III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 43 

Honoring the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Lindsborg, Kansas. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 5, 2019 

Mr. MORAN (for himself and Mr. ROBERTS) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the 150th anniversary of the establishment of 

Lindsborg, Kansas. 

Whereas February 20, 2019, marks the 150th anniversary of 

the establishment of Lindsborg, a town in McPherson 

County, Kansas; 

Whereas, in 1868, Kansas was known as ‘‘the great American desert,’’ as it was reported that it never rained in 

Kansas, and upon organizing the first Swedish Agricultural Company in April 1868, Chairman John Ferm said, 

‘‘If God is going to let us settle in Kansas, he will give 

us rain.’’; 

Whereas, after claims were filed in May 1866 in the general 

area that was to become Lindsborg, the Swedish Agricultural Company entered into a contract for the purchase 


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•SRES 43 IS 

of 16,000 acres of land from the Kansas-Pacific Rail 

Road Company; 

Whereas, in December 1868, a call to Sweden for settlers was 

sent and a promising young pastor named Dr. Olof 

Olsson was chosen to lead a large group of settlers the 

next spring; 

Whereas, on January 20, 1869, the Swedish Agricultural 

Company settled the site that was to become Lindsborg 

and the development of the land and farming commenced; 

Whereas, the Swedish Agriculture Company, with several 

members of the Company having ‘‘Lind’’ in their surname, determined the name of the settlement to be 

‘‘Lindsborg’’ on February 20, 1869, and, the members 

having fulfilled their role, the Swedish Agricultural Company was dissolved shortly thereafter; 

Whereas Pastor Olof Olsson and a group of 100 Swedish immigrants from the Va ̈rmland province of Sweden arrived 

at the settlement on June 27, 1869; 

Whereas Lindsborg is widely known as ‘‘Little Sweden’’ due 

to its Swedish traditions and population of Swedish immigrants; 

Whereas the Sesquicentennial Festival Committee for 

Lindsborg has declared the theme for 2019 to be ‘‘Sweden to the Plains—Living the Legacy’’; 

Whereas Svensk Hyllningsfest is a biennial festival celebrating the Swedish heritage of Lindsborg with arts and 

crafts, special foods, ethnic music, traditional folk dance 

and dress, and other Swedish entertainment; 


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•SRES 43 IS 

Whereas King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden visited Lindsborg 

during his royal tour of the United States in April 1976; 

and 

Whereas the Swedish immigrants who settled in Kansas endured harsh weather conditions to establish Lindsborg 

and the people of Lindsborg have continued to maintain 

their Swedish heritage, making Lindsborg a cultural destination: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) honors Lindsborg, Kansas, on the 150th an3 niversary of its establishment; 

4 (2) commends the men and women who have 

5 made Lindsborg the town full of rich culture it is 

6 today; and 

7 (3) honors the immigrants of the Va ̈rmland 

8 province of Sweden for settling in Lindsborg. 

Æ 


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