|
The Swedish American Farmsteads of Porter County, Indiana are representative of the numerous rural communities settled by a significant ethnic population. They influenced the religious community and social community.〔National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form; Selected Swedish Farmsteads of Porter County, Indiana; NPS Form 10-900- B; Kenneth R. Dodson, July 10, 1994〕 This collection is the most complete early 20th century complex within the Swedish cultural landscape of Baileytown and has retained a great deal of integrity.〔Oscar-Irene Nelson House, aka Charles Nelson Property NR nomination; National Park Service; Porter, Indiana; 2008〕 ==Swedish immigration to Indiana== Swedish immigration to Indiana was a by-product of its proximity to Chicago. The proximity to Chicago provided an avenue for Swedish immigrants to reach northern Indiana during the primary migration period from 1840 until 1920. It was driven by the overpopulation and a scarcity of land in Sweden. Coming to America opened new horizons, which were often exaggerated in letter to family back in Sweden.〔 In addition, it was the middle classes that primarily came. The cost of travel was significant. Only the better off could afford the trip. Thus, those families who were at risk of losing their livelihood and falling in the social stature would risk the trip to America.〔 Initially, before 1860 religious dissenters would also emigrate to America, but his was of only minor importance.〔 Swedish immigration was focused on the western prairies where land was plentiful. Thus, Chicago became a center for Swedish life in America. By 1920, Swedish-American cultural activities in Chicago included Swedish language newspapers and arts.〔 The construction of a railroad through the region in 1850 expanded the opportunity for immigrants to reach this area. There is a story that a Jonas Asp recruited Swedes to work for Joel Wicker cutting lumber for shipment to Chicago.〔 Another story tells of Swedish families driven out of Chicago after the Chicago Fire in 1871, coming east to an already existing Swedish community. By the late 19th century, there was a substantial community along the Little Calumet River.〔Lake County Indiana, from 1834 to 1872: Timothy H. Ball; J.W. Goodspeed, Chicago, Illinois; 1872〕 Bailly Town was settled by 30 members of the Swedes Lutheran Church in 1857. They were associated with the ‘Bethel’ Swedish Community in Miller (Gary, Indiana). In 1863,the first church was built. After the Chicago Fire in 1871, additional families began to arrive.〔 Community life revolved around the Augsburg Evangelical Lutheran Church in Porter. By the mid-19th century the congregation split in two and founded the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Chesterton〔Roots Eternal and Unshakable; An Ethnographic Overview of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore; Applied Cultural Dynamics; David R.M. White; September 1999〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Swedish Farmsteads of Porter County, Indiana」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|