August 8, 2025
“The city of Upsala Minnesota had its beginnings as a settlement of Swedish immigrants. It remained primarily Scandinavian (and Protestant) well into the 20th 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. Ib 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. The title of the book is “Upsala, Minnesota … the early year through the 1910s”. You may purchase the book and the accompanying book, “Upsala, Minnesota Views of city businesses and places from the 1920s through the 1990s” if you come to the Borgstrom House in Upsala tomorrow between noon and 3pm. The second Saturday in August is always “Heritage Day” in Upsala.
The parade starts at 4 and I might be riding in my son’s fishing boat as it is being towed by a Ram truck driven by my grandson “Walleye Willie”. My son Erik will be walking behind the boat.
“Happy Yourney” Gust Olafson
Category : General 