I've written several times about this church building, home to Lucas County's Swedish Lutheran (now First Lutheran) congregation from the time of its dedication on Oct. 4, 1903, until the latter years of the 20th century, when the congregation moved to a new building in the north part of Chariton. See "Another substantial dose of Lutheran history" for one installment.
Although many of our newer 21st century residents are from Ukraine, 19th century Swedish people remain Lucas County's largest national immigrant group.
These pioneers Swedes seem to have begun arriving about 1868, First Lutheran was organized during 1869 and in 1870 the federal census enumerator found in Lucas County163 men, women and children who had been born in Sweden. By 1880, the peak year, the number born in Sweden had increased to 584.
So I was interested in the following update on Swedish immigration, published in The Chariton Patriot of May 20, 1874.
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It is a well known fact to many of our readers that part of the eastern portion of Lucas county is somewhat rough. And this feature has prevented its settlement to much extent, and the greater part of it was allowed to remain in its primeval condition; while all the more desirable parts were taken up and cultivated. The land is mostly covered with small timber, requiring more labor to improve it, and hence people desirous of making a home sooner moved where there were less impediments to culture.
The land, although of a rough character, is rich and produces crops as large as the prairie soil. There are persons for every place and everything. The Swedes, who had always been accustomed to rough and stony land, here found homes which suited their tastes better than prairie land. The greater part of them have only been in this country six years, and by hard work and economy have nearly all become land owners.
They came here in most instances without any money, having barely enough to pay for their transportation from Sweden to America. For the first two or three years they hire out, and generally save a sum sufficient to purchase a small farm. They are a civil and industrious people, and are good citizens. After five years residence, their farms, buildings, fences and stock will bear a good comparison with other sections that have been settled for twice or three times that period.
We passed through their settlement a few days ago, that six years since was all unoccupied land, and which is now thickly settled, and the whole country is cultivated as a garden. The Swedes learn our language handily, and many already take and read English newspapers, besides the Swedish paper published in Chicago.
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First Lutheran's 1869 organizational meeting took place at Chariton's original First Baptist Church building, then located on South Main Street just south of the current Legion Hall, but the congregation gathered thereafter until 1875 --- when its first home was built --- in the courthouse.
The 1903 history contains the following paragraph that identifies early Swedish immigrants who attended the 1869 meeting and still were alive and kicking during 1903 --- "J. F. Ekfelt, Mrs. Mary J. Holmes, Mrs. Alfred Johnson, P. J. Lindquist, O. Olson, J. Frederic Johnson's family, the Lauger family, Sutherland, Charley Brown of Derby and family, his son-in-law, A.G. Johnson, also of Derby, Tull, of Derby, Erlandson family, C. Rhamgren, Tapper family, Carl Larson family. Several families have taken up a residence elsewhere since then, among whom are the Swangrens, Rockford, Ill.; John Rydlund and sister, Kearney, Nebraska; Andrew Anderson and Andrew Peterson, Sioux City; Jacob and S. G. Olson and families, of Stanton; P. E. Anderson and Victor Munson families of Red Oak."
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