Lindsborg is a city in

McPherson County, Kansas McPherson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is McPherson. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 30,223. The county was named for James McPherson, a general in the Civil War ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 3,776. Lindsborg is known for its large Swedish, other Nordic and Scandinavian heritages. It is home to the biennial Svensk Hyllningsfest.

History

For many millennia, the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

were inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th to the 18th century, the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...

claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

, France secretly ceded

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, 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 The Louisiana Purchase () was the acquisition of the Louisiana (New France), territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. This consisted of most of the land in the Mississippi River#Watershed, Mississipp ...

. 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 Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

became the 34th

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

. 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 Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

from the

Värmland Värmland () is a ''Provinces of Sweden, landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Name Several Latinized version ...

province of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

led by Pastor Olof Olsson. 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 Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

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 Svensk Hyllningsfest, 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, which was originally constructed as an international exposition building for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. 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 Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum, also in Lindsborg, in 1969. The Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery is located in Lindsborg. Dedicated on October 20, 1957, on the Bethany College campus, it showcases the works of the artist Birger Sandzén 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. Having reigned since 1973, he is the longest-reigning monarch in Swedish history. Carl Gustaf was born during the reign of his paternal great-grandfather, K ...

visited Lindsborg in April 1976 during his

royal tour A state visit is a formal visit by the head of state, head of a sovereign state, sovereign country (or Governor-general, representative of the head of a sovereign country) to another sovereign country, at the invitation of the head of state (or ...

of the United States. In 2004, Lindsborg was named

Chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

City of the Year by the

United States Chess Federation The United States Chess Federation (also known as US Chess or USCF) is the governing body for chess competition in the United States and represents the U.S. in FIDE, The World Chess Federation (FIDE). USCF administers the official national Chess ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, 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 The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Lindsborg has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 3,776 people, 1,346 households, and 838 families in Lindsborg. The population density was 2,060.0 per square mile (795.4/km). There were 1,469 housing units at an average density of 801.4 per square mile (309.4/km). The racial makeup was 87.76% (3,314)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

(86.28%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 2.6% (98)

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, 0.34% (13) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 0.48% (18) Asian, 0.03% (1)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

, 3.2% (121) from other races, and 5.59% (211) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino people of any race was 5.99% (226) of the population. Of the 1,346 households, 25.9% had children under the age of 18; 51.0% were married couples living together; 27.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 32.0% of households consisted of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 3.0. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 23.1% of the population. 17.5% of the population was under the age of 18, 21.0% from 18 to 24, 18.0% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 23.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 113.5 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $54,500 (with a margin of error of +/- $11,380) and the median family income was $76,055 (+/- $5,526). Males had a median income of $36,912 (+/- $9,433) versus $24,500 (+/- $10,517) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $26,383 (+/- $2,680). Approximately, 3.3% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 5.9% of those under the age of 18 and 7.7% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 3,458 people, 1,303 households, and 829 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 1,414 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.7%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1%

, 0.8% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.

or Latino people 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 recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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

of 2000, there were 3,321 people, 1,227 households, and 775 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,331 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.05%

, 1.11%

, 0.39% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.30% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races.

or Latino people of any race were 1.60% of the population. 36.0% were of Swedish, 22.3%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 8.4% American, 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 Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $17,415. About 4.9% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the

, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Area events

* Chocolate Lovers Affair & Art Auction is an annual February fundraiser in support of a vibrant arts community and graduates pursuing art. * Våffeldagen or Waffle Day is celebrated annually in March. * Messiah Festival of the Arts is a comprehensive arts festival concluding with a full-length performance of Handel's Messiah as established in 1881. * Lindsborg City-Wide Garage Sale is an annual yard sale in May for residents and visitors alike. * Millfest is an annual festival on the first Saturday in May featuring historic sites, folk music, woodcarving, wheat and fiber art weaving, and old fashioned games and activities. *

Midsummer Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer, taking place on or near the date of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere; the longest Daytime, day of the year. The name "midsummer" mainly refers to summer solstice festivals of Eu ...

annual summer solstice festival * Smoky Valley Classic Car Show * Lindsborg Street Dance is an annual summer evening dance party featuring live music. * Coronado Heights Run is an annual event in October featuring a kids fun walk, 5K, and 15K on scenic country roads. * The Falun Classic Bike Ride is an annual 32-mile bicycle ride in October. * Svensk Hyllningsfest is a biennial tribute to the Swedish pioneers occurring in October of odd-numbered years. * Christmas in Lindsborg is a month-long series of events in December including the Snowflake Parade, Artist Open Studios, a St. Lucia Festival, Heritage Christmas, Julotta, and ''Annandag Jul'' among other entertainment and shopping events.

Area attractions

* Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery * Red Barn Studio Museum * Clara Hatton Center (art museum and event space) * Smoky Valley Arts and Folk Life Center * Coronado Heights * Smoky Valley Roller Mill * Broadway RFD (Kansas's longest-running outdoor theater, established in 1959) * International Chess Institute of the Midwest, formerly known as the

Anatoly Karpov Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (, ; born May 23, 1951) is a Russian and former Soviet Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster, former World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion, ⁣and politician. He was the 12th World Chess Champion from 1975 ...

International School of Chess * Swedish Pavilion historic site * Historic Homes Tour

Education

Bethany College in Lindsborg Kansas KS USA

Primary and secondary education

The community is served by Smoky Valley USD 400 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

International School of

, 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. is an American operator of Intercity bus service, intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as interci ...

Notable people

* Jay Emler, former

Kansas Senate The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 senators elected from single-member districts, each with a population of about 73,000 inhabitants. Members o ...

majority leader from 2011 to 2014, former District 35 senator from 2001 to 2014, previously a Lindsborg municipal judge * Ted Kessinger, retired

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

coach, member of

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

* Ebba Nylander, violinist and conductor born in Lindsborg * John W. Peterson, Gospel songwriter born in Lindsborg * Birger Sandzén, Swedish-born painter and teacher

Gallery

File:Old Depot - Lindsborg KS.jpg, Old Lindsborg railroad station, located in Heritage Square in Lindsborg. File:Swedish Pavilion - Lindsborg KS.jpg, Swedish Pavilion from 1904 Saint Louis World's Fair, 2009 File:Fremont Lutheran Church near Lindsborg Kansas KS USA.jpg, Fremont Lutheran Church (built 1870) 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. File:Hemslojd Artist.jpg, The Hemslöjd specializes in imported Swedish goods and brightly colored Dala horses that are made in-house.

References

External links

;City *
Lindsborg - Directory of Public Officials
League of Kansas Municipalities ;Historical
McPherson County Old Mill Museum

Birger Sandzén Gallery

Historic Images of Lindsborg
Special Photo Collections at

Wichita State University Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...

Library
Photo from 1961 Svensk Hyllnings Fest
{{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in McPherson County, Kansas Populated places established in 1869 Swedish-American culture in Kansas 1869 establishments in Kansas