Lindsborg is a city in McPherson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,776. Lindsborg is known for its large

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

, other Nordic and Scandinavian Americans ( Nordic- Scandinavian), and German heritages, It is home of the biennial

Svensk Hyllningsfest Svensk Hyllningsfest (, "Swedish Honoring Festival") is a biennial celebration held in Lindsborg, Kansas, in October of odd-numbered years to celebrate the Swedish heritage of the community. The festival includes Swedish dancing, foods including ' ...

History

For many millennia, the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

were inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th to the 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau. In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France. In 1803, the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France for 2.83 cents per acre as part of the 828,000 square-mile Louisiana Purchase. In 1854, the

Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Slave and ...

was organized and in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. McPherson County, which included the land for the future Lindsborg, was established in 1867. Lindsborg was settled in the spring of 1869 by a group of immigrants from the Värmland province of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

led by Pastor

Olof Olsson Olof Olsson (31 March 1841 – 12 May 1900) was a prominent Swedish-American Lutheran clergyman who served in several churches in the American Midwest. He was also the third president of Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, serving from ...

. In 1879, the same year Lindsborg incorporated as a city, the first railroad came through. Lindsborg translates as '' Linden Castle'' from Swedish to English, referring to a tree name known in Europe for a species of ''tilia'' (Swedish: ''lind''). The community is named for four men whose surnames included "Lind", N. P. Linde, S. P. Lindgren, S. A. Lindell, and J. O. Lindh, who had held prominent positions in a Chicago organization of Swedish farmers (''Svenska Lantbrukskompaniet'' or First Swedish Agricultural Company) which was involved in the settling of Lindsborg until 1877. Thirty percent of the current residents are of Swedish descent. Because the town has retained so much of the heritage of its founders, it has become known as "Little Sweden". The downtown features gift shops that specialize in Swedish souvenirs, including various sizes of Dala horses. Lindsborg has long been noted for the

, a biennial celebration held in October of odd-numbered years since 1941, and other efforts to honor its heritage. Lindsborg is the home of the

Swedish Pavilion Swedish Pavilion is an historic site at Mill Street in Lindsborg, Kansas. Designed by Swedish architect Ferdinand Boberg, the Pavilion was built as an international exposition building for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. After the fair, the P ...

, which was originally constructed as an international exposition building for the

1904 St. Louis World's Fair The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds totaling $15 milli ...

. After the fair, it was purchased by W. W. Thomas, U.S. Minister to Sweden and Norway, and presented to Lindsborg's Bethany College as a memorial to his friend Dr. Rev. Carl Aaron Swensson, the school's recently-deceased founder. At Bethany, it was used by the art department as a classroom, library, and museum. It was moved to the

McPherson County Old Mill Museum Smoky Valley Roller Mills, now known as the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum, is an historic mill and museum on Mill Street in Lindsborg, Kansas. History Smoky Valley Roller Mills was built in 1898 to make flour from wheat. The roll ...

, also in Lindsborg, in 1969. The

Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery The Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery is located in Lindsborg in McPherson County, Kansas. The memorial art gallery is located in "Little Sweden," a town founded by Swedish immigrants. The gallery is dedicated to Birger Sandzén, who was a Swedish- ...

is located in Lindsborg. Dedicated on October 20, 1957, on the Bethany College campus, it showcases the works of the artist

Birger Sandzén Sven Birger Sandzén (February 5, 1871 – June 22, 1954), known more commonly as Birger Sandzén, was a Swedish painter best known for his landscapes. He produced most of his work while working as an art professor at Bethany College, Linds ...

who lived in the city. The gallery houses the largest and most extensive collection of his paintings, prints, and drawings found anywhere in the world. Swedish King

Carl XVI Gustaf Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden. He ascended the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973. He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Du ...

visited Lindsborg in April 1976 during his royal tour of the United States. In 2004, Lindsborg was named Chess City of the Year by the United States Chess Federation.

Geography

Lindsborg is located at (38.5736176, -97.6744838). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Lindsborg has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Area events

is a biennial tribute to the Swedish pioneers occurring in October of odd-numbered years.

Area attractions

Coronado Heights
*

Smoky Valley Roller Mill Smoky Valley Roller Mills, now known as the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum, is an historic mill and museum on Mill Street in Lindsborg, Kansas. History Smoky Valley Roller Mills was built in 1898 to make flour from wheat. The roll ...

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 3,458 people, 1,303 households, and 829 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,414 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.8% White, 1.7% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population. There were 1,303 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.4% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 20.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 17.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.7% were from 25 to 44; 23.6% were from 45 to 64; and 19.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,321 people, 1,227 households, and 775 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,155.5 people per square mile (832.6/km). There were 1,331 housing units at an average density of 863.9 per square mile (333.7/km). The racial makeup of the city was 97.05% White, 1.11% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.30% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population. 36.0% were of

, 22.3% German, 8.4%

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, 6.4% English and 5.7% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 1,227 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were

living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.89. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 18, 18.7% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $25,145 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,415. About 4.9% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Bethany College in Lindsborg Kansas KS USA

Primary and secondary education

The community is served by

Smoky Valley USD 400 Smoky Valley USD 400, also known as Smoky Valley Public Schools, is a public unified school district headquartered in Lindsborg, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Lindsborg, Falun, Johnstown, Langley, Marquette, ...

public school district. Lindsborg is the home of: * Smoky Valley High School * Smoky Valley Middle School * Soderstrom Elementary

College

* Bethany College

Other

* The International Chess School of the Midwest, formerly called the Anatoly Karpov International School of Chess, is located downtown.

Transportation

K-4 highway passes through Lindsborg. Bus service is provided daily towards Wichita and Salina by BeeLine Express (subcontractor of

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and pac ...

Notable people

Jay Emler Jay Scott Emler (born May 25, 1949) is a former Republican member of the Kansas Senate, representing the 35th district from 2001 until 2014. He previously worked as a Municipal Judge in Lindsborg. Emler was elected by his colleagues to serve ...

, former Kansas Senate majority leader from 2011 to 2014, former District 35 senator from 2001 to 2014, was previously a Lindsborg municipal judge *

Ted Kessinger Ted Kessinger (born January 15, 1941) is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas from 1976 to 2003, compiling a record of 219–57–1 for a winning percentage of . He is a ...

, retired

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

coach, member

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...

* Ebba Nylander, violinist and conductor born in Lindsborg *

John W. Peterson John Willard Peterson (November 1, 1921 – September 20, 2006) was a songwriter who had a major influence on evangelical Christian music in the 1950s through the 1970s. He wrote over 1000 songs, and 35 cantatas. Biography Born in Lindsborg, Kans ...

, Gospel songwriter born in Lindsborg *

, Swedish-born painter and teacher

Gallery

Historic Images of Lindsborg
Special Photo Collections at Wichita State University Library
Photo from 1961 Svensk Hyllnings Fest
File:Old Depot - Lindsborg KS.jpg, Old Lindsborg railroad station, located in Heritage Square in Lindsborg. File:Swedish Pavilion - Lindsborg KS.jpg,

from 1904

Saint Louis World's Fair The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds totaling $15 milli ...

, 2009 File:Fremont Lutheran Church near Lindsborg Kansas KS USA.jpg, Fremont Lutheran Church near Lindsborg File:Dugout from a former sod house in Lindsborg Kansas KS USA.jpg, Höglund Dugout, originally the home of the Gustaf and Maria Höglund family, where they lived while constructing their larger home and homestead. 12th Avenue off Wells Fargo Road one mile from Lindsborg