New Sweden> Local town history centennial projects written by students about their communities

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of 42 local town history centennial projects written by students about their communities in the Bangor Daily News readership area. Students were asked to compile a time line of important events in the 20th century, to write an essay about what has set their community apart, and to choose a photograph that sums up something important about their community’s history.

By the seventh- and eighth-grade classes of the New Sweden School, Carol Viens teacher

Fifty-one people, led by special state envoy William Widgery Thomas, sailed from Sweden to Maine on the Orlando in 1870. They were promised 100 acres in Aroostook County to establish farms, but they had to build roads connecting the farms with other communities. Thus, New Sweden was formed.

Some well-known people reside among New Sweden’s small population of nearly 800 people. Resident Maria Sjoholm honored the community when she ran with the Olympic torch in Atlanta for the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Another well-known resident is Einar Gustafson, the Jimmy Fund’s first poster child. He contributed to cancer research by raising money for the fund. He also was the first patient to receive chemotherapy and survive. He is now a trucker and continues to raise money for this project.

Our small town of New Sweden has many Swedish traditions that still are celebrated. One of the them is St. Lucia. The students of the New Sweden School, totalling approximately 80 children to 90 children, carry this out. A girl is designated St. Lucia and she walks throughout the school with a halo of candles on her head bringing light to the winter darkness.

Another tradition still celebrated is Midsommar. This tradition consists of Swedish dancers who dress up in costumes and dance around a pole of flowers called the maypole.

Because of our northern location and high elevation, we have not been subjected to a lot of development. For this reason, we are able to participate in many outdoor recreational activities.

Although we are so small, we still manage to have fun here, and we like it just the way it is.

New Sweden Time Line

1948 — Einar Gustafson of New Sweden is the first “Jimmy” of the Jimmy Fund, founded in 1948.

1948 — Route 161 is built to run through New Sweden.

1965 — A seismograph is installed in New Sweden by the federal government.

1970 — New Sweden celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding.

1977 — Nancy Jepson of New Sweden is crowned Miss Maine.

1979 — B&A Railroad begins to disassemble tracks through town.

1982 — Earthquake tremor shakes New Sweden, measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale.

1991 — Yankee Magazine publishes an article on New Sweden’s currently celebrated traditional festivities.

1995 — Gov. Angus King attends New Sweden’s 125th anniversary celebration.

1996 — Maria Sjoholm of New Sweden runs with the torch in the summer Olympics in Atlanta, Ga.