Lindsborg, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Lindsborg is a city in McPherson County
, Kansas
, USA
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,458. It is known for its association with Swedish heritage
and the biennial Svensk Hyllningsfest. The name of the town literally means "Town of Linds" and it comes from the fact that many of the Swedish settlers had last names that started with "Lind" and the Swedish word for town, which is "borg."
Lindsborg is known as "Little Sweden" because it was settled by Swedish immigrants
in the late 19th century. The City of Lindsborg was settled in the spring of 1869 by a group of Swedish immigrants from the Värmland
province of Sweden
led by Pastor Olof Olsson. Today, thirty percent of the population is of Swedish heritage. The downtown features gift shops that specialize in Swedish souvenirs, including various sizes of dala horses
.
Lindsborg has long been noted for the Svensk Hyllningsfest
and other efforts to remember its Swedish pioneer heritage. Svensk Hyllningsfest is a biennial celebration held in October of odd-numbered years since 1941, to celebrate the town's Swedish heritage.
The Swedish Pavilion
was originally built as an international exposition building for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. After the fair, the Swedish Pavilion was purchased by W.W. Thomas, U.S. Minister to Sweden and Norway, and presented to Bethany College in Lindsborg as a memorial to his friend Dr. Rev. Carl Aaron Swensson
, the founder of Bethany College who had recently died. The Pavilion was moved to Bethany College
in Lindsborg, where it was used for classroom, library, museum and department facilities for the art department. The Swedish Pavilion was moved to the McPherson County Old Mill Museum, also in Lindsborg in 1969.
Lindsborg also has an art museum showcasing the works of the artist and later resident, Birger Sandzen
. The Gallery was dedicated on October 20, 1957 on the Bethany College campus. It houses the largest and most extensive collection of his paintings, prints, drawings and watercolors found anywhere in the world.
, the city has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 3,321 people, 1,227 households, and 775 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,155.5 people per square mile (832.6/km²). There were 1,331 housing units at an average density of 863.9 per square mile (333.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.05% White, 1.11% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.30% from other races
, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population. 36.0% were of Swedish, 22.3% German
, 8.4% American
, 6.4% English
and 5.7% Irish
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 1,227 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples
living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 18.7% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $25,145 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,415. About 4.9% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
400. Lindsborg is the home of:
Schools
Historical
Maps
McPherson County, Kansas
McPherson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 29,180. The largest city and county seat is McPherson. The county is named for Civil War General James B. McPherson...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,458. It is known for its association with Swedish heritage
Swedish American
Swedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent, especially the descendants of about 1.2 million immigrants from Sweden during 1885-1915. Most were Lutherans who affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ; some were Methodists...
and the biennial Svensk Hyllningsfest. The name of the town literally means "Town of Linds" and it comes from the fact that many of the Swedish settlers had last names that started with "Lind" and the Swedish word for town, which is "borg."
History
Swedish emigration to the United States
During the Swedish emigration to the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries, about 1.3 million Swedes left Sweden for the United States...
in the late 19th century. The City of Lindsborg was settled in the spring of 1869 by a group of Swedish immigrants from the Värmland
Värmland
' is a historical province or landskap in the west of middle Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland and Närke. It is also bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are Vermelandia and Wermelandia. Although the province's land originally was Götaland, the...
province of 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....
led by Pastor Olof Olsson. Today, thirty percent of the population is of Swedish heritage. The downtown features gift shops that specialize in Swedish souvenirs, including various sizes of dala horses
Dalecarlian horse
A Dalecarlian horse or Dala horse is a traditional carved and painted wooden statuette of a horse originating in the Swedish province of Dalarna. In the old days the Dala horse was mostly used as a toy for children; in modern times it has become a symbol of Dalarna as well as Sweden in general...
.
Lindsborg has long been noted for the Svensk Hyllningsfest
Svensk Hyllningsfest
Svensk Hyllningsfest is a biennial celebration held in Lindsborg, Kansas, in October of odd-numbered years since 1941, to celebrate the town's Swedish heritage. The festival includes arts and crafts, Swedish dancing, Swedish foods including Lutfisk, entertainment by local artists and musicians, a...
and other efforts to remember its Swedish pioneer heritage. Svensk Hyllningsfest is a biennial celebration held in October of odd-numbered years since 1941, to celebrate the town's Swedish heritage.
The Swedish Pavilion
Swedish Pavilion
Swedish Pavilion is an historic site at Mill Street in Lindsborg, Kansas.Designed by Swedish architect Ferdinand Boberg, the Pavilion was built as an international exposition building for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair...
was originally built as an international exposition building for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. After the fair, the Swedish Pavilion was purchased by W.W. Thomas, U.S. Minister to Sweden and Norway, and presented to Bethany College in Lindsborg as a memorial to his friend Dr. Rev. Carl Aaron Swensson
Carl Aaron Swensson
Carl Aaron Swensson was an American Lutheran minister and founder and President of Bethany College.-Background:...
, the founder of Bethany College who had recently died. The Pavilion was moved to Bethany College
Bethany College (Kansas)
Bethany College is a small liberal arts college located in Lindsborg, Kansas and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America . The college's mission is to educate, develop and challenge individuals to reach for truth and excellence as they lead loves of faith, learning and service...
in Lindsborg, where it was used for classroom, library, museum and department facilities for the art department. The Swedish Pavilion was moved to the McPherson County Old Mill Museum, also in Lindsborg in 1969.
Lindsborg also has an art museum showcasing the works of the artist and later resident, Birger Sandzen
Birger Sandzén
Sven Birger Sandzén , known more commonly as Birger Sandzén, was a Swedish-American painter best known for his landscapes...
. The Gallery was dedicated on October 20, 1957 on the Bethany College campus. It houses the largest and most extensive collection of his paintings, prints, drawings and watercolors found anywhere in the world.
Geography
Lindsborg is located at 38°34′27"N 97°40′31"W (38.574274, -97.675185). According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), all of it land.
Area events
- Svensk Hyllningsfest is a biennial tribute to the Swedish pioneers occurring in October of odd numbered years.
Area attractions
- Birger Sandzén Memorial GalleryBirger Sandzén Memorial GalleryThe Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery is located in Lindsborg in McPherson County, Kansas. The memorial art gallery is located in "Little Sweden", a place where Swedish immigrants founded the town. The gallery is dedicated to Birger Sandzén, who was a Swedish born painter...
- Coronado Heights
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,321 people, 1,227 households, and 775 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,155.5 people per square mile (832.6/km²). There were 1,331 housing units at an average density of 863.9 per square mile (333.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.05% White, 1.11% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.30% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population. 36.0% were of Swedish, 22.3% German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 8.4% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 6.4% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
and 5.7% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 1,227 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 18.7% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $25,145 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,415. About 4.9% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
Primary and secondary education
Lindsborg is part of Unified School DistrictUnified school district
A unified school district or unit school district is a school district which includes both primary school and high school under the same district control....
400. Lindsborg is the home of:
- Smoky Valley High School
- Lindsborg Middle School
- Soderstrom Elementary
Other
- Lindsborg is also home to the Anatoly KarpovAnatoly KarpovAnatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
International School of ChessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
, located downtown.
Notable people
- Ted KessingerTed KessingerDr. Ted Kessinger is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas from 1976 to 2003, compiling a record of 219–57–1 for a winning percentage of...
, retired college footballCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach, member College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of FameThe College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in McPherson County, KansasNational Register of Historic Places listings in McPherson County, KansasThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in McPherson County, Kansas.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in McPherson County, Kansas, United States...
- Berquist & Nelson Drugstore BuildingBerquist & Nelson Drugstore BuildingBerquist & Nelson Drugstore Building is a historic drugstore at 105 N. Main Street in Lindsborg, Kansas.It was built in 1880 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009....
(1880) - Clareen-Peterson Restaurant BuildingClareen-Peterson Restaurant BuildingClareen-Peterson Restaurant Building is a historic building at 113 N. Main Street in Lindsborg, Kansas.It was built in 1899 as a restaurant by a Swedish immigrant, Carl Clareen. By 1909, John Peterson operated his restaurant, known as the Royal Cafe within the building, and the first floor...
(1899) - Farmers State BankFarmers State Bank (Lindsborg, Kansas)Farmers State Bank is a historic bank building at 101 South Main Street in Lindsborg, Kansas that is now the Lindsborg City Hall.The Italianate building was constructed in 1887 as a branch of the Farmers State Bank and "was the only bank of three to survive the Great Depression...
(1887) - Holmberg and Johnson Blacksmith ShopHolmberg and Johnson Blacksmith ShopHolmberg and Johnson Blacksmith Shop is a historic building at 122 N. Main Street in Lindsborg, Kansas.It was built in 1900 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009....
(1900) - Johnson HouseJohnson House (Lindsborg, Kansas)The Johnson House is an historic house at 26 West Lincoln Street in Lindsborg, Kansas.The Second Empire house was built in 1887 and added to the National Historic Register in 1998....
(1887) - Smoky Valley Roller MillSmoky Valley Roller MillSmoky Valley Roller Mill, now known as the McPherson County Old Mill Museum, is an historic mill and museum on Mill Street in Lindsborg, Kansas....
(1898) - Swedish PavilionSwedish PavilionSwedish Pavilion is an historic site at Mill Street in Lindsborg, Kansas.Designed by Swedish architect Ferdinand Boberg, the Pavilion was built as an international exposition building for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair...
(1904) - Teichgraeber-Runbeck HouseTeichgraeber-Runbeck HouseTeichgraeber-Runbeck House is a historic house at 116 Mill Street in Lindsborg, Kansas.It was built in 1906 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005....
(1906) - Lindsborg United States Post Office (1938)
- Berquist & Nelson Drugstore Building
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Saline County, KansasNational Register of Historic Places listings in Saline County, KansasThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Saline County, Kansas.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Saline County, Kansas, United States...
- Coronado HeightsCoronado HeightsCoronado Heights is a hill northwest of Lindsborg, Kansas. It is alleged to be near the place where Francisco Vasquez de Coronado gave up his search for the seven cities of gold and turned around to return to Mexico....
(1936)
- Coronado Heights
External links
CitySchools
- USD 400, local school district
Historical
Maps
- Lindsborg City Map, KDOT
- McPherson County Map, KDOT