Anders Christian Nielsen (June 30, 1848 – January 16, 1929), known only as A. C. Nielsen, was a real estate speculator in early 20th century

Junction City, Oregon Junction City is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, it has a population of 6,747. The Junction City area is notable for its Scandinavian heritage, with the city's Scandinavian Festival attracting ...

. His efforts helped to create a Danish farming community in

Lane County, Oregon Lane County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 382,971, making it the fourth-most populous county in Oregon. The county seat is Eugene. It is named in honor of Joseph Lane, Orego ...

. The annual Scandinavian Festival would not exist without Mr. Nielsen's Danish colony. He also helped to found the Junction City Danish

United Evangelical Lutheran Church The United Evangelical Lutheran Church (commonly known as the United Church) was one of the many denominations formed when Lutherans came to the United States from Europe. Originally known as the United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Uni ...

, now known as Faith Lutheran Church (Junction City, Oregon). In 1902, A. C. Nielsen left

Tyler, Minnesota Tyler is a city in Lincoln County, Minnesota, United States. The population in was 1,143 at the 2010 census. History Tyler was platted in 1879. It was named for C. B. Tyler, a Minnesota land agent and newspaper editor. A post office has been in ...

and purchased at auction 1600 acres east of Junction City, in an area now in the vicinity of Dane Lane. The land was auctioned by F. T. Plank and Company for Gait C. Millett. Millett later became Nielsen's real estate partner. Nielsen placed advertisements in a Danish language newspaper, the Dannevirke, in

Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 40,713. It is home to the University of Northern Iowa, a public university. History Cedar Falls was first settled in March 1845 by ...

, for parcels of 10 to 60 acres. Another publication to carry the advertisements was

Den Danske Pioneer ''Den Danske Pioneer'' (The Danish Pioneer) is the oldest Danish-language newspaper published in the United States. ''Den Danske Pioneer'' is one of two remaining Danish-language newspapers in the United States. The other is '' Bien'' (Danish for ...

in Omaha, Nebraska.The Danish Settlement of Junction City, John Alden Olson, R & E Research Associates, San Francisco, 1975, p4 The farms were purchased by European immigrants, many born in Denmark, and within a few months the Danish colony came into existence.

References

External links

Lane County Historical Society Pamphlet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nielsen, Anders Christian 1848 births People from Junction City, Oregon 1929 deaths People from Tyler, Minnesota