Får jag bjuda på lite intressant dokumention av utvandrare och nybyggare. Jag fick några kopior från en anhörig i USA. Kopior som kommer från Koochiching Historical & Bronko Nagurski Museums i International Falls, Minnesota. Det verkar vara någon form av dokumentation av nybyggare: de två första sidorna verkar följa en mall ( frågemall) och/eller att någon sitter och intervjuar Erik Engquist & Bertha Martinson ( syster till min morfar, dotter till min utvandrade morfarsfar )
Erik född 30 juli 1870 – dog 16 sept 1965. Kom till USA i Juni 1888
Bertha/Brita född 19 juni 1881 – död 11 juni 1956. Hon kom med föräldrarna i maj 1888.
Det verkar som om även Erik var född i Jämtland.
De tre numrerade : 3, 4, 5, verkar vara fortsättning på två sidor (?) jag ej har fått. Det är en ofullständig redogörelse, men det ger ju ändå en liten sammanfattning av ett nybyggarliv uppe i ”obygden”.
Sammanställningen bör vara gjord 1952
Erik och Bertha fick fyra barn: Emil, Marie, Ellen och Wanda. Jag hade glädjen att träffa en dotter till Ellen för ett år sedan. Hon berättade att staden som nämns; Gemmell, idag är en typisk avflyttningsort i norra Minnesotas skogsbygder.
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1:a kopian:
Engquist
Erik – july 30, 1870 1888 Place: Jamtland, Sweden
Bertha, - june 19, 1881 came in 1888
3. Homesteaded in Aitkin Co, went to Seattle, Wash. Worked in logging camp 13 days and got $ 1 to celebrate the 4th with. Enlisted in regular army and was called out on a mining strike. The next summer was called out on a Pullman strike. After serving my time I worked in silver mines in Idah. Then went to British Columbia to work sharpening tools for a little gold mine that started up. Came back to Aitkin in 1900 and were married there in Dec 1901.
4. In 1901 I came up to work on railroad from Tenstrike to Blackduck. Heard of homestad being opened. I filed on a claim in Pinetop Township. Mrs Engquist stayed of Blackduck while Mr Engquist built on the homestead. Mrs Engquist had a cow and sold milk. Had a schoolgirl staying with her.
5. Came to Northome by train, from Northome to homestead by a team of wagon and sleigh. In crossing the creek the water came up into the wagon box. Family stayed at the Sam Bohm home, while Mr Engquist went ahead and prepared home. Most of the supplies were hauled from Northome. After Henry Graham started logging the logging road and iceroads where a big help. Fresh meat was moose, deer and Partridge.
6. First picnic was July,4 1906 was at Fred Petersons homestead. Mr E had to carry Emil, then 2 years old in a packsack about 3 miles. Mr E stepped in a hole and fell down. Emil fell out and looked up at his dad and he said “ What are you trying to do. Kill me?”
2:a kopian:
7. Had a few cows, logged and worked for National Pole, was a blacksmith.
8. Stayed on homestead and built present home in Gemmel to be prepared when children were ready to go to school. Moved in Gemmel in 1910.
9. Neighbors visited back and forth. Had occasional traveling minister, such as Rev. Astwood, Rev Jest, Rev Gregg would hold meetings in camps and schoolhouses.
10.
11.
12. Are still living in their present home.
Emil – in Evanston, Ill, working as electrical engineer for Edison Commonwealth Electric in
Chicago. Married, wife is a trained nurse.
Ellen - Mrs A C Lundberg in Northome, a teacher in Mizpah School.
Wenla - Mrs G Keim, Concord, Cal was a beauty operator, does some work in her home.
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Blad (numrerat som 3): (ofullständigt)
Engquist
?.. self after he had eaten up all the food he could carry in packsack . She gave him a recipe to make bread, so he tried it with indifferent success. The first time he forgot them and burned them to a crisp.
Later when bolching * ( lokalt uttryck för jäsning?)* he made bread but as weather was very cold he out cloth over it, then his overcoat. In the morning he found the sponge pouring out thro his sleeave.
The first moose he met had a large antlers and as the moose went thro trees it looks as if the trees were walking. But it moved, it must have life and so he shot. The shot upset him as he stood on the bank of a creek & he sat down in water, but pulled himself out & when the trees ceased moving he had shot the animal. He always had meat – would sken the animal out of hide, hang it up, take part to one neighbour, send word to others till it was gone. Deer & partridge were plentiful & everybody shared.
Blad (numrerat som 4)
He was lonesome & look to smoking . Brot *( brought?)* in supplies and in some way got some powder mixed in with his tobacco. He lit it, and puff. After his surprice he still had pipe slem in teeth with half the bowl gone.
After she came things went better. He got a cow & leam ? * ( lamb?*) and the young stock must be watched and fed. They could not both leave at the same time. Those were the hardest days. She helped out doors, he cutting hay with scythe , she helping him in every way but even then they had a good time.
Fred Peterson lived near and they would visit back and forth, carrying the two children in the packsack. The trail was very wet & swampy they had to walk poles.
The first fourth of July celebrations was at Petersons, She wore Rubber boots and he fixed a chair for child in packsack.
Blad (numrerat som 5)
He got his feet mixed up, one slipped under poles & child went over his head into swamp ahead of him “ Papa are you trying to kill me”.
But when they get there they found thirty more settles beside the children. But Peterson soon had a school. It was too far away for Engquist children to walk so they faced the problem of school. Just before that they had taken a stone & timber claim so they sold that, got $ 1000 and that gave them a start.
He took the money, bo’t * ( bought)* a 40 near town, built a good house on it and moved to town. Then he logged his own homestead & the forty & his children went to school.
Boy is now an electrical engineer. He put cattle on homestead & farmed it till the taxes ate all that he made up. Then someone wanted to buy it and so he sold – did road works & odd job. He still farmed his forthy and educated his family at the same time.
Emil had HS + University
Marie –“- -“- + Teacher College
Ellen –“- -“- + Teacher College
Wanda –“- -“- + Beauty College
Celebrated golden wedding in 1950
In (19)52 still in home at ….? (resten ej läsbart )
Avskrivet från halvdåliga kopior som jag fått via mail.
* * betyder tveksamhet om ordet.
// Ingrid
Ämne: Emigranthistoria (läst 1172 gånger)
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