Smoky Valley Historical Association

PICTORIAL TOUR PAGES
Coronado Heights
Höglund Dugout
Downtown Lindsborg
Bethany College
Messiah Festival
Bethany Lutheran Church
Smoky Valley Roller Mill
Brunswick Hotel
Swedish Pavilion
Birger Sandzén
Bror Gustaf Gröndal
The Railroads

A family picture includes the Gröndals’ seven children.

(Originally published in the
1991 Svensk Hyllningsfest program booklet.)

Bror Gustaf Gröndal:
Focus on Lindsborg

by Nancy B. Peterson

Who would think that a church convention in Round Rock, Texas could play an important role in the history of Lindsborg, Kansas?

At that church convention was Bethany College President, Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson. Also at the convention was a young Swedish-born photographer, Bror Gustaf Gröndal. Swensson was so impressed with the young photographer, he invited him to Lindsborg.

Gröndal, who was born in Vesterous, Sweden, in 1855, was one of nine children. After his father's death, his mother moved the family to Uppsala where she thought the children might have a better opportunity for an education. Not so, however, for young Bror, who grew restless. His mother brought him a round trip ticket to the United States, and he headed for work in the orange groves of Florida. He was 14 years old when he left Sweden.

Young Gröndal worked in the fruit groves and then in a sawmill. While there, he contracted malaria. His doctor suggested that the best cure for the disease might be a sea voyage, so Gröndal signed on to work on a clipper ship, sailing to many parts of the world. As a young worker-adventurer, Gröndal never liked to sail on the same ship twice. He was fascinated by the sea and changed ships often. He eventually landed inland in Chicago where he worked on the wharf.

While in Chicago, he became interested in photography. He then apprenticed with a photographer in St. Paul, Minnesota. Once he had developed confidence in his skill, he headed for a warmer climate – a Swedish settlement in Round Rock, Texas.

There he met an attractive young photographer named Sarah Noyd who was already in business. The two photographers became friends, then courted and married. Their photographic business was well underway when Carl Aaron Swensson attended a church convention in Round Rock in 1886. Swensson was enthusiastic about the young Swedish photographer and convinced the couple to come to Lindsborg. They agreed to "try it" for one year. That year grew to a lifetime.

The Gröndals settled into a house in the 400 block of North Main and raised seven children in the small Swedish community. Gröndal maintained a studio in Lindsborg from 1887 until 1946 and is remembered fondly by his family, by the community, and through his pictures. His craftsmanship was meticulous; his ability to capture personalities rare.

Gröndal developed a special friendship with Dr. Swensson and was an enthusiastic supporter of Bethany College. He was an avid sports fan and also active in local politics. When Presidential candidate Teddy Roosevelt came to Lindsborg, it was Gröndal who organized the community supper at the school house for him.

As he settled into family life in Lindsborg, Gröndal never forgot the adventures of his youth, often sharing sea stories and sailor's songs with his children and grandchildren, including his granddaughter, Margaret Eddy, who lives just a few doors away from her grandparents' house on North Main. Eddy fondly remembers her grandfather's stories – and her grandmother's reaction – with amusement, happy to report that her grandfather's return ticket was never used.

Bethany College President, Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson, invited the young Swedish photographer to come to Lindsborg.

A tea party for two little girls, Esther and Julia Anderson of Falun, Kansas, and their special friends.

As a professional photographer, Gröndal (second from left) enjoyed membership in the Kansas Photographers’ Society. He was honored by the group for his distinguished contributions.

Eldest daughter, Edith, was the most frequently photographed of his children.

As an experienced world traveller, Gröndal shared tales of his travels with his only son, Bror Leonard.