New Sweden is a town in

Aroostook County Aroostook County ( ; ) is the northernmost county in the U.S. state of Maine. It is located along the Canada–United States border. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,105. The county seat is Houlton, with offices in Caribou and Fo ...

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, United States. The population was 577 at the 2020 census.

History

Starting in 1870, a Swedish-immigrant colony was established by the

State of Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

in Aroostook County. The State of Maine had appointed William W. Thomas, Jr., who had served as American Consul in Sweden during the administration of President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

, to be State Immigration Commissioner. On March 23, 1870, the Legislature passed an Act authorizing a Board of Immigration and Thomas was named Commissioner of Immigration. Thomas went to Sweden, recruited the first 51 immigrants, and led them into the township that became New Sweden. Early hardships were overcome and the colony prospered and grew into the neighboring townships of Westmanland (1879),

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

(1881) and the surrounding areas. New Sweden has maintained many Swedish traditions since its founding, including the celebrations of St. Lucia Day and "

Midsommar ''Midsommar'' is a 2019 folk horror film written and directed by Ari Aster. It stars Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor as an American couple who are drawn into a violent cult in rural Sweden. Supporting actors include William Jackson Harper, Vi ...

." Founders Day is also observed on July 23 every year. The Swedish language can sometimes still be heard in the older generation. The New Sweden Folk Dancers typically perform at many of the Swedish celebrations and Swedish foods are known to grace the tables. New Sweden was the home of

Einar Gustafson Einar Gustafson (August 18, 1935 – January 21, 2001) gained fame as a 12-year-old cancer patient when he became nationally known as "Jimmy". The name started a fund-raising program in 1948 known as The Jimmy Fund for the Dana–Farber Cancer ...

, who was the archetype of the child for whom the Jimmy Fund was named. The

Disappearance of Stefanie Damron Stefanie Damron, a 14-year-old girl from New Sweden, Maine, US, disappeared on September 23, 2024. She was last seen leaving her home and walking into the nearby woods on West Road following an argument with her sister. Her family reported her mi ...

occurred here in September 2024.

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 town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

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 602 people, 255 households, and 182 families living in the town. 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 323 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.5%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 ...

, 1.7% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.0% 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 of any race were 0.8% of the population. There were 255 households, of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% 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, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.6% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age in the town was 48.3 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.9% were from 25 to 44; 39.2% were from 45 to 64; and 17.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.5% male and 49.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 621 people, 247 households, and 179 families living in the town. The

was 17.9 people per square mile (6.9/km). There were 319 housing units at an average density of 9.2 per square mile (3.5/km). The racial makeup of the town was 95.17%

, 0.16%

, 1.29% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 2.74% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.25% of the population. 33.4% were of Swedish, 16.9%

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

, 14.5% English, 9.6% Irish and 6.0%

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 ...

ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 247 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were

living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.94. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $29,625, and the median income for a family was $42,563. Males had a median income of $30,625 versus $22,500 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 town was $14,534. About 10.4% of families and 14.4% 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 24.4% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

Historic buildings and sites

Several sites and buildings in New Sweden are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Among them are the Larsson–Noak Historic District and the Gustaf Adolph Lutheran Church, which was organized in August, 1871. The Gustaf Adolph Lutheran Church was served by a native Swedish pastor, the Reverend Hans Olof Andræ, from 1979 to 1985. Rev. Andræ also served as pastor to the Faith, Caribou, and Trinity (formerly Oscar Frederick) Lutheran churches. He occasionally conducted services in Swedish. His daughter, Rebecka Vanja Andræ, taught conversational Swedish classes from 1983 to 1985.

2003 poisoning

The town made national news headlines in 2003 when a man poisoned the coffee urn at the local

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

church, sickening 15 parishioners and killing one. On April 27, 2003, 78-year-old Walter Reid Morrill, known to the town by his middle name, died of

arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol As and atomic number 33. It is a metalloid and one of the pnictogens, and therefore shares many properties with its group 15 neighbors phosphorus and antimony. Arsenic is not ...

poisoning after drinking coffee at the Gustaf Adolph

Church in New Sweden, and 15 other, mostly elderly churchgoers became ill, three of them seriously. Five days later, church member Daniel Bondeson, 53, was found after apparently shooting himself in the lower-chest with a rifle, and left a suicide note in which he confessed to committing with the poisoning stating that it was caused by a dispute that the church did not use an altar-table he donated weeks before the poisoning. The note also stated that he intended to sicken the parishioners rather than kill them, but the first death from a poisoning to a friend of his drove him to suicide. The note has never been released to the public. The arsenic was later discovered to have been sourced from Bondeson's farm where it was used as a

herbicide Herbicides (, ), also commonly known as weed killers, are substances used to control undesired plants, also known as weeds.EPA. February 201Pesticides Industry. Sales and Usage 2006 and 2007: Market Estimates. Summary in press releasMain page f ...

. Another victim would die years later due to complications from the poisoning. The crime was chronicled in Christine Young's 2005

true crime True crime is a genre of non-fiction work in which an author examines a crime, including detailing the actions of people associated with and affected by the crime, and investigating the perpetrator's Motive (law), motives. True crime works often ...

book ''A Bitter Brew: Faith, Power, and Poison in a Small New England Town'' and on the show, '' Mystery ER'', which aired an episode on this incident from the point of view of the youngest victim, then 30 years old.

References

Other sources

*''The Story of New Sweden as Told at the Quarter Centennial Celebration'' (University of Michigan Library. 1896) *Lenentine, Charlotte ''The Swedish People of Northern Maine'' (University of Maine. 1950) *Hede, Richard ''Maine's Swedish Colony 1870–1970 Centennial Book'' (1970) * Young, Christine Ellen. ''A Bitter Brew: Faith, Power, and Poison in a Small New England Town''. Berkley Pub Group, 2006. , 9780425209189.

External links

Town of New Sweden
{{authority control Swedish-American culture in Maine Swedish-American history Towns in Aroostook County, Maine Towns in Maine 1870 establishments in Maine Populated places established in 1870 Settlement schemes in the United States