Swedish Roots in Oregon

Swedish Roots in Oregon (SRIO) is an SCA affiliate with six members. It is a non-profit corporation researching history and settlements of Oregon by Swedish immigrants, with a goal of disseminating the results. SRIO is now in the final stages of publishing "Swedish Oregon," a 300+ page book to be released in October. Ordering details are on the Web site: www.swedishrootsinoregon.org

"Swedish Oregon" explores over a century of Swedish history in Oregon. It's about change -- continuous, inevitable change. The material collected reflects the way Oregon has changed, but it primarily focuses on the changes of the Swedish experience. Some changes have been external, such as the active "Americanization" movement around World War I, and others have come from within the Swedish community itself, such as losing the language. Many Swedish immigrants were open to change and willingly let go of the past while embracing their new homeland. Others were more reluctant and resisted change.

Swedish Council of America, the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, and Portland's Swedish Society Linnea provided major grants to support the work.

SRIO also helps persons in both America and Sweden with genealogical queries.

This article was submitted by Barry Peterson and edited by Kerstin Trowbridge.

September 2008