Gustaf Unonius
Gustaf Elias Marius Unonius | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 25 August 1810 |
| Died | 14 October 1902 |
| Other names | Gustav Unonius Gustave Unonius |
| Education | Uppsala University Nashotah House |
| Church | Episcopal Church in the United States of America |
| Ordained | 1845 |
Congregations served | St. James' Episcopal Church, Manitowoc St. Ansgarius Episcopal Church, Chicago |
Gustaf Elias Marius Unonius (also referred to as Gustav Unonius, Gustave Unonius, Gustavus Unonius, or Gustov Unonius) was a pioneer and priest in the American Midwest. Unonius founded the Pine Lake Settlement in central Wisconsin, serving as a catalyst for early Scandinavian emigration to the United States. [1] Later ordained a priest in The Episcopal Church, Unonius helped found several churches in Wisconsin and Illinois.[2]
Pioneer
Unonius was born 25 August 1810 in Helsinki, in the Grand Duchy of Finland, then part of the Russian Empire. His family moved to Sweden when he was a child. In 1830, he graduated from Uppsala University in Sweden, and from the Uppsala law department in 1833. In 1841 Unonius emigrated to the United States, settling in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Unonius was founder of the early Swedish settlement known as the Pine Lake Settlement or Nya Upsala (New Upsala). The settlement was near what is now the town of Merton. Unonius' letters to Swedish, Danish and Finnish newspapers about pioneer life in America sparked a wave of immigration by Scandinavians to the Midwest. While living in Waukesha County, Unonius befriended James Lloyd Breck, one of the founders of the Episcopal seminary Nashotah House.[2]
Priest
In 1845, Gustaf Unonius became the first graduate[3] of Nashotah House, and was ordained to the Diaconate by Bishop Jackson Kemper. He was later ordained as a priest in The Episcopal Church, continuing to commute from the Pine Lake Settlement for several years.[2] In 1848, Unonius moved to Manitowoc, Wisconsin and became the first Rector of St. James' Episcopal Church[4]. In 1849, he founded the Swedish Episcopal Church of St. Ansgarius in Chicago, Illinois[5]
Return to Sweden
Unonius returned to Sweden in 1858, having lives in the United States for 17 years. The stories of his travels to the United States and the trials and tribulations of life on the frontier were the subject of his two-volume memoirs, published in 1862. A partial translation of his memoirs, A Pioneer in Northwest America 1841-1858: The Memoirs of Gustaf Unonius, was published in 1960 for the Swedish Pioneer Historical Society by the University of Minnesota Press. Unonius died 14 October 1902.[2]
References
- ^ "Town of Merton: Early History", Town of Merton. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Unonius, Gustaf Elias Marius 1810 - 1902", Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
- ^ "Gustaf Unonius, first graduate of Nashotah House", Project Cantebury. Retrieved on 28 April 2008.
- ^ "Manitowoc: St. James' Church", History of the Diocese of Fond du Lac and Its Several Congregations, A. Parker Curtiss, 1925. Retrieved on 28 April 2008.
- ^ "St. Ansgarius", Archives at The Newberry Library, Chicago. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
Additional reading
A Pioneer in Northwest America 1841-1858: The Memoirs of Gustaf Unonius. Translated by J.O. Backlund; edited by N.W. Olsson. University of Minnesota Press, 1960.