This Central MN Town Has a Swedish Heritage

Upsala is located in southwestern Morrison County in Central Minnesota.  It is a town with Swedish heritage and it has a current population of 487 people.  Upsala is surrounded by Elmdale Township.  Minnesota Highway 238 (otherwise known as Main Street) passes through the center of the community.  To help tell the story of Upsala I was joined by longtime resident and Historian, Dan Hovland and former Mayor Rollie Johnson.

Hovland says in the late 1800s many people from a variety of countries came to Central Minnesota but the settlement that became Upsala consisted of a large Swedish heritage.  He says the Swedish settlers may have chose the area because it reminded them of their home land.  Hovland explains the area offered a river, hills and land to farm.  He highlighted John Henry Peterson as was one of the first Swedish settlers choosing to settle south of Upsala.  Hovland says John Swetback operated a saw mill, creamery and general store.  He says for awhile the settlement was know as Swetback settlement.  Hovland says postmaster John Anderson is credited with giving the settlement the name Upsala naming it after a large University in Sweden.

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Butter making was important in the early days with Swetback Settlement and then Upsala.  Hovland says farming was the main industry in the area in the early years.  He says John Borgstrom came to Upsala in 1893.  He was a farmer but also had a photo studio, confectionary shop, sold furniture and also worked as an undertaker.  Borgstrom also played a role in establishing their first bank in 1914.

The railroad never came through Upsala while instead choosing to go north through Sobieski, Burtrum, Bowlus and Royalton.  Hovland says the town was incorporated in 1916.  Gus Nelson was the first mayor of Upsala.  State Highway 238 in 1945 came through Upsala.  Hovland says Upsala isn't too far from larger populations like Little Falls and Albany.  Early businesses in Upsala included a telephone company, lumber dealer, blacksmith, meat market, implement dealer and auto garage repair shop.

Hovland says churches were always a big part of the town.  The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church was on of the first ones in town, it is now Gethsemane Lutheran.  A Swedish Mission Church was there and it's now the Covenant Community Church.  Hovland says there was a Baptist Church there for awhile but that no longer exists.  In 1953 St. Mary's Catholic Church opened and is still there today. (pictured above)

The largest employer in Upsala is the school District.  Both Hovland and Rollie Johnson say the community really supports the school and Hovland says his kids got a great education with Upsala Public Schools.  He says there had been talk over the years of consolidating with other area schools but nothing ever materialized and the school district continues to do a good job of going it alone.

The city comes together the 2nd week in August for Upsala Heritage Days.  Rollie Johnson says it's a 3-day event that brings a lot of people into the community.  Events include a 5K run/walk, bean bag tournament, baseball tournament, vintage car show, rock climbing wall, petting zoo fireworks, and musical entertainment along with other attractions.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Dan Hovland and Rollie Carlson, it is available below.