Lindsborg is a city in McPherson County,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,776. Lindsborg is known for its large

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used b ...

, other

Nordic and Scandinavian Americans Nordic and Scandinavian Americans are Americans of Scandinavian and/or Nordic ancestry, including Danish Americans (estimate: 1,453,897), Faroese Americans, Finnish Americans (estimate: 653,222), Greenlandic Americans, Icelandic Americans (es ...

(

Nordic Nordic most commonly refers to: * Nordic countries, written in plural as Nordics, the northwestern European countries, including Scandinavia, Fennoscandia and the North Atlantic * Scandinavia, a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in ...

Scandinavian A Scandinavian is a resident of Scandinavia or something associated with the region, including: Culture * Scandinavianism, political and cultural movement * Scandinavian design, a design movement of the 1950s * Scandinavian folklore * Scandinavi ...

), and

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heritages, It is home of the biennial

Svensk Hyllningsfest Svensk Hyllningsfest (, "Swedish Honoring Festival") is a biennial celebration held in Lindsborg, Kansas, in October of odd-numbered years to celebrate the Swedish heritage of the community. The festival includes Swedish dancing, foods including ...

History

For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America were inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th to the 18th century, the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...

claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...

, France secretly ceded

New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to King ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau. In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France. In 1803, the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France for 2.83 cents per acre as part of the 828,000 square-mile

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...

. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized and in 1861

became the 34th

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

. McPherson County, which included the land for the future Lindsborg, was established in 1867. Lindsborg was settled in the spring of 1869 by a group of

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, ...

from the

Värmland Värmland () also known as Wermeland, is a ''landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are ...

province of Sweden led by Pastor Olof Olsson. In 1879, the same year Lindsborg incorporated as a city, the first railroad came through. Lindsborg translates as '' Linden Castle'' from Swedish to English, referring to a tree name known in Europe for a species of ''tilia'' (Swedish: ''lind''). The community is named for four men whose surnames included "Lind", N. P. Linde, S. P. Lindgren, S. A. Lindell, and J. O. Lindh, who had held prominent positions in a

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

organization of Swedish farmers (''Svenska Lantbrukskompaniet'' or First Swedish Agricultural Company) which was involved in the settling of Lindsborg until 1877. Thirty percent of the current residents are of Swedish descent. Because the town has retained so much of the heritage of its founders, it has become known as "Little Sweden". The downtown features gift shops that specialize in Swedish souvenirs, including various sizes of Dala horses. Lindsborg has long been noted for the

, a biennial celebration held in October of odd-numbered years since 1941, and other efforts to honor its heritage. Lindsborg is the home of the

Swedish Pavilion Swedish Pavilion is an historic site at Mill Street in Lindsborg, Kansas. Designed by Swedish architect Ferdinand Boberg, the Pavilion was built as an international exposition building for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. After the fair, the P ...

, which was originally constructed as an international exposition building for the

1904 St. Louis World's Fair The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds totaling $15 milli ...

. After the fair, it was purchased by W. W. Thomas, U.S. Minister to Sweden and Norway, and presented to Lindsborg's Bethany College as a memorial to his friend Dr. Rev. Carl Aaron Swensson, the school's recently-deceased founder. At Bethany, it was used by the art department as a classroom, library, and museum. It was moved to the

McPherson County Old Mill Museum Smoky Valley Roller Mills, now known as the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum, is an historic mill and museum on Mill Street in Lindsborg, Kansas. History Smoky Valley Roller Mills was built in 1898 to make flour from wheat. The roll ...

, also in Lindsborg, in 1969. The

Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery The Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery is located in Lindsborg in McPherson County, Kansas. The memorial art gallery is located in "Little Sweden," a town founded by Swedish immigrants. The gallery is dedicated to Birger Sandzén, who was a Swedish- ...

is located in Lindsborg. Dedicated on October 20, 1957, on the Bethany College campus, it showcases the works of the artist

Birger Sandzén Sven Birger Sandzén (February 5, 1871 – June 22, 1954), known more commonly as Birger Sandzén, was a Swedish painter best known for his landscapes. He produced most of his work while working as an art professor at Bethany College, Linds ...

who lived in the city. The gallery houses the largest and most extensive collection of his paintings, prints, and drawings found anywhere in the world. Swedish King

Carl XVI Gustaf Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden. He ascended the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973. He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, ...

visited Lindsborg in April 1976 during his

royal tour A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...

of the United States. In 2004, Lindsborg was named

Chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...

City of the Year by the

United States Chess Federation The United States Chess Federation (also known as US Chess or USCF) is the governing body for chess competition in the United States and represents the U.S. in FIDE, the World Chess Federation. US Chess administers the official national rating ...

Geography

Lindsborg is located at (38.5736176, -97.6744838). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Lindsborg has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Area events

is a biennial tribute to the Swedish pioneers occurring in October of odd-numbered years.

Area attractions

Coronado Heights
*

Smoky Valley Roller Mill Smoky Valley Roller Mills, now known as the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum, is an historic mill and museum on Mill Street in Lindsborg, Kansas. History Smoky Valley Roller Mills was built in 1898 to make flour from wheat. The roll ...

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 3,458 people, 1,303 households, and 829 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 1,414 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.8%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 1.7%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 0.8% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population. There were 1,303 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.4% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 20.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 17.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.7% were from 25 to 44; 23.6% were from 45 to 64; and 19.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 3,321 people, 1,227 households, and 775 families residing in the city. The

was 2,155.5 people per square mile (832.6/km). There were 1,331 housing units at an average density of 863.9 per square mile (333.7/km). The racial makeup of the city was 97.05%

, 1.11%

, 0.39% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.30% from

, and 0.84% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population. 36.0% were of

, 22.3%

, 8.4%

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

, 6.4%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

and 5.7%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

ancestry according to

Census 2000 The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 c ...

. There were 1,227 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were

living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.89. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 18, 18.7% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $25,145 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $17,415. About 4.9% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Bethany College in Lindsborg Kansas KS USA

Primary and secondary education

The community is served by

Smoky Valley USD 400 Smoky Valley USD 400, also known as Smoky Valley Public Schools, is a public unified school district headquartered in Lindsborg, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Lindsborg, Falun, Johnstown, Langley, Marquette, ...

public school district. Lindsborg is the home of: * Smoky Valley High School * Smoky Valley Middle School * Soderstrom Elementary

College

* Bethany College

Other

* The International Chess School of the Midwest, formerly called the

Anatoly Karpov Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov ( rus, links=no, Анато́лий Евге́ньевич Ка́рпов, p=ɐnɐˈtolʲɪj jɪvˈɡʲenʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈkarpəf; born May 23, 1951) is a Russian and former Soviet chess grandmaster, former World Che ...

International School of

, is located downtown.

Transportation

K-4 highway passes through Lindsborg. Bus service is provided daily towards

Wichita Wichita ( ) may refer to: People *Wichita people, a Native American tribe *Wichita language, the language of the tribe Places in the United States * Wichita, Kansas, a city * Wichita County, Kansas, a county in western Kansas (city of Wichita i ...

and Salina by BeeLine Express (subcontractor of

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and ...

Notable people

Jay Emler Jay Scott Emler (born May 25, 1949) is a former Republican member of the Kansas Senate, representing the 35th district from 2001 until 2014. He previously worked as a Municipal Judge in Lindsborg. Emler was elected by his colleagues to serve ...

, former

Kansas Senate The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 senators elected from single-member districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Member ...

majority leader from 2011 to 2014, former District 35 senator from 2001 to 2014, was previously a Lindsborg municipal judge *

Ted Kessinger Ted Kessinger (born January 15, 1941) is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas from 1976 to 2003, compiling a record of 219–57–1 for a winning percentage of . He is a ...

, retired college football coach, member

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were v ...

* Ebba Nylander, violinist and conductor born in Lindsborg * John W. Peterson, Gospel songwriter born in Lindsborg *

, Swedish-born painter and teacher

Gallery

Historic Images of Lindsborg
Special Photo Collections at

Wichita State University Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...

Library
Photo from 1961 Svensk Hyllnings Fest
File:Old Depot - Lindsborg KS.jpg, Old Lindsborg railroad station, located in Heritage Square in Lindsborg. File:Swedish Pavilion - Lindsborg KS.jpg,

from 1904

Saint Louis World's Fair The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds totaling $15 mil ...

, 2009 File:Fremont Lutheran Church near Lindsborg Kansas KS USA.jpg, Fremont Lutheran Church near Lindsborg File:Dugout from a former sod house in Lindsborg Kansas KS USA.jpg, Höglund Dugout, originally the home of the Gustaf and Maria Höglund family, where they lived while constructing their larger home and homestead. 12th Avenue off Wells Fargo Road one mile from Lindsborg