Stromsburg in Polk County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Stromsburg
The Swede Capital of Nebraska
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 12, 2021
1. Stromsburg Marker
The site for Stromsburg was selected in 1870 by Lewis Headstrom, member of a townsite company from Galva, Illinois. In 1872 the town was platted and named “Stromsburg,” the last syllable of Headstrom’s name plus “burg,” which in Swedish means “village on the hill.”
Headstrom built the first house and store. Businesses were built around a central square reserved for a city park. In 1879 Stromsburg welcomed the Omaha and Republican Railroad, acquired by the Union Pacific in 1898. After a fire in 1887 destroyed most businesses on the west side of the square, a volunteer fire department was organized. A standpipe was erected in 1889.
When the population reached 1,000 in 1888, Stromsburg was incorporated as a second class city with Lewis Headstrom as mayor. In 1912 Buckley Park, a gift from Mr. and Mrs. John Buckley, became a part of the town.
Many of Stromsburg’s citizens trace their ancestry to Sweden. In 1966 Governor Frank Morrison declared the town the “Swede Capital of Nebraska.” Stromsburg’s centennial celebration in 1972 and annual Swedish Festival illustrate its Swedish pride and heritage.
Erected by
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 12, 2021
2. Stromsburg Marker
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Nebraska State Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.
Location. 41° 6.531′ N, 97° 35.922′ W. Marker is in Stromsburg, Nebraska, in Polk County. Marker is on Park Road just west of Main Street (U.S. 81), on the left when traveling west. Marker is located on the south side of Park Road, just inside the Buckley Park Campground entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10 Main Street, Stromsburg NE 68666, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 4 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Dedicated to the Pioneers of Polk County (approx. 5.6 miles away); Polk County Courthouse (approx. 5.6 miles away); Osceola And The Early Pioneers (approx. 6 miles away); The Village of Shelby (approx. 10.7 miles away).
Also see . . . Stromsburg. Wikipedia entry:
By the 1880s two brickyards were in operation in the town. A brick Carnegie library was built in Stromsburg in 1918. Many buildings from ‘native’ brick still stand, including the Viking Center, now a community center that was originally The Opera House. (Submitted on September 9, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 12, 2021
3. 1874 Swedish Evangelical Mission Covenant Church Tower exhibit
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 12, 2021
4. 1874 Swedish Evangelical Mission Covenant Church Tower exhibit
Credits. This page was last revised on April 25, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 9, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 152 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 9, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
