By Gordon Agren (CA) and Cenneth Wedin (SWE)
Updated January 16, 2012

Adrian Österlund US Army

Briefly
Johan Adrian Österlund was born on July 9th, 1887, in the village of Överklinten, Bygdeå parish, Västerbotten province in northern Sweden. He was the first of ten children born to Johannes & Karin Louisa (Brändström) Österlund.

Picture left. Andrew’s grave marker in France. Photo 2006 ABMC, Europe.

That we knew, but what happened later? Due to the picture of the family Österlund´s farm photographed in 1906, where Adrian is missing and thanks to genealogy we now know that Johan Adrian left Sweden on January 30th, 1906, to join relatives who had emigrated earlier to Ohio and Michigan, North America. He probably took the same route as most other Swedish emigrants did in those years, crossing Sweden and Norway to England and then sailing from Liverpool to New York. From New York he went to visit his aunt & uncle, Hilda and Thure Mattson, on their farm in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Sometime later he moved on to Oscola County, Michigan, to visit his aunt & Uncle, Elisabeth and Lars Stenman, who farmed near the village of Tustin. The Stenman’s had grown children of about Adrian’s age still at home, and Adrian probably stayed and worked on the farm with them for a while.

Adrian then moved to the village of Deward, which was located about 70 miles northeast of Tustin in Crawford County. Deward, which is a ghost town today, was founded and named in Honor of David E. Ward for the soul purpose of logging off the last big stand of virgin pine forest in the state. The Deward post office was established in 1901, in addition to a school, church, community hall, boarding house, hotel and stores. There was also a roundhouse for train, depot, warehouse and other facilities connected with the Detroit & Charlevoix railroad yards over which eight engines steamed day and night delivering nearly 1/4 of a million board feet of lumber, the daily output of the sawmills. By 1910, the logging industry was in decline and by 1917 most of the people left.

Adrian married Ethel (called Etta) Lindquist on 10 November, 1909. Ethel was born on June 4th, 1892, in Ludington, Michigan, which was about 40 miles east of Tustin, on Lake Michigan. She was the oldest of 5 known children of Matt & Louise Lindquist. Matt was a Finn-Swede who had emigrated from the Esse area of Österbotten, Finland in 1886. Many Swedes had settled in Finland while it was under Swedish influence for 6 centuries until Russian gained dominance in the 1808-1809 Russian-Swedish war.

Adrian was next found on the Marshall County, Minnesota census taken on May 13th, 1910. He had changed his name to Andrew John Ostlund, and was working as a farm labour, where he declared on the 1910 census that he was not married. On June 29th, 1910, Ethel gave birth to a daughter, Engriad Amelia Osterlund, in Ludington. Adrian no doubt heard that he was a father from his relatives, but probably never saw his daughter. As Ethel had probably not heard from her husband for seven years, by law she could remarry, and in 1917, she married Edward Whitaker, and moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ethel and Edward had no children together. Edward died in 1921.

Andrew had moved west to Walker City, Cass County, Minnesota, where he registered for the WW1 draft. On his register card of 6th May 1917, one can read that he was from “Umoll” (Umeå) City in “Wv” State (Västerbotten County) of “Sweded” (Sweden), and a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Adrian was drafted on June 27, 1918, and along with other draftees from Walker and the surrounding area, was entrained for Camp Grant, Illinois, arriving on July 8 1918. Camp Grant was a depot (infantry training) area, and was the largest training facility in the mid west and named after Ulysses S. Grant, Civil War general and 18th president of the United States. Construction of the camp started in June 1917, and the 86th Infantry Division was activated there on August 3, 1917, under the command of Major General Thomas H. Barry. The first draftees arrived just a few months later in September of the same year. Their primary focus was on infantry-related field skills and would train over 56,000 troops during WWI, with an estimated one million people passing through in some capacity.

In June, 1918, it was announced that the 86th “Black Hawk” Division was to be brought up to war strength by the transfer of 10,000 men from Depot Brigade and the arrival of 15,000 recruits from Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. One of these men was Adrian. The men were placed in holding barracks and were given physical and efficiency examinations to weed out physical and mental misfits. They were then issued with their rifles and other equipment and inducted into the various division companies. On July 12, Adrian was put into 171st Infantry Brigade, 341st Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Company H, under the command of Captain Taylor Strawn to begin his infantry training. In August 1, 1918, after which the Judge Kenesaw Landis of Chicago naturalized 800 foreign born soldiers and shook hand with each one of them. Adrian was among the naturalized on that day with his company commander, Captain Strawn, being one of his two witnesses.

When it became evident that the Division would be sent overseas as the American Expeditionary Force, the troops were assembled and required to make a pay allotment to their wives, to which the government would add as much again. If the soldier had no dependents, he was urged to take out government insurance on his life for $10,000 at low rates. The government insurance was almost universally taken advantage of to the limit, over 99 per cent of the Division becoming insured. Adrian signed up for the insurance naming his sister, Hilda Gustafson, of Cleveland, Ohio, as the beneficiary and his next of kin.

On August 8th, the Adjutant General sent a coded message to the commander of the 86th, that he should have his Division ready to entrain for Hoboken, NJ, by August 20th, for deployment to France. All enemy aliens and animals were to be left behind. War propaganda dehumanized Germans and blasted their culture and language. Well over a half-million enemy aliens were screened by the Department of Justice and were restricted in their mobility and access to military and war production sites. Several thousand enemy aliens deemed disloyal were interned until the conflict was over. But the secret was impossible to keep and training was stepped up. It was quickly realized that many of the men would not receive their 16 weeks of training, and the rest would have to be competed in France.

All of the 28,000 troops were assembled and urged to take out government life insurance for $10,000 at low rates. 99% of the division became insured. Adrian signed up for the insurance naming his sister, Hilda Gustafsson of Cleveland, as the beneficiary and his next of kin.
The advance party of the 86th left for Camp Mills and Camp Upton on Long Island on August 13th, and on the 18th, the rest of the division started boarding trains of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in the camp, each train accommodating about 500 men and each man had to have only the gear necessary for the trip with him. The rest of their gear was to be put in their kit bags and loaded onto the baggage cars.
It was a week before the last train left Camp Grant and upon their arrival at Camp Mills, some of the men were housed in 12 man squad tents which were blown away in a rain storm. They then had to put up with the heat, mosquitoes and poor sanitation. Adrian was in luck this time as the 341st and 342nd Infantry Regiments were comfortably housed in wooden barrack at nearby Camp Upton. However, the troops were kept busy with KP, guard duty, drawing new equipment and training.
On September 7th, the 86th “Black Hawk” Division moved to the port of Hoboken, New Jersey, and the first contingent boarded 9 troop ships. At 10:30 the next morning the convoy lifted anchor and sailed down the Hudson into New York Harbour, passed the Statue of Liberty and sailed out beyond the three mile limit where they were joined by various escorting war ships including a battleship. On September 17th, another 6 ship carrying the division sailed, and on September 24th, and October 2nd, the last 2 ships carrying the remainder of the division sailed.

The 341st sailed on three ships of the first group; the SS Nelus, RMS Canopic and the SS Elpenor, with Adrian sailing on the Canopic along with 1300 members of his battalion. The RMS Canopic was built in 1900 for the White Star Line and was used throughout the war as a troop transport. It was scrapped in 1925. A regular routine was kept on the ship as men were kept busy with did submarine watch, guard duty, kitchen fatigues and training. Due to peculiar odours and poor ventilation, many of the men were allowed to sleep on the deck when the weather permitted.

On the morning of September 20th, the coast of Ireland was spotted, and the shortly after, the coast of Scotland. The first 6 ship entered the North Chanel into the Irish Sea, and during the night they anchored in the Mersey River waiting for a favorable tide to dock at the port of Liverpool.

Upon landing on the 21st, the troops marched 5-6 miles in the drenching rain to the Knotty Pine rest camp. There they found ankle deep mud and leaky misshapen 12 man tents to live in. The next day the sun came out and the troops were marched to a nearby soccer field where they were addressed by an English Colonel and given greeting cards from King George. As one man commented “We also had a message to send to George about his ships, grub and the rest camps, but no one could be found to deliver it”. One can only guess at what Adrian was thinking at this time as he was back in Liverpool for the first time in more than 12 years.

The dash across the Channel was made under the cover of darkness with most of the Division landing a Le Havre. From there the Black Hawks hiked to another rest camp only to find the conditions worse than the camps back in England. After a short stay, the troops were marched by night to a dark rail road yard and boarded long darkened trains made up of tiny French engines and railcars marked ”Hommes 40- Chevaux 8” which served them for all of their continental travels. The troops soon labelled them “side door Pullmans”. The trip, which should have taken only twelve or fifteen hours, finally reached the wine growing district of Medoc in the department of Gironde after two days of travel.

The HQ of the 171st Brigade was set up in Cubzac-les- Ponts, 20 kilometres north-east of Bordeaux. Many of the men were lodged in tents while the rest were billeted in with the local population. A few fortunate ones had bunks, while others slept in the out buildings under the same roof as the farm animals. Due to the presence of quantities of manure and other filth in the streets, these towns were extremely unsanitary. All the water was contaminated and had to be chlorinated before being used for drinking purposes.

The new men of the Division were issued more equipment to begin training. The time-honored campaign hat had already been discarded for the overseas cap. Russet shoes were exchanged for field boots, and wrap leggings replaced the ones of canvas. Some of the machine gun companies in the regiments were issued the French Chauchat light machine guns until enough of the far superior Browning 30 calibre automatic rifles could be produced. The last two articles that produced the more hateful of first impressions eventually became the inseparable friends of every soldier – the steel helmet and the gas mask.

On about October 8th, orders arrived that replacement troops were needed in the combat divisions and 9000 men were to be sent to the 1st, 2nd, 32nd and 89th Divisions in preparation for the Meuse Argonne Offensive. This came as a shock to the 86th as most of the men had formed close friendships and would lose their identity as a division. At war’s end, all the men had been transferred to fighting units and only the headquarters remained.

The 89th Division was called the Middle West Division, as most of the draftees were from the mid-west and 39% of them were first or second generation immigrants to America. The 89th had been in a rest camp at the surrounding area for only a few days after the St. Mihiel Offensive, and shortly after Adrian arrived, they received new mobilization orders to move out the next morning at 7 am reducing their rest period from 3 week to 3 days. The new men from the 86th had received very little training so far and would have to learn on the job, which was a dangerous way of doing things in a war zone. This mobilization order resulted in a reorganization of the AEF (American Expeditionary Force) in which the 89th was transferred from the 3rd Corps to the 5th Corps and the timetable for the 89th to return to the front lines was advanced. Many of the combat divisions that had initiated the Meuse Argonne offensive on September 26th were badly exhausted and reduced to 25% of their original strength. Some divisions had already been taken out of the line and sent to the rear for rest and refitting. Because the Germans had been fighting in the area since 1915, the few remaining shell cratered roads caused constant traffic jams and the only way for Adrian and his fellow soldiers to get to the front to take part in the Meuse Argonne offensive was by “hob nails”, i.e., on foot. Most of the men were accustomed to the horrors of war and felt sorry for the new recruits who did not know what they were in for. It had started to rain on the evening before the 89th was to move out, and the land over which the 354th was to move to their new area 22 kilometers away, was devastated. Adrian’s regiment covered this distance on the night of October 13-14, 1918. The movement was “cross-country” and very slow because the ground was so difficult – old trenches, mud, blasted shell holes, barbed wire, shattered trees and stumps all created obstacles that slowed progress. These types of obstacles would be common for the rest of the offensive. On September 14-15th, the American forces began to prepare for the St. Mihiel Offensive and which was to last until October 19th. During this time they straightened out a dangerous salient, captured 16,000 prisoners, 443 guns and liberated 240 sq. miles of French territory.

The days were cold and rainy, and the horse dawn kitchens were not able to keep up because of congested roads, which meant that the soldiers only had their reserve rations to eat. It consisted of 12 ounces of fresh bacon or a one pound of canned meat, usually corned beef (bully beef). Additionally, there were two 8-ounce cans of hard bread or hardtack biscuits, a packet of 1.16 ounces of preground coffee, a packet of 2.4 ounces of granulated sugar, and a packet of 0.16 ounces of salt. There were also 0.4 ounces of tobacco and 10 cigarette rolling papers.

They arrived at their bivouac in the area of Epinonville late that night and pitched their shelter halves in well camouflaged spots. According to Col. Babcock, commander of the 177th Brigade, the area “was a miserable bivouac”. Though the weather was generally good until just before the Division went into the line, they had to camp in the mud for the next 5 days and used this time to rest, clean their equipment, brush up on training and reconnoiter forward with the view of taking over the sector of the 32nd Division. The 89th Division Chaplains with their burial parties buried the many dead soldiers (both American and German) who had been killed in the American offensive that they were about to become part of. The many shell holes came in handy for burying the dead horses still lying about. Later on, details of prisoners were used to bury dead animals.

The Americans would next strike further north east on September 25th, in what would become known as the Meuse Argonne Offensive, which was the greatest American battle of the First World War. In six weeks the AEF lost 26,277 killed and 95,786 wounded. It was a very complex operation involving the majority of the AEF ground forces fighting through rough, hilly terrain that the German Army had spent four years fortifying. Its objective was the capture of the railroad hub at Sedan which would break the rail net supporting the German Army in France and Flanders and forces the enemy’s withdrawal from the occupied territories. This part of north eastern France had been fought over by France and Germany since 1914, with the heaviest fighting having taken place around the fortified city of Verdun.

The Final Meuse Argonne Offensive started on November 1st, and in the evening of that day, when Andrew’s regiment moved into the area of the Bantheville Woods they discover mustard gas in a large area shelled in by the German artillery during the 177th Infantry brigade advance with the 354th up front fighting the German troops. It was a great mess in that wood, all the shelling and the insidious sticky gas costs many soldiers life when the advance went on towards the upper area of the next wood, the Barricourt Woods south of the town Barricourt. From there, the terrain was open and hilly and where encountered by heavy German resistance, machine gun and artillery fire.

On the 2nd of November daylight was created by German artillery in the chilled morning, damaging soldiers and communication wires. At about noon when the Americans started their delayed advance they did suffer heavy losses. When the second battalion of 353rd infantry Regiment begun to advance out of the woods supporting the attack of the 354th Regiment over the Barricourt Hill; Company G, H, and F at once reported heavy losses. The attacking units where lack of supporting artillery and 177th COS, Col Lee, is pressing hard on the artillery Regiment to bring forward the canons. The artillery was reduced to one third, due to damage, lack of ammo and sufficient roads but gave the promises that two light batteries and one heavy battery would be in position for fire at 1440 hours.

This change the plan and new orders where sent out by a running liaison officer who did not reach the units concerned, because they were already in full advance over the hills and out on the fields. In panic the liaison officer runs back to the nearest BN PC and made an emergency call to stop a friendly fire upon the advancing troops. The call went through just about 15 minutes before the 164th Field artillery Brigade planned to starts its fire. The artillery fire sector was change and the artillery fire could start.

The advance went on however and in a few hours the Americans succeeded to get the Germans take of in a rather rapidly retreat. On the evening of November 2nd at about 2000 hours 177th had reach their main objectives, and would next advance to the city of Stenay where the armistice was declared at 11 o’clock AM on November 11th, 1918.

Andrew was killed in action on November 2nd on Barricourt Hill, as witnessed by his platoon sergeant, and was after the battle buried temporary on the left side of the road on Barricourt Hill. Then he was moved on Nov 3rd to the local Charpentry American Military Cemetery and buried in a chest. His remains were later disinterred and reburied in the newly established American Meuse-Argonne Military Cemetery in Romage, France on April 23, 1919, and then it is stated on the Grave form an other date of death, Nov 11 1918. His remains are moved one more time within the American Meuse-Argonne Military Cemetery, on January 22nd, 1922 to a permanent grave. No autopsy was done as the remains were badly decomposed. Andrew was buried in full uniform in a simple pine casket. He was awarded the Purple Heart, World War 1 Victory Medal with the Meuse-Argonne Battle Clasp and the World War 1 Victory Button in Silver, which was to be worn on the lapel of civilian clothing, to denote an American WW 1 veteran. Silver denoted a wounded veteran.

On November 24th, the 89th Division commenced its march into Germany to begin the occupation of that county. On April 15th, 1919, the Division entrained for ports in France to begin sailings for the United States.

More than 2 million US troops eventually reached Europe but a large number arrived too late to see any action. The American Expeditionary Force suffered 116,000 dead, 206,000 wounded and 4,500 prisoners. About 200,000 Afro-Americans served in the US Army in Europe, but only 42,000 were classified as combat troops. Completely segregated, they fought with the French Army during the war.

* Although military & cemetery records state that Pvt. Ostlund was killed on November 11th, 1918, he was actually killed on November 2nd, 1918, as attested to by his platoon sergeant, August Duennes, of Company G. The different dates were also questioned by the office of Quartermaster General of the Army in April 17, 1920.

*The original Purple Heart, designated as the Badge of Military Merit, was established by General George Washington by order from his headquarters at Newburgh, New York, August 7th, 1782. After April 5th, 1917, the Purple Heart was awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of an Armed Force who, while serving with the U.S. Armed Services after April 5th , 1917, and has been wounded or killed, or who has died or may hereafter die after being wounded.

* Camp Funston was established as one of sixteen Divisional Cantonment Training Camps during World War I. Construction of the 2,000 acre camp began during the summer of 1917 and eventually encompassed approximately 1,400 buildings.
Major General Leonard Wood commanded the camp. During World War I, nearly 50,000 recruits from the Great Plains trained here. They became part of the 89th Division that deployed to France in the spring of 1918. In addition, the 10th Division and black soldiers assigned to the 92nd Division received their basic training at Camp Funston.

The first recorded cases of what came to be the world-wide influenza epidemic were first reported here in March 1918. (Fort Riley Historical and Archaeological Society 1998)

* Swedish immigrant second generation, George A Carlson, a soldier in Company A, 353 Infantry, 89th Division, did survive the war and came back home to Denver, Colorado, USA. George wrote a diary during the war and it is still preserved. The 353rd Infantry was a ”Sister Regiment” to the 354th Infantry Regiment where Adrian served. These two regiments supported each other in the Mueuse-Argonne, and where almost at the same spot at the same time.

George’s grandson, Jeff Lowdermilk, has been to France several times in order to visit and photograph the places mentioned in the diary. As of 2008, Jeff has finished and published a book called ”Saluting America’s World War I Heroes” Armistice Day, Meuse-Argonne, France. Jeff will be back even this year at the Meuse-Argonne at the American Cemetery on the Armistice Day. To read more about it, go to: www.jefflowdermilk.blogspot.com

Sources:
The Österlund family of Sweden.
Ludington Public Library, Ludington, Michigan. (Obituaries)
The Swedish-Finnish Historical Society of America.
1910 Minnesota Federal census.
1920 & 1930 Michigan Federal census.
WW1 draft registration cards.
Brief History of the 89th Division, by Maj. C. J. Masseck.
National Personnel records Centre, (Military Personnel Records) St. Louis, Missouri.
Camp Funston and the 89th in France;

http://pages.suddenlink.net/tjohnston7/ww1hist/photo.html

The American battle Monuments Commission, Arlington, Virginia.
War department, The Adjutant General’s Office, Washington.
Social Security Death Index Records. (Old age pension records)

Karl Ivar Thorén från Ulricehams kommun i Västergötland skulle genom sin affärsverksamhet sätta prägel på handelslivet i byn. Han var född 1885 och kom som 22-åring till Åsele som handelsbiträde på minuthandelsföretaget Bror Anton Jonssons. Han kom med posthästarna från Mellansels järnvägsstation 1907.

Efter diverse mellanspel i Norrbyn och Sävar, giftermål med handelsbiträdet Gerda Katarina Eriksson från Sävar och två barn Mary Viola Katarina och Thorsten Ivar kom familjen till Skinnarbyn och Ivar Thorén öppnade lanthandel mitt i byn.

Bild från den gamla handelsboden; kanske någon som ser bloggen känner igen personerna.  På nästa bild ser man lite mera av sortimentet.

Här fanns ett brett sortiment av varor

Thorén hade även filial i Högfors by.

Affären startade i fanjunkare Jonssons gård och familjen hyrde bostad i Helge Johanssons stora fastighet som låg på samma tomt.
Familjen utökades efter hand med två flickor Maj Gördis 1917 och Billie Gunvor 1920.
Ivar Thorén beskrivs som en sällsynt nobel och fin personlighet och hans lanthandel som den ledande på platsen. (Artikel i Köpmannaförbundets organ 1935).
Äldre Bygdeåbor idag minns Thoréns fantastiska Julskyltningar med bilar som rörde sig bland tomtar och troll.

Affärerna gick bra, så bra att Thorén kunde bygga en ny stor fastighet 1942 och där inrätta affär och bostad för hela familjen. Affären fick namnet Ivar Thorén.

År 1948 då Thorén fyllde 63 år, sålde han affären och flyttade till Umeå.
Affären kom under åren att byta namn ett antal gånger och sluta som ICA-butik inpå 1990-talet. Men det får bli en annan artikel.

Sven-Olof Hägglund

…

KÄLLA Fotografierna ovan: Birgitta Löfroth, Umeå, som sa ‘morfar’ till Ivar Thorén

Se en längre utmärkt dokumentär – med ett flertal faktalänkar – om Västerbottensost.

. . .

VÄSTERBOTTENSOSTEN firar 100-årsjubileum i år 2010. Västerbottensosten har alltså sitt ursprung i Burträsk. Men denna ost tillverkades på ett flertal mejerier i Västerbottens Södra läns Mejeriförening (VSM), t.ex. i Bygdeå, Ånäset och Röbäck.

FRÅN BYGDEÅ och Skinnarbyns horisont är det med stolthet socknen påminner om Bygdeå mejeri och Västerbottensost — Sommaren 1958 med mejeriets 41-åriga historia Bygdeå mejeri 1923 – 1964.

Det var inte utan stolthet som man jobbade med Västerbottensosten på mejeriet under 1950-talet; inte minst i kunskapen om att denna Sveriges ‘ostarnas ost’ exporterades till USA. Vad Gouda & Edam är för Holland det är Västerbottensosten för Sverige.

/Dag Selander
Utgivare Bygdeå Blog
‘ostmästare’ sommaren 1958

Klippan i Bygdefjärden

Nils Ahnlund skriver ”Bygde sten är en reslig klippa på ett litet skär i Bygdefjärden, en halv mil norr om det från 1809 års krig bekanta Ratan och ett kort stycke från fasta landet, mitt emot byn Dalkarlså nedanför kyrkan.

På högsta krönet av denna klippa sågs fordom en inristad figur, påminnande om ett fartyg med segel;

så i varje fall enligt det äldre ortsminnet.”

MERA: Professor Nils Ahnlund om Bygde sten

Ett mycket intressant brev om Bygdestenen från den 19 augusti 1695 ger en god bild av stenens betydelse i 1300-talets och senare historia.

FÄLTMARSKALKEN ERIK DAHLBERG också känd för verket Suecia antiqua et hodierna i tre band om 353 planscher hade sänt fortifikationslöjtnanten Wollmar Gustaff Läw till Norrland med uppdraget att teckna ett antal orter och städer samt också avteckna fornminnen. Erik Dahlberg själv reste aldrig norrut utan lät tecknare göra jobbet. I ett brev från Umeå daterat 1695-08-19 beskriver löjtnant Läw sin resas resultat och vedermödor och av fornminnen är det enbart Bygdestenen som visar sig vara av värde. Se: Bygdestenen enda fornminne i Norr 1695

Bygdestenen från 1323 måste fram i ljuset

BYGDESTENEN är inte märkt på någon svensk karta. Inte heller nämns den i ortens turistguider fast senare kultställen över svensk-ryska bataljer nämns i överflöd i trakterna kring Täfteå och Ratan. Trots det står Bygdestenen kvar där istiden lämnade den. Norr om Umeå kör man in mot Ratan, passerar tullmagasinet grusvägen ett par kilometer. Vid 90 graders kurva till vänster (mot väster) sväng till höger mot sommarstugeområde. Vägen är olagligen bommad för den är allmän väg. Kör ett par kilometer tills du ser en hemmagjord skylt ”Bygdestenen” peka till höger, d.v.s. mot havet. Snart kan du parkera vid foten av Bygdestenen vid vändplatsen. Skylten har lagts av äkta par som bor i sin sommarstuga vid skuggan av jättekastet och berättar gärna om Bygdestenens historia. Klättra upp på Bygdestenen och du beskådar en historisk utsikt. Här hade landsborna och från havet inkommande sin riktpunkt att mötas och handla. Till Bygdestenen kom ryssar (läs: kareler) att idka handel med kvener (kainulaiset), och Bygdestenen ritades på kartorna som gräns mellan Sverige och Novgorod vid Nöteborgsfreden år 1323.

Se: Finnpro2000 av Mikael Reuter

Frågor

. . . HUR KOMMER DET SIG att Bygdestenen – i en jättekastshöjd om 20 meter vittnar både om sin istidsexistens och historiska Novgorodsgräns från år 1323 – står bortglömd där ute på halvön Bygdesten?

. . . Hur kommer det sig att Skinnarbyn med sin internationella marknadsplats ute på Bygdesten med alla affärer av bärnsten och djurhudar under århundraden inte fått den riksstatus den borde haft?

. . . Har Mikael Reuter i profinn2000 rätt i sina aningar och sin forskning?

. . . Vilka är frågorna som forskare eller blivande doktorander ställer om Bygdestenen från 1323 och vad kan gränsstenen i Bygdefjärden lägga till i förståelsen av Sverige och dess historia?

FÖR VIDARE STUDIUM
Ett rikt kapitel om Västerbotten, Bygdeå, Bygdestenen, Kvenland etc återfinns i Finnar, kvener och birkarlar av Mikael Reuter.

Plats: liten halvö i Bygdeå socken ute vid Bottenvikens strand, några mil norr om Umeå.

Bygdeå Bygdesten Vy från Bygdesten Fotograf: Ingen uppgift

Bygdestenen är en gränssten från år 1323 och tillika en vida känd marknadsplats i Skinnarbyn.

I projektet finnpro2000 skriver Mikael Reuter:

BYGDESTENEN är inte märkt på någon svensk karta. Inte heller nämns den i ortens turistguider fast senare kultställen över svensk-ryska bataljer nämns i överflöd i trakterna kring Täfteå och Ratan. Trots det står Bygdestenen kvar där istiden lämnade den. Norr om Umeå kör man in mot Ratan, passerar tullmagasinet grusvägen ett par kilometer. Vid 90 graders kurva till vänster (mot väster) sväng till höger mot sommarstugeområde. Vägen är olagligen bommad för den är allmän väg. Kör ett par kilometer tills du ser en hemmagjord skylt ”Bygdestenen” peka till höger, d.v.s. mot havet. Snart kan du parkera vid foten av Bygdestenen vid vändplatsen. Skylten har lagts av äkta par som bor i sin sommarstuga vid skuggan av jättekastet och berättar gärna om Bygdestenens historia. Klättra upp på Bygdestenen och du beskådar en historisk utsikt. Här hade landsborna och från havet inkommande sin riktpunkt att mötas och handla. Till Bygdestenen kom ryssar (läs: kareler) att idka handel med kvener (kainulaiset), och Bygdestenen ritades på kartorna som gräns mellan Sverige och Novgorod vid Nöteborgsfreden år 1323.

Mikael Reuter

Hajanaisia Ajatuksia Kaamoksen 2000 Keskellä – Valikoivasta historianmuistamista – Bygden kiveä (Bygdestenen) ei ole merkitty millekään ruotsalaiselle kartalle, eikä mainita edes seudun turistioppaissa, vaikka muita myöhempiä Venäjän ja Ruotsin taistojen kulttipaikkoja on yllin kyllin Täfteån, Ratanin seudulla. Siitä huolimatta seisoo Bygden kivi mahtavana siellä minne viimeisin jääkausi sen jätti. etc (Den finska texten med den svenska övers. ovan av M. Reuter 070518)

MIKAEL REUTER uppger att han under en forskningsperiod i Umeå ville se Bygdestenen. Han ringde runt till turistbyråer i Umeå, Robertsfors mm, men ingen visste ens att Bygdestenen existerar. Han letade på kartor men hittade inga. Från finska källor kunde han lokalisera var stenen borde finnas, och en vacker dag åkte han dit, letade och fann den. Han tyckte det var anmärkningsvärt att ett sånt minnesmärke fallit i glömska. Han menar att han kanske kan tyda orsaken. Han säger att officiell svensk historieskrivning förfalskar Norra Bottnens historia. Man hävdar att området koloniserades av svenskar först från 1300-talet. Till saken hör att de som bor i norr och kallar sig kvener inte känner till sitt ursprung. Sverige förnekar att Novgorod ägde markerna från Bygdeå och norrut runt Bottniska viken, det som också kallas ”De tio älvarnas land” (dvs. Österbotten norr om Pyhäjoki ända till Bygdeå). Den historieskrivningen förnekar att Bygdestenen var gränsmärket mellan Sverige och Novgorod vid Nöteborgsfreden 1323. (Se Fotnot)

VÄSTERBOTTENS LÄNSMUSEUM, Robertsfors kommun, Bygdeå sockens historia, Bygdeå hembygdsförening har tillsammans med andra källor gjort utmärkta insatser för att erinra om Bygdeå socken och dess historia.

MEN Bygdestenen tycks ha försvunnit under historiens gång.  Som lekman slås man av följande funderingar kring Bygdestenen:

. . . Hur kommer det sig att Bygdestenen – i en jättekastshöjd om 20 meter vittnar både om sin istidsexistens och historisk Novgorodsgräns från år 1323 – står bortglömd där ute på halvön Bygdesten?

. . . Visserligen har Västerbottens-Kuriren och Västerbottens Folkblad och andra media uppmärksammat detta historiska mastodontala minnesmärke, men har den svenska historieforskningen lagt ett glömskans mörker över Bygdestenen?

. . . Har Mikael Reuter i profinn2000 rätt i sina aningar och sin forskning?

. . . Hur kommer det sig att Skinnarbyn med sin internationella marknadsplats ute på Bygdesten med alla affärer av bärnsten och djurhudar under århundraden inte fått den riksstatus den borde haft?

. . . Birka i all ära, men Bygdestenen måhända har vidare dimensioner av kunskap att erbjuda…

PROJEKT BYGDESTENEN
- Om senare historisk forskning stöder texterna som refereras till på denna sida, då vore det ju en fantastisk utmaning att starta upp något eller några projekt kring ett av de kanske allra viktigaste historiska märkena i socknen som berör kvener, Kvenland och Bottnen.

- Varför inte en och annan doktorsavhandling om Bygdestenen?

Det skulle bli till ett kulturellt historiskt uppsving för Bygdeå socken med Robertsfors kommun i Västerbotten.

FÖR VIDARE STUDIUM
Ett rikt kapitel om Västerbotten, Bygdeå, Bygdestenen, Kvenland etc återfinns i Finnar, kvener och birkarlar av Mikael Reuter.

FOTNOT Källa: Mikael Reuter i e-postkommunikation med editor

/WA, DSr

* * *

Pvt. Andrew J Ostlund Coy G 354^th Infantry, 89^th Div.

Briefly

Johan Adrian Österlund was born on July 9^th, 1887 in the village of Överklinten, Bygdeå parish, Västerbotten county in northern Sweden. He was the first of ten children born to Johannes & Karin Louisa (Brändström) Österlund.

That we knew, but what happened later? Due to the picture of the family Österlund´s farm photographed in 1906, where Adrian is missing and thanks to genealogy we now know that Johan Adrian left Sweden on January 30^th, 1906, to join relatives who had emigrated earlier to Ohio and Michigan, North America. He probably took the same route as most other Swedish emigrants did in those years, crossing Sweden and Norway to England and then sailing from Liverpool to New York. From New York he went to visit his aunt & uncle, Hilda and Thure Mattson, on their farm in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Sometime later he moved on to Oscola County, Michigan, to visit his aunt & Uncle, Elisabeth and Lars Stenman, who farmed near the village of Tustin. The Stenman’s had grown children of about Adrian’s age still at home, and Adrian probably stayed and worked on the farm with them for a while.

Adrian then moved to the village of Deward, which was located about 70 miles northeast of Tustin in Crawford County. Deward, which is a ghost town today, was founded and named in honor of David E. Ward for the soul purpose of logging off the last big stand of virgin pine forest in the state. The Deward post office was established in 1901, in addition to a school, church, community hall, boarding house, hotel and stores. There was also a roundhouse for train, depot, warehouse and other facilities connected with the Detroit & Charlevoix railroad yards over which eight engines steamed day and night delivering nearly 1/4 of a million board feet of lumber, the daily output of the sawmills. By 1910, the logging industry was in decline and by 1917 most of the people left.

Adrian married Ethel, called Etta, Lindquist on 10 November, 1909. Ethel was born on June 4^th, 1892, in Ludington, Michigan, which was about 40 miles east of Tustin, on Lake Michigan. She was the oldest of 5 known children of Matt & Louise Lindquist. Matt was a Finn-Swede who had emigrated from the Esse area of Österbotten, Finland in 1886. Many Swedes had settled in Finland while it was under Swedish influence for 6 centuries until Russian gained dominance in the 1808-1809 Russian-Swedish war.

Adrian was next found on the Marshall County, Minnesota census taken on May 13^th, 1910. He had changed his name to Andrew John Ostlund, and was working as a farm labour, where he declared on the 1910 census that he was not married. On June 29^th, 1910, Ethel gave birth to a daughter, Engriad Amelia Osterlund, in Ludington. Andrew no doubt heard that he was a father from his relatives, but probably never saw his daughter. As Ethel had probably not heard from her husband for seven years, by law she could remarry, and in 1917, she married Edward Whitaker, and moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ethel and Edward had no children together. Edward died in 1921.

Andrew had moved west to Walker City, Cass County, Minnesota, where he registered for the WWI draft. On his register card of 6^th May 1917, one can read that he was from “Umoll” (Umeå) City in “Wv” State (Västerbotten County) of “Sweded” (Sweden), and a naturalized citizen of the United States. He also stated that he was single and unemployed. That fall Andrew was drafted and sent to Camp Funston, Kansas, to serve in Company G, 354^th Infantry Regiment, 177^th Brigade of the 89^th Division, which was formed on September 5^th, 1917.

The 89^th Division was called the Middle West Division, as most of the draftees were from the mid-west and 39% of them were first or second generation immigrants to America. It was later also called the “Rolling W”.

When it became evident that the Division would be sent overseas as the American Expeditionary Force, the troops were assembled and required to make a pay allotment to their wives, to which the government would add as much again. If the soldier had no dependents, he was urged to take out government insurance on his life for $10,000 at low rates. The government insurance was almost universally taken advantage of to the limit, over 99 per cent of the Division becoming insured. Andrew signed up for the insurance naming his sister, Hilda Gustafson of Cleveland, Ohio, as the beneficiary and his next of kin.

In mid May, 1918, the first elements of Andrew’s Division started leaving Camp Funston for ports in New York and New Jersey for shipment overseas. Andrew’s unit, the 354^th, Regiment, 177^th Brigade, and the 341 st Machine Gun Battalion were diverted into Canada and travelled by rail though Montreal to Halifax, were they boarded the 31,938 ton ship “RMS Mauretania”, of the White Star Line, on June 6^th, 1918. In 1915, the RMS Mauretania was seized by the British government and painted in gray in order to serve as a troop ship. As such, she made three full voyages to Gallipoli. In September, well after her sister, the RMS Lusitania, had been torpedoed and sunk, she was redesigned as a hospital ship, and was painted white with red crosses to reflect this.  In 1916, she was transferred back to trooping, and was this time ”dazzle painted”, which consisted of geometric shapes of various shades of grey that allowed her to blend with the sea and escape the German U-boats.

After an uneventful crossing, the RMS Mauretania arrived in the port of London on June 21St.  After being welcomed by the King, the troops were sent south to various American concentration camps near Southampton. Over the next few days, the Division was sent to Le Havre, France, and then by train to the Reynal training area under the command of General “Black Jack” Pershing. Some of the troops were put up in barracks while others were billeted with the local population.

On August 5^th, 1918, the 89^th Division began leaving the Reynal training area for the front lines northwest of Toul, where they were engaged in trench warfare from August 7^th until September 12^th. They were the first American division to move up to the line, taken there by American truck transportation.

On their first night in the trenches in the Lucy sector, they were gassed by the Germans causing about 700 dead and more casualties. This shook the Americans severely, but Andrew was not listed among the casualties or dead.

Maj. Gen. William M. Wright assumed command of the 89^th on the 6^th of September. Then on September 14-15^th, the American forces began to prepare for the St. Mihiel Offensive and which was to last until October 19^th. During this time they straightened out a dangerous salient, captured 16,000 prisoners, 443 guns and liberated 240 sq. miles of French territory.

The Americans would next strike further north east on September 25^th, in what would become known as the Meuse Argonne Offensive, which was the greatest American battle of the First World War. In six weeks the AEF (American Expeditionary Force) lost 26,277 killed and 95,786 wounded. It was a very complex operation involving the majority of the AEF ground forces fighting through rough, hilly terrain that the German Army had spent four years fortifying. Its objective was the capture of the railroad hub at Sedan which would break the rail net supporting the German Army in France and Flanders and forces the enemy’s withdrawal from the occupied territories. This part of north eastern France had been fought over by France and Germany since 1914, with the heaviest fighting having taken place around the fortified city of Verdun.

During the night of 19^th to 20^th of October the 356^th, 355^th, 353^rd and 354^th Infantry of the 89^th Division moved up to hold the line of Sommerance- Romange in order to relieve the 32^nd Division. On the following day both 355^th and 353^rd Infantry pushed on against the Germans machine guns nests, fortifications and mines to clear up the woods. Also artillery and some gas shells aiming at the rear of the 89^th Division was disturbing the advancement. It took two days to advance up the Barricourt Heights and move the 89^th continues forward.

The Final Meuse Argonne Offensive started early on November 1^st in heavy rain, quite slowly and in the evening of that day through the mist from exploding artillery shells, Andrew’s regiment had moved into the northern area of the Barricourt Heights where artillery and heavy machine gun fire were encountered. On the 2^nd of November the attack rolled on and at about noon the Americans suffer heavy losses.

When the second battalion supported by third battalion of 353^rd infantry Regiment begun to advance, the 354^th Regiment reported at once heavy losses of Company G, H, and F. However, the Americans succeeded in their objectives on the evening of November 3^rd. The 89^th reported 813 wounded already in the morning and by medical assumptions that would be about 180 or 190 killed.

Later on the 7^th of November the 89^th Division reported an opportunity to cross the river Mouse, and during heavy struggle they succeed to cross the river on the 10^th of November and did advance to the city of Stenay, where the armistice was declared at 11 o’clock AM on November 11. ^th, 1918. But Andrew did not live to experience that event.

Andrew, pvt. #3336976, was killed on November 2^nd on Barricourt Heights, as witnessed by his platoon sergeant August Duenne, sgt. #2179268. Andrew was first buried on the side of the road on Barricourt Heights in the American Charpentry Military Cemetery.

His remains were disinterred and reburied in the newly established American Meuse-Argonne Military Cemetery in Romage, France on January 22^nd, 1922. No autopsy was done as the remains were badly decomposed. Adrian was buried in full uniform in a simple pine casket. He was awarded the Purple Heart, World War 1 Victory Medal with the Meuse-Argonne Battle Clasp and the World War 1 Victory Button in Silver, which was to be worn on the lapel of civilian clothing, to denote an American WWI veteran. Silver denoted a wounded veteran.

Post War

The 89^th Division was under the command of Maj.Gen. Frank L. Winn since 12^th of November and on the November 24^th, the 89^th Division commenced its march into Germany to begin the occupation of that county. On April 15^th, 1919, the Division entrained for ports in France to begin sailings for the United States.

More than 2 million US troops eventually reached Europe but a large number arrived too late to see any action. The American Expeditionary Force suffered 116,000 dead, 206,000 wounded and 4,500 prisoners. About 200,000 Afro-Americans served in the US Army in Europe, but only 42,000 were classified as combat troops. Completely segregated, they fought with the French Army during the war.

* Although all military & cemetery records state that Pvt. Andrew Ostlund was killed on November 11^th, 1918, he was actually killed on November 2^nd, 1918, as attested to by his platoon sergeant, August Duennes, of Company G.

*The original Purple Heart, designated as the Badge of Military Merit, was established by General George Washington by order from his headquarters at Newburgh, New York, August 7^th, 1782. After April 5^th, 1917, the Purple Heart was awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of an Armed Force who, while serving with the U.S. Armed Services after April 5^th , 1917, and has been wounded or killed, or who has died or may hereafter die after being wounded.

* Camp Funston was established as one of sixteen Divisional Cantonment Training Camps during World War I. Construction of the 2,000 acre camp began during the summer of 1917 and eventually encompassed approximately 1,400 buildings.

Major General Leonard Wood commanded the camp. During World War I, nearly 50,000 recruits from the Great Plains trained here. They became part of the 89th Division that deployed to France in the spring of 1918. In addition, the 10th Division and black soldiers assigned to the 92nd Division received their basic training at Camp Funston.

The first recorded cases of what came to be the world-wide influenza epidemic were first reported here in March 1918. (Fort Riley Historical and Archaeological Society 1998)

* Swedish immigrant, George A Carlson, a soldier in Company A, 353 Infantry, 89^th Division, did survive the war and came back home to Denver, Colorado, USA. George wrote a diary during the war and it is still preserved. The 353^rd Infantry was a ”Sister Regiment” to the 354^th Infantry Regiment where Adrian served. These two regiments supported each other in the Mueuse-Argonne, and where almost at the same spot at the same time.

George’s grandson, Jeff Lowdermilk, has been to France several times in order to visit and photograph the places mentioned in the diary. As of 2008, Jeff has  finished and published a book called ”Saluting America’s World War I Heroes” Armistice Day, Meuse-Argonne, France. Jeff was back last year at the Meuse-Argonne at the American Cemetery on the Armistice Day. Read more about it, go to: www.jefflowdermilk.blogspot.com

Sources:

The Österlund family of Sweden.

Ludington Public Library, Ludington, Michigan. (Obituaries)

The Swedish-Finnish Historical Society of America.

1910 Minnesota Federal census.

1920 & 1930 Michigan Federal census.

WW1 draft registration cards.

Brief History of the 89th Division, by Maj. C. J. Masseck.

National Personnel records Centre, (Military Personnel Records) St. Louis, Missouri.

Camp Funston and the 89th in France;

http://pages.suddenlink.net/tjohnston7/ww1hist/photo.html

The American battle Monuments Commission, Arlington, Virginia.

War department, The Adjutant General’s Office, Washington.

Social Security Death Index Records. (Old age pension records)

Foto Ulf Forsberg

ULF FORSBERG på ulfspicture.se fotograferade år 1994 den ryske generalens gravsten (t.h.) och kyrktakstjärandet.

Läs mera om General Semjon Stepanovitj Gotovtsov som stupade i Sävar 1809 och begravdes här invid Bygdeå kyrka.

PS

Vilka var de två studenterna som tjärade kyrktaket 1994 och som hade bergsklättring som hobby?

PRESENTATION Ferdinand Boberg. Se också en mycket intressant artikel om F. Bobergs ”Svenska bilder”

Se: Bygdeå 1924 och I Ferdinand Bobergs fotspår

FERDINAND BOBERG gjorde således en rundresa i Västerbotten 1924. Bland annat besöktes Burträsk och Bygdeå.

Det nämndes att många av de monument, som Boberg ritade av, sedan försvunnit. Dit hör bl.a. den ur kulturhistorisk och även estetisk synpunkt så värdefulla kyrkstaden i Burträsk, Lappland. Den besökte Boberg sommaren 1924 och gjorde en hel rad förträffliga teckningar, vilka nu äro oskattbara dokument. Från den resan, som gynnades av sällsynt vackert väder, berättar hans maka: ”Bob ser jag än här, än där, fyllande blad efter blad. Hans entusiasm över denna trouvaille – om vilken vi ha hört talas utan att kunna få en föreställning om dess utomordentliga betydelse och omfång är gränslös, nästan rörande. Underbart är att han efter snart 10 års omänskligt nötande på begåvning, entusiasm och vilja har bibehållit dem fungerande, snarare crescendo än diminuendo. Därtill fysiken som står bi, nerver, ögon, hjärna! Så som alltihop för vanliga begrepp överanstränges! Men en överansträngning som varat i 10 år utan att märkas, den finns det ju ingen anledning att taga hänsyn till. Hans ytterst spartanska levnadssätt, som vad födan beträffar gränsar till svältkur lyckades honom – och jag måste ge mig för resultatet…”
Då och då skymtar en underbar naturskildring, så infogad i resedagboken, att man tycker sig sitta med i bilen på väg mot fjärran mål i nordanskogen: ”Obetalbar den känsla av välbehag, som fyller varje vindling av hjärnan, varje por i kroppen, då man sätter sig upp i TussirulIan med en sådan Gudadag framför sig! 15 mil till Arvidsjaur. Gles bygd, några byar, mest skog. Så den doften! Kåda och barr och i myrarna dvärgbjörk. Stark kryddoft, snöfjäll. Och ibland komma vi in i en zon av linneadoft – slut ögonen och andas djupt!
Som om Vår Herre tyckte vi kunde behöva litet omväxling släpper han lös sin fårahjord på bete i det blå. Ulliga, bulliga, silvervita sprida de sig över hela himlavalvet, stora tackor och små, små lamm, men ingen illasinnad gumse. Lätta sommarskyar, skinande mot en eter av djupaste, renaste turkos, långsamt seglande fram i den vindstilla luften, upplösande sig, förenande sig till evigt nya former…”

Källa: ”Svenska bilder” ur Bobergiana, anteckningar av och om Anna och Ferdinand Boberg

REFLEKTION

Tänk vad ett portlider kan berätta om socknen och Sveriges historia…

Gravstenen finns vid ingången till Bygdeå kyrkas sakristia.

Inskriptionen på gravstenen översatt till svenska ska vara: ”Här vilar stoftet av generalmajoren och riddaren Semjon Stepanovitj Gotovtsov som dödades på slagfältet mot de svenska trupperna år 1809, den 7 augusti, vid orten Sävar. Hans liv var 40 år, 7 månader, 7 dagar.”

Inskriptionstexten översatt till svenska har fram tills revideringen 2004 varit denna:

”Här vilar kroppen av generalmajoren och riddaren Semen Stefanofs son Gotofsof, vilken dödades på slagfältet, som stod mot de svenska härarna den 7 augusti 1809 vid Sävar. Han blev 40 år, 7 månader och 7 dagar”. Se: Ehrnfred Gravallius i Ratan 21 augusti.

Se artikel angående den reviderade översättningen av Thomas Rosén i MT-nytt Nr 4 / 2004 Språkfel huggna i sten, sid 2 pdf

Generalens namn var alltså Semjon Stepanovitj Gotovtsov (och inte Semen Stefanofs son Gotofsof).

Artikeln av Thomas Rosén förklarar översättningsproblematiken och ger intressant kunskap:

• Datumet 7 augusti är den gamla ryska kalenderns datum för 19 augusti.
• Gravstenen, som är av rödbrun kalksten har bekostats av officerare vid den ryska armén och skickats till Bygdeå.
• Stenen stod på sin plats fram till 1994 då den ersattes av en kopia ”tillverkad efter original” av företaget Norrsten i Burträsk.
• Ursprungsstenen förvaras idag i klockstapeln.
• Stenens bokstäver motsvarar rysk skrivstil sådan som den såg ut i början av 1800-talet.

* Vem var denne Semjon Stepanovitj Gotovtsov?

Trots att han var generalmajor har han inte efterlämnat särskilt många spår i uppslagsböckerna, skriver Thomas Rosén. Man finner honom dock i listor över riddare av S:t Georgsorden (instiftad 1769), det dåtida Rysslands högsta militära utmärkelse. Sannolikt tillhörde han en adelssläkt med rötterna i Kostromaguvernementet.

Medan han fortfarande var överste och chef för det Azovska skytteregementet tilldelades Semjon Stepanovitj den 26 april 1807 S:t Georgsorden, av fjärde klassen, för att han tappert lett ett bajonettanfall mot franska trupper vid Preußisch-Eylau och därvid blivit sårad.

FÖR ATT något uppleva den ryska och ortodoxa sfären kan vi ta del av en ortodox minnesgudstjänst (090823) intill Umeå kyrka för de fallna i kriget 1809. Språket är kyrkslaviska och det är fader Mikael Salgrin, Ryska kyrkan, Moskvapatriarkatet i Sverige, som är officiant.

‘Sveriges sista slag’ kan ses i 8 delar på YouTube.  Produktion: Clash Kommunikation / Clashy Studios. Producent: Joachim Ljungquist.

– — –

Sveriges sista slag utspelades i Sävar den 19 augusti 1809.

Men det sista och avgörande slaget stod dagen efter – den 20 augusti 1809 – i Ratan i Bygdeå socken.

/DSr