Overview of the Collection
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Repository Name:
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Robert A.L. Mortvedt Library
Scandinavian Immigrant Experience
Collection
Archives and Special
Collections Department
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA, 98447
253-535-7586
Email:archives@plu.edu
http://www.plu.edu/archives
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Collection Number:
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t171
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Creator:
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Berg, Carl Albin
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Title:
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Carl Albin Berg Oral
History Interview
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Dates:
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1982 (inclusive)
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Quantity:
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3 file folders
1 photograph
1 sound cassette
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Languages:
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English
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Summary:
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An oral history interview with Carl Albin
Berg, a Swedish immigrant.
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Biographical Note
Carl Albin Berg was born on July 14, 1890 in
Bohuslän, Sweden. His father worked in a factory to support his family of
seven. Carl attended the church in town on occasion and went to school for six
to seven years, working at a butcher shop after school to earn some extra
money. In 1909 Carl joined a group of young men who wanted to avoid the service
by moving to Canada. They left from Göteborg, and eventually Carl reached
Vancouver, British Columbia. He worked on road construction crews for a while
in Canada, but he later moved to Nome, Alaska to mine gold for two years. Carl
then returned to Canada to work at a paper mill on Paul River. After working at
the mill, he moved to Seattle in 1916 and was employed by the Bank of
California, where he worked for 29 years. At the Swedish Club in Seattle, Carl
met his wife, Emmy Erickson, and they had one son, Roy David. Carl has not lost
touch with his heritage. He still speaks Swedish and participates in several
Swedish organizations: Swedish Club, Vikings, and the Vasa Order of America. In
addition, Carl and Emmy took one trip back to Sweden in 1957.
Lineage
Father: Carl Fagerberg. Mother: Johanna
Fagerberg. Brothers and Sisters: Johan Fagerberg, Anna Fagerberg, Hilda
Fagerberg, Ingrid Fagerberg. Spouse: Emmy J. Erickson Berg. Children: Roy David
Berg.
Content Description
The interview was conducted with Carl
Albin Berg on May 12, 1982 in Seattle, Washington. This interview provides
information on personal background, emigration, first impressions of America,
work in Canada, life in Seattle, family life, a return trip to Sweden,
children, and Swedish organizations. The interview also includes photographs of
Carl Berg and his wife Emmy at the time of the interview. The interview was
conducted in English with some Swedish towards the end of the interview. Also
see Emmy Berg.
Administrative Information
Custodial History The Oral History collection
project was started during an experimental course on Scandinavian Women in the
Pacific Northwest. Students in the course were encouraged to interview women
and learn about their experiences as immigrants to the United States. The
project was continued and expanded with support from the president's office and
by grants from the L.J. Skaggs and Mary C. Skaggs Foundation, from the Joel E.
Ferris Foundation and the Norwegian Emigration Fund of the Royal Norwegian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The project was directed by Dr. Janet E.
Rasmussen. The collection was transferred to the Archives and Special
Collections Department.
Processing Note The interview was conducted by
Inger Nygaard Carr using a cassette recorder. A research copy was also prepared
from the original. To further preserve the content of the interview, it is now
being transferred to compact disc. We deliberately did not transcribe the
entire interview because we want the researchers to listen to the interviewee's
own voice. The transcription index highlights important aspects of the
interview and the tape counter numbers noted on the Partial Interview
Transcription are meant as approximate finding guides and refer to the location
of a subject on the cassette/CD. The recording quality is good
The
collection was transcribed by Mary Sue Gee, Julie Peterson and Becky Husby.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access The oral history collection
is open to all users.
Restrictions on Use There are no
restrictions on use.
Related Information
Bibliography
Rasmussen, Janet Elaine. New Land
New Lives: Scandinavian Immigrants to the Pacific NorthwestTacoma, WashingtonUniversity of Washington
Press1993
Additional Reference Guides
Subjects
This collection is indexed under
the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials
about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these
headings.
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| Berg, Carl Albin |
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Berg, Carl Albin--Interviews (creator) |
| Berg, Emmy J. |
| Berg, Roy David |
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Fagerberg, Carl |
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Fagerberg, Johanna |
| Berg
family |
| Erickson family |
| Fagerberg family |
| Swedish Club
(Seattle, Wash.) |
| Vasa
Order of America. Lodge N:r 228 (Seattle, Wash.) |
| Bohuslän (Sweden) |
| Göteborg
(Sweden) |
| Nome
(Alaska) |
| Seattle (Wash.) |
| Transtrand
(Sweden) |
| Vancouver (B.C.) |
| Christmas |
| Education --
Sweden |
| Emigration and
immigration |
| Family --
Sweden |
| Naturalization |
| Sweden -- Social
conditions -- 1945- |
| Swedish-Americans--Northwest,Pacific--Interviews |
| Swedish-Americans--Social life and customs |
| Oral
histories |
| Janitors |
| Miners |
Detailed Description of the Collection
The partial interview transcription
highlights important aspects of the interview. Numbers may be used as guides to
important subjects. Two numbers separated by a slash indicate that the first
number is for cassette and the second for CD.
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Cassette Counter
021/006:
Carl Albin Berg was born in Bohuslän, Sweden. This is in the
southern part of Sweden out in the country. Born July 14, 1890.
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Cassette Counter
071/049:
PARENTS
Johanna and Carl Fagerberg. Father was a worker in the
factory. Worked with metal. Lived in a little city.
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Cassette Counter
142:
BROTHERS AND
SISTERS
One brother and five sisters.
Johan Fagerberg, Anna, Hilda, and Ingrid. They all live in Sweden now. A sister
was in the U.S. but has gone back to Sweden.
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Cassette Counter
196/136:
GRANDPARENTS
Do not remember
seeing them when he was small. Grandfathers were factory workers also.
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Cassette Counter
220/152:
CHILDHOOD
HOME
Not there anymore. Regular house.
Other people lived in the house with them in the upstairs.
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Cassette Counter
249:
CHILDHOOD
Went to school in the town where he lived. Was also a
church in town, went once in a while. Had religious instruction in the school.
Confirmed in the church.
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Cassette Counter
308:
CHRISTMAS
Always gave presents. Had chicken or turkey. Mother
baked a lot for Christmas. Had lutfisk.
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Cassette Counter
354:
SCHOOL
Went for 6-7 years. Worked in the butcher shop after school
until he came to Canada and then U.S.
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Cassette Counter
383:
Fourteen came together in the gang. Went to Canada in 1909.
Was 17 years old. Landed in Vancouver, B.C. Came over so he would not have to
go into the service.
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Cassette Counter
417:
Got ship in Göteborg. Went to Liverpool, England after going
to Denmark. Rough water at sea. Landed in Canada.
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Cassette Counter
471:
Started work on the road in Canada. Hard work, laying rail.
The boys he came over with spread out all over. Carl did not have any relatives
to come to.
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Cassette Counter
494:
ALASKA
For two years in Nome. Worked two summers doing gold mining,
did not see much gold. Paid well.
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Cassette Counter
530:
Worked at Paul River in Canada at a paper mill. Was with his
friend, John Carlson from Sweden.
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Cassette Counter
555:
Met people here through work. Was working with mixed
nationalities.
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Cassette Counter
584:
Worked for the Bank of California for 29 years in Seattle,
Washington.
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Cassette Counter
590:
Moved to Seattle after the paper mill and worked for the
bank. Did a little of everything. Was trained on the job. Moved to Seattle in
1916. Came down to Seattle with a friend from Nome, Alaska.
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Cassette Counter
685:
HARDEST THING ABOUT COMING
OVER
Language held you back some.
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Cassette Counter
642:
Went to school to become an American citizen. Became citizen
in Seattle.
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Cassette Counter
661:
Met Wife in Seattle. Emmy Erickson. Met at a dance. Went to
the Swedish Club in Seattle. Swedish Organizations: Swedish Club, Vikings, and
the Vasa Order of America.
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Cassette Counter
686:
TRIPS BACK TO
SWEDEN
1957. Wife went with him. Stayed
longer than had anticipated because they did not have any reservations to come
back. Childhood home is still there. Not too many changes.
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Cassette Counter
740:
CHILDREN
One son, Roy David. He worked in a factory in
Ballard.
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Cassette Counter
777:
Worked as a janitor in the bank.
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Cassette Counter
784:
Happy he had come to America. Did not want to go back to
Sweden to stay.
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Cassette Counter
828:
Worked during the Depression for the bank and did painting
for other people. Did not have any trouble during the Depression.
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Cassette Counter
858:
Built the house that they are in now. Have lived here since
they came to Seattle.
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Cassette Counter
877:
Still can speak Swedish, "never forget that". Speak more
English than Swedish in the home. Son does not speak Swedish.
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Cassette Counter
903:
Lived in a camp when he worked up in Nome, Alaska. Not much
work there in the winter. Lived in a camp when he was working on the
railroad.
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Cassette Counter
950:
Continues talking about the camps in Alaska.
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Cassette Counter
965:
Bosses for the camps were pretty good.
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Cassette Counter
982:
Saw Eskimos in Alaska. They were by themselves.
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Cassette Counter
1004:
Saw first black person when he came over. There were black
people in Sweden too.
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Cassette Counter
1018:
Was not hard to get used to the food as the camps usually had
real good food.
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Cassette Counter
1034:
Went to the Clubs once and a while. Played bingo. In Nome,
there was not any recreation. Worked everyday. "Eat and work." Made about $4-$5
a day.
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Cassette Counter
1070:
Took the boat up to Nome. Took six days to get there. Left
from Seattle.
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Cassette Counter
1089:
Train ride when he first landed was fine. Pointed at the food
that you wanted. Gang of boys all took the same train. Had a good time.
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Cassette Counter
1111:
Recreation not much in Vancouver when he was working on the
railroad. Got together with friends and a drink now and then.
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Cassette Counter
1131:
What has it meant to be Swedish?
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Cassette Counter
50:
SWEDISH
ORGANIZATIONS
Just belonged, never held a
position. Go to the Swedish Club meetings.
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