The West Lake Massacre 1862,

Minnesota

Swedish settlers in Minnesota were also stroked by the Dakota Uprising and about 30 Swedish immigrants were killed. The uprising took place during the American Civil War (1861 – 1865) in the Upper Midwest, primarily in Minnesota. The Dakota Conflict was an Indian rebellion against the way they  were being treated and several bands of the Eastern Sioux (also  known as Eastern Dakota) attacked settlers along the Minnesota  River. The uprising was led by Chief Little Crow (Taoyateduta), born 1810,  died 1863 On Wednesday August 20, 1862, thirteen Swedish settlers were attacked and killed by Dakota warriors after a church service at the home of one of the settlers in the West Lake Settlement, Swift County (then Kandiyohi County) in Central Minnesota. These settlers emigrated in 1861 from Södra Härene and Tumbergs parishes at Vårgårda, Västergötland province, Sweden and consisted of the families Broberg, Lundborg and Oman.

West Lake settlement, Swift County, MN

On Wednesday August 20, 1862, thirteen Swedish settlers were attacked and killed by Dakota warriors after a church service at the home of one of the settlers in the West Lake Settlement, Swift County (then Kandiyohi County) in Central Minnesota. These settlers emigrated in 1861 from Södra Härene and Tumbergs parishes at Vårgårda, Västergötland province, Sweden and consisted of the families Broberg, Lundborg and Oman. The Lundborgs, Brobergs and Omans lived in two neighboring parishes in Västergötland, Sweden and knew each other. The Brobergs and Lundborgs were furthermore relatives; The brothers Anders Petter and Daniel Broberg were second cousins to Andreas Lundborg. The Anders Petter Broberg family and the Omas were from Saxtorp, Tumberg parish and the Lundborgs from Lund, Tumberg parish and the Daniel Broberg family from Fötene, Södra Härad parish Saxtorp and Lund is located just north of Vårgårda. Fötene is located farther north. Vårgårda is located in Västergötland province about 70 km (43 mi.) northeast of Gothenburg (Göteborg). The immigrants Brobergs, Lundborgs and Omans settled in West Lake, present day Monson Lake in the northwestern Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, north of Redwood Agency and west of Acton. In the map to the right the red A marks the spot of the West Lake settlement. It is located about 200 km (125 mi.) northwest of Minneapolis, MN. The frontier settlement in West Lake consisted of the two brothers Anders and Daniel Broberg and their wives and children and two other families. Anders and his wife Christina had 4 children: Anna Stina, Johannes, Andreas and Christina. Daniel and his wife Anna Stina had 3 sons: Peter, Alfred and the merely 10 months old John. The Broberg brothers claimed 160 acres (65 ha) homestead land in Minnesota on July 15, 1861. In the two Broberg families only two children survived the massacre. Also at the settlement were the Sven Oman and the Andreas Lundborg families. These four families made up the West Lake Settlement. Three brothers Lundborg, all sons to Andreas Lundborg, Johannes, Anders Petter (Andreas) and Lars had already emigrated in 1858 and was joined by the rest of the family in 1861. Below is a listing of the family members in the West Lake Settlement. The people in red color were killed  in the massacre (+). The figures within parenthesis are the age of respective person at the time of the massacre. The people in black color survived. Anders P. (43) and Christina Broberg (36) (+) • Christina (7) (+) • Andreas (10) (+) •  Johannes (13) (+) • Anna Stina (16) Johannes Nilson, brother/half-brother to Christina Broberg. (+) Daniel (38) and Anna Stina Broberg (30) (+) • John Albert (10 months) (+) • Alfred (4) (+) • Peter (7) Andreas (50) and Lena Lundborg (51) • Samuel (9) • Johanna (14) • Lars (22) (+) • Gustaf (23) (+) • Andreas (25) (+) • Johannes (29) Sven (43) and Christina Oman (42) • Johanna (8) • Anders Petter (10)

The Massacre, Wednesday 20 August 1862

On Wednesday, August 20, 1862, the day of the massacre, the four West Lake families gathered at the Andreas Lundborg house where religious service were being held by the ambulating Lutheran pastor Andrew Jackson. However, many of the Broberg’s and Oman’s children where at home in their respective dwellings. The children in Daniel Broberg’s home were approached by a band of about thirty Dakota in warpaint. The Dakota appeared aggressive which frightened the children. The 7-year sold Peter Broberg ran off to the Lundborg house to warn and bring the parents back home. The people at the West Lake settlement were at that time not aware that the Dakota Uprising commenced only two days earlier. Pastor Jackson knew but hadn’t informed his parishioners to avoid panic. Pastor Jackson asked the Lundborg sons not to confront the Dakota armed to avoid an escalation of violence. It is uncertain whether the sons were armed or not. Anders Broberg and Andreas Lundborg’s four sons and Johannes Nilsson ran the fully 3 km (2 miles) hrough the woods, a short cut, to Broberg’s cabin. At first, the Dakota appeared calm but soon the picture changed. At a given signal Anders Broberg and the four Lundborg sons and Johannes Nilsson were shot dead by the Dakota. However, the 9 year- old Samuel Lundborg survived his gunshot wound. Andreas Lundborg arrived a while later and saw his sons being attacked. Although he was armed he had to run away being heavily outnumbered by the Dakota band. At this time Daniel Broberg arrived with an ox team together with the two Broberg wives and the rest of the Broberg children. Daniel had to drive the ox wagon around the forest on the prairie which took a longer time. Instead of pursuing Andreas Lundborg the Dakota now attacked the newly arrived. Daniel was shot dead while the 16-years old Anna Stina Broberg managed to escape into a corn field where she met Andreas Lundborg. The young Peter Broberg ran to the nearby Oman’s house where he took shelter down in the cellar together with the rest of the Oman family. Both of the two Broberg wives were shot dead including the young children, among them the 10 month old John. Both Lundborg’s and Oman’s cabins were plundered by the Dakota band before they finally left. However, they didn’t discover the Omans down in the cellar. When the Dakota left the settlement the Omans and young Peter Broberg left the cabin for the forest where, at dawn, they found the wounded Samuel Lundborg. Anna Stina Broberg and the survivors from Lundborg’s family took shelter in a marsh during the night. Andreas Lundborg’s wife Lena was separated from the others during the escape from the Dakota and was lost in the forest until a party of French speaking men found her the following day close to Paynesville, MN. They didn’t understand what she said but understood that something terrible had happened and accompanied her westward to find out what had happened. When they arrived at Norway Lake they found the rest of Lena’s family and other neighbors. The survivors of the West Lake massacre had sought refuge on an island in Norway Lake, about 15 km (9 mi.) east of West Lake. The island is today known as Isle of Refuge. The West Lake survivors did not dare to return to their settlement until two days later and then buried their thirteen dead family members in a mass grave. This must have been a very traumatic for the ones who survived. After the funeral the West Lake people went away via Lake Prairie, Paynesville till St. Cloud, MN.

The Survivors

In the two Broberg families only two children survived: the first cousins Anna Stina (16) and Peter Broberg (7). In the Lundborg family Samuel, his brother Johannes and their sister Johanna and both parents survived. In the Oman family everyone survived.

The 13 killed

Anders and Christina Broberg and their children Christina, Andreas and Johannes. Daniel and Anna Stina Broberg and their children Alfred and John. Three children to Andreas and Lena Lundborg: Lars, Gustaf and Andreas. Anders Broberg’s wife Christina’s half-brother Johannes Nilson. About 20 people were killed in Pastor Jackson’s Lutheran congregation, Norway Lake parish. Pastor Jackson had another congregation under his wings, Nest Lake parish further east of West Lake in Kandiyohi County. This parish later became Lebanon Lutheran Church. On August 27, 1862, a week after the massacre, the Swedish-American newspaper Hemlandet had a story about the Dakota in Minnesota attacking settlers. Further they reported about 5,000 people were on the run from the Indians and that major parts of western Minnesota were now depopulated. In the next issue, published on September 3, 1862, Hemlandet had the first news about the massacre in West Lake with reports about the Lundborgs and the Brobergs fate. The newspaper only reported about the deaths, not the course of events. On June 19, 1891, the West Lake victims were moved from West Lake and reburied in the Lebanon Cemetery in New London, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota where a memorial monument was erected. See below. In 1927, at the spot of the massacre, a State park was inaugurated, Monson Lake Memorial State Park, in dedication of the victims and the event. A land area of 2-acre (0.81 ha) was purchased from the present owner Albert Monson and turned into the State park. In 1956 the name of the park was changed to Monson Lake State Park. A reason that the West Lake massacre is so well known is due to the survivors who have written about the event in their biographies.

State Monument

A State monument was erected at Lebanon Lutheran Church Cemetery, New London, Kandiyohi County, MN, in memory of the Swedes that were killed in the West Lake massacre on August 20, 1862. The monument was erected on August 20, 1891, almost 30-years after the event. See below:

 

Biography of the Swedes in West

Lake

Anders P. Broberg and his wife Christina

Anders Petter Andersson Broberg was born on September 16, 1819, in Södra Härene parish, Västergötland province, Sweden (according to his obituary he was born in Algutstorp parish which isn't correct) and was killed on August 20, 1862, in West Lake, Kandiyohi County, MN. His wife Christina Nilsdotter Broberg was born on August 31, 1826, Tumberg parish (today's Kullings- Skövde parish), Västergötland province, Sweden, and was killed on August 20, 1862, in West Lake, Kandiyohi County, MN. The couple had four children: Anna Stina born on July 25, 1846; Johannes January 23, 1849; Andreas January 27, 1852, and Christina May 31, 1855. Everyone but Anna Stina was killed in the massacre in 1862. The Anders Broberg family emigrated from Sweden to the United States on April 28, 1861, and arrived in Quebec, Canada, on June 19. On July 15, 1861, they arrived at the West Lake settlement in western Kandiyohi County, MN (section 1).

Anna Stina Broberg

Anna Stina Broberg was the oldest daughter of Anders P. and Christina Broberg and was born on July 29, 1846 in Skövde (according to her gravestone) but according to Swedish birth records she was born on July 25, 1846, in Tumberg parish (today’s Kullings- Skövde parish) and died at age 87 on September 12, 1933, in Thief River Falls, Pennington County, Minnesota. Anna Stina was 16 years old at the time of the massacre and the only one in her family that survived. Anna Stina emigrated to the United States in 1861 together with her family and they settled in the West Lake Settlement in western Kandiyohi County, MN. In 1864 she married another Swedish emigrant, John (Jonas) Peterson, in Carver County, MN. John was born on February 2, 1839, in Järvsö, Hälsingland province, Sweden, and died on November 27, 1904. In 1850 he arrived in the United States with his parents Erik and Christina Peterson and he was their oldest son. The Peterson family moved to Kandiyohi County, MN, in 1859. The family lived in the same county as West Lake but wasn’t attacked by the Dakota in 1862 but had to run away from home during the uprising. After the marriage Anna Stina and John Peterson moved to Nest Lake, Kandiyohi County, not far from West Lake. They lived here until 1880 when they moved to Pennington County where they became settlers. The couple had 6 children of whom 2 died young. The other children were 2 sons (Henry and Eddy) and 2 daughters (Christina and Mary). When Anna Stina died in 1933 she had 19 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. She is buried in Saint Hilaire Cemetery, Pennington County, MN. Anna Stina participated in the ceremony when Monson Lake Memorial State Park was inaugurated in 1927. Anna Stina took down her memories from the West Lake Massacre (The Story of the Massacre) and in her story she mentions the relationship between the two Broberg husbands and Andreas Lundborg. She writes that the two brothers Anders and Daniel Broberg were "second cousins" to Andreas Lundborg.

Johannes Nilson

Johannes Nilson was born on August 23, 1831, in Tumberg parish (today's Kullings-Skövde parish), Västergötland province, Sweden, and was a half- brother to Christina Broberg. He arrived at West Lake in July 1862 and was killed in the massacre in West Lake, Kandiyohi County, MN, on August 20, 1862. According to the Swedish birth records for Kullings-Skövde parish of 1831 he apparently had the same parents as Christina (in other words Nils Broberg and Maria Olofsdotter) and thereby ought to be her full brother and not her half-brother (Anna Stina Broberg states him as her mother’s half- brother in her memorial publication about the massacre?).

Daniel and Anna Stina Broberg

Daniel Petter Broberg was born on January 8, 1824, in Södra Härene parish, Västergötland province, Sweden, and was killed on August 20, 1862, in West Lake, Kandiyohi County, MN. His wife Anna Stina Johansdotter Broberg was born on March 31, 1832, and was killed on August 20, 1862, in West Lake, Kandiyohi County, MN. The couple had 3 children: Peter born on December 17, 1854; Alfred March 31,1858, and John Albert October 22, 1861. Everyone but Peter was killed in the massacre in 1862. The Daniel Broberg family emigrated to the United States on April 28, 1861, and arrived in Quebec, Canada, on June 19. On July 15, 1861, the family arrived at West Lake Settlement in western Kandiyohi County, MN. The family claimed homestead land in section 1 in Hayes Township, quite close to the homestead land his brother Anders P. Broberg claimed.

Peter Broberg

Peter Broberg was the oldest son of Daniel Petter Broberg and Anna Stina Johansdotter Broberg. Peter was born on December 17, 1854, in Södra Härene parish, Vårgårda, Västergötland province, Sweden, and died on December 28, 1925, in New London, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota and is buried in Lebanon Cemetery, Kandiyohi County. Peter emigrated with his parents and his younger brother Alfred to the United States in 1861 and the family settled in West Lake Settlement in western Kandiyohi County, MN. Peter was 7 years old at the time of the massacre in 1862 and the only one in his family who survived. Since he was so young and lost both his parents several people had custody of him. During the first months after the massacre he lived together with the Andreas and Lena Lundborg family, his former neighbor in West Lake. The image to the left shows Peter Broberg. After that he moved to Carver County to live with John and Hanna Ahlen in West Union to later move in with Lars and Maria Skog in East Union. At this time his first cousin Anna Stina Broberg had married John Peterson (in 1864) and they had a farm by Nest Lake in Kandiyohi County. Peter lived with them until 1868; he was then 14 years old. Thereafter he lived with Louis Larson in New London, Kandiyohi County where he also went to school. Peter Broberg married Christina Larson and the couple had 4 children: Ella, Martha, Eunice and Elmer. In 1878 he bought a trading business in New London together with Harold Swenson. Peter was also into real estate business and banking and was the President of State Bank of New London. He was active with this until a couple of years before he died in 1925. Peter Broberg took down his memories from the West Lake Massacre which is found in Peter Broberg's Biography. On June 1, 1917, Peter Broberg placed a granite memorial stone on the site of the Broberg cabin in West Lake. The image to the right shows the memorial which Peter Broberg erected in 1917 at the spot of his home at the time of the massacre in 1862. The hollow to the right of the memorial is the remains of the cellar underneath the cabin. Free image, Wikipedia.

Andreas and Lena Lundborg

Andreas Larsson Lundborg was born on February 28, 1812, in Södra Härene parish, Västergötland province, Sweden, and died on January 8, 1891, in Carver County. His wife Lena Johansdotter Lundborg was born on October 11, 1810, in Tumberg parish (today's Kullings-Skövde parish), Västergötland province, Sweden, and died on September 18, 1870, in West Lake, Kandiyohi County. Andreas and Lena Lundborg are buried in West Union Lutheran Cemetery in Cologne, Carver County, MN. There is a memorial erected in the cemetery dedicated to the Andreas Lundborg family. The couple brought 6 of their children to the United States: Johannes was born on September 28, 1832; Anders (Andreas) March 23, 1837, Gustaf April 30, 1839, Lars December 22, 1840, Johanna December 21, 1848, and Samuel February 12, 1853. All were born in Tumberg parish, Västergötland province, Sweden. Anders, Gustaf and Lars died in the massacre 1862. Andreas and his wife Lena and the younger children, Samuel and Johanna, emigrated to the United States in June 1861. After a short break in Boston, Massachusetts, they arrived in July 1861 to West Lake. Their four older sons Johannes, Anders, Gustaf and Lars emigrated on May 3, 1858, and arrived in Boston on June 4. They reached West Lake in the spring of 1860. Once in the United States the Andreas Lundborg party went to the West Lake settlement which was located on the line between Swift and Kandiyohi counties in Minnesota. Here they reunited with their four older sons who claimed homestead land in section 5 and 6 in Arctander Township, Kandiyohi County. After the massacre the Lundborgs left West Lake and moved to Afton in Washington County, but later moved back to West Lake to finally settle in the in the West Union area in Carver County, Minnesota. To the left is an image of Andreas Lundborg. Andreas farm in Carver County was located in the northeastern corner of section 12, Hancock Township. His daughter Johanna, married Erik Paulson and they stayed at the Lundborg homestead in West Lake. Andreas and Lena Lundborg also had a daughter Sara Andreasdotter, born on October 17, 1842, in Västergården, Lund, Tumberg parish [Source: Kullings-Skövde C:2 (1768-1850) Image 124 / page 237], died May 26, 1907, who remained in Sweden when the rest of the family emigrated to the United States. At the time when the Lundborgs emigrated Sara was married to shoemaker Johan Petterson Lundquist (born February 14, 1833, died December 10, 1914) and the couple had a young daughter (Selma Josefina, born December 1, 1859) and was expecting a second child (Gustav Adolf, born November 3, 1861). [Source: Kullings-Skövde AI:7 (1861-1878) Image 147 / page 272.] Another son of Sara and Johan Lundquist, Martin Fridolf Lundquist (1868-1928?), emigrated to Minnesota in 1887 and married Jennie Glesne in 1894. The couple lived in New London, Kandiyohi County, MN, and had a son Harlow and the daughters Ruth and Hazel. Martin Fridolf Lundquist was in other words a grandson of Andreas and Lena Lundborg. Their son Johannes Andersson Lundborg was born on September 28, 1832, in Tumberg parish (today's Kullings-Skövde parish) in Västergötland province, Sweden, and died on November 15, 1899, in Carver County, MN. Johannes emigrated to the United States in 1858 with his 3 brothers. Johannes served in the 11th Minnesota Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War. Later he became a farmer in the southeastern corner of section 12, Hancock Township. He married Kristina Larsdotter Lundborg (1844 – 1901). Kristina was born on January 2, 1844, in Sweden and died on November 6, 1901, in Carver County. The couple had two children: John A. Lundborg (1874 – 1949) and Elfrida Lundborg (1886 – 1908). To the right is an image of Johannes Lundborg. Their daughter Johanna Lundborg was born on December 21, 1848, in Tumberg parish (today's Kullings-Skövde parish), Västergötland province, Sweden. She married Erick Paulson in 1869. The couple took up residence in the Lundborg homestead in West Lake. Descendants to the family still are proprietors of a farm on the site of Andreas Lundborg’s homestead in West Lake. Their son Samuel Andersson Lundborg was born on February 12, 1853, in Tumberg parish (today's Kullings-Skövde parish), Västergötland province, Sweden, and died on May 23, 1920, in Carver County, MN. Samuel emigrated to the United States in 1861 with his parents. In the West Lake massacre Samuel had a non-lethal gunshot injury and survived. In 1874 he married Anna Maria Johnsson Lundborg (1854 – 1916). She was born on November 8, 1854, in Sweden and died on January 24, 1916, in Carver County. The couple had three children, among them: Oscar Nathanael Lundborg (1875 – 1892) and Joseph V. Lundborg (1881 - 1950).

Sven Johansson Oman and his Wife

Christina

Sven Oman was born on July 28, 1819, in Algutstorp parish (according to his obituary), Västergötland province, Sweden, and died in 1908 in East Union in Carver County, MN. His wife was Christina Persdotter and she was born on October 25, 1819, in Nårunga parish (Norunga according to her obituary) in Västergötland province, Sweden, and died in 1877 in East Union, Carver County. Sven and his wife Christina emigrated in August 1861 to the United States with their 2 children Anders Petter,  born October 4, 1851, and Johanna born July 21, 1854, in Tumberg parish (today's Kullings-Skövde parish). Johanna died in Afton, Washington County during the winter 1862-1863. The Omans arrived in Quebec, Canada, aboard the ship Arendal after 5 weeks at sea. After a short break in St. Paul, MN, and in Carver County they reached the West Lake Settlement. The Omans claimed homestead land in section 6 in Arctander Township, in Kandiyohi County. Their homestead land was located between Lundborg’s and Broberg’s land. To the right is an image of Christina and Sven Oman. Anders Petter Oman was a son of Sven and Christina Oman and was born on October 4, 1851, in Tinnberg, Sweden and died on December, 1 1936, in Dakota County, Minnesota. His place of birth is noted as Tinnberg parish in his obituary but there is no Tinnberg parish in Sweden? He emigrated with his parents and his sister Johanna to the United States in August 1861. At the day of the massacre in West Lake Anders Petter was at home with his younger sister Johanna while their parents attended a religious service at the Lundborg’s home. During the attack the parents hurried home to their children and the entire family survived by hiding in the cellar. After the massacre the family moved to Afton in Washington County and later to the East Union area in Carver County. Anders then helped his father to farm the land they claimed in the northeastern part of section 36 in San Francisco Township. Anders Petter married Johanna Oman, born in 1843 and died on December 2, 1925, in Hennepin County, Minnesota. The couple had the following children: Oscar E. Oman (1876 – 1879), Albin N. Oman (1877 – 1879), Emil Oman (1880 – 1880), John Oman (1880 – 1880) and Theodor Oman (1880 – 1880) according to his obituary. The people with parishes marked in red color in the biographies above are people for whom I have been able to confirm place of birth and date of birth in the Swedish church records.

The West Lake Settlers in the

Swedish Church Records

Information about the settlers in West Lake Settlement in the Swedish Church Records.

Andrew Peterson’s Diaries and

the Dakota Uprising 1862

Andrew Peterson emigrated from Östergötland province, Sweden, in 1850 and eventually settled east of Lake Waconia, Carver County, Minnesota, about 50 km (30 miles) southwest of Minneapolis. His name in Sweden was Anders Pettersson and he was born on October 20, 1818, in Sjöarp, Västra Ryd parish, Östergötland province and died on March 31, 1898, in Clearwater Lake, Carver County, Minnesota. He has been remembered to present days by his diaries which he wrote from June 23, 1854, until 2 days before he died in 1898. Andrew Peterson’s diaries are kept today at the Minnesota Historical Library in Saint Paul, MN. In 1862 he made some entries about the Dakota Uprising in his diary.

Wednesday 20 August 1862

”Bläf wi skrämda får indianerna så att wi flytte ut på öna i Klairwaterlake, ok så låg wi der till den 21 om quellen då vi for hem”. ”We were frightened of the Indians and therefore moved to an island in Klairwaterlake (Clearwater Lake – today’s Lake Waconia) and stayed there until late evening August 21st when we returned home”

Sunday 24 August 1862

A neighbor informed that the settlers were called upon to fight the Indians: ”Just som wi hade börjat mitingen kom Anders Swanson och sade att wi skulle gå ok kriga emott indianerna. Mitingen bläf uppbruten, ok wi gick war till sitt för att lagå oss till, men sedan gjorde wi upp plats till vidare årder”. ”Just after we had began the mitingen (the meeting) Anders Swanson arrived and told us to stand up against the Indians. The meeting was adjourned and we went home to eat, later figuring out how to proceed.” In August 1862 a fortification was quickly built as a protection against the Indians close to the settlement. Another fortification was built in Waconia, 5 km (3 mi.) from Andrew’s homestead. Chisago County in eastern Minnesota where great numbers of Swedes settled was not affected by the Dakota Uprising. More about Andrew Peterson later in this article. Chisago County in eastern Minnesota where great numbers of Swedes settled was not affected by the Dakota Uprising.

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