The first colonial-era emigrants from Sweden and Finland arrived in North America in 1638, just 18 years after the Pilgrims landed on the Mayflower. Swedes and Finns began arriving in greater numbers between 1820 and 1850, many settling in farming communities in the upper Midwest, especially in Minnesota.
One of them, an immigrant of humble origins named Swan J. Turnblad, made a fortune as the publisher of a leading Swedish-language newspaper as that population in America swelled from a few thousand to nearly a million in the second half of the 19th century. Like many selfmade men at the turn of the century, he built an imposing residence. But the house known as the Turnblad Mansion was intended from the first to be a gathering place for the Swedish community.…
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Early Homes (Digital) - 1 Issue, Falll - Winter 2017