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Tomorrow is the annual Heritage Day celebration in my hometown, Upsala, Minnesota.  Details can be found on Facebook and www.cityofupsala.com

“The city of Upsala Minnesota had its beginnings as a settlement of Swedish immigrants. It remained primarily Scandinavian (and Protestant) well into the 20^th century, even though German and Polish neighbors were located in surrounding areas.

Some of the first settlers in the area, however, were not Swedish, but Danish.  Jurgen (J.J.) Schultz cleared land a couple of miles to the east in 1868.  Hanson Misfeldt and Knut H. Gunderson settled in the Elmdale area.  John Henry Peterson, who was a Swede, settled just south of what became Upsala in 1872. In 1880 the Northern Pacific railroad company began to sell land in the area, with John Kulander as their agent. Then the flow of homesteaders increased and included Gust Nelson, Ola Pehrson, L.M. Larson, John and Ola Bengston, August Johnson, John Swedback and many others. Swedback operated a sawmill and built a general store, which was run by his wife Ericka.”

The words above are from the first page of a book written by Dan W. Hovland, a former resident of Upsala and past President of the Upsala Area Historical Society. The title of the book is “Upsala, Minnesota … the early year through the 1910s” and it and a companion book are available for purchase at the Borgstom House in Upsala. 

The Upsala Area Historical Society was founded in 1979.  It was formed because the City of Upsala planned to sell their old 1928 Reo firetruck and folks rallied to save the truck. My wife Marcia wrote a song about the effort and now the Reo firetruck is stored in the garage of the Borgstrom House in Upsala.  The house was donated to the UAHS by Axel and Carrie Borgstrom in 1983.  The Society has been very active in trying to raise funds for a new museum and at the same time keeping the Borgstrom House open for one day a year on Heritage Day.  Board members Dianne S and Sandy M have led the effort to prepare the house for this year’s celebration of Heritage Day in Upsala.  

If you come to the Borgstrom House in Upsala tomorrow between noon and 3pm you will be able to purchase the above-mentioned books and view a video of the first Upsala High School All-Class reunion.  I have attached a flyer that details the activities at the Borgstrom House.  I hope to see you tomorrow.  PS: Axel Borgstrom was born on August 8, 1888.  Tomorrow, we will have ice cream to celebrate his 138^th birthday.

“Happy Yourney”  Gust Olafson