Erik Lindblom
Encyclopedia
Erik O. Lindblom was one of the “Three Lucky Swedes” who discovered gold in the Nome mining district
.
, Sweden
, the son of Olof Lindblom and Brita (Olofson) Lindblom. Lindblom's father was a respected land owner and school master in Sweden. Born and reared in an iron and copper region, he had a fundamental knowledge of mining. Lindblom left Sweden at the age of seventeen. He came to the United States
during 1886 and engaging mining in Colorado
, Idaho
and Montana
. Lindblom was naturalized as a United States citizen in 1894.
where he met John Brynteson
and Jafet Lindeberg
. Late that winter they uncovered the first gold found in the Nome mining district
, and founded the extensive mining interests there which would produce a large fortune.
Lindblom invested his proceeds from his mining fortune in banks, transportation, and real estate. He would become president of the Swedish-American Bank of San Francisco and vice-president of the Pioneer Mining and Ditch Company of Nome, Alaska
. Lindblom was appointed Swedish
Commissioner to the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition by King Gustaf V of Sweden
and later was knighted by that monarch, being presented with the Royal Order of Vasa of the first degree.
Lindblom invested in the Claremont Resort
in Oakland, California
, which was completed in 1915. Three year later, he took complete possession of the hotel. Lindblom died in 1928 at his residence at the Claremont Hotel. The Claremont hotel would remain in the Lindblom family’s possession until 1937.
Nome mining district
The Nome mining district, also known as the Cape Nome mining district, is a gold mining district in the U.S. state of Alaska. It was discovered in 1898 when Erik Lindblom, Jafet Lindeberg and John Brynteson, the "Three Lucky Swedes" , found placer gold deposits on Anvil Creek and on the Snake...
.
Background
Erik Olof Lindblom was born in DalarnaDalarna
', English exonym: Dalecarlia, is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. Another English language form established in literature is the Dales. Places involving the element Dalecarlia exist in the United States....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, the son of Olof Lindblom and Brita (Olofson) Lindblom. Lindblom's father was a respected land owner and school master in Sweden. Born and reared in an iron and copper region, he had a fundamental knowledge of mining. Lindblom left Sweden at the age of seventeen. He came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during 1886 and engaging mining in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. Lindblom was naturalized as a United States citizen in 1894.
Career
In 1898, Lindblom went to AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
where he met John Brynteson
John Brynteson
John Brynteson was one the "The Lucky Swedes" who founded and developed the Nome mining district.-Background:...
and Jafet Lindeberg
Jafet Lindeberg
Jafet Lindeberg was a gold prospector and co-founder of the city of Nome, Alaska.-Background:Jafet Lindeberg was born in Kvænangen, Troms county, in Norway. In his youth, he tried prospecting for gold in northern Norway. Lindeberg's father, Isak, was a farmer and fisherman...
. Late that winter they uncovered the first gold found in the Nome mining district
Nome mining district
The Nome mining district, also known as the Cape Nome mining district, is a gold mining district in the U.S. state of Alaska. It was discovered in 1898 when Erik Lindblom, Jafet Lindeberg and John Brynteson, the "Three Lucky Swedes" , found placer gold deposits on Anvil Creek and on the Snake...
, and founded the extensive mining interests there which would produce a large fortune.
Lindblom invested his proceeds from his mining fortune in banks, transportation, and real estate. He would become president of the Swedish-American Bank of San Francisco and vice-president of the Pioneer Mining and Ditch Company of Nome, Alaska
Nome, Alaska
Nome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,598. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901, and was once the...
. Lindblom was appointed Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Commissioner to the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition by King Gustaf V of Sweden
Gustaf V of Sweden
Gustaf V was King of Sweden from 1907. He was the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau, a half-sister of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg...
and later was knighted by that monarch, being presented with the Royal Order of Vasa of the first degree.
Lindblom invested in the Claremont Resort
Claremont Resort
The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa is a historic hotel at the foot of Claremont Canyon in the Berkeley Hills, providing the resort with scenic views of San Francisco Bay. The hotel building is entirely in Oakland, bordering Berkeley....
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, which was completed in 1915. Three year later, he took complete possession of the hotel. Lindblom died in 1928 at his residence at the Claremont Hotel. The Claremont hotel would remain in the Lindblom family’s possession until 1937.
Personal life
He was first married to Mary Anne Smith in London during August 1886 and had a son and a daughter. They were divorced during 1907. Lindblom subsequently married Hanna Sadie Sparman in June 1907.Legacy
- A statue of Erik Lindblom, together with Jafet Lindeberg and John Brynteson stands in Nome, Alaska.
- Jafet Lindeberg, Erik Lindblom and John Brynteson are all listed in the Alaskan Mining Hall of Fame
Primary sources
- Harrison, Edward Sanford Nome and Seward Peninsula: a book of information about northwestern Alaska (E.S. Harrison. 1905)
- Carlson, Leland H. Swedish Pioneers & the Discovery of Gold in Alaska (American Swedish Historical Museum: Yearbook. 1948)