The Portland daily press., 1895-06-26

in the bonds Of matrimony Herr Anders
Frederick Johansson to Jungfru Ofelia
Albertina Leonara Amelia Ericsson.
Every Sabbath divine service was held
by Nils OLSON, the Swedish lay minister,
and a Sunday school was soon started,
which is still in successful operation.
The log houses made comfortable
homes for each Swedish family, but I
soon became convinced that large, cen
trail building was absolutely necessary for
the public and social life of the colony.
On the Goth, of September therefore we
began digging the cellar for such build
ing on the public lot in the center of the
settlement. We commenced hewing out
the frame and shaving shingles for the
roof the same day. October 18th, we raised
the frame, and four weeks aftrwards
November 4th, the house was finished
with the exception of lathing and plas-
tering, and the vane placed in position
ground. This building is 30x45 feet on
the ground, and is two stories high. Tho
| first story is divided into store room and
offices; the second story is public hall
fifteen feet high.
From the first this structure has been
called by the Swedes the "Capitol'' For
many years it was the church, school
house, town house, store house, and gen.
eral rallying place Of the colony.
grants flocled in, it served as ''Castle
Garden" where the Swedish families
slept, cooked and ate under roof while
they were selecting their lots and erecting
indispensable. 1t has been the heart of
the colony 1t at once gave character and
stability to the settlement, encouraged
every Swede in his labors and has been
of daily need and use. The Swedish
Capitol is still standing today in
good state of preservation.
So healthful is the climate of our
northern woods, that for the first year of
this colony's life-for 1S70-there was not
a days sickness of man, woman, or
child in New Sweden.
The fame of New Sweden in Maine
was soon noised abroad in the Father
land, and with the opening of navigation
their ponderous chests of baggage came
pouring in upon us; first, in little squads
then in companies Of twenty, thirty and
forty, till the immigration of the year
eliminated in the last week of May, when
one hundred Swedes arrived via Houlton
and Presque Isle, followed within five
days by two hundred and sixty more by
the ST. John river. They filled the hail
of the capitol, the stable, and one squads
of fifty, from the province of Jemtland,
camped under shelter of boards at the
crossroads.
Hon. Albert A. Burleigh with COM
pany of surveyors ran out lots for the new
comers as rapidly as possible Roads
were first laid out in all directions from
the capitol, then lots laid off to face them.
Straight lines were not deemed essential
to these ways, an easy grade was every
where maintained, and hills and swamps
avoided. Working parties of newly ar
rived immigrants, each in command of an
English speaking Swede, were detailed to
eD11 @Io and ryt ont
roads. Thus avenues were opened up in
all directions into the wilderness. Bands
of immigrants eagerly seeking their farms
followed the choppers and lots were
taken up as fast as they were made acces-
sible. Some enterprising Swedes did not
wait for the working parties, but secured
choice lots by ranging the woods in adj
vance; the principle of 'sfirst come first
served" having been adopted in the dis
tribution of these prizes of land.
Thus the stream of immigration that
poured into the capitol, was continually
disappearing in small rills throughout the
| forest. A party of one hundred crowding
| our accommodations on Monday, would
| vanish before Saturday night. A walk
along any wood road soon revealed them !;
| the blows of the axe and the crash of fall
| ing trees led to the men, and the smoke
curling from a shelter of poles and bark
near by, to the women and children.
All summer ana 1all new chOppingS
opened out on every hand; the old clear
ings were rapidly enlarged; shelters of
poles and bark gave way to comfortable
timber houses; barns were built near the
| growing grain, and everywhere trees
were falling and buildings rising through
out the settlement.
So many people flocking into the woods
soon created demand for various trades
and crafts. A variety store was opened
in August by Swede in commodious