Ernst Skarstedt
Encyclopedia
Ernst Skarstedt was a Swedish-American author, journalist and editor of Swedish language
books and newspapers. He is most noted as the author of a three volume trilogy covering the Swedish immigrant experience in the Pacific Northwest
.
, in Västra Götaland County
, located in the traditional province of Bohuslän
, Sweden
. Skarstedt was born at the parsonage where his father served as Minister. His father, Carl Wilhelm Skarstedt, became a distinguished professor of theology at Lund University. His younger brother was Swedish journalist and politician, Carl Abraham Waldemar Skarstedt.
. From 1891 he edited Vestkusten, published in San Francisco. Ernst Skarstedt was later hired as the editor of Nordstjernan
in New York City
. Later having moved to Portland, Oregon
, Skarstedt made an attempt to publish a local Swedish language newspaper, Demokraten a newspaper aimed at educating Swedes about local politics.
In 1890, Skarstedt published Oregon och Washington: Dessa staters historia, resurser och folkliv (Oregon and Washington: The History, Resources and Folklore of These States), a volume that combined history with a handbook for potential settlers. Washington och dess Svenska Befolkning (Washington and its Swedish population) was published in 1908. This provided a history of the area and descriptions of communities and industries. In 1911, he published the last volume in his trilogy about the Swedish immigrants Oregon och dess svenska befolkning (Oregon and its Swedish Population). The book included biographies of prominent Swedish-Americans.
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
books and newspapers. He is most noted as the author of a three volume trilogy covering the Swedish immigrant experience in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
.
Background
Ernst Teofil Skarstedt was born in Solberga parish, municipality of KungälvKungälv
Kungälv is a city and the seat of Kungälv Municipality in Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 21,139 inhabitants in 2005.-History:According to Swedish official sources the city was founded in 1612, when the former settlement at Kungahälla was moved to the Bohus Fortress...
, in Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County is a county or län on the western coast of Sweden.The county is the second largest of Sweden's counties and it is subdivided into 49 municipalities . Its population of 1,550,000 amounts to 17% of Sweden's population...
, located in the traditional province of Bohuslän
Bohuslän
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea to the west, and the county of Østfold in Norway to the north...
, 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....
. Skarstedt was born at the parsonage where his father served as Minister. His father, Carl Wilhelm Skarstedt, became a distinguished professor of theology at Lund University. His younger brother was Swedish journalist and politician, Carl Abraham Waldemar Skarstedt.
Career
He emigrated to the United States in 1878. Skarstedt became the co-editor of Svenska amerikanaren in 1880 and Svenska tribunen in 1884, both published in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. From 1891 he edited Vestkusten, published in San Francisco. Ernst Skarstedt was later hired as the editor of Nordstjernan
Nordstjernan (newspaper)
Nordstjernan is a mostly English-language newspaper for Swedish Americans and Swedes in the USA. It has been published since 1872 and contains news summaries, trends and columnists from Sweden but also covers traditions, trivia, seasonal recipes, and reports on Swedish community activities from...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Later having moved to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Skarstedt made an attempt to publish a local Swedish language newspaper, Demokraten a newspaper aimed at educating Swedes about local politics.
In 1890, Skarstedt published Oregon och Washington: Dessa staters historia, resurser och folkliv (Oregon and Washington: The History, Resources and Folklore of These States), a volume that combined history with a handbook for potential settlers. Washington och dess Svenska Befolkning (Washington and its Swedish population) was published in 1908. This provided a history of the area and descriptions of communities and industries. In 1911, he published the last volume in his trilogy about the Swedish immigrants Oregon och dess svenska befolkning (Oregon and its Swedish Population). The book included biographies of prominent Swedish-Americans.
Selected works
- Svensk-amerikanska poeter i ord och bild (1890)
- Oregon och Washington (1890)
- Våra pennfäktare (1897)
- Under västliga skyar, poetry (1907)
- Washington och dess svenska befolkning (1908)
- California och dess Svenska Befolkning (1910)
- Oregon och dess svenska befolkning (1911)
- Vagabond och redaktör (1914)
- Svensk-amerikanska folket i helg och söcken (1917)
Related reading
- Lindquist, Emory An Immigrant's American Odyssey: A Biography of Ernst Skarstedt (Rock Island, Illinois: Augustana Historical Society, 1974)
- Nordström, Lars Swedish Oregon (Portland: Swedish Roots in Oregon Press. 2008)
- Rosqvist, Leif The Great History of Swedes in Oregon (Portland: Swedish Roots in Oregon Press. 2008)