Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives
John August Carlson papers
Carlson, John August, 1859-1944
UUS_COLL MSS 26
4 boxes
2 linear feet
1887-1909
Correspondence (including that which was written back and forth during Carlson's Swedish mission), financial records of Carlson's blacksmithing business and other accounts paid and received by Carlson, genealogical records of both the Carlson and the Lundstrom families. Newspapers written in Swedish are contained in this collection.
Collection materials are in English.
Open to public research. Not available for interlibrary loan.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the John August Carlson papers must be obtained from the Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections and Archives department head.
The materials in this collection were donated to USU Special Collections & Archives in 1975 by Virginia Carlson Parker, the granddaughter of John A. Carlson. Additional materials (box 4) were donated in 2026 by Rodney Schvaneveldt, great-grandson of John Carlson.
John August Carlson papers, 1887-1909. (COLL MSS 26). Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives department.
John August Carlson was born June 28, 1859 in Lannaskede, Sweden the son of Carl Gustof Johanson and Anna Marie Jonnasson. During the 1880s, John joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and opted to move to the Utah Territory, United States, to be among fellow church members. While sailing to the United States, he met his future wife Anna Britta Lundstrom, also Swedish and immigrating to the Utah Territory.
After arriving in the Utah Territory, John briefly settled in Smithfield, Utah and opened a blacksmithing shop. A year later, John procured land in nearby Logan, Utah and relocated to pursue farming. He also continued to work as a blacksmith. After moving, he met Anna B. Lundstrom again, who had moved to Logan to work at her brother's furniture business. Shortly thereafter, John and Anna were married on November 10, 1886 in Logan. They later had ten children together.
In 1894, John was called by his church to serve as a missionary in Sweden, where he proselyted for three years. After completing his missionary duties, he returned to his family in Utah but moved the family to Smithfield. In Smithfield, John opened a blacksmithing shop. John lived most of his remaining life in Smithfield. John died January 19, 1944 in Logan.
Source: Parker, Virginia Carlson, "Biography of John Wilford Carlson," 1975.
This three-box collection contains the papers of John A. Carlson. His papers consist of correspondence, missionary papers, blacksmithing records, genealogical information, and a scrapbook. The majority of Carlson's papers concern his mission in Sweden and his blacksmithing business. Some of the items included in this collection are the letters written between Carlson and his wife while he was serving as a missionary in Sweden, his blacksmithing ledgers, which show work performed, and fees, and a scrapbook containing clippings from Utah Korrespondenten , a Swedish Salt Lake City newspaper.
The materials in this collection have been organized topically and then chronologically. The researcher should be aware that some of the material in this collection is written in Swedish, such as some of Carlson's correspondence and blacksmithing records. Some items from this collection were removed and have catalogued separately. These items include; issues of Utah Korrespondenten , an issue of Fyrbaken , and issues of Nordstjaman and Skandinaviens Stjerne .
Note: Researchers interested in the Carlson family should also see the papers of J. A. Carlson's son; Coll Mss 27: The John W. Carlson papers.
Arranged topically and chronologically.
John W. Carlson papers, COLL MSS 27
Carlson, John August, 1859-1944.
Lundstrom family.
Carlson family.
Mormonism (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Swedish Americans--Utah--Logan--Genealogy.
Mormon missionaries--Sweden--Correspondence.
Blacksmiths--Utah.
Blacksmithing--Utah--Records and correspondence.
Swedish-American newspapers.
Correspondence
1894-1989
(162 pieces, 7 items).
Swedish Missionary Correspondence, A-G
1894-1897
(6 pieces)
1
1
Swedish Missionary Correspondence with Hoglund, A. J.
1894
(20 pieces 1 item)
1
2
Swedish Missionary Correspondence with Hoglund, A. J.
1894-1895
(20 pieces)
1
3
Swedish Missionary Correspondence, L-T
1894-1896
(19 pieces, 1 item)
1
4
Swedish Missionary Correspondence from unidentified sources
1895
(12 pieces)
1
5
Record of Correspondence while on Swedish Mission
undated
(2 items)
1
6
Swedish Correspondence, B-N
1895-1898
(14 pieces, 1 item)
1
7
Swedish Correspondence, P-Y
1890-1898
(19 pieces, 2 items)
1
8
Swedish Correspondence from unidentified sources
1890-1897
(20 pieces)
1
9
Swedish Correspondence from unidentified sources
1898
(14 pieces)
1
10
Swedish Missionary Correspondence with John A. Carlson's wife, Anna Carlson
1894-1898
4
1-3
English translation of a selection of Anna's letters
1894-1898
4
4
Eleven of Anna's letters were translated into English in 1993 by Vivianne Englund Forsyth. An additional 40 letters were donated to USU Special Collections in 2026.
Financial accounting materials
1887-1905
(73 pieces, 4 items)
Accounts received by Lundberg and Carlson, Blacksmithing
1890s
1
12
(2 pieces) (also see box 3)
Account book of Blacksmith business in Smithfield, Utah, written in Swedish
1887 January-1894 March
(1 item).
1
13
Account Book written partly in Swedish
1890 August-1893
(1 item)
1
14
Financial Accounts of John A. Carlson, written partly in Swedish
1897-1898
(5 pieces)
1
15
Account Book
1900-1905
(1 item)
1
16
Account Book
1905 June -1909 November
(1 item)
1
17
Receipts, Cache County notices of Assessment and receipts of payment
undated
(11 pieces)
1
18
Cache Stake Tithing Store, Contains Bishop's storehouse
1889 October 21 - 1894 March 15
(12 pieces)
1
19
Accounts paid by John A. Carlson
undated
(23 pieces).
1
20
Accounts paid by John A. Carlson
undated
(20 pieces).
1
21
Blacksmithing materials
undated
20 1/2 x 13 1/2 cm. (2 items)
2
1
Missionary papers, journals
1890-1897
(24 pieces, 5 items)
Accounts of ordination to Priesthood positions prior to mission to Sweden
undated
(l piece)
2
2
Missionary Items, 1890-1895, written in Swedish
undated
(23 pieces)
2
3
Names of people who bought tickets to the dance of the 7th Ward, March 28, 1890. Monthly missionary reports, January-December, 1895. Quarterly income report of N. N. Branch of N. N. Conference, 4th quarter, Quarterly expenditure report of 1st district Council, 4th quarter, Tithing list of N. N. Branch. Record of people deceased, Wengokers Branch, -March, 1894-December, 1895. Daily notebook of income-and expenditures, 4th quarter, book report from August to November, 1895. Total books and amount of money, Improvement Era, 1895. Diploma of graduation from Elementary School, November 25, 1872. List of books which are found in Wengokers Branch. Records of 119th Quorum of Seventies. Record of members in branch. Quarterly statistical report of the N. N. Branch, November 10, 1890. Subscription for North Star, January 1. Subscription for brethren in branch to North Star. Collection of Konrad Haglunds, March 8, 1895.
Record of members of N. N. Branch, and missionary diary, Swedish
1895-1897
undated
(3 items)
2
4
Dag bok (diary/mission record)
1894-1896
4
5
Black notebook
undated
4
7
Possibly a study journal and/or book of poems
Green notebook/ledger
undated
4
8
Includes two loose pages found tucked in back cover
Genealogical records
undated
(79 pieces, 7 items)
Genealogical notes written in Swedish
undated
(2 items)
2
5
Lundstrom family records and genealogical materials written in Swedish
undated
(8 pieces)
2
6
John A. Carlson personal records and family materials
undated
(14 pieces)
2
7
Genealogy of John A. Carlson family and Lundstrom family
undated
(1 item)
2
8
Record of temple work done by Sene Catherine Mikkelson Sorensen
undated
(1 item)
2
9
Personal items of John A. Carlson. Genealogical records of Carlson and Lundstrom families written in Swedish
undated
(15 pieces)
2
10
Assorted and oversize materials
Miscellaneous items
undated
(9 pieces)
2
11
Miscellaneous items written partly in Swedish
undated
(15 pieces, 3 items)
2
12
John A. Carlson printed advertising cards from Sweden and miscellaneous items
1894-1897
(18 pieces).
2
13
Scrapbook and loose newspaper clippings, (contains clippings from Utah Korrespondenten) circa
Item 1:
1890s
3
Account book
Item 2:
1891-1894
3
BYC [Brigham Young College] felt pennant
undated
3