Eliason family papers, 1895-1936

Biography/History: 
Karl Enok Eliason (1847-1925) was born in Kolvereid, Nord-Trøndelag, Norway, to Elias Larsen Rygvold and Berethe Einarsdatter. In 1875, he married Kathrina Synnes in Folderied, Norway. Kathrina Andrea Eriksdatter Synnes (1847-1938) was born in Høylandet, Nordre Trondhjem, Norway, to Erik Pedersen (mother unknown). They had three children born in Norway and two in the United States: Sofie, Elias, Erik, Martin, and Alfred. In 1882, they immigrated and homesteaded near Appleton, Minnesota. Their first home was a dugout in the side of a hill on the farm. 

The first child born in the United States was Martin (1885-1961). Martin A. Eliason married Allie Mae Olsen (1888-1956). They also farmed near Appleton, Minnesota. Martin was a member of the Horticultural Society and developed his own peony seedling called Le Charme, which can still be ordered from seed catalogs. He served as a School Board Clerk and was active in the local church. 

Scope and Content: 
Correspondence, photographs, pamphlets, and other records about the Eliason family of Appleton, Minnesota. Correspondence includes many letters either sent from Norway or in Norwegian.

Location:
20/C/6