Jones County Texas Archives - History of Ericksdahl - 1927 *********************************************************** Submitted by: Dorman Holub Date: 19 January 2020 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/jones/jonestoc.htm *********************************************************** The Stamford AmericanThursday, June 30, 1927Ericksdahl Community Was Organized in Fall of 1925; First Settlers Came From Travis and Williamson Countiesby Theresia C. Newquist The Ericksdahl community in Jones county was organized in the fall of 1905 when alarge number of Scandinavians from Travis and Williamson counties came and purchasedland from Swenson Bros. They purchased the land that is usually called the Swedesettlement. It extends from Lueders to Avoca from the Clear Fork to California Creekand from Stamford east about 7 miles.Before the New Colony was organized, a few families were living here, either farmingor working on S.M. Swenson Ranches. The very first ones were C.H. Seth, who came toAbilene in 1882 and who worked on S.M.S. Ranches; A.J. Swenson in 1883; John Lunn1902 and N.M. Segerstrom in 1904.Ericksdahl, the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church, was organized January 25, 1906,with Dr. J.A. Stanbife and Rev. L.J. Sundquist, who have done quite a bit for theupholding and uplifting of Bethel Lutheran Church in its early years. Owing to thevast number of farmers who came here from Central Texas and their influence ofraising cotton the Ericksdahl community blossomed up quite a bit and prospects werevery bright and now after 25 years of hard work, the early settlers can look back andthink that victory is theirs. This community has had its drawbacks, but now we have alarge congregation, one of the best pastors and various organizations of the churchsuch as Luther League, Willing Workers, LadiesŐ Aid and a Junior Mission Band, anup-to-date school and two stores: Olsburg and Olson-VIll.