Gustaf Lindstrom

Gustaf Lindstrom
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Born	December 19, 1843(1843-12-19) Täby, Sweden
Died	September 8, 1896 (aged 52)
Resting place	Moses Hill Cemetery, Phelps County, Nebraska
Spouse	Johanna Christina Carlsdotter (m. 1867–1896) «Did not recognize date. Try slightly modifying the date in the first parameter.–Did not recognize date. Try slightly modifying the date in the first parameter.»"Marriage: Johanna Christina Carlsdotter to Gustaf Lindstrom" Location: (linkback:http://jimlindstrom.com/mediawiki/index.php/Gustaf_Lindstrom)
Children	Carl Gustav Lindstrom August Julius Lindstrom Johan ("John") Robert Lindstrom Anna Christina Lindstrom Oscar Leanord Lindstrom Otto Rudolf Lindstrom Emil Willjam Lindstrom August Edvall Lindstrom
Parents	Johan Johansson Lindström (b. 1811) Eva Sophia Bergström (b. 1818)

Life in Sweden

Gustaf was born in 1843 in Taby Forsamling (translation: Taby Congregation), Stockholm Lan, Sweden. In 1867, at age 24, he married Johanna Christina Carlsdotter, in Fleseryd, Kalmar Lan Socken, Sweden. One month later, in a different town (Wada Socken, Stockholm), their first son, Carl Gustav Lindstrom, was born.

In 1871 and 1872, in Vallentuna, Stockholm, Gustaf and Johanna gave birth to their second and third sons, August Julius Lindstrom and Johan Robert Lindstrom.

By 1874, the family had moved to Doderhult Soccken, Kalmer Lan. Here, they gave birth to their only daughter, Anna Christina Lindstrom, in 1874, and their fourth son Oscar Leanord Lindstrom, in 1877. Oscar was the last of Gustaf's and Johanna's children to be born in Sweden.

This map shows the regions in which Gustaf and Johanna lived together.

Emigration

In 1880, Gustaf and Johanna and their children (Carl, August, Johan, Anna, and Oscar) began an epic journey. They left their home in Döderhult Socken, Kalmer Lan and traveled 200 miles to Göteborg. From here, on June 4, 1880, they boarded a ship, the Rollo, headed to Hull, England.. This leg of the trip, alone, took 2-3 days and involved terrible conditions. From Hull, the Lindstroms boarded another (unknown) ship to travel to New York, and from New York, they rode by train to Nebraska.

According to the Lindstrom Book:

When the Gustaf Lindstrom family embarked on their journey to America, they literally "set sail" because the Ship they came on was a combination Steam and Sail boat. If they became becalmed or ran in to head winds, it was easier to stay on course. Even so, it took six weeks to make the trip. [...] Gustaf spent many hours in the "hold" of the ship peeling potatoes for the crew and passengers as part payment of his fare for himself and family. After they landed, the travel-weary family had another 1500 miles by train to Kearney, Nebraska. How long they stayed in Kearney, I have no way of knowing. Gustaf had only 90 cents in his "poke" when he arrived, so no doubt the first thing on the agenda was to find some work.

Life in America

The rest of Gustaf's and Johanna's family were born in Phelps County. Their fifth son Otto Rudolf Lindstrom was born in 1881. Their sixth son Emil Willjam Lindstrom was born in 1884. Later in 1884, their second son, August Julius, died. Two years later,their seventh son August Edvall Lindstrom was born in 1886.

This photo, presumably dating to 1887-1889 (because it includes August Edvall as a toddler) shows the nine surviving members of the family:

Just before August was born, in March of 1886, Gustaf became an American citizen, as this certificate shows:

Homestead

Gustaf's homestead certificate (below), signed by President Grover Cleaveland on Feb 18, 1888, shows that he was granted the "Northwest Quarter of Section 6 of Township 7 of range 18 West of the Principal Meridian in Nebraska, the right tendency of: 151 acres by 90.1 acres."

Point "C" on this Google Map (image below) shows Gustaf's homestead, plus several other close-by Lindstrom locations. (See Locating Gustaf Lindstrom's Homestead for details.)

Gustaf and Johanna lived in a sod house on the homestead until they died. According to the Lindstrom Book, Charlie acquired a homestead on the next quarter section south of Gustaf's homestead (presumably in the 1890s). After Gustaf died in 1896, Johan moved onto the original homestead.

The Name "Lindström"

Between 1800 and 1900, Sweden was undergoing a transition from Patronymic names (e.g., Nils Andersson's son Pehr becomes Pehr Nilsson) to family names between 1800 and 1900. Some families apparently "froze" their most recent patronymic name, taking it as a family name; some combined nature and or topographical elements (e.g., linden tree + stream = Lindström); and others took place names. Many Swedish families began to take family names by the 1860s and Sweden finally passed a law prohibiting patronymic naming in 1901.

It appears from a 1841-1846 Husförhör (Census) that Gustaf's father's name was Johan Johansson Lindström. This may mean that Gustaf's father was born as Johan Johanson (patronymic surname) but later (between 1811 and 1843) took Lindström as the new family name.

Historical Records

With His Parents

• Gustaf's birth record in Födde (Births) in Täby, Stockholm (1816 - 1861).
  • Gustaf's birthdate is given as 12/19/1843, Täby. In later Swedish records, this became 12/10/1843. In later US records, this became 10/12/1843, presumably the result of conflicting international norms around whether the month should precede the day or vice versa.
  • Parents are Johan Johansson Lindström and Eva Sophia Bergström.
• Gustaf lived in Karby, Täby, Stockholm in 1845, in the Husförhör (Household examination) for Täby, Stockholm (1841-1846)
  • Father: Johan Johansson Lindström (b. 1811)
  • Mother: Eva Sophia Bergström (b. 1818)
  • Older siblings: Carl Johan (b. 1839), Johanna Sophia (b. 1841, in Täby)
  • Gustaf's birthdate is given as 12/19/1843, Täby. In later Swedish records, this became 12/10/1843. In later US records, this became 10/12/1843, presumably the result of conflicting international norms around whether the month should precede the day or vice versa.

With Wife and Children (in Sweden)

• Gustaf (age 22-24), Johanna (aged 25-27) and Carl (infant) lived in Stora Benhamra, Vada, Stockholm, Sweden in the 1866 and 1867 Husförhörs (Household examinations) (See translation)
  • Gustaf, Johanna moved from Frösunda to Vada on Oct 24, 1866.
  • They then left Vada for Stockholm on Oct 24, 1867.
  • In this record, Johanna and Carl Gustaf are listed on sequential lines, but then a random woman is inserted between them and Gustaf. Also, Carl Gustaf is written in between the lines. That suggests this record was created when Johanna and Gustaf were neither married nor parents.
• Gustaf (age 24) and Johanna (age 26) were married in Fliseryd, Kalmar (Johanna's home parish) in 1867
• Parish Records for Lilla Benhamra, Vallentuna, Stockholms Län, Sweden, 1868-1877 (Image) (See translation)
  • Gustaf, Johanna, and Carl left to Wallentuna on October 24, 1868 (when Carl was less than 1 year old)
• Gustaf, Johanna and children left Sweden aboard the Rollo (See: passenger list).

With Wife and Children (in Nebraska)

• Gustaf (age 41) and Hannah (age 40), and children Charlie (age 16), Robert (age 13), Anna (age 10), Oscar (age 8), Otto (age 4), and Emil (age 2) live in Williamsburg, Phelps County, Nebraska in the 1885 Nebraska Census.
  • According to Schedule 2 (Agricultural Production), the Lindstroms own 105 improved acres, and 55 unimproved. They valued their farm (land & buildings) at $1,600, their equipment at $200, and their livestock at $400.
  • Their farm output for 1884 totaled $482.
  • They owned 2 horses and 3 milk cows. During 1884, they "dropped" 1 cow and sold 1 (live).
  • They produced 225 lbs of butter. They produced 275 dozen eggs.
  • 30 acres of Indian corn produced 700 bushels. 5 acres of oats produced 60 bushels. 5 acres of rye produced 40 bushels. 25 acres of wheat produced 400 bushels. 30 acres of broom corn produced 6,900 lbs. 2 acres of Irish potatoes produced 45 bushels.
• A 1903 Atlas of Center Township, Nebraska shows the location of Gustaf's plot, with son Carl's plot directly south