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Swedish Roots in Oregon collection, circa 1875-2022

Overview of the Collection

Compiler
Fogelquist, Ross, 1938-
Title
Swedish Roots in Oregon collection
Dates
circa 1875-2022 (inclusive)
circa 1890-2022 (bulk)
Quantity
11.2 cubic feet, (8 record cartons; 1 legal document case; 1 slim legal document case; 1 flat box (13x16); 1 flat box (20x24); 1 oversize folder (22x28))
Collection Number
Coll 980
Summary
Materials relating to Scandinavian Americans, and particularly Swedish Americans in Oregon, collected by Ross Fogelquist, founder of the research organization Swedish Roots in Oregon. These materials include records and memorabilia of and relating to Scandinavian American organizations and cultural events, papers of individuals and families from Scandinavian backgrounds, and historical data.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Finnish, Icelandic
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Historical Note

Swedish Roots in Oregon was established in 1999 by Ross Fogelquist and other members of the New Sweden Heritage Society for the purpose of researching and documenting the history of Swedish immigrants to Oregon. As of 2023, the project had published 12 pamphlets and five books relating to the history of Swedish Americans in Oregon.

Source: "About Us," Swedish Roots in Oregon website, https://www.swedishrootsinoregon.org/about-us/

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Historical Note

The 1850 census for the Oregon Territory recorded two Swedish-born residents, while the 1860 Oregon census recorded 56. Significantly larger numbers of immigrants from Sweden came to Oregon in the later 19th century and the early 20th century, with nearly 4,000 Swedish Americans recorded in the 1890 Oregon census and more than 10,000 in the 1910 census. Most Swedish Americans lived in urban areas such as Portland, Astoria, Marshfield (later Coos Bay), and North Bend. Other areas with a significant Swedish presence included Powell Valley, east of Gresham; Carlton, in Yamhill County; Colton, in Clackamas County; Mayger, on the Columbia River; and Warren, in Columbia County. Organizations established by Swedish immigrants in Oregon included the Swedish Society of Linnea, Vasa Order of America lodges, and choral societies.

Swedish immigration to Oregon and to the United States in general declined following World War I, due both to restrictions on immigration and to improving economic conditions in Sweden. Additionally, hostility towards immigrants who did not speak English as their native language led many Swedish Americans to change their behaviors and turn away from Swedish institutions and traditions. The decline of first-generation Swedish Americans in Oregon also led to declining use of the Swedish language in the state.

As of the early 21st century, there are thousands of Oregonians who have Swedish ancestry, and a number of organizations for Swedish Americans exist in Oregon, including Vasa Order of America lodges, Swedish Society Linnea, the New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society, the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation, Nordia House, and the Swedish School. Swedish Midsummer is celebrated in multiple locations in Oregon, and there is a Scandinavian festival in Portland at Christmas.

Source: "Swedish Americans in Oregon," by Victoria Owenius, Oregon Encyclopedia, https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/swedes-in-oregon/

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Content Description

The collection consists of papers and records relating to Scandinavian Americans and particularly Swedish Americans in Oregon. The materials were collected by Ross Fogelquist and made available for research use under the auspices of the research organization Swedish Roots in Oregon. These include records and memorabilia of multiple Scandinavian American organizations based in Oregon; events and celebrations held by the Scandinavian American community in Oregon, particularly in the Portland area; and papers, photographs, reminiscences, and genealogies of Scandinavian American individuals and families in the state.

Individuals and families represented in the collection include the Edlund family; G. Bernhard Fedde and Johanna B. Fedde; Ross Fogelquist; Swedish Consul of Oregon Malcolm Frykman and his wife, Faye Frykman; the Gronquist family; the family of Mary E. Håkensson (also spelled Hockenson); the family of Oscar Nastrom and Mary Nastrom (also spelled Nästrom); and the Nordgren family.

Other materials in the collection include historical data about Swedish Americans in Oregon and materials about the Fogelbo estate, a Swedish-style house owned by Ross Fogelquist that was the site of many Swedish American events in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Some material in the collection is in Swedish or Norwegian. There are also individual items in Danish, Finnish, German, and Icelandic.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Swedish Roots in Oregon collection, Coll 980, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Collection is arranged in four series:

  • Series 1: Organization records and memorabilia
  • Series 2: Event records and memorabilia
  • Series 3: Papers of individuals and families
  • Series 4: Historical data and other materials

Acquisition Information

Gift of Swedish Roots in Oregon, care of Ross Fogelquist, June 2023 (RL2023-030).

Custodial History

Ross Fogelquist, founder of Swedish Roots in Oregon, gathered materials relating to Scandinavian Americans, particularly Swedish Americans, over the course of three decades, circa 1990-2020, for use by researchers. In June 2023, the collection was offered to the Oregon Historical Society Research Library, which accepted a portion of the materials, and returned the remainder to Fogelquist.

Preservation Note

CDs in Box 4, Folder 15 and Box 9, Folder 11; audio reel in Box 6, Folder 95; and cassette tape in Box 7, Folder 78 require specialized equipment to use. Photographs in Box 10 require assistance to view. Contact library staff.

Processing Note

Processing of the collection included significant changes to arrangement from the original order of the materials at the time of donation. The collection was rearranged to condense related materials and to group topically related materials together. For preservation purposes, some items were removed from frames, and several albums were disassembled after being photocopied to show the original order of the photographs.

Related Materials

The Oregon Historical Society Research Library also holds publications produced by Swedish Roots in Oregon, which are part of the pamphlets collection. Additional issues of Oregon Posten and Svenska Posten held by the library are part of the periodicals collection.

Separated Materials

Buttons and shopping bag relating to Scandinavian American festivals were transferred to Museum Collections, Oregon Historical Society.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Jeffrey A. Hayes
2023

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