On a postcard sent by T Sievertsson; an artist´s rendition of Gumjans pre 1930. Artist unknown.
Jo-Påls, picture 2015, Thomas Sievertsson
Introduction
In Sweden there is a saying that ”Härjedalen is the landscape that God forgot”. Another version is ”the landscape that God hid”. If this is true of Härjedalen, it is even more true for the village of Överhogdal, which is located in the easternmost part of the province, sandwiched between the old provinces of Jämtland, Medelpad and Hälsingland.
However hidden or forgotten, both the Danish-Norwegian and Swedish rulers over the centuries have seen the value of Härjedalen’s natural resources. In the Middle Ages their interest lay mainly in iron, and using the undeveloped land to trap, fish and hunt in. The Swedes also recognized it as a strategic location to own in defending their country, due to its proximity to the Gulf of Bothnia. In modern times the interest has been in the forests and power generation.
In 2021 Per Göran Björk, a resident of Överhogdal, put together a website on the history of his village. In 2024 he invited me to help him create a similar website in English, with the focus on those who emigrated from Överhogdal to new homes in the United States and Canada. I have translated Per Göran’s work and offer a condensed version of the history he describes, and a bit about the village itself. There are some interesting glimpses of bygone people who may be your ancestors. For anyone who wants more details, I encourage you to go to Per Görans website.
https://www.bynshistoria.info/elementor-9526/
On this site, there is additional information on what I (Janet) have been able to learn about those who emigrated from Överhogdal and where they settled. I used the church records found in the Riksarkiv to learn what I could about these people before they left, and then searched on ancestry.ca for further information on where they settled. In this way I often found further details of their lives. In a few instances I was able to connect with descendants from some of the families and learn more of their forefathers. I am sure there are more stories that could be told. If you have information to add to what we have, or you see things to correct, please share with us. We want this to be interesting and also factual.
Per Göran’s sources are from various books and documents where Överhogdal is mentioned . He quoted from research and writings done by:
Frans Järnankar
Erik Modin
Erik J Bergström
Karin Preusler
Gösta Bjelkeborn
Olof Holm
Kjell Hoffman
Another source for him was the annual publication ”Vävtråden”, published by Överhogdal’s Hembygdsförening (Museum) during the 1960s, 70s and 80s.