The Norton Company and Swedish immigrants

[mjolson]

My husband's grandfather, grandmother and 8 year old father came to Worcester in 1903 from Sweden.  Olof Titus Olson had a job waiting for him at the Norton Company.  Has anyone learned anything about how the workers were recruited in Sweden?  Did they answer newspaper ads?  Were they sponsored by local Worcester residents or maybe by the company officials when they arrived?  They lived in Holden when they came.  What kind of transportation might they have had to get from the farm to the Norton Company in the early 1900s?

Margaret

[merski]

There appears to be a strong link with Hoganas , Skane Sweden and the norton company.

[John R. Wagner]

My husband's grandfather, grandmother and 8 year old father came to Worcester in 1903 from Sweden.  Olof Titus Olson had a job waiting for him at the Norton Company.  Has anyone learned anything about how the workers were recruited in Sweden?  Did they answer newspaper ads?  Were they sponsored by local Worcester residents or maybe by the company officials when they arrived?  They lived in Holden when they came.  What kind of transportation might they have had to get from the farm to the Norton Company in the early 1900s?

Margaret

Hi Margaret,

I would suggest that you order Ga Till Amerika from the Worcester Historical Museum.  My grandfather was Carl John Sundberg who started at the Norton Company in the mailroom.  He retired as the director of east coast sales in 1959.  I have a few old photos to share if your interested.  Good Luck!

John Wagner

[morfi]

Hello, I don't know anything about the Norton Company but I know that Hoganas had stonecoal mines in the 19th century and in the beginning of the 20th. They also have some excellent clay for making pottery.

Eva