Immigration | Page 54

Hans Mattson

Hans Mattson. Cabinet photograph c.1885 by William R. Miller.

Cherstin Mattson

Cherstin Mattson, Hans Mattson's wife. Carte-de-viste c.1865.

Hans Mattson

Hans Mattson. Photograph by Joel Emmons Whitney c.1864.

Swedish immigrant Hans Mattson was a prominent immigration booster and politician. Working for the state and for private companies, he recruited many Swedish and Norwegian immigrants to Minnesota during the late nineteenth century. He was also the first Scandinavian elected to Minnesota office. During his lifetime, Colonel Mattson was one of the best-known Swedish Americans in United States politics.

MN90: Kiss Me, I'm Minnesotan

Archbishop John Ireland helped numerous Irish prosper in America and Minnesota. MN90 Producer Allison Herrera talks about the man behind the boulevard in St. Paul. Includes an interview with Ann Regan, author of Irish in Minnesota, published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2002.

Socialist Opera House, Virginia

Virginia's Socialist Opera House was one of many halls built in communities across the nation where concentrations of Finnish immigrants had settled. Used for dances, gymnastic performances, and stage plays, the halls also provided meeting places for like-minded Finns, many of them laborers who embraced socialist ideals.