Swedish Community In The Chicago Area.
Chicago is known as the windy city during the 1900s it was home to one of the largest Swedish Communities in the United States. Proof of the community’s size and dedication is the Swedish American museum housing information and exhibitions displaying artifacts of the Swedish American migration from the 1840s and its culture.
One of the historic Swedish neighborhoods is Andersonville, family names like the Sandburgs, Johannsens and Nilssons still echo along the streets and parkways. Today the faces have changed along with the landscapes of farms turning into modern designs. Businesses created yesterday are still present today, just to name a few: McDonald’s, Sears, Juicy Fruit Gum and Walt Disney.
The first Swedish immigrates made their way to Chicago, looking for agriculture lands to build farms. Like most immigrates the enticement of a better life drew one-fifth of Swedish born natives to live and work in the Chicago area during the 1900s. They were from rural areas, young, eager and literate bringing with them their skills, cultures and belief as Protestants.
The first group came into the United States during 1846 to 1880 reaching six thousand in population followed by a mass migration during 1880 -1930 doubling the Swedish population. By 1930 over sixty-five thousand Swedish born immigrants with 140,000 children were transitioning to urban lifestyles creating new social contacts away from their Swedish homeland and establishing their own network of churches and associations.
The turn of the twentieth century, the city of Chicago became noted for having the second largest Swedish population in the world, Stockholm, Sweden is the first. Today organizational interests, clubs, lodge, educational and professional associations are still working to keep the Swedish life and culture alive in Chicago. A 2000 census survey showed more than 123,000 residents in the Chicago area claiming Swedish ethnicity.Still bored? Click to continue: Mike Danton tweets about signing contract with Swedish pro hockey team
