Immigrants of the Independence Valley

Download or read book Immigrants of the Independence Valley written by Richard Erickson and published by . This book was released on 2015-09-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between 1890 and 1930, approximately 1100 Nordic immigrants settled into or moved through the Independence Valley and the areas around Rochester, Washington. About 40% were Swedish speaking Finns, about 27 % were Finnish speaking Finns, 23% were Swedish, 8% were Norwegian and 2% were Danish. This book describes the settlement of the area and the assimilation of the immigrants into a new culture. Each immigrant, as identified through numerous sources, is listed. Included is a description of the various cultures, customs and daily life activities. The review of the community history focuses on schools, churches, cemeteries, local farms, logging and sawmills and social and volunteer organizations. A few stories from local immigrant families describe their personal experiences growing up in the area. The objective of the book is to provide an historical perspective of families settling into a new land far from their Nordic roots.