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History in
a Pecan Shell
In 1905 a flock of Swedish immigrants transmigrated from their farms
in Travis and Williamson
County, led by their pastor Ernest Severin. The town's name carried
on a tradition (after New
Sweden in Travis
County and nearby East Sweden,
Texas) but the town never prospered and it is believed the residents
returned to their previous homes. The community remained on highway
maps in 1948 but by the 1980s it was just a memory.
A letter to Texas Escapes from former resident Jim Johnson includes
this information (as well as detailed directions to the former town):
"West Sweden is almost entirely gone. About 7 miles west of Brady
on US 87, north of the highway at the T intersection of 2 gravel roads
there is sign on the highway pointing to the cemetery and it is grown
over pretty bad unless somebody has done something.
I remember only the Methodist Church and the school. The school was
vacant as the students [were transfered] to Brady.
(My memory goes back to the last year or so of WWII.)
The church burned down pre-1950. There probably was a store but I
don't know anything about it."
"Just for [additional] information; the town of Melvin
also had a lot of Swedish settlers. In the 1940s it was probably one
third Swedish, one third of other Europeans and one third Hispanic.
We went to the Swedish Evangelical Free Church and the older Sunday
School classes were conducted in the Swedish language. Several would
still pray in Swedish during the services." - Jim Johnson, Bridgeport,
Texas
Editor's Note:
Our thanks to Mr. Johnson for suggesting the McCulloch County towns
of West Sweden, Whiteland and Marco
for inclusion in Texas Escapes. |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
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