Hokan (Hovander) Olsson was born on December 6, 1841, near Malmo, Sweden. Hokan's parents, Ola Persson and Else Nilsdatter, were semi-prosperous tenant farmers who struggled to support Hokan and his eight siblings, including Hokan's twin brother Christian. In 19th Century Sweden, tenant farming was a particularly difficult livelihood for most families. Only 10% of Sweden's land was arable and suitable for farming. In addition, Swedish laws stipulated that landowners must maintain their land parcels as a unit and were prohibited from dividing lands among heirs. As a result, many younger sons, such as Hokan, chose to migrate to large cities like Stockholm in search of more viable vocational prospects. Once in Stockholm, Hokan became an apprentice bricklayer by day and studied architecture in the evening. Sometime during the 1860s, Hokan changed his surname from Olsson to Hafvander (later Havander or Hovander). This name change probably reflected Hokan's desire to facilitate his architectural career by choosing a more distinctive name than the common "Olsson."
In 1865, Hokan and his brother Christian left Sweden and travelled first to Australia and New Zealand and then to the United States, where they established separate homesteads in Kansas. Christian chose to remain in Kansas, but Hokan continued his travels in the U.S., eventually migrating to Chicago. While in Chicago, Hokan returned to his chosen profession of architecture. In the wake of the devastating fire of 1871, he found ample opportunity to hone his architectural skills as he helped to rebuild the city. He also worked along the West Coast in San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle.
In 1879, He returned to Sweden and married Louisa Leontine Johandatter Lof and settled into family life and an architectural career. Although he was not officially licensed as an architect in Sweden, this period was particularly prolific for Hokan, and he completed many building and design projects during this time. Hokan's work in Sweden culminated with the creation of his most famous work, the "Mansion," a large residential building in Stockholm created in the Beaux Arts style.
In 1885, Hokan succumbed to an episode of tuberculosis and was advised to spend some time in a warmer climate. Hokan, Leontine and their children, Hugo, Elsa and Otis embarked on a world cruise, traveling from Sweden to Australia and finally to San Francisco. In California, Elsa met her future husband, Karl Stromee. The Stromees and other transplanted Swedes convinced the Hovanders that immigration to the U.S. would be beneficial to both Hokan's health and the future of the children. After returning to Sweden and selling the "Mansion", the Hovander family set sail for New Zealand in 1896. By then, the family had grown to include three more children: Angelo, Charles and Ada.
The Hovander family reached Seattle by 1897 but chose not to stay, complaining of noise and price inflation caused by Gold Rush fever. Instead, the family migrated north to Whatcom County. The Hovanders paid Betsey Nielson $4000 in gold coin for 60 acres near Ferndale, which included two small cabins, some farm implements, and a few livestock. In 1899, the last Hovander child, Vera, was born in one of the cabins. Hokan designed a house and barn based on traditional Scandinavian architectural features but which also incorporated building techniques learned while working in the U.S. These buildings still stand on the property today.
Hokan died in 1915 of chronic myocarditis, fifteen years after work on the house was completed. Leontine died in 1936, as a result of complications from diabetes. All the children married, except for Otis. Otis, a friendly and colorful local personality with wide and varied interests, is well represented in the family papers. He was an avid stamp collector and maintained a large correspondence with fellow collectors. Otis loved antique cars and belonged to a vintage car club. He was a member of the Knights of Pythias and was also interested in politics and automobile safety issues. Otis also enjoyed playing musical instruments and once requested an audition with the Original Amateur Hour in New York City. Otis shared the Hovander House with widowed sister Elsa from 1946 until her death in 1961. Otis remained in the house until 1969, when he moved into the Lynden Rest home where he resided until his death in 1979.
The papers of Elsa Hovander Stromee are also well represented in this collection. Elsa's husband Karl owned and ran the Economy Print Shop in San Bernardino, California, which employed Japanese and Chinese Americans and nationals. Karl died in 1946, after which Elsa moved back to Whatcom County to live with Otis.
The Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Board purchased the Hovander property for $60,000 in 1969. Upon acquisition, the Parks Department repainted and refurbished the buildings and continues to maintain the house today. A small working farmyard adjacent to the house was restocked with typical farm animals. Farm implements were collected from many different sources and displayed in the barn along with identifying labels. The house and grounds are open to visitors.
The Hovander Family and Park Papers consist of papers created by the Hovander family as well as material generated by Hovander Homestead Park staff. The bulk of the Hovander family materials were created and collected by Hokan, Elsa, and Otis Hovander, with other family members making up the remainder.
This collection includes correspondence, architectural drawings, maps, notes and writings, newspaper clippings, canceled checks, deposit slips, bank statements, tax records, legal documents, pamphlets & broadsides, photographs, Park reference materials and oral histories. A few of these oral histories include an audiocassette and full transcript, while most have only a short transcript. Roughly half of the total family correspondence is written in Swedish without accompanying translations. The other subseries also contain some Swedish language materials.
The photographs included in this collection provide not only a detailed account of the lives of the Hovander family, but also depict life on the farm and the many travels taken by members of the family. Included are many photographs of Paris, Germany, and Stockholm at the turn of the 20th century, as well as the family's multiple trips to San Francisco and southern California in the early half of that century. Early events in Whatcom Coutny are also included. Parades, photographs of schools, and other views of downtown Bellingham and portions of Ferndale are numerous within the collection.
The Hovander Family and Park Papers are organized in accordance with the following series and sub-series arrangement:
The collection is open to the public.
[item/date], Hovander Family and Park Papers, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.
The Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Board purchased the Hovander farm in 1969 and gained possession of the Hovander Family Papers.
Due to archivally inadequate storage facilities the Parks Department subsequently donated the Hovander Family Papers as well as materials generated by the Hovander Homestead Park staff to the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in 2001 and 2002.
The papers lacked original order and so were carefully examined and arranged into two series according to sound archival principles. Amy Cubellis processed the collection for the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in 2002. Amber Raney re-engineered the collection and its finding aid in 2004.
To learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and
teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see
the following