|
|
Andrew Thorson, b. 11 Feb 1823, in Lyngsjö, Kristianstad Län, Sweden. Bookkeeper in Solvesborg. Emigrated first in 1847, to New Orleans. California via Panama in 1848. Returned to Sweden 1851 or 2. Married Anna Nilsdotter, and farmed near Färlöf.Emigrated second time in 1855. Made trip to Minnesota from Princeton, Illinois in company with brother in law Peter Benson. Decided on land near St Peter. Benson bought out a Norwegian for three hundred dollars. Thorson bought 125 acres for $1.25 per acre, near a small lake at edge of woods. Indians lived nearby, but settlers had little or no contact with them. Scandian Grove church organized in Thorson log cabin. Andrew was a Justice of the Peace for many years, served as Register of Deeds and county commissioner. He is credited with suggesting that St Anskars Academy be moved to St Peter. This became Gustavus Adolphus College. Andrew died in 1913.
Submitted by John Thorson and last updated June 01, 2002.
The following was provided by John Quist:
ANDREW THORSON and ANDREW NELSON
A Centennial History, 1862-1962; Gustavus Adolphus College by Doniver A. Lund; 1963
Regarding St. Ansgar's Academy [roughly the equivalent of a high school] at East Union, Carver County, Minnesota and predecessor of Gustavus Adolphus College at St. Peter:
In early 1873, there was seen by the Minnesota Conference of the (Swedish) Lutheran Church, Augustana Synod "the need of a college in a place other than the rural setting of St. Ansgar's Academy." There was a proposal "that the school should be moved to East Minneapo-lis near the University of Minnesota and should be incorporated anew [as Gustavus Adophus] on condition that $10,000 could be raised." (page 33)
In the summer, the "Conference meeting was held in St. Peter and there
were several who advocated dropping plans to move to Minneapolis, especially
people in and around St. Peter who were interested in getting the school to
this southern Minnesota county seat of about three thousand people. A committee
of townspeople had asked the Conference what it would take to get the school
to St. Peter. The Conference replied by appointing a committee to secure bids
from those towns that were interested and specified that a suitable site and
$10,000 would be required before the Conference would move St. Ansgar's Academy.
"The people from St. Peter who waited upon the Conference in the inquiry
of 1873 were a different breed from those who had been interested in the school
in Red Wing and Carver. Among the former, the only Swede was A. Thorson, adventurer
in the California god rush and sedately settled as farmer and register of deeds
in Nicollet County. He was widely known among the Swedes for his advocating
St. Peter as the place for the College. 'St. Peter is a beautiful place, clean
and healthful,' he wrote, but according to him, the principal advantage was
that the cost of maintaining a school in St. Peter would be less than in Minneapolis.
[Pas-tor Eric] Norelius characterized Thorson as one who worked 'with zeal and
warm interest' for the change in location and one who had 'not so little influence
in his community, and at the same time is a warm friend of our church.'
. (page
35)
"The church at Scandian Grove, about twelve miles west of St. Peter,
had greater assets [than the Swedish Lutheran Church in St. Peter in 1873].
They had shown greater interest in St. Ansgar's and had the leadership of two
laymen, Andrew Thorson and Andrew Nelson. Both were substantial land owners
prominent in the affairs of the community. Nelson had been a board member of
St. Angar's since 1872. These two, plus the new pastor of the church in St.
Peter, J.G. Lagerstrom, were a real triumvirate of strength and energetic leadership.
"The Conference had acted within the framework of prevailing educational
practice in invit-ing bids from communities interested in having the school.
St. Peter under the leadership of Thorson and Nelson had secured promises
for the required $10,000
. At the very next meet-ing of the Conference, the
St. Peter committee invited the Conference to place its school in St. Peter.
"The Conference saw the 'hand of God' in the promise of $10,000. It immediately
ap-pointed a committee that included
the St. Peter promoter, A. Thorson, to
select a site and prepare articles of incorporation. The committee met in 1874
to select the site.
Thorson took the lead."
the Conference at its
meeting in the latter part of May adopted the site suggested by the [St. Peter]
congregation [the present campus]." (pages 36-37)
Regarding the erection of "Old Main": "The community of St.
Peter had promised to the Conference a sum of $10,000. The rest of money - final
cost of Old Main was about $25,000 - was
to come from the churches.
" (page 38)
"But there was a great deal of difference between a pledge and a payment.
To make matters worse the grasshoppers were particularly bad in the summers
of 1875 and 1876.
The original promise of $10,000 from the St. Peter Community
was not kept but there were no arm-twisting law suits. The Swedes in St. Peter
who had promised $2,000 actually contributed $1,952.44; the Swedes around Scandian
Grove who had promised $3,000, gave $2,050
. The largest gift was the $400 of
Andrew Nelson.
" (page 39)
Board of Trustees
Andrew Nelson, 1880-1891, 1897-1900
Andrew Thorson, 1880-1890
Submitted by John Quist and last updated December 2, 2007.
