Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Anton Youngberg's collection includes images of his friends and family from Sweden, as well as new friends from North Dakota. These men were photographed in Sweden around 1900.
Youngberg's brother Penn, in Sweden, with his family.
North Dakota friends on a farm.
A young woman poses at the Gustav Gerold portrait studio in Fredrikstad, Norway circa 1890.
Vignette portrait of a young woman, taken by photographer A. Larson in Minneapolis, Minn. circa 1900.
Many times, I have thought about the inner lives of people who settled Eddy County. Did they curse the cold? Did they miss the friends and family they left behind? Did they burn a candle late into the night, or go to bed early, buried deep under the covers? Did they yearn for company, or perhaps sought out solace?
We can never truly answer such questions, but there are artifacts within the museum that provide insight.
Anton Youngberg traveled from Sweden to America in 1900. When he arrived at his new home in Sheyenne, N.D., he likely unpacked his photo collection that he had brought from Sweden. It was only half-filled with pictures of families and friends, most of whom he would never see again.
In time, Youngberg filled the other pages. New friends from Eddy County shared their photos and old friends sent their portraits across the globe via post.
It is possible, if someone wanted, to trace the geographic origins of the Youngberg photo collection, thanks to unique studio imprints on each photo.
The same would be true for an album that Marie Morris inherited from her mother Mrs. Neutzel, who immigrated from Norway in the late 1890s.
Interested in learning more? Both of these collections are available for you to explore in the Eddy County Museum online collections. Visit https://eddycounty.catalogaccess.com to learn more.
