Calling all
Genea-Musings Fans:
Randy Seaver of Genea-Musing has given us a new mission: "Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision."
1) The year is 1900. Choose an ancestor who was living in that year and write a short life sketch (no more than 300 words).*
2) Tell us about it in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook post. Please leave a link on this post if you write your own blog post.
* Thank you to Linda Stufflebean for suggesting this challenge.
Here's mine:
Previously, I have written about my husband’s maternal great-grandfather, Rev. Nils Malkom Nilsen, but I have recently discovered new information about him from Iowa newspapers.
Nils Malkom was born 21 June 1865 to Jonas Nilsson and Marta Larsdotter in Åsenhöga, Jönköping län, Sweden.[1] By the time he was in seminary school, Nils took the surname Nilsen instead of Jonasson. The whole family that came to America used the name Nilsen and the family who stayed in Sweden used Nilsson.
Nils came to America and arrived aboard the SS Circassia on 3 April 1889.[2] He served as pastor to the Mission Covenant Church in Sheffield, Pennsylvania; Youngstown, Ohio; Cromwell, Connecticut; and Harcourt, Iowa. This story tells that tale in Iowa up to their move to Hilmar, California.
Nils began pastoring at the Mission Church in Harcourt in the summer of 1903. A church history wrote about his time in their church:
“He proved to be a born leader, a very practical businessman, as well as an outstanding minister of the gospel. During his ministry, many new members were added, and due to his foresight, we can enjoy our present church home, as it was at this time that the original building was turned a quarter-turn on the lot and additions added both on the north and south. Rev. Nilsen ministered only two and one-half years before he resigned and moved to his own farm near Turlock, California which later became their pastor.”[3]
He also was involved in building the 1904 church, adding additional lots, and in 1905 installing horse stalls and a full basement, remodeling the parsonage and having the church and parsonage electrified.[4]
Two newspapers in Iowa printed items about Nils Malkom. From the neighboring town of Dayton is The Dayton Review and from the Webster County seat, Fort Dodge is the Fort Dodge Messenger.
A 1904 August article first reported on Nils Malkom’s trip to California.[5] While he was in California, he conducted a land transaction in Merced County.[6] He returned on 3 October 1904.[7]
In 1905, he conducted more land transactions. He sold a lot in Hilmar, California to another Iowan, John S. Main:
“Nils M. Nilsen of Harcourt, County of Webster, state of Iowa, on the first part and John S. Main of Lanyon, County of Webster, state of Iowa on the second part, in consideration of the sum of $600 in gold coin, for a parcel of land described as follows: The east half of lot 308 in Hilmar Colony as the same appears on the official map or plat of said Colony, now on file and of record in the office of the County Recorder of Merced County, State of California.”[8]
Then he purchased a lot from Nels O. Hultberg of Turlock, California:
“Nels O. Hultberg of Turlock, Stanislaus Co, California to N.M. Nilsen of Harcourt, Webster Co, Iowa for $10.00 gold coin. The SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section II, Township 6 south, Range 10 East M. D.B. & M. containing 40 acres, reserving 30 feet along west line for county road. The Party of the first part reserves right to use canals and ditches for irrigation purposes.”[9]
It wouldn’t be until October 1906 that the family moved to Hilmar, California. First, they advertise the sale of their household items to be held on September 15, 1906, at the parsonage.[10] From the list, it looks like he sold just about everything except some personal items. Mr. C.G. Main also had his sale the same day. It is likely the two men moved their families at the same time.
The last item in the news was the news of the members of the Swedish Mission church all gathering in their church to bid farewell to the Rev. and Mrs. Nilsen.[11]
-p8-c2-Nilsen-to-California.png)
We had always known the family lived in Harcourt before coming to Hilmar and the land transactions fooled us into thinking they had come in 1904. Now I know it was in the fall of 1906.
* Sorry, this was more than 300 words.
[1] “Sweden,
Indexed Birth Records, 1859-1947,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2262
: 11 Feb 2023) > Jönköping > Åsenhöga > 1865 > im 2 of 3, line 12,
Nils Malkom Jonasson, 1865.
[2] "Passenger
Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1957," digital
images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7488
: 11 Feb 2023) > Date > 1889 > Apr > 03 > Circassia > im 8 of
11, SS Circassia, no. 373, Nils Nilson; NARA M237, roll 531.
[3] United
Evangelical Covenant Church, Centennial Jubilee August 13-14, 1988
(Harcourt, Iowa, 1988.), p 7.
[4]
Ibid, 17-19.
[5] "Harcourt
Happenings," The Dayton Review (Iowa), 11 Aug 1904, p 8, col 1,
Rev. N. Nelsen.
[6] Merced
County, California, deeds, 65: 130-31, Rev. N.M. Nilsen to The Fin De Sircle
Investment Co., 1 Oct 1904.
[7] "Harcourt
Happenings," The Dayton Review (Iowa), 6 Oct 1904, p 8, col 3, Rev
NM Nilsen.
[8] Merced
County, California, deeds, Bk 65: 330-31, Nils M. Nilsen to John S. Main, 25
Jul 1905.
[9] Merced
County, California, deeds, Bk 165: 328-29, Nels O. Hultberg to N.M. Nilsen, 1
Aug 1905.
[10] “Combination
Sale,” The Dayton Review (Iowa), 13 Sep 1906, p. 5, NM Nilsen.
[11] "Harcourt
Happenings," The Dayton Review (Iowa), 20 Sep 1906, p 8, col 2.
I have to admit my favorite part of the story is that he installed horse stalls in 1905. Little did he know that those new-fangled automobiles were right around the corner.
ReplyDeleteOf course, Harcourt was in the country, so I doubt the automobiles were a bit hit that soon.
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