The Portland daily press., 1880-07-24
NEW SWEDEN.
The Decennial Anniversary of the
Swedish Colony.
HISTORICAL ADDRESS BY HON. w.
w. THOMAS, JR.

State. A procession escorted by the Swedish
Cadets under the command of Capt. Isaac Ny
sander and accompanied by Johnsons Band
of Caribou, formed at the Capitol and
marched to the church at 10 a. m. The pro-
gramme at the church was as follows:
Music by the Band.
Prayer by Rev. w. T. Sleeper.
Singing by the Choir
Chamberlain Gel. Stone and Daniel Stickney.
The celebration was complete success in
every respect.
MR.. THOMAS ADDRESS
The address of the Hon. w. W. Thomas,
Jr., giving a complete and graphic history of
the colony, is as follows:
Ten years ago New Sweden was an unbro,, en-
wilderness. The primeval forest covered all
far as the eye could reach. The boundaries of
this township were run in 1859. 1t was then
designated as Township No. 10, Range 3, west
of the east line of the State. In 1861 the town
was run out into lots of about 160 acres each
for settlers, and the choice of these lots was
offered by the State to all corners under our
settling laws, which did not require the pay
ment of dollar, but simply the performance
of a certain amount OF road labor and other
settling duties, so that the lot was virtually
S1IU lTOIl INC Olubo W tiio oOtuiOl' hio OiOi
remained open for everybody for nine long
years, but during that time no one was found
willing to accept lot of land in this town as
a gift provided he was required to make his
home upon it. Not only was Township 10
without settler ten years ago, but several OF
the lots in the adjacent plantation of Wood
land, which had been taken up by American
settlers years before, had been deserted and
the clearings were growing up again to forest.
Notwithstanding such generous offers of the
+I,n r1oflp of otn do
creased during the decade from 1860 to 1870,
falling off from 62S,279 to 326,915 Every
other State in the republic, with the single
exception of New Hampshire, increased In
numbers. What element of growth was lack
ing to US? We had fertile lands, exhaustless
quarries, noble rivers with water-power for all
the manufactures in the union, harbors count
less and unrivalled. What we lacked was
labor to utilize the resources lying waste
around us. Men are the wealth OF State and
we lacked men. The stream OF immigration
from Europe was then flowing into the United
States of the rate of 100000 year-a regi-
ment day-but flowing past Maine to enrich
the broad fields of the.great West.
Governor Washburn had first presented the
subject of Scandinavian immigration to the
legislature of Maine in 1861. The immigrants
from the Old World move on fixed isothermal
lines. The French and Spanish, from Sout h.
ern Europe make their homes in Louisiana
and Florida: the Germans, from the centre OF
Scandinavians from the wooded north, fell the
forest and build their cabins in Wisconsin and
Minnesota. 1t was from these Mortimer that
Names help must come, but no immediate re-
suit followed Governor Washburn's recon-
mendation. In 1864 an attempt was made by
a company of Maine gentlemen to procure la
borers from Sweden, but the undertaking
proved failure. The project then slumbered
until General Chamberlain was called to the
gubernatorial chair He eloquently and per-
cicfantIv prpSSad the Suhiact the 1tfpn-
ton of the legislature and OF the people, and
in 1869, the legislature authorized the appoint
ment of commission "to ascertain what
measures, if any, should be adopted by the
State to induce settlements upon its unpeopled
townships"
The appointment of that commission is
the beginning of the story of New Sweden
an unique chapter in the history of Maine,
which on this day it is my purpose briefly and
faithfully to narrate.
The commissioners appointed were the Hon.
Parker P. Burleigh, the Hon. William, Small
and your historian. After a tour of observation
through Aroostook county, they reported to
the legislature of 1870, proposing this plan;
Maine to Sweden.
2. Let him there recruit colony OF young
Swedish farmers-picked men-with their
wives and children. Not one, however, was to
be taken unless he could pay his own passage
and that of his family to Maine.
3. A Swedish pastor should accompany the
colony so that religion might aid in binding
the community together.
4. Let the commissioner lead the colony in
person, all together, at one time and aboard
one ship, from Sweden to America. In this
way they would become acquainted with one
another, and would not be led away by the
agents of other States.
5. Let the commissioner locate the Swedes
on Township No. Is, Range 3, in Aroostook
county, give every head of family 100 acres
of wn lopd foro for and do vhataver else
might be necessary to root the colony firmly in
the soil of Maine. Then ell State aid was to
cease; for it was confidently expected that
the colony would thrive without further care
and attract a fair proportion OF Swedish 1mml-
grafton thereafter to Maine.
This plan was eloquently advocated in ne
House OF Representatives, and was adopte! oy
the act of March %, 1870. The act estabi1isnled
Board of Immigration, consisting o. tne
Governor, Land Agent and Secretary oil state
On March 18th the board appointed me Com
missioner of Immigration. saisd from tne
United States April 30, and land5d at Gothen-
burg on the 10th of May. A previous resi-
dence of three years in Swedel had rendered
me familiar with the langua5e, customs ana
traditions of the Swedes. head office was
established at Gothenbug., Advertisements
and circulars were Scatered DroacaSt over
the country. Agents. were employed to can
yass the northern pS,nces lott AS ,b soon as Inc
Gothenburg in lnarge of Captain G.. w.
Schroeder. and tavelled extensively in the in
terror of the country, distributing documents
and talking yith the people in the villages, at
their homes by the roadside, wherever met
them It vas announced that only limited
number Il families conld be taken and none
would By accepted unless they brought certif-
Gates O character from their pastors, and rec
ommaadations from their employers, if they
had worR ed for others. The colony was not
recuited without opposition, but all objections
wire successfully met.
On June 23d, the colonists, who came from
nearly everv province. of Sweden, were assem-
bled at Gothenburg. where the Swedish testi-
val of midsummer eve was observed, and IN
just forty days after landing in Sweden,
sailed from Gothenburg with the first Swedish
colonists of our State.
The colony was composed OF % men, IL
women and Is children nall, 81 souls All
the men were farmers, but some were also
skilled in trades and professions. There was
a pastor, a civil engineer, blacksmith, two
carpenters, a basket-maker, wheelwright,
baker, tailor and wooden-shoe maker The
women were neat and industrious, tidy house.
wives and diligent workers at the spinning
wheel and loom. All were tall and stalwart,
with blue eyes, light hair, and cheerful, hon
est countenances. There was not physical
defect or blemish among them.
We arrived at Huh Monday evening, June
9th, crossed England by rail to Liverpool,
and on Saturday, July I'd, sailed in the City of
Antwerp, of the Inman line, for America. On
Wednesday, July 13th we landed at Halifax,
where the agents OF the Inman steamship
lodged the colony in vacant warehouse. The
next day we proceeded to st. John, and on
Friday, July 18th, assembled the st. John riv-
er to Fredericton. Here steam navigation
ceased. Two river boats were chartered for
the colony, and on Saturday, July 10Th, we
pushed forward. Each boat was towed by two
horses. The progress vas slow and toilsome,
but the weather was fine, and the colonists
caught fish from the river and picked berries
along the bank. Six days were spent in tow
ing up from Fredericton to Tobique. The
journey is now made by rail in as many hours.
Near Florenceville, on Tuesday, July 49, the
first misfortune befell the colony. Here died
Hilma c. Clase, infant daughter Of Captain
Nicholas P. Clase. Her little body was
placed in a coffin quickly constructed, and
brought along with the colony. At Tobique
Landing we debarked on the afternoon of July
q, and were met by the Hon. Parker P. Bur-
leigh, Land Agent. The next morning, Fri
day, July %, teams were provided by Mr. Jo-
seph Fisher of Fort Fairfield, and the Swed-
ish immigrant train started for Maine and the
United States. Mr.. Burleigh and your histo-
rian drove ahead in a wagon. Then came
covered carriage drawn by four horses, with
the women and children. Then two three
horse teams with the men, followed by
couple OF two-horse teams with the baggage.
So we wound over the hills, and at 10 o'clock
had h..