Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/427

 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTS 359 often had great trouble. The wagon was stronger than the steers, however ; that helped me. On that truck I carted out the goods and supplies for all the emigrants that arrived at Vasa in 1854. The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church, of Red Wing, belongs to the Minnesota Conference of the Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod of America. Its history in resume is as fol- lows: So far as it can be ascertained, the first Swede who made Goodhue county his home was a man by the name of Nils Magnus Nilsson, who was brought to Red Wing from St. Paul by the pioneers Dr. W. W. Sweney and William Freeborn. He worked for Dr. Sweney a number of years and became known as the doctor's Nils, and also as Nils Sweney. Nilsson served in the Civil War from October, 1861 until March, 1863. He died April 30, 1893. In the spring and summer of 1855, the Swedish immigration to Red Wing received its first real impetus. In the fall, when the Rev. E. Norelius came to Red Wing and preached the first Swedish sermon at this place, be had an audience numbering over 100 souls. The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized on September 3, 1855, in the Presbyterian Chapel, the use of which was kindly granted to Dr. Norelius. On the following day the organization was completed, hence the 4th is given as the date of organization in the church minutes. The charter members were the following: Hakan Olson, wife and five children; Marten Person, wife and six children; Anders Carlson, wife and son; Peter Sandberg and wife; Magnus Jonson, wife and three chil- dren; Bengt Anderson, wife and three children; Carl Anderson and wife; John Nilson Bylo; Peter Johanson ; Nils Kallberg, wife and one child ; Anders Johan Johnson ; Nils Trulson, wife and two children ; Anders Peterson ; Swen Swenson ; Lars Westerson, wife and one child: Anders Westerson; Mrs. Anna Brita Person and two children ; Peter Anderson, wife and four children ; Anders Wilhelm Jonson and one child ; Elna Person ; Inga Swenson ; Anna Nilson ; Carl Bockman and son ; Edward Soderlund, wife and two children; Peter Sjogren, wife and two children; Swen Kjellberg and wife. In all fifty-four communicants. Peter Sjogren, Hakan Olson and Anders Carlson were elected trustees. In October the Red Wing and Vasa congregations jointly extended a call to Rev. Norelius and on May 16, 1856, he arrived here with his wife. The introductory sermon was preached on Trinity Sunday in an unfinished store building on the corner of Fourth and Plum streets. At the close of the service a subscrip- tion was made for a church, which amounted to $104. The