John Edwin Nelson Oral History Interview, 1981 PDF
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Nelson, John Edwin
- Title
- Dates
- 1981 (inclusive)19811981
- Quantity
- 3 file folders
2 photographs
1 sound cassette
2 compact discs. - Collection Number
- t067
- Summary
- An oral history interview with John Edwin Nelson, a Swedish immigrant.
- Repository
- Pacific Lutheran University, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Pacific Lutheran University
12180 Park Avenue South
Tacoma, Washington
98447
Telephone: 253-535-7586
Fax: 253-535-7315
archives@plu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
The oral history collection is open to all users.
- Additional Reference Guides
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
John Edwin Nelson was born Johan Nilsson on July 15, 1893 in Knäred, Halland, Sweden. John began working immediately after completing school and receiving his confirmation at the age of 14. He worked for his cousin and then his uncle tending cattle and gardening. On an impulse, John decided to move to America; he traveled aboard the Hellig Olav, although he had the option of going on the Titanic. John left Sweden on April 4, 1912 and arrived in Tacoma, Washington on April 25. After initially working as a gardener, John found jobs at a fuel company, in a sawmill, and on a streetcar. He attended night school for English, but he struggled to learn the language. Even now, he admits, he occasionally has problems. John moved to Alaska to mine for a short time, but he returned to Tacoma and soon met his wife at a party. They both attained their citizenship and had one daughter. John finally got into the real estate business after working again in a sawmill. John has been a member of First Lutheran Church and has been very active in Scandinavian groups like Vasa and Valhalla, in which he is the longest member (70 years). John played the alto French horn for the Vasa Svea Band and is a member of their male chorus. He values his involvement with these groups a great deal. Occasionally, he and his wife prepare traditional Swedish food, and they can still speak the language. He has returned to Sweden four times to visit family and has been tempted to stay permanently. America slightly disappointed John, but he wanted to stay for the sake of his wife and his daughter.
Lineage
Full Name: John Edwin Nelson. Original Spelling: Johan Nilsson. Father: Nils Johansson. Mother: Johanna Svensson Johansson. Brothers and Sisters: Hildor Nilsson, Ellen Nilsson, Johan Nilsson, Henning Nilsson, Einar Nilsson. Spouse: Rut Otilla Lindberg. Children: Nancy Nelson Stolz.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The interview was conducted with John Nelson on July 1, 1981 in Tacoma, Washington. This interview includes information on personal background, emigration, work, community life, and Swedish heritage. It also contains a photograph of John Nelson in the Svea Band of Valhalla Lodge in Tacoma, Washington and a publicity shot in the Tacoma Armory, which includes John. Also see Ruth Nelson. The interview was conducted in English.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The partial interview transcription highlights important aspects of the interview. Numbers may be used as guides to important subjects. Two numbers separated by a slash indicate that the first number is for cassette and the second for CD.
| Container(s) | Description |
|---|---|
| Cassette | |
| 67, side 1 | 009/03: PERSONAL
BACKGROUND Born July 15, 1893 in Knäred,
Halland, Sweden which is north of Skåne.
|
| 67, side 1 | 034: SCHOOL AND
CONFIRMATION Have to go to work the minute
you are confirmed. Hired as a farm boy at age 14. (see counter I-096).
|
| 67, side 1 | 041: PARENTS Nils Johansson, farmer and Johanna Svensson. Tomatoes are
recently new to Sweden. Father worked on the railroad and clearing land at
home.
|
| 67, side 1 | 067: BROTHERS AND
SISTERS See attached.
|
| 67, side 1 | 075: MATERNAL
GRANDFATHER Farmer, lived with them until
he died in 1911.
|
| 67, side 1 | 084: NAME ppreviously Johan Nilsson. Talks about how it
changed.
|
| 67, side 1 | 096: AGE 14 Through with school. Took care of the cattle. Worked for a
cousin. (see counter I-034). Uncle from Tacoma sent for him, he was a gardener.
|
| 67, side 1 | 150/05: FEELINGS LEAVING
SWEDEN When young you don't think. Went to
Helsingborg, Skåne, Sweden and then to Copenhagen, Denmark. Stories of gold in
America.
|
| 67, side 1 | 159: BOAT TRIP Spoke no English. Would have gone on the Titanic.
Rough voyage (seasick). Went on Hellig Olav (Scandinavian American Line).
Mostly Scandinavians. Went from Copenhagen to Kristiania (Oslo), Norway to
Kristiansand, Norway.
|
| 67, side 1 | 217/06: ELLIS
ISLAND Couldn't get lost. Similar to a
coat house.
|
| 67, side 1 | 233: TRAIN TRIP Went to Winnipeg, Canada (cheaper than U.S.). Wondered
what kind of country he was getting into. Left Sweden April 4, 1912.
|
| 67, side 1 | 267: ARRIVAL VANCOUVER,
CANADA Nearly missed his boat to
Seattle.
|
| 67, side 1 | 300/07: BOAT TRIP FROM
VANCOUVER Old tug. Ticket agent took
advantage of him.
|
| 67, side 1 | 323: COMING TO
SEATTLE Saw a policeman. Train to Tacoma
and getting to his aunt's place. Language difficulties.
|
| 67, side 1 | 396/08: ARRIVED IN TACOMA ON
APRIL 25, 1912 Lovely little town, kind of
loved it right away.
|
| 67, side 1 | 409: EMPLOYED AS A
GARDENER Cutting grass. Fixing the plants
for the rich. Bought out by a fellow employee.
|
| 67, side 1 | 443: DRIVING TEAM Employed at West End Fuel. Hauled wood. Mr. Rasmussen
owned it. Getting wood from Day Island.
|
| 67, side 1 | 457/09: STREET CAR
STRIKE How it affected people. Later drove
truck, became ill and got out of the business, his appendix broke.
|
| 67, side 1 | 506: MILL WORK 17 1/2 cents an hour. Tacoma, lumber capital of the
world. Employed at Fines Mill and the Swedish Sawmill.
|
| 67, side 1 | 542/10: LEARNING
ENGLISH Went to three different night
schools, but still has problems. One was at Stadium High School.
|
| 67, side 1 | 572: CITIZENSHIP Night school again. Mixed up with another John Nelson.
Had to know the judiciary.
|
| 67, side 2 | 006/11: CITIZENSHIP Asked if he wanted his name changed. Wife received her
papers before him.
|
| 67, side 2 | 021: EMPLOYED IN
ALASKA Mining for the Goodrich Rubber Co
to make money to return to Sweden. Conditions were bad and he was fired after
talking to the boss about it. This was north of Porcupine and Haines, Alaska.
All the rest quit too as a result of him being fired.
|
| 67, side 2 | 109/12: BACK TO
TACOMA Met his wife at a party.
|
| 67, side 2 | 113: ORGANIZATIONS HE
JOINED Vasa Lodge and Valhalla (lodge with
sick benefits). Church, Luther League, hard to get acquainted
|
| 67, side 2 | 136: MILL WORK 1930 Pay cut in half. Friend was blacklisted because he
wouldn't go for this. (See counter I-506). Friend had to join the WPA.
|
| 67, side 2 | 160: VASA SVEA BAND Played the alto french horn. Member of the male
chorus. Sang in Seattle for Sangerfest and another time in Everett. Talks about
the importance of these groups.
|
| 67, side 2 | 213/13: FOUR TRIPS TO
SWEDEN Family had it good in Sweden. Got
money from brothers to travel. Einar, his brother, owned a factory. Called
communists when they went on strike here (US)
|
| 67, side 2 | 244: VALHALLA Longest member (70 years). First Lutheran Church,
still a member. Talks about church in Sweden (see counter II-113)
|
| 67, side 2 | 273: CHILDREN See attached.
|
| 67, side 2 | 281/14: REAL ESTATE
BUSINESS Buys and sells houses. Bought
first house for $2,200.
|
| 67, side 2 | 307/01: KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH
RELATIVES writes to nephew.
|
| 67, side 2 | 312: IMPORTANCE OF SWEDISH
HERITAGE Never bothered him.
|
| 67, side 2 | 318: Found out what America is. Thought it was the perfect land,
discovered that it was far from it.
|
| 67, side 2 | 339: SWEDISH
TRADITIONS Special dishes now and then.
|
| 67, side 2 | 349: SPEAKING
SWEDISH Still speaks it. His daughter is
able to read it.
|
| 67, side 2 | 362: VISITING
SWEDEN Brought peanut butter with him for
the grandchildren.
|
| 67, side 2 | 377/02: SWEDISH
WORDS Didn't pray when you went to bed,
you were tired.
|
| 67, side 2 | 401: CLOSING
REMARKS Had a good life. Have a very good
daughter. Brothers offered to buy him a lot and give him the timber to build a
house in Sweden, but he chose to return to his family in the U.S.
|
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
- Subject Terms :
- Emigration and immigration
- Family -- Sweden
- Naturalization
- Railroad travel
- Swedish-Americans--Northwest, Pacific--Interviews
- Swedish-Americans--Social life and customs
- Personal Names :
- Lindberg, Rut Otilla
- Nelson, John Edwin --Interviews
- Svensson, Johanna
- Johansson, Nils
- Nilsson, Johan
- Stolz (Nelson), Nancy
- Corporate Names :
- First Lutheran Church (Tacoma, Wash.)
- Hellig Olav (Steamship)
- Luther League of America
- Sangerfest of Norwegian Singers Association of America
- Swedish Order of Valhalla (Tacoma, Wash.)
- Vasa Order of America. Lodge Number 233 (Tacoma, Wash.)
- Family Names :
- Johansson family
- Lindberg family
- Nelson family
- Nilsson family
- Svensson family
- Geographical Names :
- Alaska
- Höganäs (Sweden)
- Knäred (Sweden)
- Röfors (Sweden)
- Tacoma (Wash.)
- Form or Genre Terms :
- Oral histories
- Occupations :
- Gardeners
- Miners
- Sawmill workers
