[From "The History of Carl Gustaf Nilsson (Carl G. Fridland)" by Jan Mongoven in 2012.]
Carl Gustaf Nilsson Fridland was the only child of soldat Nils Brink and Lovisa Ericsdotter. He was born August 3, 1824, in a soldier's cottage on the cavalry farm at Brinkelids rote in Ǻsheda parish, Kronobergs län, Småland. Although he spent the bulk of his childhood on the farmstead where he was born, Carl began to look elsewhere as he reached his mid-teens. In 1840, the sixteen-year-old moved to Yexagård, another farm at Åsheda. He returned home a year later, but then bounced back and forth for a few years between his parents' cottage and another dwelling on Brinkelid.
In the midst of Åsheda's 1841-1846 husförhörslängd (household examination...a census of sorts), Carl approached his 20th birthday. He was listed as försvarslös, meaning that he was a vagrant and without a legal guardian. Carl had entered a critical period – during this time he became his own man and made his own way. Various household examinations allow us to piece together the path he took next. Carl left Åsheda in 1845, traveling a bit north to Lemnhult parish in Jönköpings län. The young bachelor stayed there until 1847, but then migrated a short distance northeast to Stenberga, where he found work as one of the tjenstefolk (servants) at Lundås farm. For a time there, he was known by his full name, dräng Carl Gustaf Nilsson Brink. Then, having reached adulthood, he became a soldier in the same infantry regiment as his father had joined – the Calmar Kungliga Regemente (Kalmar Royal Regiment). In doing so, he received a soldier's name, Carl Gustaf Fridland, and he began service as Soldat No. 90 within his outfit. Frid, means "peace," or "tranquility," so his new name meant something like "peace land." In 1847, the young soldier moved several kilometers south, arriving at Näshult parish in Jönköpings län.
Näshult's 1847 Immigration Record (Inflyttade) cited the arrival of the 23-year-old soldat, Carl Gustaf Fridland, from Lundås farm. Near the bottom of the same page was the name of a maid from Åsheda. Both, it seems, were bound for a farm at Fogelkulla. The young woman was the 27-year-old piga, Martha Magnusdotter – see The History of Martha Magnusdotter Fridland. She was one of the daughters of Magnus Persson and Maria Jonasdotter of Åsheda. Before moving to Näshult, Martha followed her eldest sister to the large farmstead at Uggsgård in Åsheda, where she found employment as a servant. Uggsgård was near Yexagård – the farm upon which dräng Carl Gustaf Nilsson had worked for a time. It is possible that Carl met Martha during the time that they worked near one another, but on their respective farmsteads. They pair fell in love and, after a couple of years, decided to leave their birthplace for nearby Näshult.
Soon after arriving in Näshult, Carl and Martha returned to Åsheda to be married. The ceremony occurred on Saturday, November 13, 1847. The pair went back to Näshult immediately, where they awaited the birth of their first baby, a girl named Josephina, born August 8, 1848, at Fogelkulla farm. Daughter Sophia followed, in September of 1850. In 1853, the small family was joined by Martha's youngest sister, Sophia Magnusdotter, and they moved a few kilometers west to a farm at Trädan Södra, on Holma rote in Lemnhult parish, near the border between Kronobergs and Jönköpings län.
Once established in Lemnhult, Carl became Soldat No. 123. He and Martha had eight children: Josephina, Sophia (both girls died young), Regina Lovisa, Augusta Martha, Lena Maria (known later as Mary Helen, she married Charles W. Peterson), Carolina, Gustaf, and Otilia.
The 1850s proved especially difficult for the Fridlands, as they lost two of their beautiful children. Their eldest child, Josephina, died of a stomach ailment on May 17, 1856, just three months shy of her eighth birthday. In 1858, they moved from Trädan Södra to the soldat torpet at Simmetorp, on Borshult Sjöholm rote; however, more tragedy awaited them. Eight-year-old Sophia caught fever and passed away on February 8, 1859. Despite their losses, our family endured, and Carl and Martha raised their children in the soldier's cottage, during the nearly ten years that passed after Sophia's death.
Historians refer to various "push" and "pull" factors, when discussing reasons for emigration. The factors that pushed Swedes toward the United States during the 1800s were mostly economic. Crop failures and famine swept Sweden between 1866 and 1868, precipitating the emigration of some 120,000 Swedes. Poor harvests – especially in Småland province, with its unforgiving rocky soil – caused tremendous hardship. The population had exploded by the mid-1800s, primarily due to "the peace, the (smallpox) vaccinations, and the potatoes." These factors conspired to produce many severely overcrowded farmsteads. A growing number of Swedes counted themselves as landless, poor, and restless. But forces also pulled them toward the United States. Thanks to the Homestead Act of 1862, acre upon acre of dirt-cheap land was available in America to any folks adventurous and hearty enough to travel west.
Emigranten CD passenger lists were compiled from the emigrant police records kept at Göteborg. They indicate that the Fridland family left Sweden in three factions, departing from the bustling western port during a six-month period in 1872. The list confirms that our family hailed from Lemnhult, of the Vetlanda kommun (municipality), in Jönköpings län. They cited Jamestown, New York as their American destination. Their choice made very good sense. According to Norman Carlson, a well-respected historian at the Fenton Historical Center in Jamestown, nearly 90% of Chautauqua County's Swedish immigrants arrived from the Småland region. The Fridlands, like most immigrants, found great comfort living among people who shared a common dialect, customs, and history.
What would their ocean journey from Sweden to America have been like? Steamship voyages from Sweden to the United States in the 1870s were split into two segments: a North Sea crossing from Göteborg to the British Isles, followed by an Atlantic crossing to New York City. The entire trip spanned a little over two weeks – quite an improvement over the two-month odyssey of the old, sailing ship days! Swedish emigrants first traveled by steamer from Göteborg to the port city of Hull, on the English east coast. The Wilson Line built two steamships – the Rollo and Orlando – specifically for the transport of Swedish passengers between Göteborg and Hull. The Police Chamber of Göteborg's records confirm that these are the ships that ferried the Fridlands on the first segment of their journey to America.
The following names are spelled as they were transcribed on the Emigranten CD ship passenger lists: Lovisa Fridland (19) and Caroline Fridland (11; anm(ärking) – notation: M.L. Fridland) left Göteborg aboard the Orlando, on April 26, 1872. Their agent, B.B. Peterson, was employed by the National Line from 1868-1878.
Carl Fridland (48) left Göteborg on July 19, 1872, also departing on the Orlando [photo on page 59]. However, Carl's agent, John Odell, worked from 1871-1890 for the Inman Line. For some reason, Carl had chosen a different travel company for his own passage – as well as for the final Fridland emigration group.
Finally, Martu Friland (53) left Göteborg on November 1, 1872, with Marta Friland (17), Carolina Friland (11), Gustav Friland (9), and Othelia Friland (5), all in tow. They traveled aboard the Rollo, and their agent was John Odell of the Inman Line.
Six children were listed in the Emigranten record, leaving us with two questions: Where was little Lena Maria – Mary Helen? No family would leave a 13-year-old behind. And why were two Carolina's listed? Clearly, one of these was Lena Maria, but which one? A 1924 high school writing assignment by her granddaughter, Matilda Peterson, verifies that she was the "M.L. Fridland" in the first group with her sister, (Regina) Lovisa. "M.L." clearly stands for "Maria Lena."
Lemnhult parish records further complicate the story, since the husförhörslängd provides the following dates: Regina Lovisa and Carolina Fridland left the parish for N. Amerika on April 22, 1872. Lena Maria left one week later on the 29th of April; however, this date is highly questionable, since the Orlando had departed Göteborg on the 26th of April. Thirteen-year-old Lena Maria never would have left the parish alone, especially with the ship already launched. Oddly, Carolina's name was returned to the Fridland's household record on the 29th of April – but spelled Karolina this time, and in a different minister's handwriting. The record indicates that Carl Fridland left the parish on October 28, 1872. This date makes little sense, because Göteborg police records show that he had departed the port city for North America on July 19, 1872. Ditto marks were given for Martha Magnusdotter, so the October 28 date written next to Carl's name might also have been meant for her. The remaining children, Martha Augusta, Gustaf Algot, and Karolina, also left the parish on October 28, 1872. Yet the minister recorded no date for the youngest child, five-year-old Otilia Sophia. The dates for mother and the remaining children seem correct, as police records show they all departed Göteborg's port on November 1, 1872.
To recap: Lovisa (19) and Carolina (M.L. Fridland, 11) left Göteborg on April 26, 1872. Carl (48) left on July 19, 1872. Martha (53) and the remaining children, Martha (17), Carolina (11), Gustaf (9), and Otilia (5) all departed Göteborg on November 1, 1872. Where was Lena Maria? With her oldest sister, Lovisa, as Matilda's assignment verifies. But why were two Carolina Fridlands listed on Göteborg's emigration police records?
What follows is hypothetical and debatable – yet it is also very plausible: Perhaps Carl was cash-strapped and, in order to save fare on the long passage, took three daughters to Göteborg in April 1872. National Line rates circa 1872 can be found online. Children under 12 were "half price." Carl could have substituted the nearly 11-year-old Carolina for his 13-year-old, Lena Maria, when he purchased the tickets. Lena Maria could travel more cheaply as young "Carolina" on her voyage across the Atlantic. The "real" Carolina could then return to Lemnhult – as was noted in the parish record – with her father. Carl left the parish in July, though it wasn't recorded that way in the husförhörslängd. Finally, Martha Fridland and the rest of the children, Martha, Gustaf, Carolina, and Otilia, all followed Carl to America, leaving Lemnhult parish on October 28, 1972, and the port of Göteborg on November 1, 1872.
Such a story may seem unbelievable, given the Swedish virtues of hard work, thrift, and honesty; however, it wouldn't have been too unusual for the times. The following was written in SwegGGate, a genealogical website: "Generally speaking there are many errors [in the Emigranten CD]. The sources of the information on the CD are the (emigration) passenger lists. The info could have been read from a flyttningsbevis or given verbally by the traveler. A word of caution is required since the correctness may vary. Many travelers spoke a different dialect and spelling may be wrong – one cannot expect the registrar to know all the thousands of parish names and many travelers could not write. Some may even have lied about the age of their children to get a cheaper fare [boldface print is mine]. Several errors may have occurred in the transcription process, too." One also wonders why Carl used a different agent (B.B. Peterson of the National Line) for the first Fridland group than he did for the second and third waves (John Odell of the Inman Line). This, too, lends some support to the "switched-identity" hypothesis.
What ships transported our Fridland ancestors to America? Passenger lists, available online, were used to find the vessels upon which they arrived at the Port of New York. Larger steamships, vis-à-vis smaller sailing ships, had cut down the time it took to cross the Atlantic to about two weeks. Lovisa and "Carolina" – our Lena Maria – left Göteborg on April 26, 1872, so they would have arrived at New York around mid-May. The online handwritten lists were scoured, until two names appeared aboard the England, which arrived at New York on May 18, 1872: sisters Lovisa (19) and Caroline (11) Jeraland (an obvious spelling error) from Switzerland. Switzerland? Many mistakes are evident on this list, as surnames such as Johanson and Magnuson were written near the girls' names and were also recorded as Swiss citizens – these names are obviously Swedish.
Carl Fridland departed Göteborg on July 19, so he would have arrived in New York in early August. His name was located aboard the City of New York, which arrived in port on August 6, 1872. Soldat Carl Fridland was listed as Chris Fridland (48), Sweden, "miner." Passenger lists are notorious for errors in the spellings of names and for giving incorrect occupations – miner was one of the more common mistakes.
Since Martha and the rest of the children left Göteborg on November 1, 1872, they would have arrived in New York by mid-November. Indeed, Martha Freelan (53, wife), Martha A. (18, spinster), Carolina (11), Gustav (9) and Othela (5) – all from Sweden – arrived at the port of New York aboard the City of Bristol on November 17, 1872.
Next, transatlantic steamship companies were aligned with these three ships in order to cross-check information provided by the Emigranten CD. They proved perfect matches. The England was a ship of the National Line (or National Steam Navigation Company) fleet, founded in Liverpool in 1863. Recall that Carl Fridland used B.B. Peterson, a National Line agent, when he bought the fares for Lovisa and "Carolina" – or Lena Maria. However, he employed John Odell, an Inman Line agent, for the rest of his family's tickets. Indeed, the City of New York and the City of Bristol were ships of the Inman Line, founded in 1850 as the Liverpool & Philadelphia Steamship Company. Finally, Mildred Peterson's 1924 writing assignment verifies that we have the correct order of immigration – and the ships that brought our Fridland family to America in 1872.
When our ancestors arrived in the United States, immigrants at the port of New York were processed at Castle Garden. Known today as Castle Clinton National Monument, the building is a major landmark within The Battery, a 23-acre waterfront park at the southwest tip of Manhattan. From 1855 through 1890, Castle Garden was America's first official immigration center. It served its purpose until April 18, 1890, when it was replaced by the Barge Office. Then, on January 1, 1892, the widely famous Ellis Island facility took the place of the Barge Office.
Soon after arriving at New York City, the Fridlands hopped a train and traveled westward across the state into Chautauqua County. Their destination was the bustling village of Jamestown, home to hundreds of Swedish immigrants. Cal Peterson's family stories remind us that his mother, Lena Maria Fridland –called Mary Helen in America – and her sister worked at first in America to earn enough money to help bring the family over. Cal often said that his mother spoke "beautiful, perfect" English, because she had worked as a maid or nanny for an "English family" in Jamestown, and that this family helped Mary with her English while she lived with them.
Census records verify Cal's "nanny" stories. As of the 1875 New York State Census for Chautauqua County, Mary and her two older sisters, Regina Lovisa and Martha Augusta, all worked as domestic servants in the township of Ellicott, which contains the village of Jamestown. Her name written Maria Freedland, the 16-year-old worked in the home of a wealthy New Hampshire-born hotel keeper, Henry Whittemore, his wife, Shuah, and their three children. Twenty-one-year-old Regina Lovisa, spelled Louise Freeland, toiled in the household of a grocery dealer, Benjamin F. Lownsberry. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Augusta Freglund served in the residence of a jeweler, Frederick A. Fuller. But where were Carl and Martha and their youngsters, Carolina, Gustaf, and Otilia? They, too, most likely lived in Ellicott after their arrival in America in 1873.
Carl and Martha Fridland remained for only a few years in the Ellicott/Jamestown area. The prospect of owning fertile land in Minnesota – whose climate and terrain reminded so many of Sweden – proved irresistible. On October 23, 1876, a year before leaving Chautauqua County, Carl filed "first papers" for American citizenship. Without filing, an immigrant couldn't qualify for homestead property ownership. Carl, Martha, and the two youngest children, Gustaf and Otilia, then packed their belongings and climbed aboard a steam engine train that delivered them to the small city of Fergus Falls in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
The Fridlands quickly settled in the township of Elizabeth, immediately north of Fergus Falls, most likely in the springtime of 1877. Carl quickly began building a house on the property and finished the project by mid-June of that year.
Carl appeared at the Fergus Falls Land Office on June 15, 1877, paid two dollars, and declared intention to homestead a 25-acre parcel at Elizabeth Township. On November 26, 1879, he paid $6.25 and entered homestead application No. 5904 for Lot 2, in the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 26.
By the time of the 1880 census, 55-year-old farmer "Charles" Fridland lived in Elizabeth, with his 60-year-old wife, Martha, and two of their children, "Gustave," fourteen, and "Othella," twelve.
Carl Fridland became a proud American citizen on November 28, 1884, at the 7th District Courthouse in Fergus Falls. His neighbor and son-in-law, Charles W. Peterson, testified on his behalf.
Returning to Fergus Falls to prove his claim in 1885, Carl testified he was "age 61 years" and "I am naturalized." He stated that his house was "built June 18, 1877," and that he "made settlement and established residence about June 18, 1877." He described the dwelling as a "log house, 16 X 20 – 3 doors, 5 windows, 2 floors, shingle roof, log stable 18 X 22, improvements worth at least $300." He wrote, "my self, wife, and 2 children have resided continuously since June 1877, married." Of the 25 acres, he had cultivated "15 acres, raised 6 (seasons of) crops." At last, on May 9, 1885, Carl was granted ownership of his homestead, which bordered the northern shore of tiny Lake Helen.
The Fridlands were early members of the Swedish Lutheran Church of Elizabeth. Known today as the Augustana Lutheran Church, it was constructed in August 1877, soon after Carl had established his farm. Its parish records confirm that Gustaf Fridland was born in Jönköping, and that he had arrived in America in 1873 – a date close to the actual one, but off by one year.
Martha Fridland died Tuesday, September 11, 1888. Her death was due to asthma, according to a brief notice appearing in the Fergus Falls Journal. However, Martha's death certificate and county death records provide conflicting information. The Elizabeth death record states that Martha Fridland died September 11, because of an intestinal obstruction. Strangely, death records of Friberg – a township adjacent to Elizabeth – indicate that a "Mrs. Freeland" died September 11, 1888, of some sort of gastric inflammation. It seems apparent that intestinal difficulties caused her passing. Martha Magnusdotter Fridland was 67.
On November 13, 1893, Carl mortgaged his farm to borrow $200 from August Nygren. The loan, at 8% per year interest and payable November 13, 1896, likely helped him finance the purchase of property immediately west of his homestead. Lot 5 totaled 39.70 acres and comprised the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 27 at Elizabeth. Owned by the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway Company, its $397 sale to him was completed September 30, 1895. After Carl's death, the land was transferred to his son, Gustaf. The two farms today lie on both sides of County Highway 27, and are depicted in the 1902 Elizabeth Township plat map.
In gradually declining health, the widower Carl Fridland spent his remaining years at Elizabeth, until "dropsy" claimed him on May 18, 1900, at age 75. Dropsy is an old-fashioned medical term and involves water retention and edema due to heart or kidney disease. An old newspaper advertisement described the disorder this way: "At first no disease is apparently more harmless than dropsy: A little swelling of the eyelids, hands, feet, ankles or abdomen. Finally, great shortness of breath, cough, fainting spells, sometimes nausea and vomiting, and a lingering and wretched death."
Carl's funeral was held in the Swedish Lutheran Church at Elizabeth. Today this church is the Augustana Lutheran Chruch. He is buried in the church cemetery next to his beloved wife, Martha. A large marble headstone, marked Fridland, designates the location of the graves of Gustaf and his wife, Josephine Wickstrom Fridland. However, the grave markers of Carl and Martha Fridland, our immigrant ancestors, have been lost to time.
Carl's obituary appeared in the Fergus Falls Journal, on May 23, 1900:
Elizabeth ~
"C.J. [sic] Fridland, one of our most respected citizens, died from heart failure last Friday. He had been seriously ill for about three months and his physician had given up all hopes of recovery for some time. He came to Minnesota from Jamestown, N.Y., in 1873 and settled on the farm where he died. Although never in robust health, he was very industrious and at times went beyond his strength, which no doubt hastened his end. He was about 76 years of age and leaves a family of five grown children. His wife died ten years ago. The funeral was held Sunday in the Swedish Lutheran church. The relatives of the deceased wish to express their gratitude to the neighbors for the many kind favors shown during his long illness."
Family members wrote a "thank-you" note in the Fergus Falls Journal to friends and neighbors:
Card of Thanks
"We desire to extend our sincere thanks to the many kind friends who assisted us during the long illness of our beloved father and grandfather.
Mr. and Mrs. Gust Fridland
Otildah Fridland
Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Peterson and Family
Carl Gustaf Nilsson Fridland was the only child of soldat Nils Brink and Lovisa Ericsdotter. He was born August 3, 1824, in a soldier's cottage on the cavalry farm at Brinkelids rote in Ǻsheda parish, Kronobergs län, Småland. Although he spent the bulk of his childhood on the farmstead where he was born, Carl began to look elsewhere as he reached his mid-teens. In 1840, the sixteen-year-old moved to Yexagård, another farm at Åsheda. He returned home a year later, but then bounced back and forth for a few years between his parents' cottage and another dwelling on Brinkelid.
In the midst of Åsheda's 1841-1846 husförhörslängd (household examination...a census of sorts), Carl approached his 20th birthday. He was listed as försvarslös, meaning that he was a vagrant and without a legal guardian. Carl had entered a critical period – during this time he became his own man and made his own way. Various household examinations allow us to piece together the path he took next. Carl left Åsheda in 1845, traveling a bit north to Lemnhult parish in Jönköpings län. The young bachelor stayed there until 1847, but then migrated a short distance northeast to Stenberga, where he found work as one of the tjenstefolk (servants) at Lundås farm. For a time there, he was known by his full name, dräng Carl Gustaf Nilsson Brink. Then, having reached adulthood, he became a soldier in the same infantry regiment as his father had joined – the Calmar Kungliga Regemente (Kalmar Royal Regiment). In doing so, he received a soldier's name, Carl Gustaf Fridland, and he began service as Soldat No. 90 within his outfit. Frid, means "peace," or "tranquility," so his new name meant something like "peace land." In 1847, the young soldier moved several kilometers south, arriving at Näshult parish in Jönköpings län.
Näshult's 1847 Immigration Record (Inflyttade) cited the arrival of the 23-year-old soldat, Carl Gustaf Fridland, from Lundås farm. Near the bottom of the same page was the name of a maid from Åsheda. Both, it seems, were bound for a farm at Fogelkulla. The young woman was the 27-year-old piga, Martha Magnusdotter – see The History of Martha Magnusdotter Fridland. She was one of the daughters of Magnus Persson and Maria Jonasdotter of Åsheda. Before moving to Näshult, Martha followed her eldest sister to the large farmstead at Uggsgård in Åsheda, where she found employment as a servant. Uggsgård was near Yexagård – the farm upon which dräng Carl Gustaf Nilsson had worked for a time. It is possible that Carl met Martha during the time that they worked near one another, but on their respective farmsteads. They pair fell in love and, after a couple of years, decided to leave their birthplace for nearby Näshult.
Soon after arriving in Näshult, Carl and Martha returned to Åsheda to be married. The ceremony occurred on Saturday, November 13, 1847. The pair went back to Näshult immediately, where they awaited the birth of their first baby, a girl named Josephina, born August 8, 1848, at Fogelkulla farm. Daughter Sophia followed, in September of 1850. In 1853, the small family was joined by Martha's youngest sister, Sophia Magnusdotter, and they moved a few kilometers west to a farm at Trädan Södra, on Holma rote in Lemnhult parish, near the border between Kronobergs and Jönköpings län.
Once established in Lemnhult, Carl became Soldat No. 123. He and Martha had eight children: Josephina, Sophia (both girls died young), Regina Lovisa, Augusta Martha, Lena Maria (known later as Mary Helen, she married Charles W. Peterson), Carolina, Gustaf, and Otilia.
The 1850s proved especially difficult for the Fridlands, as they lost two of their beautiful children. Their eldest child, Josephina, died of a stomach ailment on May 17, 1856, just three months shy of her eighth birthday. In 1858, they moved from Trädan Södra to the soldat torpet at Simmetorp, on Borshult Sjöholm rote; however, more tragedy awaited them. Eight-year-old Sophia caught fever and passed away on February 8, 1859. Despite their losses, our family endured, and Carl and Martha raised their children in the soldier's cottage, during the nearly ten years that passed after Sophia's death.
Historians refer to various "push" and "pull" factors, when discussing reasons for emigration. The factors that pushed Swedes toward the United States during the 1800s were mostly economic. Crop failures and famine swept Sweden between 1866 and 1868, precipitating the emigration of some 120,000 Swedes. Poor harvests – especially in Småland province, with its unforgiving rocky soil – caused tremendous hardship. The population had exploded by the mid-1800s, primarily due to "the peace, the (smallpox) vaccinations, and the potatoes." These factors conspired to produce many severely overcrowded farmsteads. A growing number of Swedes counted themselves as landless, poor, and restless. But forces also pulled them toward the United States. Thanks to the Homestead Act of 1862, acre upon acre of dirt-cheap land was available in America to any folks adventurous and hearty enough to travel west.
Emigranten CD passenger lists were compiled from the emigrant police records kept at Göteborg. They indicate that the Fridland family left Sweden in three factions, departing from the bustling western port during a six-month period in 1872. The list confirms that our family hailed from Lemnhult, of the Vetlanda kommun (municipality), in Jönköpings län. They cited Jamestown, New York as their American destination. Their choice made very good sense. According to Norman Carlson, a well-respected historian at the Fenton Historical Center in Jamestown, nearly 90% of Chautauqua County's Swedish immigrants arrived from the Småland region. The Fridlands, like most immigrants, found great comfort living among people who shared a common dialect, customs, and history.
What would their ocean journey from Sweden to America have been like? Steamship voyages from Sweden to the United States in the 1870s were split into two segments: a North Sea crossing from Göteborg to the British Isles, followed by an Atlantic crossing to New York City. The entire trip spanned a little over two weeks – quite an improvement over the two-month odyssey of the old, sailing ship days! Swedish emigrants first traveled by steamer from Göteborg to the port city of Hull, on the English east coast. The Wilson Line built two steamships – the Rollo and Orlando – specifically for the transport of Swedish passengers between Göteborg and Hull. The Police Chamber of Göteborg's records confirm that these are the ships that ferried the Fridlands on the first segment of their journey to America.
The following names are spelled as they were transcribed on the Emigranten CD ship passenger lists: Lovisa Fridland (19) and Caroline Fridland (11; anm(ärking) – notation: M.L. Fridland) left Göteborg aboard the Orlando, on April 26, 1872. Their agent, B.B. Peterson, was employed by the National Line from 1868-1878.
Carl Fridland (48) left Göteborg on July 19, 1872, also departing on the Orlando [photo on page 59]. However, Carl's agent, John Odell, worked from 1871-1890 for the Inman Line. For some reason, Carl had chosen a different travel company for his own passage – as well as for the final Fridland emigration group.
Finally, Martu Friland (53) left Göteborg on November 1, 1872, with Marta Friland (17), Carolina Friland (11), Gustav Friland (9), and Othelia Friland (5), all in tow. They traveled aboard the Rollo, and their agent was John Odell of the Inman Line.
Six children were listed in the Emigranten record, leaving us with two questions: Where was little Lena Maria – Mary Helen? No family would leave a 13-year-old behind. And why were two Carolina's listed? Clearly, one of these was Lena Maria, but which one? A 1924 high school writing assignment by her granddaughter, Matilda Peterson, verifies that she was the "M.L. Fridland" in the first group with her sister, (Regina) Lovisa. "M.L." clearly stands for "Maria Lena."
Lemnhult parish records further complicate the story, since the husförhörslängd provides the following dates: Regina Lovisa and Carolina Fridland left the parish for N. Amerika on April 22, 1872. Lena Maria left one week later on the 29th of April; however, this date is highly questionable, since the Orlando had departed Göteborg on the 26th of April. Thirteen-year-old Lena Maria never would have left the parish alone, especially with the ship already launched. Oddly, Carolina's name was returned to the Fridland's household record on the 29th of April – but spelled Karolina this time, and in a different minister's handwriting. The record indicates that Carl Fridland left the parish on October 28, 1872. This date makes little sense, because Göteborg police records show that he had departed the port city for North America on July 19, 1872. Ditto marks were given for Martha Magnusdotter, so the October 28 date written next to Carl's name might also have been meant for her. The remaining children, Martha Augusta, Gustaf Algot, and Karolina, also left the parish on October 28, 1872. Yet the minister recorded no date for the youngest child, five-year-old Otilia Sophia. The dates for mother and the remaining children seem correct, as police records show they all departed Göteborg's port on November 1, 1872.
To recap: Lovisa (19) and Carolina (M.L. Fridland, 11) left Göteborg on April 26, 1872. Carl (48) left on July 19, 1872. Martha (53) and the remaining children, Martha (17), Carolina (11), Gustaf (9), and Otilia (5) all departed Göteborg on November 1, 1872. Where was Lena Maria? With her oldest sister, Lovisa, as Matilda's assignment verifies. But why were two Carolina Fridlands listed on Göteborg's emigration police records?
What follows is hypothetical and debatable – yet it is also very plausible: Perhaps Carl was cash-strapped and, in order to save fare on the long passage, took three daughters to Göteborg in April 1872. National Line rates circa 1872 can be found online. Children under 12 were "half price." Carl could have substituted the nearly 11-year-old Carolina for his 13-year-old, Lena Maria, when he purchased the tickets. Lena Maria could travel more cheaply as young "Carolina" on her voyage across the Atlantic. The "real" Carolina could then return to Lemnhult – as was noted in the parish record – with her father. Carl left the parish in July, though it wasn't recorded that way in the husförhörslängd. Finally, Martha Fridland and the rest of the children, Martha, Gustaf, Carolina, and Otilia, all followed Carl to America, leaving Lemnhult parish on October 28, 1972, and the port of Göteborg on November 1, 1872.
Such a story may seem unbelievable, given the Swedish virtues of hard work, thrift, and honesty; however, it wouldn't have been too unusual for the times. The following was written in SwegGGate, a genealogical website: "Generally speaking there are many errors [in the Emigranten CD]. The sources of the information on the CD are the (emigration) passenger lists. The info could have been read from a flyttningsbevis or given verbally by the traveler. A word of caution is required since the correctness may vary. Many travelers spoke a different dialect and spelling may be wrong – one cannot expect the registrar to know all the thousands of parish names and many travelers could not write. Some may even have lied about the age of their children to get a cheaper fare [boldface print is mine]. Several errors may have occurred in the transcription process, too." One also wonders why Carl used a different agent (B.B. Peterson of the National Line) for the first Fridland group than he did for the second and third waves (John Odell of the Inman Line). This, too, lends some support to the "switched-identity" hypothesis.
What ships transported our Fridland ancestors to America? Passenger lists, available online, were used to find the vessels upon which they arrived at the Port of New York. Larger steamships, vis-à-vis smaller sailing ships, had cut down the time it took to cross the Atlantic to about two weeks. Lovisa and "Carolina" – our Lena Maria – left Göteborg on April 26, 1872, so they would have arrived at New York around mid-May. The online handwritten lists were scoured, until two names appeared aboard the England, which arrived at New York on May 18, 1872: sisters Lovisa (19) and Caroline (11) Jeraland (an obvious spelling error) from Switzerland. Switzerland? Many mistakes are evident on this list, as surnames such as Johanson and Magnuson were written near the girls' names and were also recorded as Swiss citizens – these names are obviously Swedish.
Carl Fridland departed Göteborg on July 19, so he would have arrived in New York in early August. His name was located aboard the City of New York, which arrived in port on August 6, 1872. Soldat Carl Fridland was listed as Chris Fridland (48), Sweden, "miner." Passenger lists are notorious for errors in the spellings of names and for giving incorrect occupations – miner was one of the more common mistakes.
Since Martha and the rest of the children left Göteborg on November 1, 1872, they would have arrived in New York by mid-November. Indeed, Martha Freelan (53, wife), Martha A. (18, spinster), Carolina (11), Gustav (9) and Othela (5) – all from Sweden – arrived at the port of New York aboard the City of Bristol on November 17, 1872.
Next, transatlantic steamship companies were aligned with these three ships in order to cross-check information provided by the Emigranten CD. They proved perfect matches. The England was a ship of the National Line (or National Steam Navigation Company) fleet, founded in Liverpool in 1863. Recall that Carl Fridland used B.B. Peterson, a National Line agent, when he bought the fares for Lovisa and "Carolina" – or Lena Maria. However, he employed John Odell, an Inman Line agent, for the rest of his family's tickets. Indeed, the City of New York and the City of Bristol were ships of the Inman Line, founded in 1850 as the Liverpool & Philadelphia Steamship Company. Finally, Mildred Peterson's 1924 writing assignment verifies that we have the correct order of immigration – and the ships that brought our Fridland family to America in 1872.
When our ancestors arrived in the United States, immigrants at the port of New York were processed at Castle Garden. Known today as Castle Clinton National Monument, the building is a major landmark within The Battery, a 23-acre waterfront park at the southwest tip of Manhattan. From 1855 through 1890, Castle Garden was America's first official immigration center. It served its purpose until April 18, 1890, when it was replaced by the Barge Office. Then, on January 1, 1892, the widely famous Ellis Island facility took the place of the Barge Office.
Soon after arriving at New York City, the Fridlands hopped a train and traveled westward across the state into Chautauqua County. Their destination was the bustling village of Jamestown, home to hundreds of Swedish immigrants. Cal Peterson's family stories remind us that his mother, Lena Maria Fridland –called Mary Helen in America – and her sister worked at first in America to earn enough money to help bring the family over. Cal often said that his mother spoke "beautiful, perfect" English, because she had worked as a maid or nanny for an "English family" in Jamestown, and that this family helped Mary with her English while she lived with them.
Census records verify Cal's "nanny" stories. As of the 1875 New York State Census for Chautauqua County, Mary and her two older sisters, Regina Lovisa and Martha Augusta, all worked as domestic servants in the township of Ellicott, which contains the village of Jamestown. Her name written Maria Freedland, the 16-year-old worked in the home of a wealthy New Hampshire-born hotel keeper, Henry Whittemore, his wife, Shuah, and their three children. Twenty-one-year-old Regina Lovisa, spelled Louise Freeland, toiled in the household of a grocery dealer, Benjamin F. Lownsberry. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Augusta Freglund served in the residence of a jeweler, Frederick A. Fuller. But where were Carl and Martha and their youngsters, Carolina, Gustaf, and Otilia? They, too, most likely lived in Ellicott after their arrival in America in 1873.
Carl and Martha Fridland remained for only a few years in the Ellicott/Jamestown area. The prospect of owning fertile land in Minnesota – whose climate and terrain reminded so many of Sweden – proved irresistible. On October 23, 1876, a year before leaving Chautauqua County, Carl filed "first papers" for American citizenship. Without filing, an immigrant couldn't qualify for homestead property ownership. Carl, Martha, and the two youngest children, Gustaf and Otilia, then packed their belongings and climbed aboard a steam engine train that delivered them to the small city of Fergus Falls in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
The Fridlands quickly settled in the township of Elizabeth, immediately north of Fergus Falls, most likely in the springtime of 1877. Carl quickly began building a house on the property and finished the project by mid-June of that year.
Carl appeared at the Fergus Falls Land Office on June 15, 1877, paid two dollars, and declared intention to homestead a 25-acre parcel at Elizabeth Township. On November 26, 1879, he paid $6.25 and entered homestead application No. 5904 for Lot 2, in the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 26.
By the time of the 1880 census, 55-year-old farmer "Charles" Fridland lived in Elizabeth, with his 60-year-old wife, Martha, and two of their children, "Gustave," fourteen, and "Othella," twelve.
Carl Fridland became a proud American citizen on November 28, 1884, at the 7th District Courthouse in Fergus Falls. His neighbor and son-in-law, Charles W. Peterson, testified on his behalf.
Returning to Fergus Falls to prove his claim in 1885, Carl testified he was "age 61 years" and "I am naturalized." He stated that his house was "built June 18, 1877," and that he "made settlement and established residence about June 18, 1877." He described the dwelling as a "log house, 16 X 20 – 3 doors, 5 windows, 2 floors, shingle roof, log stable 18 X 22, improvements worth at least $300." He wrote, "my self, wife, and 2 children have resided continuously since June 1877, married." Of the 25 acres, he had cultivated "15 acres, raised 6 (seasons of) crops." At last, on May 9, 1885, Carl was granted ownership of his homestead, which bordered the northern shore of tiny Lake Helen.
The Fridlands were early members of the Swedish Lutheran Church of Elizabeth. Known today as the Augustana Lutheran Church, it was constructed in August 1877, soon after Carl had established his farm. Its parish records confirm that Gustaf Fridland was born in Jönköping, and that he had arrived in America in 1873 – a date close to the actual one, but off by one year.
Martha Fridland died Tuesday, September 11, 1888. Her death was due to asthma, according to a brief notice appearing in the Fergus Falls Journal. However, Martha's death certificate and county death records provide conflicting information. The Elizabeth death record states that Martha Fridland died September 11, because of an intestinal obstruction. Strangely, death records of Friberg – a township adjacent to Elizabeth – indicate that a "Mrs. Freeland" died September 11, 1888, of some sort of gastric inflammation. It seems apparent that intestinal difficulties caused her passing. Martha Magnusdotter Fridland was 67.
On November 13, 1893, Carl mortgaged his farm to borrow $200 from August Nygren. The loan, at 8% per year interest and payable November 13, 1896, likely helped him finance the purchase of property immediately west of his homestead. Lot 5 totaled 39.70 acres and comprised the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 27 at Elizabeth. Owned by the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway Company, its $397 sale to him was completed September 30, 1895. After Carl's death, the land was transferred to his son, Gustaf. The two farms today lie on both sides of County Highway 27, and are depicted in the 1902 Elizabeth Township plat map.
In gradually declining health, the widower Carl Fridland spent his remaining years at Elizabeth, until "dropsy" claimed him on May 18, 1900, at age 75. Dropsy is an old-fashioned medical term and involves water retention and edema due to heart or kidney disease. An old newspaper advertisement described the disorder this way: "At first no disease is apparently more harmless than dropsy: A little swelling of the eyelids, hands, feet, ankles or abdomen. Finally, great shortness of breath, cough, fainting spells, sometimes nausea and vomiting, and a lingering and wretched death."
Carl's funeral was held in the Swedish Lutheran Church at Elizabeth. Today this church is the Augustana Lutheran Chruch. He is buried in the church cemetery next to his beloved wife, Martha. A large marble headstone, marked Fridland, designates the location of the graves of Gustaf and his wife, Josephine Wickstrom Fridland. However, the grave markers of Carl and Martha Fridland, our immigrant ancestors, have been lost to time.
Carl's obituary appeared in the Fergus Falls Journal, on May 23, 1900:
Elizabeth ~
"C.J. [sic] Fridland, one of our most respected citizens, died from heart failure last Friday. He had been seriously ill for about three months and his physician had given up all hopes of recovery for some time. He came to Minnesota from Jamestown, N.Y., in 1873 and settled on the farm where he died. Although never in robust health, he was very industrious and at times went beyond his strength, which no doubt hastened his end. He was about 76 years of age and leaves a family of five grown children. His wife died ten years ago. The funeral was held Sunday in the Swedish Lutheran church. The relatives of the deceased wish to express their gratitude to the neighbors for the many kind favors shown during his long illness."
Family members wrote a "thank-you" note in the Fergus Falls Journal to friends and neighbors:
Card of Thanks
"We desire to extend our sincere thanks to the many kind friends who assisted us during the long illness of our beloved father and grandfather.
Mr. and Mrs. Gust Fridland
Otildah Fridland
Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Peterson and Family
[From "The History of Carl Gustaf Nilsson (Carl G. Fridland)" by Jan Mongoven in 2012.]
Carl Gustaf Nilsson Fridland was the only child of soldat Nils Brink and Lovisa Ericsdotter. He was born August 3, 1824, in a soldier's cottage on the cavalry farm at Brinkelids rote in Ǻsheda parish, Kronobergs län, Småland. Although he spent the bulk of his childhood on the farmstead where he was born, Carl began to look elsewhere as he reached his mid-teens. In 1840, the sixteen-year-old moved to Yexagård, another farm at Åsheda. He returned home a year later, but then bounced back and forth for a few years between his parents' cottage and another dwelling on Brinkelid.
In the midst of Åsheda's 1841-1846 husförhörslängd (household examination...a census of sorts), Carl approached his 20th birthday. He was listed as försvarslös, meaning that he was a vagrant and without a legal guardian. Carl had entered a critical period – during this time he became his own man and made his own way. Various household examinations allow us to piece together the path he took next. Carl left Åsheda in 1845, traveling a bit north to Lemnhult parish in Jönköpings län. The young bachelor stayed there until 1847, but then migrated a short distance northeast to Stenberga, where he found work as one of the tjenstefolk (servants) at Lundås farm. For a time there, he was known by his full name, dräng Carl Gustaf Nilsson Brink. Then, having reached adulthood, he became a soldier in the same infantry regiment as his father had joined – the Calmar Kungliga Regemente (Kalmar Royal Regiment). In doing so, he received a soldier's name, Carl Gustaf Fridland, and he began service as Soldat No. 90 within his outfit. Frid, means "peace," or "tranquility," so his new name meant something like "peace land." In 1847, the young soldier moved several kilometers south, arriving at Näshult parish in Jönköpings län.
Näshult's 1847 Immigration Record (Inflyttade) cited the arrival of the 23-year-old soldat, Carl Gustaf Fridland, from Lundås farm. Near the bottom of the same page was the name of a maid from Åsheda. Both, it seems, were bound for a farm at Fogelkulla. The young woman was the 27-year-old piga, Martha Magnusdotter – see The History of Martha Magnusdotter Fridland. She was one of the daughters of Magnus Persson and Maria Jonasdotter of Åsheda. Before moving to Näshult, Martha followed her eldest sister to the large farmstead at Uggsgård in Åsheda, where she found employment as a servant. Uggsgård was near Yexagård – the farm upon which dräng Carl Gustaf Nilsson had worked for a time. It is possible that Carl met Martha during the time that they worked near one another, but on their respective farmsteads. They pair fell in love and, after a couple of years, decided to leave their birthplace for nearby Näshult.
Soon after arriving in Näshult, Carl and Martha returned to Åsheda to be married. The ceremony occurred on Saturday, November 13, 1847. The pair went back to Näshult immediately, where they awaited the birth of their first baby, a girl named Josephina, born August 8, 1848, at Fogelkulla farm. Daughter Sophia followed, in September of 1850. In 1853, the small family was joined by Martha's youngest sister, Sophia Magnusdotter, and they moved a few kilometers west to a farm at Trädan Södra, on Holma rote in Lemnhult parish, near the border between Kronobergs and Jönköpings län.
Once established in Lemnhult, Carl became Soldat No. 123. He and Martha had eight children: Josephina, Sophia (both girls died young), Regina Lovisa, Augusta Martha, Lena Maria (known later as Mary Helen, she married Charles W. Peterson), Carolina, Gustaf, and Otilia.
The 1850s proved especially difficult for the Fridlands, as they lost two of their beautiful children. Their eldest child, Josephina, died of a stomach ailment on May 17, 1856, just three months shy of her eighth birthday. In 1858, they moved from Trädan Södra to the soldat torpet at Simmetorp, on Borshult Sjöholm rote; however, more tragedy awaited them. Eight-year-old Sophia caught fever and passed away on February 8, 1859. Despite their losses, our family endured, and Carl and Martha raised their children in the soldier's cottage, during the nearly ten years that passed after Sophia's death.
Historians refer to various "push" and "pull" factors, when discussing reasons for emigration. The factors that pushed Swedes toward the United States during the 1800s were mostly economic. Crop failures and famine swept Sweden between 1866 and 1868, precipitating the emigration of some 120,000 Swedes. Poor harvests – especially in Småland province, with its unforgiving rocky soil – caused tremendous hardship. The population had exploded by the mid-1800s, primarily due to "the peace, the (smallpox) vaccinations, and the potatoes." These factors conspired to produce many severely overcrowded farmsteads. A growing number of Swedes counted themselves as landless, poor, and restless. But forces also pulled them toward the United States. Thanks to the Homestead Act of 1862, acre upon acre of dirt-cheap land was available in America to any folks adventurous and hearty enough to travel west.
Emigranten CD passenger lists were compiled from the emigrant police records kept at Göteborg. They indicate that the Fridland family left Sweden in three factions, departing from the bustling western port during a six-month period in 1872. The list confirms that our family hailed from Lemnhult, of the Vetlanda kommun (municipality), in Jönköpings län. They cited Jamestown, New York as their American destination. Their choice made very good sense. According to Norman Carlson, a well-respected historian at the Fenton Historical Center in Jamestown, nearly 90% of Chautauqua County's Swedish immigrants arrived from the Småland region. The Fridlands, like most immigrants, found great comfort living among people who shared a common dialect, customs, and history.
What would their ocean journey from Sweden to America have been like? Steamship voyages from Sweden to the United States in the 1870s were split into two segments: a North Sea crossing from Göteborg to the British Isles, followed by an Atlantic crossing to New York City. The entire trip spanned a little over two weeks – quite an improvement over the two-month odyssey of the old, sailing ship days! Swedish emigrants first traveled by steamer from Göteborg to the port city of Hull, on the English east coast. The Wilson Line built two steamships – the Rollo and Orlando – specifically for the transport of Swedish passengers between Göteborg and Hull. The Police Chamber of Göteborg's records confirm that these are the ships that ferried the Fridlands on the first segment of their journey to America.
The following names are spelled as they were transcribed on the Emigranten CD ship passenger lists: Lovisa Fridland (19) and Caroline Fridland (11; anm(ärking) – notation: M.L. Fridland) left Göteborg aboard the Orlando, on April 26, 1872. Their agent, B.B. Peterson, was employed by the National Line from 1868-1878.
Carl Fridland (48) left Göteborg on July 19, 1872, also departing on the Orlando [photo on page 59]. However, Carl's agent, John Odell, worked from 1871-1890 for the Inman Line. For some reason, Carl had chosen a different travel company for his own passage – as well as for the final Fridland emigration group.
Finally, Martu Friland (53) left Göteborg on November 1, 1872, with Marta Friland (17), Carolina Friland (11), Gustav Friland (9), and Othelia Friland (5), all in tow. They traveled aboard the Rollo, and their agent was John Odell of the Inman Line.
Six children were listed in the Emigranten record, leaving us with two questions: Where was little Lena Maria – Mary Helen? No family would leave a 13-year-old behind. And why were two Carolina's listed? Clearly, one of these was Lena Maria, but which one? A 1924 high school writing assignment by her granddaughter, Matilda Peterson, verifies that she was the "M.L. Fridland" in the first group with her sister, (Regina) Lovisa. "M.L." clearly stands for "Maria Lena."
Lemnhult parish records further complicate the story, since the husförhörslängd provides the following dates: Regina Lovisa and Carolina Fridland left the parish for N. Amerika on April 22, 1872. Lena Maria left one week later on the 29th of April; however, this date is highly questionable, since the Orlando had departed Göteborg on the 26th of April. Thirteen-year-old Lena Maria never would have left the parish alone, especially with the ship already launched. Oddly, Carolina's name was returned to the Fridland's household record on the 29th of April – but spelled Karolina this time, and in a different minister's handwriting. The record indicates that Carl Fridland left the parish on October 28, 1872. This date makes little sense, because Göteborg police records show that he had departed the port city for North America on July 19, 1872. Ditto marks were given for Martha Magnusdotter, so the October 28 date written next to Carl's name might also have been meant for her. The remaining children, Martha Augusta, Gustaf Algot, and Karolina, also left the parish on October 28, 1872. Yet the minister recorded no date for the youngest child, five-year-old Otilia Sophia. The dates for mother and the remaining children seem correct, as police records show they all departed Göteborg's port on November 1, 1872.
To recap: Lovisa (19) and Carolina (M.L. Fridland, 11) left Göteborg on April 26, 1872. Carl (48) left on July 19, 1872. Martha (53) and the remaining children, Martha (17), Carolina (11), Gustaf (9), and Otilia (5) all departed Göteborg on November 1, 1872. Where was Lena Maria? With her oldest sister, Lovisa, as Matilda's assignment verifies. But why were two Carolina Fridlands listed on Göteborg's emigration police records?
What follows is hypothetical and debatable – yet it is also very plausible: Perhaps Carl was cash-strapped and, in order to save fare on the long passage, took three daughters to Göteborg in April 1872. National Line rates circa 1872 can be found online. Children under 12 were "half price." Carl could have substituted the nearly 11-year-old Carolina for his 13-year-old, Lena Maria, when he purchased the tickets. Lena Maria could travel more cheaply as young "Carolina" on her voyage across the Atlantic. The "real" Carolina could then return to Lemnhult – as was noted in the parish record – with her father. Carl left the parish in July, though it wasn't recorded that way in the husförhörslängd. Finally, Martha Fridland and the rest of the children, Martha, Gustaf, Carolina, and Otilia, all followed Carl to America, leaving Lemnhult parish on October 28, 1972, and the port of Göteborg on November 1, 1872.
Such a story may seem unbelievable, given the Swedish virtues of hard work, thrift, and honesty; however, it wouldn't have been too unusual for the times. The following was written in SwegGGate, a genealogical website: "Generally speaking there are many errors [in the Emigranten CD]. The sources of the information on the CD are the (emigration) passenger lists. The info could have been read from a flyttningsbevis or given verbally by the traveler. A word of caution is required since the correctness may vary. Many travelers spoke a different dialect and spelling may be wrong – one cannot expect the registrar to know all the thousands of parish names and many travelers could not write. Some may even have lied about the age of their children to get a cheaper fare [boldface print is mine]. Several errors may have occurred in the transcription process, too." One also wonders why Carl used a different agent (B.B. Peterson of the National Line) for the first Fridland group than he did for the second and third waves (John Odell of the Inman Line). This, too, lends some support to the "switched-identity" hypothesis.
What ships transported our Fridland ancestors to America? Passenger lists, available online, were used to find the vessels upon which they arrived at the Port of New York. Larger steamships, vis-à-vis smaller sailing ships, had cut down the time it took to cross the Atlantic to about two weeks. Lovisa and "Carolina" – our Lena Maria – left Göteborg on April 26, 1872, so they would have arrived at New York around mid-May. The online handwritten lists were scoured, until two names appeared aboard the England, which arrived at New York on May 18, 1872: sisters Lovisa (19) and Caroline (11) Jeraland (an obvious spelling error) from Switzerland. Switzerland? Many mistakes are evident on this list, as surnames such as Johanson and Magnuson were written near the girls' names and were also recorded as Swiss citizens – these names are obviously Swedish.
Carl Fridland departed Göteborg on July 19, so he would have arrived in New York in early August. His name was located aboard the City of New York, which arrived in port on August 6, 1872. Soldat Carl Fridland was listed as Chris Fridland (48), Sweden, "miner." Passenger lists are notorious for errors in the spellings of names and for giving incorrect occupations – miner was one of the more common mistakes.
Since Martha and the rest of the children left Göteborg on November 1, 1872, they would have arrived in New York by mid-November. Indeed, Martha Freelan (53, wife), Martha A. (18, spinster), Carolina (11), Gustav (9) and Othela (5) – all from Sweden – arrived at the port of New York aboard the City of Bristol on November 17, 1872.
Next, transatlantic steamship companies were aligned with these three ships in order to cross-check information provided by the Emigranten CD. They proved perfect matches. The England was a ship of the National Line (or National Steam Navigation Company) fleet, founded in Liverpool in 1863. Recall that Carl Fridland used B.B. Peterson, a National Line agent, when he bought the fares for Lovisa and "Carolina" – or Lena Maria. However, he employed John Odell, an Inman Line agent, for the rest of his family's tickets. Indeed, the City of New York and the City of Bristol were ships of the Inman Line, founded in 1850 as the Liverpool & Philadelphia Steamship Company. Finally, Mildred Peterson's 1924 writing assignment verifies that we have the correct order of immigration – and the ships that brought our Fridland family to America in 1872.
When our ancestors arrived in the United States, immigrants at the port of New York were processed at Castle Garden. Known today as Castle Clinton National Monument, the building is a major landmark within The Battery, a 23-acre waterfront park at the southwest tip of Manhattan. From 1855 through 1890, Castle Garden was America's first official immigration center. It served its purpose until April 18, 1890, when it was replaced by the Barge Office. Then, on January 1, 1892, the widely famous Ellis Island facility took the place of the Barge Office.
Soon after arriving at New York City, the Fridlands hopped a train and traveled westward across the state into Chautauqua County. Their destination was the bustling village of Jamestown, home to hundreds of Swedish immigrants. Cal Peterson's family stories remind us that his mother, Lena Maria Fridland –called Mary Helen in America – and her sister worked at first in America to earn enough money to help bring the family over. Cal often said that his mother spoke "beautiful, perfect" English, because she had worked as a maid or nanny for an "English family" in Jamestown, and that this family helped Mary with her English while she lived with them.
Census records verify Cal's "nanny" stories. As of the 1875 New York State Census for Chautauqua County, Mary and her two older sisters, Regina Lovisa and Martha Augusta, all worked as domestic servants in the township of Ellicott, which contains the village of Jamestown. Her name written Maria Freedland, the 16-year-old worked in the home of a wealthy New Hampshire-born hotel keeper, Henry Whittemore, his wife, Shuah, and their three children. Twenty-one-year-old Regina Lovisa, spelled Louise Freeland, toiled in the household of a grocery dealer, Benjamin F. Lownsberry. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Augusta Freglund served in the residence of a jeweler, Frederick A. Fuller. But where were Carl and Martha and their youngsters, Carolina, Gustaf, and Otilia? They, too, most likely lived in Ellicott after their arrival in America in 1873.
Carl and Martha Fridland remained for only a few years in the Ellicott/Jamestown area. The prospect of owning fertile land in Minnesota – whose climate and terrain reminded so many of Sweden – proved irresistible. On October 23, 1876, a year before leaving Chautauqua County, Carl filed "first papers" for American citizenship. Without filing, an immigrant couldn't qualify for homestead property ownership. Carl, Martha, and the two youngest children, Gustaf and Otilia, then packed their belongings and climbed aboard a steam engine train that delivered them to the small city of Fergus Falls in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
The Fridlands quickly settled in the township of Elizabeth, immediately north of Fergus Falls, most likely in the springtime of 1877. Carl quickly began building a house on the property and finished the project by mid-June of that year.
Carl appeared at the Fergus Falls Land Office on June 15, 1877, paid two dollars, and declared intention to homestead a 25-acre parcel at Elizabeth Township. On November 26, 1879, he paid $6.25 and entered homestead application No. 5904 for Lot 2, in the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 26.
By the time of the 1880 census, 55-year-old farmer "Charles" Fridland lived in Elizabeth, with his 60-year-old wife, Martha, and two of their children, "Gustave," fourteen, and "Othella," twelve.
Carl Fridland became a proud American citizen on November 28, 1884, at the 7th District Courthouse in Fergus Falls. His neighbor and son-in-law, Charles W. Peterson, testified on his behalf.
Returning to Fergus Falls to prove his claim in 1885, Carl testified he was "age 61 years" and "I am naturalized." He stated that his house was "built June 18, 1877," and that he "made settlement and established residence about June 18, 1877." He described the dwelling as a "log house, 16 X 20 – 3 doors, 5 windows, 2 floors, shingle roof, log stable 18 X 22, improvements worth at least $300." He wrote, "my self, wife, and 2 children have resided continuously since June 1877, married." Of the 25 acres, he had cultivated "15 acres, raised 6 (seasons of) crops." At last, on May 9, 1885, Carl was granted ownership of his homestead, which bordered the northern shore of tiny Lake Helen.
The Fridlands were early members of the Swedish Lutheran Church of Elizabeth. Known today as the Augustana Lutheran Church, it was constructed in August 1877, soon after Carl had established his farm. Its parish records confirm that Gustaf Fridland was born in Jönköping, and that he had arrived in America in 1873 – a date close to the actual one, but off by one year.
Martha Fridland died Tuesday, September 11, 1888. Her death was due to asthma, according to a brief notice appearing in the Fergus Falls Journal. However, Martha's death certificate and county death records provide conflicting information. The Elizabeth death record states that Martha Fridland died September 11, because of an intestinal obstruction. Strangely, death records of Friberg – a township adjacent to Elizabeth – indicate that a "Mrs. Freeland" died September 11, 1888, of some sort of gastric inflammation. It seems apparent that intestinal difficulties caused her passing. Martha Magnusdotter Fridland was 67.
On November 13, 1893, Carl mortgaged his farm to borrow $200 from August Nygren. The loan, at 8% per year interest and payable November 13, 1896, likely helped him finance the purchase of property immediately west of his homestead. Lot 5 totaled 39.70 acres and comprised the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 27 at Elizabeth. Owned by the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway Company, its $397 sale to him was completed September 30, 1895. After Carl's death, the land was transferred to his son, Gustaf. The two farms today lie on both sides of County Highway 27, and are depicted in the 1902 Elizabeth Township plat map.
In gradually declining health, the widower Carl Fridland spent his remaining years at Elizabeth, until "dropsy" claimed him on May 18, 1900, at age 75. Dropsy is an old-fashioned medical term and involves water retention and edema due to heart or kidney disease. An old newspaper advertisement described the disorder this way: "At first no disease is apparently more harmless than dropsy: A little swelling of the eyelids, hands, feet, ankles or abdomen. Finally, great shortness of breath, cough, fainting spells, sometimes nausea and vomiting, and a lingering and wretched death."
Carl's funeral was held in the Swedish Lutheran Church at Elizabeth. Today this church is the Augustana Lutheran Chruch. He is buried in the church cemetery next to his beloved wife, Martha. A large marble headstone, marked Fridland, designates the location of the graves of Gustaf and his wife, Josephine Wickstrom Fridland. However, the grave markers of Carl and Martha Fridland, our immigrant ancestors, have been lost to time.
Carl's obituary appeared in the Fergus Falls Journal, on May 23, 1900:
Elizabeth ~
"C.J. [sic] Fridland, one of our most respected citizens, died from heart failure last Friday. He had been seriously ill for about three months and his physician had given up all hopes of recovery for some time. He came to Minnesota from Jamestown, N.Y., in 1873 and settled on the farm where he died. Although never in robust health, he was very industrious and at times went beyond his strength, which no doubt hastened his end. He was about 76 years of age and leaves a family of five grown children. His wife died ten years ago. The funeral was held Sunday in the Swedish Lutheran church. The relatives of the deceased wish to express their gratitude to the neighbors for the many kind favors shown during his long illness."
Family members wrote a "thank-you" note in the Fergus Falls Journal to friends and neighbors:
Card of Thanks
"We desire to extend our sincere thanks to the many kind friends who assisted us during the long illness of our beloved father and grandfather.
Mr. and Mrs. Gust Fridland
Otildah Fridland
Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Peterson and Family
Carl Gustaf Nilsson Fridland was the only child of soldat Nils Brink and Lovisa Ericsdotter. He was born August 3, 1824, in a soldier's cottage on the cavalry farm at Brinkelids rote in Ǻsheda parish, Kronobergs län, Småland. Although he spent the bulk of his childhood on the farmstead where he was born, Carl began to look elsewhere as he reached his mid-teens. In 1840, the sixteen-year-old moved to Yexagård, another farm at Åsheda. He returned home a year later, but then bounced back and forth for a few years between his parents' cottage and another dwelling on Brinkelid.
In the midst of Åsheda's 1841-1846 husförhörslängd (household examination...a census of sorts), Carl approached his 20th birthday. He was listed as försvarslös, meaning that he was a vagrant and without a legal guardian. Carl had entered a critical period – during this time he became his own man and made his own way. Various household examinations allow us to piece together the path he took next. Carl left Åsheda in 1845, traveling a bit north to Lemnhult parish in Jönköpings län. The young bachelor stayed there until 1847, but then migrated a short distance northeast to Stenberga, where he found work as one of the tjenstefolk (servants) at Lundås farm. For a time there, he was known by his full name, dräng Carl Gustaf Nilsson Brink. Then, having reached adulthood, he became a soldier in the same infantry regiment as his father had joined – the Calmar Kungliga Regemente (Kalmar Royal Regiment). In doing so, he received a soldier's name, Carl Gustaf Fridland, and he began service as Soldat No. 90 within his outfit. Frid, means "peace," or "tranquility," so his new name meant something like "peace land." In 1847, the young soldier moved several kilometers south, arriving at Näshult parish in Jönköpings län.
Näshult's 1847 Immigration Record (Inflyttade) cited the arrival of the 23-year-old soldat, Carl Gustaf Fridland, from Lundås farm. Near the bottom of the same page was the name of a maid from Åsheda. Both, it seems, were bound for a farm at Fogelkulla. The young woman was the 27-year-old piga, Martha Magnusdotter – see The History of Martha Magnusdotter Fridland. She was one of the daughters of Magnus Persson and Maria Jonasdotter of Åsheda. Before moving to Näshult, Martha followed her eldest sister to the large farmstead at Uggsgård in Åsheda, where she found employment as a servant. Uggsgård was near Yexagård – the farm upon which dräng Carl Gustaf Nilsson had worked for a time. It is possible that Carl met Martha during the time that they worked near one another, but on their respective farmsteads. They pair fell in love and, after a couple of years, decided to leave their birthplace for nearby Näshult.
Soon after arriving in Näshult, Carl and Martha returned to Åsheda to be married. The ceremony occurred on Saturday, November 13, 1847. The pair went back to Näshult immediately, where they awaited the birth of their first baby, a girl named Josephina, born August 8, 1848, at Fogelkulla farm. Daughter Sophia followed, in September of 1850. In 1853, the small family was joined by Martha's youngest sister, Sophia Magnusdotter, and they moved a few kilometers west to a farm at Trädan Södra, on Holma rote in Lemnhult parish, near the border between Kronobergs and Jönköpings län.
Once established in Lemnhult, Carl became Soldat No. 123. He and Martha had eight children: Josephina, Sophia (both girls died young), Regina Lovisa, Augusta Martha, Lena Maria (known later as Mary Helen, she married Charles W. Peterson), Carolina, Gustaf, and Otilia.
The 1850s proved especially difficult for the Fridlands, as they lost two of their beautiful children. Their eldest child, Josephina, died of a stomach ailment on May 17, 1856, just three months shy of her eighth birthday. In 1858, they moved from Trädan Södra to the soldat torpet at Simmetorp, on Borshult Sjöholm rote; however, more tragedy awaited them. Eight-year-old Sophia caught fever and passed away on February 8, 1859. Despite their losses, our family endured, and Carl and Martha raised their children in the soldier's cottage, during the nearly ten years that passed after Sophia's death.
Historians refer to various "push" and "pull" factors, when discussing reasons for emigration. The factors that pushed Swedes toward the United States during the 1800s were mostly economic. Crop failures and famine swept Sweden between 1866 and 1868, precipitating the emigration of some 120,000 Swedes. Poor harvests – especially in Småland province, with its unforgiving rocky soil – caused tremendous hardship. The population had exploded by the mid-1800s, primarily due to "the peace, the (smallpox) vaccinations, and the potatoes." These factors conspired to produce many severely overcrowded farmsteads. A growing number of Swedes counted themselves as landless, poor, and restless. But forces also pulled them toward the United States. Thanks to the Homestead Act of 1862, acre upon acre of dirt-cheap land was available in America to any folks adventurous and hearty enough to travel west.
Emigranten CD passenger lists were compiled from the emigrant police records kept at Göteborg. They indicate that the Fridland family left Sweden in three factions, departing from the bustling western port during a six-month period in 1872. The list confirms that our family hailed from Lemnhult, of the Vetlanda kommun (municipality), in Jönköpings län. They cited Jamestown, New York as their American destination. Their choice made very good sense. According to Norman Carlson, a well-respected historian at the Fenton Historical Center in Jamestown, nearly 90% of Chautauqua County's Swedish immigrants arrived from the Småland region. The Fridlands, like most immigrants, found great comfort living among people who shared a common dialect, customs, and history.
What would their ocean journey from Sweden to America have been like? Steamship voyages from Sweden to the United States in the 1870s were split into two segments: a North Sea crossing from Göteborg to the British Isles, followed by an Atlantic crossing to New York City. The entire trip spanned a little over two weeks – quite an improvement over the two-month odyssey of the old, sailing ship days! Swedish emigrants first traveled by steamer from Göteborg to the port city of Hull, on the English east coast. The Wilson Line built two steamships – the Rollo and Orlando – specifically for the transport of Swedish passengers between Göteborg and Hull. The Police Chamber of Göteborg's records confirm that these are the ships that ferried the Fridlands on the first segment of their journey to America.
The following names are spelled as they were transcribed on the Emigranten CD ship passenger lists: Lovisa Fridland (19) and Caroline Fridland (11; anm(ärking) – notation: M.L. Fridland) left Göteborg aboard the Orlando, on April 26, 1872. Their agent, B.B. Peterson, was employed by the National Line from 1868-1878.
Carl Fridland (48) left Göteborg on July 19, 1872, also departing on the Orlando [photo on page 59]. However, Carl's agent, John Odell, worked from 1871-1890 for the Inman Line. For some reason, Carl had chosen a different travel company for his own passage – as well as for the final Fridland emigration group.
Finally, Martu Friland (53) left Göteborg on November 1, 1872, with Marta Friland (17), Carolina Friland (11), Gustav Friland (9), and Othelia Friland (5), all in tow. They traveled aboard the Rollo, and their agent was John Odell of the Inman Line.
Six children were listed in the Emigranten record, leaving us with two questions: Where was little Lena Maria – Mary Helen? No family would leave a 13-year-old behind. And why were two Carolina's listed? Clearly, one of these was Lena Maria, but which one? A 1924 high school writing assignment by her granddaughter, Matilda Peterson, verifies that she was the "M.L. Fridland" in the first group with her sister, (Regina) Lovisa. "M.L." clearly stands for "Maria Lena."
Lemnhult parish records further complicate the story, since the husförhörslängd provides the following dates: Regina Lovisa and Carolina Fridland left the parish for N. Amerika on April 22, 1872. Lena Maria left one week later on the 29th of April; however, this date is highly questionable, since the Orlando had departed Göteborg on the 26th of April. Thirteen-year-old Lena Maria never would have left the parish alone, especially with the ship already launched. Oddly, Carolina's name was returned to the Fridland's household record on the 29th of April – but spelled Karolina this time, and in a different minister's handwriting. The record indicates that Carl Fridland left the parish on October 28, 1872. This date makes little sense, because Göteborg police records show that he had departed the port city for North America on July 19, 1872. Ditto marks were given for Martha Magnusdotter, so the October 28 date written next to Carl's name might also have been meant for her. The remaining children, Martha Augusta, Gustaf Algot, and Karolina, also left the parish on October 28, 1872. Yet the minister recorded no date for the youngest child, five-year-old Otilia Sophia. The dates for mother and the remaining children seem correct, as police records show they all departed Göteborg's port on November 1, 1872.
To recap: Lovisa (19) and Carolina (M.L. Fridland, 11) left Göteborg on April 26, 1872. Carl (48) left on July 19, 1872. Martha (53) and the remaining children, Martha (17), Carolina (11), Gustaf (9), and Otilia (5) all departed Göteborg on November 1, 1872. Where was Lena Maria? With her oldest sister, Lovisa, as Matilda's assignment verifies. But why were two Carolina Fridlands listed on Göteborg's emigration police records?
What follows is hypothetical and debatable – yet it is also very plausible: Perhaps Carl was cash-strapped and, in order to save fare on the long passage, took three daughters to Göteborg in April 1872. National Line rates circa 1872 can be found online. Children under 12 were "half price." Carl could have substituted the nearly 11-year-old Carolina for his 13-year-old, Lena Maria, when he purchased the tickets. Lena Maria could travel more cheaply as young "Carolina" on her voyage across the Atlantic. The "real" Carolina could then return to Lemnhult – as was noted in the parish record – with her father. Carl left the parish in July, though it wasn't recorded that way in the husförhörslängd. Finally, Martha Fridland and the rest of the children, Martha, Gustaf, Carolina, and Otilia, all followed Carl to America, leaving Lemnhult parish on October 28, 1972, and the port of Göteborg on November 1, 1872.
Such a story may seem unbelievable, given the Swedish virtues of hard work, thrift, and honesty; however, it wouldn't have been too unusual for the times. The following was written in SwegGGate, a genealogical website: "Generally speaking there are many errors [in the Emigranten CD]. The sources of the information on the CD are the (emigration) passenger lists. The info could have been read from a flyttningsbevis or given verbally by the traveler. A word of caution is required since the correctness may vary. Many travelers spoke a different dialect and spelling may be wrong – one cannot expect the registrar to know all the thousands of parish names and many travelers could not write. Some may even have lied about the age of their children to get a cheaper fare [boldface print is mine]. Several errors may have occurred in the transcription process, too." One also wonders why Carl used a different agent (B.B. Peterson of the National Line) for the first Fridland group than he did for the second and third waves (John Odell of the Inman Line). This, too, lends some support to the "switched-identity" hypothesis.
What ships transported our Fridland ancestors to America? Passenger lists, available online, were used to find the vessels upon which they arrived at the Port of New York. Larger steamships, vis-à-vis smaller sailing ships, had cut down the time it took to cross the Atlantic to about two weeks. Lovisa and "Carolina" – our Lena Maria – left Göteborg on April 26, 1872, so they would have arrived at New York around mid-May. The online handwritten lists were scoured, until two names appeared aboard the England, which arrived at New York on May 18, 1872: sisters Lovisa (19) and Caroline (11) Jeraland (an obvious spelling error) from Switzerland. Switzerland? Many mistakes are evident on this list, as surnames such as Johanson and Magnuson were written near the girls' names and were also recorded as Swiss citizens – these names are obviously Swedish.
Carl Fridland departed Göteborg on July 19, so he would have arrived in New York in early August. His name was located aboard the City of New York, which arrived in port on August 6, 1872. Soldat Carl Fridland was listed as Chris Fridland (48), Sweden, "miner." Passenger lists are notorious for errors in the spellings of names and for giving incorrect occupations – miner was one of the more common mistakes.
Since Martha and the rest of the children left Göteborg on November 1, 1872, they would have arrived in New York by mid-November. Indeed, Martha Freelan (53, wife), Martha A. (18, spinster), Carolina (11), Gustav (9) and Othela (5) – all from Sweden – arrived at the port of New York aboard the City of Bristol on November 17, 1872.
Next, transatlantic steamship companies were aligned with these three ships in order to cross-check information provided by the Emigranten CD. They proved perfect matches. The England was a ship of the National Line (or National Steam Navigation Company) fleet, founded in Liverpool in 1863. Recall that Carl Fridland used B.B. Peterson, a National Line agent, when he bought the fares for Lovisa and "Carolina" – or Lena Maria. However, he employed John Odell, an Inman Line agent, for the rest of his family's tickets. Indeed, the City of New York and the City of Bristol were ships of the Inman Line, founded in 1850 as the Liverpool & Philadelphia Steamship Company. Finally, Mildred Peterson's 1924 writing assignment verifies that we have the correct order of immigration – and the ships that brought our Fridland family to America in 1872.
When our ancestors arrived in the United States, immigrants at the port of New York were processed at Castle Garden. Known today as Castle Clinton National Monument, the building is a major landmark within The Battery, a 23-acre waterfront park at the southwest tip of Manhattan. From 1855 through 1890, Castle Garden was America's first official immigration center. It served its purpose until April 18, 1890, when it was replaced by the Barge Office. Then, on January 1, 1892, the widely famous Ellis Island facility took the place of the Barge Office.
Soon after arriving at New York City, the Fridlands hopped a train and traveled westward across the state into Chautauqua County. Their destination was the bustling village of Jamestown, home to hundreds of Swedish immigrants. Cal Peterson's family stories remind us that his mother, Lena Maria Fridland –called Mary Helen in America – and her sister worked at first in America to earn enough money to help bring the family over. Cal often said that his mother spoke "beautiful, perfect" English, because she had worked as a maid or nanny for an "English family" in Jamestown, and that this family helped Mary with her English while she lived with them.
Census records verify Cal's "nanny" stories. As of the 1875 New York State Census for Chautauqua County, Mary and her two older sisters, Regina Lovisa and Martha Augusta, all worked as domestic servants in the township of Ellicott, which contains the village of Jamestown. Her name written Maria Freedland, the 16-year-old worked in the home of a wealthy New Hampshire-born hotel keeper, Henry Whittemore, his wife, Shuah, and their three children. Twenty-one-year-old Regina Lovisa, spelled Louise Freeland, toiled in the household of a grocery dealer, Benjamin F. Lownsberry. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Augusta Freglund served in the residence of a jeweler, Frederick A. Fuller. But where were Carl and Martha and their youngsters, Carolina, Gustaf, and Otilia? They, too, most likely lived in Ellicott after their arrival in America in 1873.
Carl and Martha Fridland remained for only a few years in the Ellicott/Jamestown area. The prospect of owning fertile land in Minnesota – whose climate and terrain reminded so many of Sweden – proved irresistible. On October 23, 1876, a year before leaving Chautauqua County, Carl filed "first papers" for American citizenship. Without filing, an immigrant couldn't qualify for homestead property ownership. Carl, Martha, and the two youngest children, Gustaf and Otilia, then packed their belongings and climbed aboard a steam engine train that delivered them to the small city of Fergus Falls in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
The Fridlands quickly settled in the township of Elizabeth, immediately north of Fergus Falls, most likely in the springtime of 1877. Carl quickly began building a house on the property and finished the project by mid-June of that year.
Carl appeared at the Fergus Falls Land Office on June 15, 1877, paid two dollars, and declared intention to homestead a 25-acre parcel at Elizabeth Township. On November 26, 1879, he paid $6.25 and entered homestead application No. 5904 for Lot 2, in the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 26.
By the time of the 1880 census, 55-year-old farmer "Charles" Fridland lived in Elizabeth, with his 60-year-old wife, Martha, and two of their children, "Gustave," fourteen, and "Othella," twelve.
Carl Fridland became a proud American citizen on November 28, 1884, at the 7th District Courthouse in Fergus Falls. His neighbor and son-in-law, Charles W. Peterson, testified on his behalf.
Returning to Fergus Falls to prove his claim in 1885, Carl testified he was "age 61 years" and "I am naturalized." He stated that his house was "built June 18, 1877," and that he "made settlement and established residence about June 18, 1877." He described the dwelling as a "log house, 16 X 20 – 3 doors, 5 windows, 2 floors, shingle roof, log stable 18 X 22, improvements worth at least $300." He wrote, "my self, wife, and 2 children have resided continuously since June 1877, married." Of the 25 acres, he had cultivated "15 acres, raised 6 (seasons of) crops." At last, on May 9, 1885, Carl was granted ownership of his homestead, which bordered the northern shore of tiny Lake Helen.
The Fridlands were early members of the Swedish Lutheran Church of Elizabeth. Known today as the Augustana Lutheran Church, it was constructed in August 1877, soon after Carl had established his farm. Its parish records confirm that Gustaf Fridland was born in Jönköping, and that he had arrived in America in 1873 – a date close to the actual one, but off by one year.
Martha Fridland died Tuesday, September 11, 1888. Her death was due to asthma, according to a brief notice appearing in the Fergus Falls Journal. However, Martha's death certificate and county death records provide conflicting information. The Elizabeth death record states that Martha Fridland died September 11, because of an intestinal obstruction. Strangely, death records of Friberg – a township adjacent to Elizabeth – indicate that a "Mrs. Freeland" died September 11, 1888, of some sort of gastric inflammation. It seems apparent that intestinal difficulties caused her passing. Martha Magnusdotter Fridland was 67.
On November 13, 1893, Carl mortgaged his farm to borrow $200 from August Nygren. The loan, at 8% per year interest and payable November 13, 1896, likely helped him finance the purchase of property immediately west of his homestead. Lot 5 totaled 39.70 acres and comprised the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 27 at Elizabeth. Owned by the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway Company, its $397 sale to him was completed September 30, 1895. After Carl's death, the land was transferred to his son, Gustaf. The two farms today lie on both sides of County Highway 27, and are depicted in the 1902 Elizabeth Township plat map.
In gradually declining health, the widower Carl Fridland spent his remaining years at Elizabeth, until "dropsy" claimed him on May 18, 1900, at age 75. Dropsy is an old-fashioned medical term and involves water retention and edema due to heart or kidney disease. An old newspaper advertisement described the disorder this way: "At first no disease is apparently more harmless than dropsy: A little swelling of the eyelids, hands, feet, ankles or abdomen. Finally, great shortness of breath, cough, fainting spells, sometimes nausea and vomiting, and a lingering and wretched death."
Carl's funeral was held in the Swedish Lutheran Church at Elizabeth. Today this church is the Augustana Lutheran Chruch. He is buried in the church cemetery next to his beloved wife, Martha. A large marble headstone, marked Fridland, designates the location of the graves of Gustaf and his wife, Josephine Wickstrom Fridland. However, the grave markers of Carl and Martha Fridland, our immigrant ancestors, have been lost to time.
Carl's obituary appeared in the Fergus Falls Journal, on May 23, 1900:
Elizabeth ~
"C.J. [sic] Fridland, one of our most respected citizens, died from heart failure last Friday. He had been seriously ill for about three months and his physician had given up all hopes of recovery for some time. He came to Minnesota from Jamestown, N.Y., in 1873 and settled on the farm where he died. Although never in robust health, he was very industrious and at times went beyond his strength, which no doubt hastened his end. He was about 76 years of age and leaves a family of five grown children. His wife died ten years ago. The funeral was held Sunday in the Swedish Lutheran church. The relatives of the deceased wish to express their gratitude to the neighbors for the many kind favors shown during his long illness."
Family members wrote a "thank-you" note in the Fergus Falls Journal to friends and neighbors:
Card of Thanks
"We desire to extend our sincere thanks to the many kind friends who assisted us during the long illness of our beloved father and grandfather.
Mr. and Mrs. Gust Fridland
Otildah Fridland
Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Peterson and Family
Family Members
Children
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Josephina Carlsdotter Fridland
1848–1856
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Sophia Carlsdotter Fridland
1850–1859
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Louise Regina Fridland Fray
1853–1929
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Augusta Martha Fridland
1855–1932
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Mary Helen Fridland Peterson
1858–1928
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Carolina Fridland Johnson
1861–1899
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Gustaf Algot Fridland
1865–1953
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Otilia Sophia "Tillie" Fridland Ward
1867–1938
