulated the inflow of
fresh air.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When properly
adjusted, this system was both more efficient and provided more comfort than the
traditional fireplace connected to a chimney. This type of building were used
for centuries, the last permanently occupied smoke cabin was abandoned in the
1950´s.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Smaller versions
of these buildings, without the top smoke vent, were used and are still popular
as ”smoke saunas”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-24958078964487149892020-09-14T06:27:00.000-07:002020-09-14T06:27:24.860-07:00Western justice<p> <span style="font-size: large;">The first Elgs to emigrate were the family of Christina Elg
and Jan Bork. In the autumn of 1868, son Gustaf Edvin set off for Omaha,
Nebraska. He was 19 at the time. Half a year later, his parents follow, along
with daughters Emma Fredrika and Augusta Sofia Bork.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jan Bork dies only half a year after his arrival, and is
buried on the family farm in Sanders County, Nebraska. Christina and her
daughters later move to Laramie, Wyoming, where Emma Fredrika’s husband John
Lindstrom has found work as a tie hacker for the Union Pacific Railroad.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Augusta Sofia marries a Charles Connors. Apparently the
marriage is not happy, and Augusta Sofia leaves Connors for another man, with
dramatic consequenses, as told in this article from the Sept. 1 1892 issue of
the Laramie Boomerang.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsem3qEtf0Eq4EODWH3yncZQLrMhgRt3DHxueyguZWfxayEtSYlxAJ8frQNlf9bzNRIZCBLncFRf59aovbHswB0I-4lgg0ohvkqXP4UKixVT_MPcaPof7oWBHVLGLFHnYOIczXcjrxck/s1024/West+Side+Judgement-1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="443" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsem3qEtf0Eq4EODWH3yncZQLrMhgRt3DHxueyguZWfxayEtSYlxAJ8frQNlf9bzNRIZCBLncFRf59aovbHswB0I-4lgg0ohvkqXP4UKixVT_MPcaPof7oWBHVLGLFHnYOIczXcjrxck/w270-h625/West+Side+Judgement-1024.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Apparently, Mr Cowper was not seriously affected by this
treatment, as the couple stayed of in Laramie, and the family is still there.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-45881056163454849222020-03-02T05:03:00.000-08:002020-03-02T07:08:54.277-08:00Carl-Erik Elg 1913 - 1993<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Carl-Erik and
mother Elsa, abt 1925</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My grandfather
Karl August Elg and grandmother Elsa Karlsson were both from Bergslagen, the
old industrial heartland in central Sweden. They met, however, in Gothenburg,
where their only son Carl-Erik was born in 1913. By 1916 the family moves to
Ludvika. Here my grandfather came to work for more than 40 years as a toolmaker
in a mechanical workshop owned by his older brother Axel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As my father grew
up, he developed an early interest in both photography and amateur radio. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Carl-Erik with
homebuilt transmitter, 1939.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another early
interest in international affairs. As a young man he learned the synthetic
"world language" Esperanto, and had pen pals around the world who
shared his interest. Soon amateur radio came to fill the same need. Here he was
one of the early pioneers: His license to operate a transmitter was formally
approved by the government in session, and was signed by the King.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After mandatory
basic army training, he studied industrial management at a Technical College.
Photos from that time show serious young men in coat and tie, ready to take on
the burden of developing Swedish industry. In a carnival procession from 1938,
the students can still joke about Hitler, but reality would soon catch up with
them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Serious students</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When the second
world war broke out, all radio amateurs had to hand in their transmitters to
the government, and Carl-Erik was soon called up for military service. When the
Soviet Union attacked Finland in 1939 his unit was sent to the far north of
Sweden, where they prepared to defend the Swedish border if Soviet troops broke
through the Finnish lines. In the spring of 1940 his unit was sent home to
demobilize, but on April 9, 1940, Hitler attacked and soon occupied Norway. So
instead of going back to civilian life, his unit was sent to the Norwegian
border, as the first line of defense if the Germans decided to attack Sweden.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Across the
border, they could see German occupation troops. All contact with the other side
was of course strictly prohibited, but both sides were eager for news about the
progress of the war. Eventually, a set of rituals developed where men from both
sides laid down their arms and met in no-mans-land to exchange news and
cigarettes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Meeting in no
mans land. Carl Erik far right.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mobilization in
Sweden created a large need for radio operators. Many radio amateurs were
transferred to the signal corps, and after a winter on the Norwegian border, my
father came to spend the rest of his active duty at his regiment's headquarter,
manning the base station there. While still only a vice corporal he commanded a
group of young and lively WACs. When they were not occupied with their own
traffic, they tried to follow both allied and German transmissions, to get news
of the war. When the allied troups landed in Normandy on D-Day, they listened
to Eisenhower adressing the troops, hours before the news was announced by
Swedish broadcasting. Carl-Erik's experiences led to a life-long interest in the
history of WW II. His last trip abroad was to the invation beaches in Normandy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Carl-Erik was
also a pioneer in color photography. I have found color slides going back to
1941 (the first color slide film was sold in the US by Kodak in 1935). At that
time color slides was the only medium for color photography. When color prints
appeared on the market, he was not satisfied to pick up a set of prints at the
camera store. He started experimenting with making his own enlargements - a
complex chemistry process with many steps involved. As usual, he built his own
equipment to control time and temperature, and exchanged long letters with the
chemistry suppliers when he found ellors in their instructions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Engaged, 1944</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">During 1944, a
certain young lady begins to appears frequently in his photos, and in 1946,
Carl-Erik marries Inga Britta Svangren. Next year Lennart is born, and when
daughter Elisabet arrives in 1949, the family is complete. They have outgrown
their first apartment, and buy a house where Lennart and Elisabet grow up. Here
Carl-Erik can develop his love for gardening, and fill the rooftop with strange
antennas..<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After graduating
in 1938, Carl-Erik spent his whole career with ASEA (now ABB) in Ludvika.
Initially he worked as a production engineer, helping to introduce time/motion
studies (MTM) at ASEA. Later he trained the next generation of production
engineers. His lauguage proficiency meant that he was often asked to host
foreign visitors to ASEA. Some of these became life-long friends.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Amateur radio was
also instrumental in giving the family friends acroos the globe. Carl-Erik was
more interested in radio as a way of making new contacts before the internet,
than in the technical challenges. We hosted visiting amateurs, and made a
number of holiday trips abroad to meet friends he had metcacross the radio,
before the charter industry had made international travel commonplace.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">His Interest i
photography was life-long. Carl-Erik documented their many trip in both photo
albums, and edited 8 mm movies and later video films. He passed away in 1993 of
a massive coronary bleed, as he was stepping out of the camera store where he
had picked up another roll of processed film.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>-oOo-</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now that I am
retired myself, I am struck by the similarities between our lives:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My father worked
at ASEA in different capacities for most of his career, I came to work in
basically the same government organization from 1980 until I retired in 2012.
Carl-Erik became a pillar in his speciality, but had no interest in seeking a
management position. I decided early on never to take a management job, but
aspired to become a "guru" in my field instead (and judging from the
speeches when I retired I might have succeeded in the end..).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My feeble attempt
at rebellion involved majoring in psychology instead of engineering, but I came
to work my whole live with the interaction between economics and technology,
the same specialty my father had pursued in his engineering degree. We even
discovered mutual contacts from our work. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Carl-Erik bought
my first camera when I was ten, and taught me to take photos as well as making
prints in the darkroom. He started the family history project which I have
carried on for more than 30 years.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Carl-Erik made
new friends abroad through amateur radio, I have made the same through the
internet, pursuing my interests in both genealogy and railroad history.
Carl-Erik passed away in 1993, the same year the World Wide Web was launched.
He bought an early home computer/word processor which he used to keep up
correspondence across the world, but he just missed out on the computer as a
networked communications device. I am sure he would have loved to immerse
himself in both the internet and digital photography.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-15322898134923646582020-02-25T11:19:00.001-08:002021-04-30T08:26:35.591-07:00The mystery of Alexander Elge – finally solved!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFE99tnnBTqKgMBos66bwcP-GNEInPJ85xcikCAYmo_HVgm2D68gczCpypQf36-zjxVIQnqjTPkUKnluixXzRx4W3v-0vPlB7vhsrCrZKUYNYTNPbdtF0vDtqtuKHMljYj_PaJlNcySSw/s1600/johnsons.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="567" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFE99tnnBTqKgMBos66bwcP-GNEInPJ85xcikCAYmo_HVgm2D68gczCpypQf36-zjxVIQnqjTPkUKnluixXzRx4W3v-0vPlB7vhsrCrZKUYNYTNPbdtF0vDtqtuKHMljYj_PaJlNcySSw/s640/johnsons.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When we first
visited the Johnson ranch, back in 2007, Margaret gave me a copy of her history
of the Johnson ranch. According to this, the ranch was first settled by
Alexander Elg and his wife Sophia, in 1879, which is supported by old land
records. According to Margaret´s history, brother Jacob – Everett´s grandfather
– takes over the ranch in 1888, after Alexander´s death. There is no record of
his death, or of what becomes of his wife Sophia.</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Jacob was born in
1852 in Liljendal, Sweden, a son of blacksmith Johan Elg<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and his first wife, Kajsa Håkansdotter. Kajsa
dies when Jacob is only one year old, and Johan later marries Anna Olsdotter.
In total, 14 children are born in these marriages, of which 10 boys and 2
daughters survive. Most of them will later emigrate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Back in Sweden I
start to search for Alexander, but he is nowhere to be found in the parish
records, and there are no gaps in the record where he could have slipped through. However, it is not unheard of for emigrants to change their names. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I have two
suspects, all other sons are accounted for in Swedish parish records.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Erik Johan Elg,
b. 1844, cannot be found in Swedish records. I find a Johan Erik Elg, b. 1844,
who emigrates with his wife Kristina to Chicago in 1869, from a place near
Liljendal. I have no direct evidence that this is our Erik Johan Elg.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Per August Elg,
b. 1850, emigrates in 1868, no destination noted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h3>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Returns from the
dead..</span></h3>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Here the story
could have ended, but a couple of years later I get in touch with another
branch of the family, in Montana. They are descendants of two brothers and a
sister from Johan Elg´s second marriage, who emigrate to Montana to dig for
gold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It takes a while
to follow their emigration, as they emigrate from Oslo, and do not appear in
Swedish emigration records. But finally I find the passenger list from their
arrival in New York, March 19, 1887, on the s/s Britannic. And now it gets
interesting! The list shows:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWke_TqfY02ekazA8_KQ7vHraywnkf5vHHja6NlQEZq6vafMSnlftMZKCDXFcDjB0jiRCxtj-SZd2-S0Ag8umIkHd1WR9t8JcNT7s87qcD6AU1cTB08Gs6p94pa4NJkVoX4aldW2YLGfc/s1600/manifest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="580" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWke_TqfY02ekazA8_KQ7vHraywnkf5vHHja6NlQEZq6vafMSnlftMZKCDXFcDjB0jiRCxtj-SZd2-S0Ag8umIkHd1WR9t8JcNT7s87qcD6AU1cTB08Gs6p94pa4NJkVoX4aldW2YLGfc/s640/manifest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">* Alexander Elge,
26, US citizen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">* Marie Elge, 18,
spinster<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">* Edward Elge,
20, laborer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">* Otto Elge, 24,
farmer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">* Beata Elge, 24,
wife<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">* Ernfrid Elge,
3, son<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Alexander is
listed with the rest of the family. Note also that all have changed the
spelling of the family name, the ”-e” makes it easier to pronounce for English
speakers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It seems too much
of a coincidence that two mysterious Alexanders should appear in the same
family. More likely it was Alexander´s wife sophia who passed away in Laramie,
and Alexander decided to make a fresh start. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Debra Jacobs
found a marriage records which shows that Alexander August Elge from Sweden
marries Eva June Smith in 1895, in San Bernadino. This seems to indicate that
Alexander is Per August Elg. There is a problem in that the passenger list from
1887 lists his age as 26, which would place his birth around 1860, rather than
1850, a bit young to have married and started the Laramie ranch by 1877. On the
other hand, the Alexander Elg who marries in San Bernadino in 1895 is 45 years
old, which matches Per August's birth year of 1850. And, unlike the arrival
record in New York, the Norwegian departure record lists his age as 36,
matching Per August’s birth year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h3>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">On the wrong
track?</span></h3>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">By now I was
feeling rather confident, when a register search turns up a person who was
actually named August Alexander Elg, born in the same province in 1853, and
also a blacksmith like ”my” Elgs. Not only that, the family emigrated in 1882.
Have I been barking up the wrong tree all along? A search of the parish records
showed that this man was from another part of Värmland province. And US census
records show that after emigration the family settled in Chicago, where he
spent the rest of his life with his Swedish wife, without any gold-mining
adventures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h3>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><o:p> </o:p>Final
confirmation</span></h3>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Final
confirmation of my original story arrives, when I find a digitized newpaper
story in the collection of the Swedish National Library. This story was
published in several Swedish newspapers in March 1887:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>The – not – lost
son</b>. Under this heading, one of our correspondents reports:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A blacksmith at Liljendal
named Elg had 14 children, of which 10 sons and 2 daughters survive. 18 years
ago, the then 18 year old son A. emigrated to America, where he has
predominantly occupied himselm searching for gold, first in California with
mixed success, but later in the Rocky Mountains in Montana, where in company
with an English prospector he discovered a rich gold vein; also he is part
owner with five others in a silver mine in the Rocky Mountains.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">On October 5th
last year, he embarked on the long and expensive journey back to Sweden, to
provide for his parents in their old age, and arrived there in good health on
November 9th. There is no mistaking the joy on his arrival, his father had
assumed he was dead as they had not heard from him for seven years. </span></i></div>
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<i><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">However,
now the golden boy opened his purse and purchased all kind on necessities for
the household. Later he deposited a substantial amount with his father to meet
future needs.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>On March 1, he
started the long journey back to his mines, but this time in the company of an
18 year old sister and two brothers, one of them accompanied by his family.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHdKrjrHQUoLekbBDjH8JshlbP0x77ROvvYl7zmIAY2_IVadXEMQRp02b_iRhUvLn1EE6JccO9CUTUK3zEzbyltI0wzFB6w6aqcEfdLH1LSfhx8D0USvh7DH51vkadpcOpoWBSgCZoZ5Y/s1600/lost_son.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="274" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHdKrjrHQUoLekbBDjH8JshlbP0x77ROvvYl7zmIAY2_IVadXEMQRp02b_iRhUvLn1EE6JccO9CUTUK3zEzbyltI0wzFB6w6aqcEfdLH1LSfhx8D0USvh7DH51vkadpcOpoWBSgCZoZ5Y/s640/lost_son.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<div class="MsoPlainText"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The 1890 census shows Alex Johnson listed as a boarder with Per August/Alexander´s half sister Maria Sophia Elge and her husband Nels Nelson, who ran a boarding house for miners in Helena Montana.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoPlainText">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Per August
”Alexander” Elge passed away on April 3, 1896, and is buried in Redland,
California, just outside San Bernadino, where he married Eva June Smith only a
year before<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-49711015843078129502018-07-03T02:30:00.001-07:002020-02-25T11:21:11.389-08:00Bear encounter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXkfCyyZ39Y4uZ_SuwKMRLSUFOfB1N0DA8_LOfoH8JKGI0e1mcKblZrN3_JAx-g7Vljd_krsConxJCJrnMCv65z6RLsW28s8K_zV6FwQ7Ce14dB2m-alpneLj6knNRXH0kP66CL4NbWs/s1600/Elge+bear+encounter%252C+The+Los+Angeles+Times+Sat+Jun+18+1892_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="867" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXkfCyyZ39Y4uZ_SuwKMRLSUFOfB1N0DA8_LOfoH8JKGI0e1mcKblZrN3_JAx-g7Vljd_krsConxJCJrnMCv65z6RLsW28s8K_zV6FwQ7Ce14dB2m-alpneLj6knNRXH0kP66CL4NbWs/s640/Elge+bear+encounter%252C+The+Los+Angeles+Times+Sat+Jun+18+1892_web.jpg" width="539" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another chapter in the saga of Per/Alexander <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">August Elge. From Los Angeles Times, Saturday June 1892. Thanks to Debra Elge Jacobs for finding this!</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<br />Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-62220632543354189702018-05-29T01:52:00.001-07:002020-02-25T11:23:41.738-08:00OriginsThe first known ancestor of our Elg famiy was a Finnish settler who arrived in what is now the village of Säfsnäs in the early 17th Century - Pål Larsson Turpoinen(see <a href="http://web.telia.com/~u85435856/history/finnish.html">http://web.telia.com/~u85435856/history/finnish.html</a> ). Many Swedes with roots in the area can count Pål among their ancestors.<br />
<br />
For some years, genealogists have suspected that Pål is identical to a man who grew up in a small village called Pihtipudas in central Finland, and who disappears from Finnish records in 1603.<br />
<br />
One clue has been that the name - spelled Turpeinen - still lives on in Pihtipudas. Now, DNA testing has shown that a Swedish descendant of Pål Larsson Turpeinen shares genes with a member of the Pihtipudas Turpeinens, going back to around 1600. So it appears that the origins of Pål Larsson Turpoinen/Turpeinen have been confirmed. And since he disappears from Pihtipudas in 1603, his birth if probably closer to 1580.<br />
<br />
When Pål and other Finnish-born settlers arrived in the area they were neither "illegal" nor "immigrants". Finland was part of Sweden since the 13th century, and would remain so for another two centuries, until we lost Finland in a war against Russia in 1809. And the settlers had been invited by the Swedish king, to develop unsettled areas.<br />
<br />
You can find the location of Pihtipudas here: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pihtipudas,+Finland/">https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pihtipudas,+Finland/</a>Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-41959513674547230022017-06-07T00:29:00.000-07:002017-06-07T02:32:18.529-07:00Frances C Elge - pioneer Montana Lawyer<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>Frances Caroline Elge (1906 - 1991) was the daughter of August Elg and Judith Ericsson (see </em></span><a href="http://elgfamily.blogspot.se/2009/11/children-of-johan-elg-and-mysterious.html"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>http://elgfamily.blogspot.se/2009/11/children-of-johan-elg-and-mysterious.html</em></span></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em> ). The following text is posted with permission from the editor of The Billings Gazette. Illustrations have been added by me. I will have more information about Frances´ family in a later post.</em></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizd7f8GVx25L-h8HsN-nHTFtSWGot7lI-mjebubfGYrpyurhyphenhyphenYThbtAJ1TDWCtoIQEiitf6zZbgUhJgGmCMEJdvElBGgaL6vEZP1QQGMVIacvqF8lJvj7KsvDwOxxFDHm_aqgNsi4y0bo/s1600/County_attorney_web2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizd7f8GVx25L-h8HsN-nHTFtSWGot7lI-mjebubfGYrpyurhyphenhyphenYThbtAJ1TDWCtoIQEiitf6zZbgUhJgGmCMEJdvElBGgaL6vEZP1QQGMVIacvqF8lJvj7KsvDwOxxFDHm_aqgNsi4y0bo/s1600/County_attorney_web2.jpg" /></a></div>
<h2 class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For 50 years, she's fought for women</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">By ROGER CLAWSON<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></strong><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Of The Gazette Staff<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Monday, Nov. 3, 1980 - The Billings Gazette<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the beautiful young daughter of a Swedish
immigrant entered the rough and tumble of Capital City politics, the opposition
screamed "Rape!”<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Frances C. Elge's political career has spanned a half
century — from her own campaign wars in Lewis and Clark County, her service as
secretary-treasurer for the first congresswoman, to her on-going fight for the
Equal Rights Amendment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Born a feminist," she will be back in
Helena if the 1981 Legislature attempts to rescind its ratification of the ERA.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And she will be right at home.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was in Helena in 1932 when she entered politics.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With the ink still fresh on her license to practice
law, she ran for public administrator. Then, as now, it was a minor office, but
"Fran" Elge made national headlines when her probate of an old man's
estate uncovered a hoard of moldy bills in a tarpaper shack.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"An old man died in the county hospital and $750
in war bonds were found under his mattress," she recalled.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">" I went to his home, a tarpaper shack, and a
neighbor warned me not to go inside. She said I would find the place crawling
with vermin."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Public Administrator Elge padlocked the door, waited
for a killing frost and then entered to find $5,000 in an old bread wrapper. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The story made the national news wires and Fran was
flooded with letters from heirs and pretenders from across the nation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She also shared the national limelight as a defense
counsel in the famous Baldwin Radio Mail Fraud case. The case involved a stock
promotion, the inventor of the Baldwin headset, and a number of salesmen.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also on the defense team was Sam Ford, a former state
Supreme Court Justice and a future Montana governor.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The young lawyer was in good company when she lost
after the case went all way to the U.S. Supreme Court.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nor was it a disgrace to lose to the man acting as
prosecutor: Wellington Duncan Rankin, the state's most noted lawyer, largest
individual landowner and perhaps Montana's richest man.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">”W.D.” as he was known was young Elge's friend and
mentor. His sister, former Congresswoman Jeanette Rankin would become an Elge
inspiration and cause.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was on "W.D's" urging that Fran ran for
the county attorney's post in Lewis and Clark County.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's when the opposition screamed, ”Rape!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was clearly a sexist campaign tactic. In those days
women were not allowed to sit on Montana juries. "Women were not supposed
to be exposed to the lurid testimony of the courtroom," Fran explained.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Her opponent was Undersheriff Walter Nylan, who had
been admitted to the bar but had let his license lapse 10 years earlier.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nylan backers asked, "Do you want to put a woman
in the position of prosecuting rapists?"<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before the election, the number of statutory rape
cases on the docket began to accumulate, reaching an even dozen before the
election.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fran countered
with a newspaper ad which included the endorsement of a number of the state's
most respected lawyers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"It was plain, I was better qualified," she
said. The voters in 1934 agreed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She clearly was the best looking prosecutor in
Montana.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In two years,
she only lost one case. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You guessed it. The defense attorney was the man who
lent her lawbooks to begin her career - W.D. Rankin.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"It was a murder case," she recalled.
"There had been a highway accident and a woman shot the man who caused
it."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the coronor's inquest, the sheriff reported she had
said:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I shot him and I hope I killed him."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It appeared to be a solid case, but between arrest and
trial a few things happened.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First, the sheriff became smitten by his prisoner. The
prisoner hired W.D. Rankin and Rankin evolved a couple of new angles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sheriff - now a prisoner of love - testified,
"She might have said, 'I shot him and I hope I didn't kill him."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the closing arguments, W.D. told the jury his
client was pregnant. "You wouldn't want the baby to be born in
prison," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They didn't.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The woman was acquitted.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She never had a baby.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And the sheriff insisted he wasn't the fatter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But prosecutor Elge had a few angles of her own.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When Kid Jackson, a former boxing champion, sauntered
into the "Bucket of Blood" and shot owner Johnny Philips, Fran scrambled
to find witnesses.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She found Alice Shahaha, a Yakima Indian, who
enterprized as a roller of sheepherders and "lady of easy access," in
the mental hospital at Warm Springs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alice had been sent there by Billings Police on a
trumped-up-charge of drug use, Fran recalled.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The prosecutor knew Alice was straight because months
earlier Ms. Shahaha and one of her "sisters of the night" had come to
Fran's office to ask for a jail term to kick their narcotics habits. Fran
obliged with 30 days for vagrancy and watched the pair gain weight as their
earnings began to go for food instead of into their pusher's pocket.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alice was given the full treatment at a beauty salon
before taking the stand. She made an excellent witness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A second prostitute took the stand wearing fine white
gloves. She, too, gave credible testimony. Fran was grateful - grateful that
the gloves she had given the witness hid the needle tracks on her hands.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Justice prevailed and Kid Jackson was convicted.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Justice took various forms during her tenure as
prosecutor.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When a 70-year-old woman was brought in on a
shoplifting charge, the Sheriff asked, "What are you going to do with
her?" <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fran replied, "I'm going to give her a talking-to
and turn her loose."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sheriff, who profited from feeding prisoners, left
muttering, "She ought to be taught a lesson."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fran said, "If she hasn't learned by now, she
isn't going to."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Juveniles were lectured on Saturdays and their parents
made to pay for their vandalism. "I never sent a kid to reform school,"
she recalled.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 1939, Fran was lobbying the state Legislature for
the passage of the Women's Jury Service Act.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As county attorney, she had faced only all-male
juries. ("Of course," she said, "that inurred to my
benefit.")<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the course of the battle, she enlisted the aid of
FDR's Butte campaign manager, a woman with political savvy and clout who lined
up a labor-farmers union coalition in support of the bill.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After the bill had passed and women became peers
sitting in judgment, Fran was in the presence of two judges when one turned to
the other and said, "Say, Judge Downey at Butte has ladies on his jury.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"And do you know, they are showing 'remarkable
judgment."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fran Elge, considered a lawyer, not a woman, by her
collegues, never batted an eye.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 1940, she became Jeanette Rankin's campaign
secretary-treasurer. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rep. Rankin was the first women to be elected in 1916
to the U.S. House of Representatives. She lost her bid for reelection when she
was one of only a few to vote against America's entry into World War I.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The war machines were loose again in Europe when Miss
Rankin took the the campaign trail in 1940.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fran served as ghost writer for pro-Rankin articles
that appeared in the Montana Catholic Register. Rankin's opponent was Catholic
but in trouble with his constituents over a bad debt at Carroll College.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"We carried the Catholic vote," Fran
recalled, "although Jeanette was probably not Catholic."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Congresswoman Rankin returned to Washington. The
Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and she stood alone opposing the U.S.'s entry into
World War II. That vote cost her a career.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fran left Montana for Washington as Jeanette's
administrative assistant and later held "a number of very good jobs,"
including a post on the Admiralty Claims and Litigation staff of the Maritime
Administration.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the nation's capital she met the same sexual
discrimination she had first encountered in her race for county attorney.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span></span> </div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She used "political connections" to fight
discrimination and resented having to do so. "Being better qualified than
the men I served with should have been enough."</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtSgz45GHebyZMVWg_0TA5fGQ9S50FpKXjoRVBCkuTwlWfiPGfOHxZN2mGUeclUK_yfPQjODetH2N6BeZbOuy1pgwngMTuDvjC7yeSmSZKtfIUw2bzJFBK932CSmy-f4z5B8DCKMmxCE/s1600/Indian_bureau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtSgz45GHebyZMVWg_0TA5fGQ9S50FpKXjoRVBCkuTwlWfiPGfOHxZN2mGUeclUK_yfPQjODetH2N6BeZbOuy1pgwngMTuDvjC7yeSmSZKtfIUw2bzJFBK932CSmy-f4z5B8DCKMmxCE/s400/Indian_bureau.jpg" width="244" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In</span> 1</span>954, she returned to Montana and served as an
administrative law judge for the Department of the Interior in Billings until
her retirement in 1970.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She was back in Helena in 1971, lobbying for feminist
legislation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the list was the repeal of a law that made it
illegal for women to work more than 8 hours a day - a law that gave employers a
handy excuse not to hire women.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A second law which banned discrimination on the basis
of race, color or creed was amended to bar discrimination on the basis of sex
as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But a third piece of legislation in the package, Fran
avoided.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Feminists were being smeared as "a league of baby
killers" and Fran refused to dilute her influence by taking a stand on an
abortion bill.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A charter member of the Montana Council for the Equal
Rights Amendment Ratification, she has testified at every legislative hearing
considering adoption or rescission of the ERA.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"And I will continue to testify at every hearing,"
she vowed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyone attempting to debate the ERA with Fran will
find her dipping into her purse for a card that carries the full text of the
amendment in three paragraphs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"That's what it says. And that's all it
says," she will tell them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-58894143364247866952017-05-26T05:37:00.000-07:002017-06-07T02:32:18.532-07:00The mining adventures of Edward Elge<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 1887, two brothers, Edward and Frans Otto Elg, and
their sister Maria Sofia, set sail for America. They are children of master blacksmith Johan Elg and his second wife Anna Stina Olsdotter, in Liljendal. </span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before emigrating, the brothers
have trained as blacksmiths, but the old mills in the area are going out of business. They are destined for Helena,
Montana, and accompanied by Frans Otto´s wife Beata and son Ernfrid, along with
the mysterious “Alexander Elge”, who I believe is their half brother Per August
Elg (see
<a href="http://elgfamily.blogspot.se/2011/04/alex-elgejohnson-yet-another-twist.html">http://elgfamily.blogspot.se/2011/04/alex-elgejohnson-yet-another-twist.html</a> ).
Maria Sofia soon marries another Swede, Nels Nelson, and the siblings are later
joined by a third brother, Alfred Emil Elg.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This part of Montana had a number of gold and silver
mines, but by the time the brothers arrived, the early prospectors had been
replaced by large scale, deep quartz mining. Census records show the brothers
as mine employees, farmers and running boarding houses. By the time they land
in the US, they have all adopted Alexander´s spelling of the family name as
“Elge”, and Frans Otto is later known as Francis.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNoh9JPYRFmSpQzrrSuE-uZr2ND6R6Mv_yUexHpASvu8DHUJqEpOsiMKCjsrIwmiYO09DupbHkhd4oRd7dX6lfqEubXOhVWLNgbGY8q8eNRVrKqR3ovWxcdj7cZG19A00wqVDhfeFYd8/s1600/Frans+Otto+Elge+gold+panning+ed600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="858" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNoh9JPYRFmSpQzrrSuE-uZr2ND6R6Mv_yUexHpASvu8DHUJqEpOsiMKCjsrIwmiYO09DupbHkhd4oRd7dX6lfqEubXOhVWLNgbGY8q8eNRVrKqR3ovWxcdj7cZG19A00wqVDhfeFYd8/s640/Frans+Otto+Elge+gold+panning+ed600.jpg" width="444" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span> </div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In this article, I will focus on Edward Elge, who took
his mining adventures farther afield.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 1896, Edward marries Christina Olsson. A year later
their only child, daughter Eva Christina is born.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The 1900 US Census show the couple running a boarding
house in Gardiner, Park, Montana (name spelled Elze in the census record).
Gardiner is the only year-round entrance to Yellowstone National Park.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The March 12, 1909 Billings Gazette notes that
"Edward Elge, of Fromberg is in the city for a few days' visit. Mr Elge is
foreman at the Gebo ranch".<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By 1910, the Federal census lists Edward as a farmer
in Carbon, Montana.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to the 1920 Federal Census, Edward and
Christina Elge were living in Seattle, Washington, in the household of Lena
Hendricks, Christina's sister. This census record is dated Jan 2, 1920. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, by April the same year, Edward is recorded in
the census of Fairhaven, Alaska, where he is listed as superintendent of the
Independence gold mine, Fairhaven, Seward, Alaska. Christina did not go with
him there. . <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note that for this record, Ancestry mistakenly lists
Akinik Swanson as his wife. A look at the original document image shows that
Akinik was in fact the wife of one of miners (all residents of the mining camp
are listed together as one household).<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fairhaven appears to have been a god-forsaken place
even by Alaskan standards, out on the north end of the Seward peninsula. The
nearest large communities in the 1920s were Nome (to the south) and Kotzebue
(to the north), and the nearest small mining camps were Deering and
Candle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to USGS Bulletin 1246,
Metallliferous Lode Deposits of Alaska (1967), the only producing hard rock
mine in the Fairhaven District was the Independence Mine, which was located on
the Kugruk River about 20 miles east-northeast of Imuruk Lake. The lode,
exposed in open cuts for a width of 7-12 feet and traced on the surface for
2,000 feet, was developed by several hundred feet of underground openings from
which several hundred tons of ore was probably mined by 1922. By 1924 mining
activity had ceased.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Edward´s Alaskan adventure was also short lived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In July 1922, Edward files an application for
registration with the US Consulate at Prince Rupert, B.C. , which states that
he has been residing at Alice Arm, B.C. for the purpose of mining, on behalf of
himself, since April 1921, a year after the Alaska census. He gives his legal
address as Seattle, Wash. and states that he intends to return to the US within
two years, or when “I sell mining properties”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His annual income is stated at USD 900 (how far did that go in 1922?).<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interestingly, he claims to be unmarried. Was he
really estranged from Christina at the time, or was this some legal subterfuge?
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Either way, in the 1930 and 1940 US Census, Edward and
Christina are back together again, living at 1313, 89th Ave, Oakland,
California, where Edward is employed as a night watchman at the Caterpillar
plant. Christina dies in 1957 and Edward in 1966. Their only child, Eva
Christina, died in 1918, age 21, in Seattle. Perhaps it was this tragedy
which triggered Edward´s mining adventures?</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijR1CNlpWvZj-hdwAmsNtYxOFohRQ3pEY0Jk4WvNgXNoeIxub8IHHO2c7DEh-DwDlpGmNGNBprhceSkTiUnFyoS3LF2kQKp9GES-ak2PklM5PMZ_kvMdDi3w0QUSb0BF6u_q42vwe0gi4/s1600/Edward+map50pc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="800" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijR1CNlpWvZj-hdwAmsNtYxOFohRQ3pEY0Jk4WvNgXNoeIxub8IHHO2c7DEh-DwDlpGmNGNBprhceSkTiUnFyoS3LF2kQKp9GES-ak2PklM5PMZ_kvMdDi3w0QUSb0BF6u_q42vwe0gi4/s640/Edward+map50pc.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back in 1985, I bought a book, “Steel Rails &
Silver Dreams - A History of the Dolly Varden Mines and the Narrow Gauge Dolly
Varden Mines Railway”, by Darryl E. Muralt. I bought the book for its railroad
history content, and was delighted when I discovered that the mine and railroad
were the work of two Norwegians and a Swede. The railroad delivered silver ore
to a port at Alice Arms, B.C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the same small town Edward Elge lists as his
address in his consulate registration!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, the book also tells us that the Dolly Varden operation was
forced to close in 1921, due to falling silver prices, so it looks like
Edward´s venture was ill timed..</span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And when we went on a cruise to Alaska in 2011, one of our stops was Ketchican, on the southernmost tip of Alaska. Just on the other side of the US / Alaska border is the long fiord which leads to Alice Arm. Today a ghost town with a few summer residents.</span></span></span></div>
Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-64354031729606476042015-03-26T04:46:00.000-07:002017-06-07T02:12:23.878-07:00A Swedish invention ?These events predate the Elg family by about 600 years, but since iron-making plays such a large role in our family history, I think this may be of interest:<br />
<br />
From the early middle ages until the late 19th Century, the charcoal-fired blast furnace was the mainstay of the iron-making industry (see <a href="http://elgfamily.blogspot.se/2010/07/role-of-blacksmiths-in-ironmaking.html">http://elgfamily.blogspot.se/2010/07/role-of-blacksmiths-in-ironmaking.html</a> ). It has long been thought that this technology was imported to Sweden from Germany in the 14th Century. <br />
<br />
However, a 10-year research project involving both historians, metallurgists and archaeologists has now overturned this view. The study has shown that blast furnaces were in use in Sweden as early as the 11th Century, and since these are the earliest findings of this kind, it is not unlikely that the technology was in fact developed here. <br />
<br />
And the Swedish tradition of exporting high quality iron and steel started already with the vikings, as production capacity exceeded what the local market needed. <br />
<br />
The study, Bengt Berglund et al "Järnet och Sveriges medeltida modernisering" (Iron and the medieval modernization of Sweden), is currently only available in Swedish, and has been published by Jernkontoret, the Swedish Steelmaking Industry Association, an institution which itself dates back to 1747.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-86646886552756972032015-02-28T22:37:00.000-08:002017-06-07T02:29:34.469-07:00More on Louis Elg - icehouse fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVaDDKbTHLVWCWPPQaUUfOhYcQJzHDP7uYk_sDQf7RCX-HNi-0MRcA0VHaLfMEYuTgv7GJFTpGuJTAbh9cqIuawmBBaVtoQsVTbDg2IbKA4HEPUSwMXrypsHwsq9p4MHNXhyphenhyphengzROC_W4/s1600/icehouse_fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVaDDKbTHLVWCWPPQaUUfOhYcQJzHDP7uYk_sDQf7RCX-HNi-0MRcA0VHaLfMEYuTgv7GJFTpGuJTAbh9cqIuawmBBaVtoQsVTbDg2IbKA4HEPUSwMXrypsHwsq9p4MHNXhyphenhyphengzROC_W4/s1600/icehouse_fire.jpg" width="391" /></a></div>
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The Caldwell Tribune, June 27, 1896, p. 1</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I came
across this notice while searching the digital newpaper archives of The Library of
Congress ( </span><a href="http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The loss to Mr Elg of USD 1500 translates
to at least 36 900 USD today – or as much as 1.6 MUSD, depending on the
method used to compute the current value. For the complexities of understanding the historic value of money,
see </span><a href="http://www.measuringworth.com/uscompare/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">http://www.measuringworth.com/uscompare/</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-88802235548909021682014-05-29T03:40:00.001-07:002017-06-07T02:31:20.264-07:00Per Gustaf Bork – blacksmith and narrow gauge pioneer<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the Skyllberg Iron Works planned to introduce
steam power on their railroad in 1881, master mechanic Olaus Bork (see “</span><a href="http://elgfamily.blogspot.se/2013/09/a-railroad-builder-in-family.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A railroad builder in the family</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">”
) did not have to go far for advice. Since 1875 his younger brother Per Gustaf
Bork was employed as a locomotive engineer, and later master mechanic at the
Hjo – Stenstorp Railroad (HSJ).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Per Gustaf was born in 1844 at Liljendal, Rämen
parish, eight years younger than his brother Olaus. He is only seven when his
father dies in smallpox, and their mother remarries his father´s assistant Olof
Johnsson Roth. Per Gustaf starts to learn the blacksmith trade, and in 1865 he
moves to Rönneshytta. This is a blast furnace which delivers pig iron to the
rolling mill at nearby Skyllberg, where Olaus has just been appointed
superintendent. Brother-in-law Gustaf Elg (married to Maria Sophia Bork) also
moves to Rönneshytta where he is a master blacksmith. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Rönneshytta Per Gustaf marries Amalia Persdotter,
and daughter Tekla Olivia is born in 1869, the couple´s only child. In 1870 the
family moves to Arboga. Per Gustaf´s profession is now listed as “machinist”,
perhaps a sign that he has taken a first step from blacksmith to the new
mechanical engineering industry.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 1872 the young family moves again, this time to
Karlskoga. Here Per Gustaf´s career takes a new turn. He is trained in the high
technology of this new era, and next time the family moves, Per Gustaf´s
profession is listed as “locomotive engineer”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 1872-73, the first parts of the Nora – Karlskoga
railroad opens for business, and we can safely assume that it is here that Per
Gustaf learns his new profession. In 1873, brother Olaus also oversees the
construction of a railroad from Skyllberg to the new standard gauge mainline at
Lerbäck – although his line will initially be horse-drawn.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boom spirit
of Karlskoga is broken by a deep recession in late 1873. By 1875 Per Gustaf
moves his family to Hjo, a small town in southern Sweden, located on the shore
of lake Vänern, one of Sweden´s largest lakes. Here he is employed as an
engineer on the new Hjo-Stenstorp railroad (HSJ.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwnGESaiLHKp6KmhAP_p-MRdSpnZrtJJbx27eUDxLnjoY7Y2N-BDgLzqEBUFfXfsnN9SVw0JxZtlSkDvxwGDSbBJammHeY1DhNrDlHegNH6KdWluSO4hvldlfpMAk2ypKh5ZCx-7pBUA/s1600/HSJ_2nd_no5_800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwnGESaiLHKp6KmhAP_p-MRdSpnZrtJJbx27eUDxLnjoY7Y2N-BDgLzqEBUFfXfsnN9SVw0JxZtlSkDvxwGDSbBJammHeY1DhNrDlHegNH6KdWluSO4hvldlfpMAk2ypKh5ZCx-7pBUA/s1600/HSJ_2nd_no5_800.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em>HSJ engine at the railroad shops in Hjo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Per Gustaf Bork in the cab. </em></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em>Source</em> <a href="http://www.hsj.se/">www.hsj.se</a> <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">HSJ was one of the first common carriers on narrow gauge
rails in Sweden. The gauge, 3 Swedish feet or 35 1/12”, was the most common
narrow gauge in Sweden. Like many other such projects, HSJ was built by local
businessmen in Hjo, to connect a town which had been bypassed by the main trunk
lines.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUWLekM910jAaHoDymGr0oj565AMVdHG6hbTTU2kuEltagRz8-E4-9tLw3zFH13EYb5JwigxHbn6yhVJU9-fFnkIAl83bBmxJQDxwatrNBEdWrA-r8sD1mBRm0ZMyfwK9_7u6WuFaUSo/s1600/Hjo+hamnen+lok9_800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUWLekM910jAaHoDymGr0oj565AMVdHG6hbTTU2kuEltagRz8-E4-9tLw3zFH13EYb5JwigxHbn6yhVJU9-fFnkIAl83bBmxJQDxwatrNBEdWrA-r8sD1mBRm0ZMyfwK9_7u6WuFaUSo/s1600/Hjo+hamnen+lok9_800.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The pier in Hjo. An HSJ train<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> and passenger steamer</span> steamer ”s/s Trafik”. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Source: Swedish Railway Museum (
<a href="http://www.samlingsportalen.se/">www.samlingsportalen.se</a> )<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jvm.KDAA03023:<o:p></o:p></span></span></em><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since 1855, Hjo also had one of the best harbors on
Lake Vättern (Sweden´s second kargest lake), and while the railroad was seen as
a threat to the harbor, the harbor also came to account for a fifth of the
freight shipped on the railroad. Shipments included aspen wood for the
matchstick factory in Tidaholm, raw liqour for a liqour factory in Hjo, and
beet sugar for a sugar refinery in Lidköping.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jtWVkEnP1DkJxXKtv6L5L4hkgr8ML-_TMT7GJCEqYZPdomitdod9rJVJFBHlJfAnVMIgV7jdauIzvnQ27Iq5tI31sf0Ge5c53jRn_yFrbWgZU9kqi3B9p0eoNm3YHokyeaGsMkT0AU8/s1600/Villa+Olga+ca1900_800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jtWVkEnP1DkJxXKtv6L5L4hkgr8ML-_TMT7GJCEqYZPdomitdod9rJVJFBHlJfAnVMIgV7jdauIzvnQ27Iq5tI31sf0Ge5c53jRn_yFrbWgZU9kqi3B9p0eoNm3YHokyeaGsMkT0AU8/s1600/Villa+Olga+ca1900_800.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Villa Olga, around 1900</span></em></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have not been able to uncover many details about Per
Gustaf Borks career at HSJ, but he seems to have done well. His job title
advances from “engineer” to “engineer foreman” and eventually “master
mechanic”, and in the final years of the century he is able to purchase Villa
Olga, located in a park in Hjo. Today the building is a historical landmark.
Bork passed away in 1927.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Relations between the two railroading brothers were
perhaps not entirely without frictions. In 1873, HSJ orders their third
locomotive, “Tidaholm”, from Henry Hughes in England. Already by 1877, HSJ
tries – without success – to sell the locomotive to the Lidköping – Skara –
Stenstorp railroad, another 891 mm gauge line which connected to HSJ at
Stenstorp. In a document dated October 1883, the locomotive is described as
“totally unsuitable” and should be sold immediately. By the autumn of 1885,
what appears to he the same locomotive is found on brother Olaus Bork´s
Askersund – Skyllberg – Lerbäck railroad, but again meets with little
enthusiasm. Among other problems, the short wheelbase makes it prone to derail,
in particular when clearing snow. The Skyllberg company tries to sell the loco
already in July 1891, and it is finally scrapped by ASLJ in 1903.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Villa Olga today</span></em></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYBORz29fLsYwubhBs3xQ_rS3AFu2z-46aNF2FEalr0wVfpa9KO67fJvGZaRr0QpT-v-tSQtBjjZSMNI4YMRchyphenhyphen42Lm6SLh96aL1PNIMev3UiiJ16hDck9Kdj5uVTN_Xp3jNd_4Sli0E/s1600/Hjo_location.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYBORz29fLsYwubhBs3xQ_rS3AFu2z-46aNF2FEalr0wVfpa9KO67fJvGZaRr0QpT-v-tSQtBjjZSMNI4YMRchyphenhyphen42Lm6SLh96aL1PNIMev3UiiJ16hDck9Kdj5uVTN_Xp3jNd_4Sli0E/s1600/Hjo_location.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><em>Location of Hjo, in southern Sweden</em></o:p></span></div>
Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-34175512351466417282014-01-03T04:21:00.001-08:002017-06-07T05:59:55.148-07:00Young man with a horn<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When other kids my age listened to the Beatles, I
walked around with a feeling of being born 30 years too late: My music was the
big bands of the 1930´s and 40´s, and to my ears the high point of music
history was Benny Goodman´s performance of “One O´Clock Jump” at his legendary Carnegie Hall Concert
on January 16, 1938 (listen to the rideout at the end of the song and you will
get the meaning of swing). My teenage Walter Mitty dream was standing in a
white tuxedo in front of my big band, with young ladies fainting<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from excitement right and left. Of course it
was not to be..<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">So I was delighted when I discovered that our family
history does after all include a young man with a horn. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nellie Elge, daughter
of emigrated gold miner Frans Otto “Francis” Elg(e), married James Austin
Gordon, a dentist in Helena, Montana. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This was a musical family: Dr Gordon was also a
clarinet soloist, and Nellie a pianist. With a number of musically inclined
children, the formed a family orchestra led by their father. They performed
as the staff orchestra for a local radio station.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <em>Photo: Tei Gordon collection</em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the children, Claude Eugene Gordon
(1916-1996)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was given his first cornet
at the age of five, and three years later, while in fifth grade, was featured
as a soloist playing with the Helena High School Band! While he was still in
his early teens, Claude was already a professional player and was teaching for
both cornet and accordion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">During the era of live radio and television, Claude
distinguished himself as one of the most successful studio trumpet players and
gained a reputation as "the trumpet player who never misses." He
performed with the studio orchestras on many popular shows including, Amos and
Andy, and I Love Lucy. During the 1950s Gordon emerged as one of Hollywood's frequently
sought-after jazz trumpet soloists. Claude later formed his own big band which
was named the "Best New Band in America" in 1959. Perhaps his timing
could have been better – this was a period when young men with guitars were set
to take over the popular music industry..</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Claude Gordon passed away in 1996. Today, he is best
remembered as a teacher. He authored a number of method books. The "Claude
Gordon Method" has influenced most of today's top trumpet players, and is
still used by teachers across the world. The Claude Gordon Personal
Papers and Music Instrument Collection is housed at the Sousa Archives and
Center for American Music, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="https://www.purtle.com/claude-gordon-approach"><span style="font-family: inherit;">https://www.purtle.com/claude-gordon-approach</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About Claude Gordon´s approach to teaching<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=688818"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=688818</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Claude Gordon Band online<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-11923579588951120942013-10-20T03:18:00.000-07:002017-06-07T05:58:04.653-07:00Blacksmiths going west, part 2: The new country<br />
<em>This two-part article was first written (in Swedish) for a Swedish family history journal. In the first installment, we followed the lives of Gustaf Elg and Maria Sofia Bork in Sweden, leading to their decision to emigrate. Part 2 is partly based on American archives, but mainly on material and photos from the family historian Todd Lindahl, grandson of Franz Gustav "Gust" Elg..</em><br />
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In January 1892 emigration agent August Larsson, with offices at Götgatan 7 in Gothenburg, responds to a request from Gustaf Bork, Ferna Mill, about the cost of a one-way trip to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, United States of America.<br />
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August Larsson is the general agent for the Inman Lines Royal English & U.S. Mail Steamers, one of the major emigrant lines. At this time, emigration has developed into a major industry. The Inman Lines´ modern steamers regularly make the journey between Liverpool and New York in six days, and the shipyards are building ever more modern vessels to meet demand. In New York, Ellis Island has just opened, a giant terminal where the immigrants are examined before they are released into the new country.<br />
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August Larsson´s letter is a pre-printed standard form, supplemented by hand-written answers to the passenger's specific questions. From this we learn that the journey from Gothenburg to Fergus Falls will cost 189 kr - but out of this the boat trip Gothenburg - New York is only 75 kr. We can also see that Gustaf asked about the cost of upgrading to second class, and that his wife can bring her knitting machine without having to pay customs on arrival.<br />
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On April 1, 1892 the family board a ship in the port of Gothenburg to begin the journey. Direct service to to the U.S. is still a couple of decades into the future: The first leg of the hourney is a boat trip to Hull in England, and from there they travel by train across England to Liverpool, and the Inman Line´s pride and joy, the s / s City of New York.<br />
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<em>The Inman Lines´ “City of New York”</em></div>
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The City of New York was a modern ship, built in Scotland in 1888, where she was baptized by Lady Randolph Churchill, famous socialite beauty and mother of Winston Churchill. She was the first large ocean steamer with twin propellers, which meant that she did not have to be equipped with sails as backup (breaking the propeller shaft was not uncommon on the first large steamers ..). In the autumn of 1892, she sets a speed record from the U.S. to Europe with 20.11 knots. 560 feet long, she can take 1740 passengers, of which 1000 - mainly immigrants - in steerage.<br />
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The party consists of Gustaf and Maria Sofia Elg, with daughters Emma, Johanna, Alma, Sofia, Frida and Ellen and son Frans Gustaf. The party also includes son Johan Wilhelm (John) Elg,. who had traveled back to Sweden in February to help the family on the journey, but also to fetch his bride to be, Johanna Karolina Winkler.<br />
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On the same ship is Harald Axel Söderkvist, a former seaman, born in Södertälje, but residing on Svartensgatan in Stockholm. His destination is also Fergus Falls, where he will later marry Gustaf Elg´s daughter Emma Elizabeth. It is an interesting mystery how a blacksmith's daughter from the deep forests came to know a nine years younger sailor from Södertälje?<br />
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Their destination, Fergus Falls, is an outpost in western Minnesota, on the border between a moraine landscape of forests and lakes that reminded of home, and an endless ocean of prairie grassland that stretches westward. <br />
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<em>Barnesville, with the railroad shops in the distance</em></div>
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A few miles north is Barnesville, with railroad workshops where the brothers Elg found jobs. The railroad was now part of the Great Northern Railroad, the northernmost of the great trans-continental railroads, and railroad construction reached its final destination, Seattle, in 1893. By 1890, the city of Barnesville had grown to 1069 people, and had repair shops and a roundhouse. At one time, the railroad employed 75 to 150 men, largely immigrants from Germany, Sweden and Norway. By the turn of the century there were five hotels, five churches, two breweries and the City Hall and Opera was newly built. In 1907, the railroad shops were moved to Devil´s Lake, North Dakota, and the golden era of the railroad in Barnesville comes to an end.<br />
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In 1901, the Elg family moves to Brainerd, another major railroad junction along the Great Northern RR, a little further east. Two of the brothers, Aaron and John Elg, try their luck as merchants, and between 1901 and 1904 they run the "Elg Bro's Store," a food / general store in Brainerd. Their success as merchants is limited, and in 1904, they are forced to sell the store. Aaron goes back to the railroad workshops, while John is listed in the 1905 City Directory as a clerk at a competing general store, "K.W. Lagerquist" (also Swedish owned).<br />
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<em>The Elg Brothers Store. John and Aaron in the center.</em></div>
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<em>Elg Brothers letterhead</em></div>
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Emma Elizabeth, now Mrs. Soderquist, stays in Fergus Falls, where Harold has become foreman of the linemen at a telephone company. As true Americans, the family buys their first automobile in 1902.<br />
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<em>Harold and Emma with son Herbert show off their new automobile</em></div>
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Sisters Johanna / Hannah and Alma become housekeepers for Mr Rank, a director of the Great Northern Railroad, in St. Paul. In her old age Alma becomes deaf and blind, and sister Hanna learns to communicate with her by writing on the palm.<br />
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<em>Alma, Emma and Hanna Elg</em></div>
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The youngest sister, Ellen, became the first telephone operator in Fergus Falls. One day, one of the city's merchants arrived at the telephone exchange to receive a call. Ellen pointed to the phone booth, and the man, who had never seen a phone before leaned against the door and called out "hello?" at the door handle. In 1912 Ellen travels with her family in the automobiles to Minneapolis. There are no road signs on the small dirt roads, and people along the road do not know where they lead, because you take the train if you need to travel. Whenever they encounter a horse cart, they must run off the road and shut the engine. The trip takes four days, with several flat tires. Today, the route takes less than three hours, on 178 miles of highway.<br />
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<em>Aaron and Adolph in the D&IR shop</em></div>
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Three of the brothers, Adolph, Aaron and Gust (Franz Gustaf) eventually move to Two Harbors, a small town on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota. Here they are employed in the workshops of the Duluth & Iron Range Railroad, a road pulling heavy iron ore trains to the docks in Two Harbors. And this is where – a century later - I meet Gustaf´s grandchildren, and take part of their history. Two Harbors also had a radical labor movement with several Swedish agitators.<br />
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<em>Gust (top right) on the running board of D&IR #70</em></div>
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<em>The Elg family, gathered in Brainerd, October 1906</em></div>
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Gustaf Elg dies in 1909 in Brainerd, 75 years old. His wife Maria Sofia survives him by almost 20 years. The oldest daughter Emma Soderquist dies in 1915, Harold moves further west to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and remarries, but after his second wife passes away, he is reunited with his former brothers-in-law-in Two Harbors. At 70, Aaron Elg makes a trip to Sweden. He was traveling alone and we do not know the purpose of his journey. He returns to New York on Aug. 26, 1931 on the Swedish American Line´s "Kungsholm".<br />
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<em>Gustaf Elg, with Emma, Harold and Herbert. Notice the picture on the wall behind Gustaf!</em></div>
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<em>The picture enlarged: A painting based on the photo of Liljendal which Gustaf and Maria Sofia brought to Minnesota (see part 1). Liljendal is the place where Gustaf became a blacksmith, and where Gustaf and Maria Sofia met and married.</em></div>
Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-65764650892926013522013-10-03T03:24:00.001-07:002017-06-07T05:59:22.524-07:00Blacksmiths going west, part 1: Life in Sweden<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This two-part article was first written (in Swedish)
for a Swedish family history journal. In this first installment, we will follow
the lives of Gustaf Elg and Maria Sofia Bork in Sweden, leading to their decision
to emigrate.<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-oOo-<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The 19th century´s industrial revolution was made
possible by new and more efficient methods of producing iron and steel, and
demand for these products skyrocketed. But the new technology also came to mean
the end of the wood-fired furnaces and forges that for 200 years had provided
the world with iron from Sweden.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Industrial Revolution also laid the foundation for
the mass emigration to the United States, and many blacksmiths chose to
emigrate, rather than to seek work in the modern industrial mills. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was also the case for my Elg family, with roots
in Säfsnäs / Gravendal (and going back to Finnish slash and burn farmers who
first settled in the area around 1600). At least 20 Elgs emigrated to the
United States, and I have contact with about 40 descendants, from Maine to
Seattle and Los Angeles <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the early 1800s, a number of blacksmiths from our
Elg family moved a few miles west, to Liljendal in Rämmen parish. This is also
where most emigrants have roots. In this story, we will follow one of these
emigrant blacksmith families. The family's life in Sweden is traced from parish
records and other historical sources. The family's fortunes in America is
partly based on American archives, but mainly on material from the family
historian Todd Lindahl, grandson of Franz Gustav "Gust" Elg.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></o:p></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Liljendal abt 1860. <o:p></o:p></span></em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Gustaf and Maria Sofia brought this photo to
Minnesota.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Todd Lindahl collection<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gustaf Elg, blacksmith<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gustaf Elg was born in 1834 in Gravendal, the youngest
son of my great-great-grandfather Lars Elg (1789-1853) and Lisa Gråberg
(1792-1873). Lars Elg was a master blacksmith, and introduced what was known as
the German method of forging at Gravendal. An older sister of Gustaf, Christina
Elg (1820-1902) also came to emigrate, but that's a different (and interesting)
story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the age of fifteen, Gustaf moves to Liljendal in
1849, where he begins to learn the blacksmith profession as a helper to his
older brother, Johan Elg (1817-1896). In 1852 Gustaf moves again, this time to
Gustavsström, Gåsborn, to continue his training with another brother, master
hammersmith Peter Elg (1814-1890).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gustaf Elg and Maria Sofia Bork <o:p></o:p></span></em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Todd Lindahl collection<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Two years later, Gustav moves back to Rämmen, to work
as an assistant to master blacksmith Jan Bork at Heden, an annex to the
Liljendal mill. In 1856, at age 22, his apprenticeship is over, and Gustaf
marries Maria Sofia Bork (b. 1838 in Liljendal). Maria Sofia is the daughter of
Jan Bork's deceased brother Petter Bork (1812-1851) and Lisa Stålberg. (While
there were a number of Elg-smiths in Rämmen parish the Bork family was even
more numerous, and I have found several marriages between the two families).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gustav is now an assistant master, the master
blacksmith´s number two man, and leads the crew when the master is not in
place. At least in the early years, the couple lives with Maria Sofia's family,
where her mother has remarried the 15 years younger assistant master Olof
Jonsson Roth. Marrying a blacksmith's widow, and taking responsibility for
supporting the family, was not an unusual way for a blacksmith apprentice to
obtain the resources needed to advance to assistant master and master
blacksmith.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 1864, after fifteen years of training, Gustaf could
finally call himself a master blacksmith. In Liljendal Maria Sofia also gave
birth to six of the couple's total of 14 children: Emma Elizabeth (b.1857),
Carl Gustaf (b. 1859), Aaron (b. 1860), Johanna (b. 1862), Francis Edward (b.
1865), and John William (b. 1866). Francis Edward died only 17 months old.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rönneshytta, Lerbäck<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 1867, after three years as a master blacksmith,
Gustaf moves with his growing family to Rönneshytta in Lerbäck parish in Närke.
The move also includes helper Erik Johan Elg, a son of Gustaf´s brother Johan
who once trained Gustaf in Liljendal. Rönneshytta delivers pig iron to the
nearby Skyllberg mill where the iron is processed in a newly built rolling
mill.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the Skyllberg mill, Maria Sofia's brother Olaus
Bork is master mechanic since two years, and is responsible for an ambitious
expansion program. He will eventually build the narrow gauge railroad
connecting Skyllberg to the outside world, and is a master mechanic for 32
years (see </span><a href="http://elgfamily.blogspot.se/2013/09/a-railroad-builder-in-family.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://elgfamily.blogspot.se/2013/09/a-railroad-builder-in-family.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Rönneshytta three children are born, Adolf Fredrik
(1868), Alma Justina (1870) and Lambert (1875).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Emigration begins<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 1876 it is time for the family to move again, this
time to Fagersta Mill, Västanfors. The oungest son, Lambert, dies shortly
afterwards, just 17 months old. Three years later, the first step on the way to
America is taken, as the eldest son Carl Gustaf Elg emigrates, 20 years old, in
July 1879. Two years later, his brother Aaron moves to Eskilstuna as an
apprentice at Bolinder Munktell, but soon he follows his brother's trail, and
emigrates to the U.S. in August, 1882. Both brothers find work in railroad
workshops in Minnesota.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 1884 daughter Emma Elizabeth
leaves the nest. She travels to Gävle to become kitchen maid to Colonel Carl
Bror Munck. Munck is not only commander of the Helsinglands Regiment, he also
belongs to King Oscar II's staff, and his wife is lady in waiting to Queen
Victoria. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aaron is visits Sweden in 1885, presumably to discuss
further emigration plans. Next year brothers Johan Wilhelm and Adolf Fredrik
also emigrate. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Two of Olaus Bork's sons, Carl Gustaf and Leonard
Bork, also emigrate to Minnesota, in April 1887. I have written about Carl
Gustaf´s tragic death in a previous article ( </span><a href="http://elgfamily.blogspot.se/2013/09/a-railroad-builder-in-family.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://elgfamily.blogspot.se/2013/09/a-railroad-builder-in-family.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
) Leonard returns to Sweden and Skyllberg after his brother's death. Adolf
stays a year in Montana before moving back to Minnesota. Possibly he brought
with him the remains of Carl Gustaf Bork, as he is buried in Barnesville,
Minnesota.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em>Hannah and Adolph Elg, at Carl Gustaf Bork´s grave in Barnesville, 1939</em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Todd Lindahl Collection</span></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></em> </div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The family is not yet ready for the big leap. While
Johan Wilhelm and Adolf Fredrik emigrate to Minnesota Gustaf Elg moves his
family one last time in 1886, now to Ferna Mill, Gunnilsbo, Västmanland. While
at Ferna a decision is reached, and sometime 1891 - 1892 Gustaf writes to an
emigration agent to inquire about the cost of moving the family to Minnesota.</span></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>The blacksmith shop at Ferna, abt 1880</em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-oOo-<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "courier new"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a following article, we will follow the family
across the Atlantic, and their life in the new country.<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></div>
Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-84637030297658342562013-09-21T10:27:00.001-07:002017-06-07T06:01:09.061-07:00A railroad builder in the family<em>This article was originally written for a Swedish railroad history publication.</em><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sometimes
my interests in railroad history and genealogy coincide. When Gustaf Elg and
Maria Sofia Bork take their family to Minnesota, Maria leaves behind a brother,
Olaus Bork, who turns out to be a very interesting person: He played an
important role both in developing an iron works at Skyllberg, and in
construction of a narrow gauge railroad, which linked Skyllberg to the outside
world.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Olaus was
born into the blacksmith profession at Liljendal, but he did not have an easy
start in life. Only four out of nine children reach adulthood: Olaus (b 1836),
Maria Sophia (b 1838), Christina (b. 1842) and Per Gustaf (b. 1844). Their
father dies of smallpox, only 39 years old. When Olaus moves to Tyfors in 1852,
to start his apprenticeship for the blacksmith profession, the parish record
decribes him as “able and willing, but undernourished”. Olaus serves as an
apprentice blacksmith at several different mills, marries Eva Helena Österberg
and starts a family, and in 1863 he is hired as a blacksmith at Rönneshytta, in
the province of Närke. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">A year
later, he is asked to take up a position at the nearby Skyllberg Works (a
smelter at Rönneshytta produced pig iron which was then processed in rolling
mills at Skyllberg). A history of the Skyllberg works notes that “Bork, who was
likeable man, rose through the ranks to become master mechanic and master
builder at Skyllberg. He was a gifted practical man, with no formal training,
who nevertheless carried out several more or less (sic!) successful engineering
projects.”</span></span><br />
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<em><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The mill area in the 1880´s. In the foreground, the new rolling mill is being constructed. “Kårberg” poses with proud driver, and in the background Olaus Bork and family keep a watchful eye. </span>Todd Lindahl collection.</em></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In an
interview with at local newspaper, on his 80th birthday in 1917, Olaus Bork
recalls how the engineering workshop and foundry at Skyllberg were constructed
under his leadership. After spying at several other mills, he designed several
of the machines himself, or they bought one machine and made copies as needed.
At Kårberg, Olaus built a nail factory, including wire and galvanizing mills.
Many of the machines were made at Skyllberg, under Bork´s guidance.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JvBaFdBQ_0n9DWzUvk-6HUGnxvheMtehYp34EdxLEef7cvuT325y2K8p0_tXKOShaR8zRbyZ2VxteOizhf_GbOs3T4_FV2HznoF64NixyvjKvwjqrlr1Sk5MyAjJpWR_ixLsz2c303E/s1600/K%25C3%25A5rberg_spikfabrik_800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JvBaFdBQ_0n9DWzUvk-6HUGnxvheMtehYp34EdxLEef7cvuT325y2K8p0_tXKOShaR8zRbyZ2VxteOizhf_GbOs3T4_FV2HznoF64NixyvjKvwjqrlr1Sk5MyAjJpWR_ixLsz2c303E/s1600/K%25C3%25A5rberg_spikfabrik_800.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em>The nail factory at Kårberg. Olaus Bork at the Engine.</em></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In 1873, a
standard gauge railroad arrived, passing only two miles from Skyllberg. Olaus
was tasked with building a connecting narrow gauge railroad and reload station
at Lerbäck. He also oversaw the construction of a number of railroad cars at
Skyllberg. Initially the trains were pulled by oxen or horses. In 1881, a
four-wheel steam locomotive was ordered, named “Kårberg”. Build by Nydquist
& Holm (Sweden´s premiere steam loco builders) it became Sweden´s smallest
steam loco used in common carrier traffic on narrow gauge, with a weight of
only 5 ½ tons, on 26” drivers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><em>“Kårberg”, mfg. photo, 1881, Nydquist &Holm # 150</em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Swedish Railroad Museum</span></em></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In 1883,
work was begun to extend the railroad nine miles in the other direction, from
Skyllberg to Askersund. This gave Skyllberg access to a deep water port on
Sweden´s largest lake, and gave the town a rail connection to the standard
gauge network. The original contractor (no doubt the lowest bidder..) lacked
all experience of railroad construction, and abandoned the project before it
was completed. Again, Bork was called to the rescue, and completed
construction, which included almost all trackwork, one bridge and another 50
flatcars built at Skyllberg. </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In the 1917
interview, Bork tells how he came close to disappearing with a construction
train, when they came to a spot where the whole roadbed had disappeared. The
lost earth masses were later discovered in a nearby lake.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em>The Bork home overlooked the mill area. <br />Today, the Skyllberg head office is located in the same spot. <br />Todd Lindahl collection.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The
railroad company was a joint project between the town of Askersund and the
Skyllberg Works, but the project was not without friction. No Skyllberg
representative participated in the opening ceremony. In 1888, the railroad
company decided to lease the railroad to Skyllberg, as the prospects for profit
remained dim. After this, Skyllberg studiously avoided naming any of its
locomotives after the town of Askersund.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">When the
railroad was opened in December 1884, Oalus Bork was engineer on the inaugural
train. Despite its small size, Kårberg could handle for almost 50 years, until
this traffic ceased in 1931 (maximum speed was 12 mph..).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In the
early years, Olaus Bork personally drove most scheduled trains. On one occasion,
he attempted to run the train from the highest point on the line to either end
without using any steam. He succeeded, but in his own judgement it was “a
foolish and risky stunt, as I had to maintain too high speed through some
curves”. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Skyllberg
owners expanded the rail net in several stages for the mill´s own needs. In
1883, two miles were built from Skyllberg to the new nail factory at Kårberg,
and in the early 20th century, about 10 miles of logging and peat harvest track
was extended east from Lerbäck. This meant that the narrow gauge had to cross
the Swedish State Railway´s mainline at grade. A spur was also laid from
Lerbäck to a sawmill at Rönneshytta.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Olaus´family
were not spared tragedy either. Two of Olaus´sons emigrate to Minnesota, to
join their aunt Maria Sofia, uncle Gustaf Elg and a number of cousins who
worked for the railroads. In April 1889, Karl Gustaf Bork and his cousin Adolph
Elg were sent to Glasgow, Montana to work in a railroad machine shop being
built there. When Adolph and Karl arrived in the new town, they found that were
no rooms available for the night. That night they slept under a wagon parked in
the street. Sometime during the night it began to rain hard and both men became
soaked. Kurt came down with pneumonia and died there in Glasgow, 25 years old.
The two youngest children died Before age ten.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em></em></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em>Olaus Bork with his eldest son, Karl Gustaf Bork</em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em></em></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Olaus Bork is a superintendent at the Skyllberg Works for 33 years. From his house he can keep a constant watch over the mill area. He leaves his post in 1897, age 61, dies in 1926 and is buried in Lerbäck.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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-oOo-</div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The
Skyllberg Works are still in business. It is a family owned company and has
been in the same family since Olaus Bork´s time. All production is now located
at Kårberg, but the head office stands on the same spot where Olaus´home was
located, and some of the old mill buildings are still there. </span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em>The mill area in November 2012. The closest building is the workshop and foundry built by Bork. <br />In the distance we see the engine house, and the carpentry/pattern shop. </em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em>Photo Lennart Elg</em></span></div>
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<em></em> </div>
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I have posted more photos from the mill area in 2012 at <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/850c084qsxvqvcw/Fj6fsUXZtk">https://www.dropbox.com/sh/850c084qsxvqvcw/Fj6fsUXZtk</a> .</div>
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Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-61000610835143347922013-04-29T01:34:00.000-07:002017-06-07T06:02:18.041-07:00Keeping up with world affairs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">A self-portrait of
my father, Carl Erik Elg, from 1941. I guessed that he was reading Life
Magazine, and by comparing this image to the online version of Life at Google
Books, I was able to determine that this is indeed their May 19, 1941 issue.
The article on the right hand page is about the technology of incendiary bombs,
published under the “Science” heading.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">There are a number
of things which are remarkable about this picture. Having a color slide from
1941 is interesting in itself. But this photo is also taken in Sweden, during
some of the darkest days of the second world war. In May 1941, Britain stood
alone in fighting the Nazi regime. The European continent was under German
occupation. It is still half a year until Pearl Harbor, and Russia is still allied
to Germany through the Molotov – Ribbentrop agreement. Sweden is neutral, but
to the west and south Norway and Denmark have been occupied by the Germans for
more than a year, and to our east, the Finns are trying to recover from the
1939-1940 “winter war” against Russia. International trade is very limited by
the war.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">My father was very
interested in international affairs, and a subscriber to Life until it ceased
publishing. But how did Life magazine make its way to Sweden at this time? One
story I seem to recall is that printing plates were flown to Sweden and the
magazine printed locally, as part of the “information war” for hearts and
minds, but this is half a year before the US joined the war? And in that case,
would they have bothered making full color prints of advertising directed to
the American market (they did later print a special version which was
distributed to US forces overseas, but this did not include advertising)?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-74224003468602676162013-01-21T02:32:00.000-08:002017-06-07T06:03:26.017-07:00A royal connectionIn an early letter, Todd Lindahl recalled a story about one of Gustaf Elg´s daughters cooking for royalty back in Sweden. I took this with a grain of salt at the time, but it appears there was some substance to this family tradition!
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Gustaf and Maria Sofia´s first child was Emma Elisabeth Elg, born in Liljendal in 1857. I have now discovered a parish record which shows that in 1884, Emma Elisabeth moves to Gefle, an old merchant town on the Baltic coast. She is employed as a servant in the household of colonel Carl Bror Munck. Munck is commander the Helsingland infantry regiment, but he is also a member of the staff of King Oscar II, and his wife is a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, Victoria. Their royal duties were performed on a rotating basis, so he was able to fill his post as commander at the same time (until 1885, a regiment only trained for 42 days a year). It is not unlikely that he would have acted as host if a member of the royal family visited the city.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYVj3B-eubQaVKqV7So8_klCsxPfCbtlQq5AsBqytNMHc4nCjjxhXqeOZqDeRINRrDIO04cVYRfILisX9IwRewPOsAaCuAbjMlJJUwYkh0dLKEwu_h1fm5Z2I5ZrmHWF-uTVoJm3_Boo/s1600/Carl_Bror_Munck_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYVj3B-eubQaVKqV7So8_klCsxPfCbtlQq5AsBqytNMHc4nCjjxhXqeOZqDeRINRrDIO04cVYRfILisX9IwRewPOsAaCuAbjMlJJUwYkh0dLKEwu_h1fm5Z2I5ZrmHWF-uTVoJm3_Boo/s400/Carl_Bror_Munck_600.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<i>As you can see from the photo, Munck was quite an impressive figure in his dress uniform. </i><i>The medals are for services to the king, Sweden has not been at war since 1814.</i>
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Emma emigrated to Minnesota with the rest of her family in 1892, where she married Harold Soderquist, another Swede. Emma passed away in 1915, in Fergus Falls.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7p4IEF_KTAsY3CyqCDVzK-7zlV8R3Fo-lMsyGzjVbIXTfFfBSqD92sa52RiG-v7-mrUvR31xin2KnHsluFd11Zj7gVmWNer5oXj0JPLxLkgCF2JCR9Fm0p1EAZkDQvqC0FylM3CwKnlU/s1600/emma_ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7p4IEF_KTAsY3CyqCDVzK-7zlV8R3Fo-lMsyGzjVbIXTfFfBSqD92sa52RiG-v7-mrUvR31xin2KnHsluFd11Zj7gVmWNer5oXj0JPLxLkgCF2JCR9Fm0p1EAZkDQvqC0FylM3CwKnlU/s400/emma_ed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Emma and Harold, with son Herbert, in 1902. </i></div>
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<i>This must have been one of the first automobiles in Fergus Falls!</i>
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Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-54069619861124405342012-06-23T02:25:00.004-07:002017-06-07T06:10:39.776-07:00Inga-Britta Elg, 1922 - 2012<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBODUxDEe0jxvNJK9-_UFm031KljGRc28BpD6ebLylh_r4lqDCkx3V0TRePPZSvQB-EuL6NMOGyREXrT8gqqg3GHgTPwdsklPWu3-D1UXBkFK17_WUHFybdOH1ou0nnT8qORL9Dd8ANU/s1600/IB_jul_2011_800px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBODUxDEe0jxvNJK9-_UFm031KljGRc28BpD6ebLylh_r4lqDCkx3V0TRePPZSvQB-EuL6NMOGyREXrT8gqqg3GHgTPwdsklPWu3-D1UXBkFK17_WUHFybdOH1ou0nnT8qORL9Dd8ANU/s400/IB_jul_2011_800px.jpg" width="400" /></a>
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On May 27, 2012, my mother passed away, she was my last link to the older generation. It is hard to say that death comes unexpected at 89, still she seemed to be flourishing after we moved her to a nursing home in January. She was eating better, playing cards with other guests all evening, and enjoyed the garden outside her room. On her last day, she insisted on bringing her morning coffee outside to watch the spring flowers and enjoy the sun. By 7 PM the same day she was gone.. A cold had developed into pneumonia which became too much for her weak heart. <br />
My mother was born in Ludvika, and spent most of her life there, except for her later school years. She spent her whole working life at the local post office, which meant that she became a well-known person in the small town, and seemed to know everyone we met on the street. Around 1944 she met my father, Carl-Erik Elg, they married in 1946 and had a loving marriage until Carl-Erik passed away in 1993.<br />
My mother´s main interests were gardening - in her final years she still insisted on having fresh flowers in her room every day - and travel. Long before international travel became a mass-market commodity, she traveled with Carl-Erik to many corners of Europe, to Australia and the US, and introduced me and my sister to international travel at an early age.<br />
She was a modern woman in many ways. She insisted on her own career, although we had a maid to look after us children while we were small. Her parents divorced while she was young and both re-married. Although I am sure the process was hard for her at the time, they were able to stay on friendly terms, and we kids saw nothing out of the ordinary in having an extra set of grandparents around at Christmas and other family gatherings.Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-64977428727607473242012-01-01T12:35:00.000-08:002017-06-07T06:11:24.621-07:00Hammer mill restored at Gravendal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYuo1824Cnu9T7MSHx2iNREd8Mj85phXDX351VSt2RqBIfwKhaFgdpeqBSxqvdkUFXvGROuCQEyyTLjQyC1TKK21h7-x4Nredfh3P1Axz-LNTdwtVkMITT2YvLVO1L3FMk2cuJ-6HlkE/s1600/hammer_at_work.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692765505691214498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYuo1824Cnu9T7MSHx2iNREd8Mj85phXDX351VSt2RqBIfwKhaFgdpeqBSxqvdkUFXvGROuCQEyyTLjQyC1TKK21h7-x4Nredfh3P1Axz-LNTdwtVkMITT2YvLVO1L3FMk2cuJ-6HlkE/s320/hammer_at_work.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
The old water-powered hammer mill at Gravendal, where many Elgs worked as blacksmiths, has been restored to working order. More photos can be seen at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/len_elg/sets/72157628668037499/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/len_elg/sets/72157628668037499/</a>Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-77710693026854977892011-08-29T00:30:00.001-07:002017-06-07T06:32:38.335-07:00Everett Johnson, 1921-2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3CU9rVzZOa5D6p1-VVxgqXZg2VQI8xrliDOVzv56XzmnddEq72JIvBqUahRz8x1F8lXAqeb1gqQyEhaBoz6IZrB2gqKfGvTn7trZ-wVI5GPBz8mzeosGsIh45gsaJ0zjOnoCI2iexT8/s1600/Everett_web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645851515200875250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3CU9rVzZOa5D6p1-VVxgqXZg2VQI8xrliDOVzv56XzmnddEq72JIvBqUahRz8x1F8lXAqeb1gqQyEhaBoz6IZrB2gqKfGvTn7trZ-wVI5GPBz8mzeosGsIh45gsaJ0zjOnoCI2iexT8/s400/Everett_web.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 299px;" /></a>
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Everett passed away on Wednesday, August 24, 2011, two months after celebrating his 90th birthday in a large circle of family and friends. Everett is survived by his wife of 64 years, Margaret, a daughter, Joyce, and a son, David, with families, a sister, Carol, and three grandchildren.
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Everett was a grandson of my great-grandfather's cousin Jacob Elg Johnson, who emigrated to the US in 1880.
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<a href="http://www.montgomerystryker.com/page.php?page=obit&id=538">Link to Everett´s obituary</a>
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At the age of six, Everett moved with his family to the family ranch, now known as the "Mountain View Ranch", west of Laramie, and lived for the rest of his life there.
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<a href="http://web.telia.com/~u85435856/emigration/johnson1.html">Margaret Johnson´s history of life on the ranch</a>
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<a href="http://elgfamily.blogspot.com/2007/09/life-on-ranch.html">A 1961 article about life on the Johnson ranch</a>
Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-81616223184819122562011-05-09T06:50:00.000-07:002017-06-07T06:33:43.226-07:00Swedish naming practicesA very good article about Swedish naming practices:<br />
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<a href="http://www.algonet.se/~hogman/Naming%20practice_eng.htm">http://www.algonet.se/~hogman/Naming%20practice_eng.htm</a>Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659013332839026204.post-63965236315595914462011-04-24T23:25:00.000-07:002017-06-10T04:29:00.438-07:00Alex Elge/Johnson - yet another twist..<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSO-Sc4vmYUUB7NpuWFU6UBhR57ecsczSIEMr2w0IcWbkSGrc9uluaWJIpfAEsgSQurMqCDpTz_Ii8Nnlzs9zSbvpd1U5Ps_NpwIS-XUFPbH4afCAxBP1V_BxaIAdFU-U418y3tAGcjps/s1600/Rollo.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599408024984719954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSO-Sc4vmYUUB7NpuWFU6UBhR57ecsczSIEMr2w0IcWbkSGrc9uluaWJIpfAEsgSQurMqCDpTz_Ii8Nnlzs9zSbvpd1U5Ps_NpwIS-XUFPbH4afCAxBP1V_BxaIAdFU-U418y3tAGcjps/s400/Rollo.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 140px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 295px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have now found the departure records for the Montana Elges in 1887. These records confirm some of my hunches, and adds yet another twist to the mystery of Alex´identity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">They did indeed emigrate from Oslo - or Kristiania, as the city was known at the time. Alexander, Maria, Edvard, Otto, Beata and Ernfrid Elge all depart Kristiania on March 4, 1887, on board the Elster Line´s ship "Rollo", with Helena, Montana, stated as their final destination. Rollo was a feeder ship which took them to Hull in England. Here they would board a train across England to Liverpool, where they boarded the Britannic for their Atlantic crossing.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZizZjP19zFdq9fnEdutkQVgKlK_7n_4bpfBxyDQZ-zIa7Hudmhxtoqx81zZXVVqivIn8QidqhTnCngxewmgPIryilPv2XBKjS2zHE08q7Ep977Fmd_VgGMdjwn_fEqNZmz8Nl0MfcAX8/s1600/Britannic_arr_19_Mar_1887.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599408509049128098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZizZjP19zFdq9fnEdutkQVgKlK_7n_4bpfBxyDQZ-zIa7Hudmhxtoqx81zZXVVqivIn8QidqhTnCngxewmgPIryilPv2XBKjS2zHE08q7Ep977Fmd_VgGMdjwn_fEqNZmz8Nl0MfcAX8/s400/Britannic_arr_19_Mar_1887.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 323px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now come the interesting parts. They all use the Americanized spelling "Elge" already when boarding the ship in Kristiania. Alexander Elge is a US citizen, unmarried, and his age is listed as 36 years, which means he was born around 1850, not 1861 as listed in the 1900 Helena census. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A birth year of 1850 matches my prime suspect, that Alexander was in fact Per August Elg. It also gives him time to establish the ranch in Wyoming around 1877. Perhaps it was not "Alexander Johnson" who died, as stated in Margaret´s history of the ranch, but his wife Sophia? After which Alexander decides to make a fresh start with his younger siblings in Montana?</span>Lennart Elghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06646674759011654408noreply@blogger.com0