Day 8: Church History Part II

Another Christian sect Swedish-Americans found interest in were Baptist Churches. There are two Swedish Baptist churches that were established in Chicago whose buildings exist today: Edgewater Swedish Baptist Church and First Swedish Baptist Church. As is the case with many Swedish churches in Chicago, the parishioners of Swedish descent moved out to the suburbs. These churches also started conducting their services in English to accommodate for the diversity of their new members. Edgewater Baptist dropped "Swedish" from their name in 1940, and have Spanish and Korean congregations. As I was taking a picture of the First Swedish Baptist Church, a member of the congregation approached me and gave me some background on the church that I couldn't find in my research. The First Swedish Baptist Church was established in 1854, but this church was built in 1911. At some point, the First Swedish Baptist Church became Wrigleyville Worship Center, then Christ's Church. Today, the building is owned by MissioDei, a non-denominational Evangelical community.

 

The Swedish Covenant Church was founded by the Swedish Evangelical Mission Covenant of America (now ECC). The organization was founded on February 20, 1885 by Swedish immigrants in Chicago. The Edgewater Swedish Covenant Church dates back to 1909; today, it is known as Iglesia del Pacto Belen Covenant Church. Englewood Swedish Covenant Church is now the Rust Memorial United Methodist Church, but the stained glass over two doors still reads “Svenska Missions Kyrkan.”

                                                                        

Englewood Swedish Covenant Church, now the Rust Memorial United Methodist Church

The St. Ansgarius Episcopal Church is the oldest remaining Swedish Church building and one of the oldest churches in Chicago. The first church built was located at Indiana (today Grand) near Wells St., but was  destroyed in the great Chicago fire of 1871. The first pastor was Gustaf  Unonius (1810-1902), a prominent Swedish religious figure. He returned to Sweden nine years later after dispute with newer immigrant Scandinavian Lutherans. The second church was erected in 1872 on Chicago Avenue, but was razed in 1920 after also burning. The current church was built farther north in 1849, but changed its name in 1940s to St. Francis. The last congregation to utilize this church was Cristo Rey Iglesia Episcopal Church. At present, the church is closed and for sale. The Inscription over the main door reads “Jenny Lind Memorial Chapel." Jenny Lind was a famous Swedish opera singer, called the Swedish Nightingale, who donated a priceless communion silver chalice and paten to the church in 1851. When the great fire broke out in 1871 the silver was saved by an old Swedish woman. She hurried inside the burning church, brought out the silver, placed it in a buggy, which she then drove to the prairie outside the city limits, and kept it there until danger was past. The silver must always be kept in this church according to a letter, written in 1851 by the donor herself. Today, however, the only remaining items are the communion chalice and paten, which are kept at the Episcopal Church Center

Day 7: A Bit of Church History

A large number of Swedish-American sites are, appropriately enough, churches. For new immigrants, churches were a source of comfort and reminder of home. Members assisted these newcomers find jobs, learn English, and slowly ease into their new lives. For generations of Swedish-Americans, they served as community centers, cultural centers, and schools. In addition, many Church-based publications shared news from Sweden.

           

From the sixteenth century to the nineteenth century, it was illegal in Sweden to convert to another religion or Christian sect other than Lutheranism. When Swedish immigrants came to the U.S., they began to expand their religious perspectives to other Christian sects, such as Episcopal and Baptist. Some favored the Swedish Evangelical Free Church, which was founded in Boone, Iowa in 1884. This evangelical Christian sect places emphasis on the right of the church to self-govern. The Swedish Evangelical Covenant of America (now known simply as the Evangelical Covenant Church) was founded by Swedish immigrants who that were committed to sharing the Gospel as well as provide means for ministerial training.


There are five historical Swedish Lutheran churches in Chicago: Ebenezer, Immanuel Evangelical, Salem (a sister congregation of Immanuel Evangelical), All Saints', and Trinity Swedish Evangelical. Of the five, only Ebenezer and Immanuel Evangelical remain. The former sanctuary of Salem is now St. Jerome Croatian Catholic Church. All Saints' Lutheran Church is now Church of Christ, Presbyterian. Trinity Swedish Evangelical Lutheran has now been converted to condominiums.

Trinity Swedish Evangelical, now condominiums 

Salem Lutheran, now St. Jerome's Catholic Church

There is only one Free Church in Chicago: the First Evangelical Swedish Free Church of Chicago, which has since dropped "Swedish" from its name. 

Day 6: Photo Time!

I began taking pictures of the Swedish sites today with the help of my co-intern Kate. We stayed local, only along N. Clark and Foster. Many of the sites, such as Cafe Idrott and the Calo Theater, were converted to completely different businesses. Sadly, a couple of them were closing (Lyman Trumbull Elementary School and Nelson's Funeral Home). Others, such as Ann Sathers and the Swedish Bakery, were taken over by non-Swedes who upheld the Swedish heritage of their businesses successfully. Several sites are still owned by Swedish-Americans, who display their heritage proudly. Take, for example, Simon's Tavern and the Svea Restaurant, which are both owned by the same family. Each one is adorned with photographs and other artwork depicting the history of Andersonville's residents. Svea had more Swedish paraphernalia, but the structure of Simon's Tavern was more fascinating. Outside is a blue and yellow neon sign with a herring holding a martini glass (pickled herring is a Swedish delicacy). A stained glass depiction of this fish mirroring each other can be found inside. Also inside was a mural depicting a hunting scene. The bartender explained that in the early twentieth century, many of the people in the are went hunting up north. To add a more historical touch to the tavern, the artist spent seven years painting this lovely mural that spans the entire tavern.

Simon's Tavern has been around since the 1920s. At first it had been intended to be a cafe; it was the Prohibition after all. However, at some point, Simon Lundberg was encouraged to add a little alcohol into the menu, turning it into a speakeasy. The bartender explained that during the Great Depression, Simon's also maintained a functioning "bank," which is still present today. Looking inside the small window, one can see a trapdoor in the ceiling. Simon's wife used a bell-pull through this door to transfer money from above the tavern, where they lived. In this way, they cashed in checks on the spot. Simon's is also one of the few places that has alcoholic Glogg, a spicy punch that includes raisins and orange zest.

This is Glogg. 

I will begin adding the new pictures to the titles and descriptions of the Swedish sites while I continue to visit them. I realized today that it would be beneficial for me to contact these institutions earlier to see if I could take pictures on the interior of the buildings as well as the outside. Perhaps talking with the owners or associates would help provide information not found through published research, as was the case at Simon's Tavern. In addition, if the owners happened to be Swedish, they could be interviewed for the Oral History Project.



Update: I found a great video of Scott Martin, the current owner of Simon's, telling a scary ghost story connected to the bar and the Lundberg family.

Day 5: Books, Books, Books

On my first day at the Museum, I spent some time on Loyola Libraries' website researching books on Swedish-American history. I was pleasantly surprised to find, later, that many of the books I had checked out were all ready in the museum's library. Instead of heading the Oral History project, which my co-intern was focusing on, I catalogued books within the library that dealt with Swedish Chicago. Many of these books assisted me in researching the history of the sites. Interestingly enough, the one that helped me the most was a travel guide, Touring Swedish America, by Alan H. Winquist and Jessica Rousselow-Winquist. The book provided buildings, sculptures, and names of Swedish-American architects. The most intriguing book was The Swedish Theater of Chicago, 1868 - 1950. Theater groups and glee clubs were popular among Swedish-Americans living in Chicago, and they would often perform in locations not exclusively Swedish. One such example is the German Theater, known today as the "Vic."

During my research, I found a panoramic book on America in Swedish:

With the help of Google translate, I was able to read the descriptions. For the words I didn't know, a Swedish-English dictionary was never far away. 

One of the most beautiful books in the library was a Bible in Swedish with gold inlay in the cover. Inside contained beautiful biblical scenes. When looking for the publishing date, I was surprised to learn that it was printed not too far away from me: 112 Randolph St. I had stumbled upon another location to research for my Swedish Sites project.

Day 4: Midsommarfest Preparations & the Brunk's Children Museum of Immigration

Every year, Andersonville hosts Midsommarfest, a celebration of the community's Scandinavian heritage. This year, it was June 8th - 9th. This annual event includes vendors, dancing, and food, advertising Andersonville's many restaurants. There is also a long list of music groups performing, both Swedish and non-Swedish. Naturally, the Swedish American Museum has a large role in the festivities, particularly activities for children. There were tables where they could learn to make paper flower wreaths to wear. There was also a Maypole, which Swedes perform customary dances around. I spent my day in the Brunk Children's Museum of Immigration, helping make flower wreaths to be sold in the shop.

Swedish colors!

I took this opportunity to become acquainted with the Children's Museum. In 2011, it was named one of the best "hands-on exhibits for every kind of kid" in Chicago Magazine's "best of Chicago list.*"

I think I may have found a new hobby.

Although limited in space, it offered an assortment of creative and educational activities. It's divided into two parts: "Sweden" and "America." The Swedish side has a Scandinavian Falu red house, which strongly resembled a barn. Inside was an old-fashioned kitchen; outside were animals enclosed by a white picket fence. Also outside were traditional aprons that the children were permitted to wear. In between the two "countries" was a ship that had paddles attached to it. The sea had magnetized fish that could be "caught" with little fishing poles that had metal washers on the end. Fishing was a large industry in Sweden, followed closely by carpentry, which was represented in the "American" side of the Museum. There, children fought over hauling water from the well outside a small log cabin. The house was reminiscent of the pioneer lifestyle the Swedish led in the U.S. There was also a Dala-style horse that children were permitted to ride. Dalarna, a region in Sweden, is known for its painted horse statues and toys. Andersonville has its own Dala Horse statue, painted Swedish blue with the Chicago skyline. Usually, it is located outside of the Museum, but it is currently undergoing renovations. 

In the very back of the Museum was an area that was sectioned off. The docent at the Children's Museum, clad in traditional clothing, told me that the new exhibit would be space-themed, in honor of Christer Fuglesang. Fuglesang was a celebrated Swedish physicist and ESA astronaut, and the first Swedish citizen to travel to outer space.

The Children's Museum and Midsommarfest accomplish two things: attract tourists to the Swedish American Museum and educate the public on Swedish culture and history. The museum activities, in turn, provide traffic and tourism for the Andersonville community. These are an incentive for the neighborhood to sponsor and support the museum which, for a non-profit organization, is essential.

*http://www.swedishamericanmuseum.org/childrensmuseum/

Day 3: Preservation

Last Thursday, I got to work in the vault room, which has been converted to an office. It's a small space, big enough for two desks, but includes a walk-in vault that has lovely designs on the door.

Today, it is used as a supply closet, officially making it the coolest of its kind. The vault shows that the museum itself is a significant part of Swedish-American history in Chicago.

The museum was originally Lind Hardware Co., which opened at that location in 1927. The store was a social center where many Swedish men congregated to discuss business, family, and politics. A hardware store is the ideal location for Swedes to meet up because many of them were in the construction business; as the saying goes "the Swedes built Chicago." Kurt Mathiasson, a man driven to preserve Swedish-American history, moved the Swedish American Museum Center from its previous location to 5211 N. Clark St. in 1987. The move to a Swedish-American landmark indicates how seriously the residents of Andersonville are about preserving their architectural history. 

Also on Thursday, I assisted in the packaging and sorting of Flaggen, the quarterly newsletter that was to be distributed that weekend. Most of the subscribers were within the state of Illinois, but the Flaggen also reached the far states of Florida, California, and even North Dakota. The newsletter is essential to the museum because many members come from around the U.S. to attend the events and view the new exhibits. Some of the subscribers were not individuals, but fellow non-profit organizations. The support of other non-profits, even those that are not related to Swedish-American or Swedish history, is important for advertisement and community.

http://www.nordstjernan.com/news/midwest/684/

Day 2: Exploring

Last week, I got to work in one of the coolest rooms in the Swedish American Museum: the library.

Why is the library so awesome? 

1) This room literally has every scholarly book on Swedish-American history. I spent a good amount of time searching for such books through the Loyola Library website; this library had all of them and more

2) The library also has books on Swedish culture, history, and politics in both English and Swedish

3) There is a fiction section with books by Swedish and Swedish-American authors

4) Most of the books are donated by museum patrons and sister organizations, such as the Swedish Women's Educational Association, International (SWEA)

5) The library is not open to the public, but is not entirely exclusive. Researchers are allowed access by appointment

6) The library doubles as a genealogy center!

My assignment for the day was to research Chicago sites utilized or built by Swedish-Americans. The Swedish had a large impact on Chicago's cityscape, both as laborers and architects. Peirce Anderson, of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, had an key role in the design and construction of the Field Museum of Natural History, The Federal Reserve Building of Chicago, and the Wrigley Building.*

For now, I will be researching the individual histories of each building. Eventually, I will be visiting the sites personally to photograph them. For the buildings that no longer exist, I will have to canvas the archives for old photographs. The Swedish American Museum is considering having a small exhibit dedicated to these sites, as many patrons have expressed an interest in this particular topic. 

*http://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/Architecture/6/3143/SortBy/Architect.php