Welcome
My name is
MaryAlice Schwanke, I am
the coordinator for the Isanti County MNGenWeb
Project, a part of The USGenWeb Project.
The USGenWeb Project started in 1996, a 100% volunteer organization whose
goal is to provide online genealogical data for every county in every state.
This Project is non-commercial and fully committed to free access for everyone.
Thought about volunteering but not sure what you can do? Here are some examples of ways you can help:
- Coordinate/Host a county or special project. Visit the MNGenWeb Project to see a list of available MN counties, or the USGenWeb Adoptables page to see what other projects are available.
- Transcribe books, newspapers or other materials for inclusion on this website.
- Become a 'Look-ups' Volunteer. If you have materials about Isanti county or the people who once lived in the county, OR if you live in the area and would be willing to visit a library or local historical society, consider looking up information for other researchers.
- Take photos - Have a digital camera? Consider taking photos of landmarks around the county, or of gravestones in cemeteries.
- Transcribe a cemetery - This is a great project for Girl or Boy
Scouts to earn a badge, or school groups to help their grades.
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About Isanti County
Isanti County is sometimes called the Dalarna of America, but its first Swedish settlers were from the province of Hälsingland. They arrived as a group in 1860 and claimed land just south of Cambridge. They had come to America a few years earlier, settling first in the Chisago Lakes area. It was not until the Civil War ended (in 1865) that immigrants from Dalarna began to comprise the greatest number of settlers. From the parish of Rättvik alone, more than 85 families settled in the country, most around Cambridge but also in the townships of Isanti, Athens and Spring Vale. Their settlement patterns have been well documented in a book by Robert Ostergren (University of Wisconsin), who terms the Rättvik/Isanti connection "a community transplanted"
The community of Stanchfield claims almost as strong a connection to Orsa in Dalarna, and Dalbo has definite ties to both Venjan and Älvdalen, also in Dalarna. The 1895 census indicated that of 10,915 people in the county, more than 4,300 had been born in Sweden.
In spite of it's strong Swedish heritage, many place names such as Bradford, Oxford and Cambridge reflect the influence of the folks from New England who came to the county before the Swedes. Only one township, Dalbo, was given a Swedish name. Thought to be named in honor of the immigrants from Dalarna, it is more likely that Dalbo comes from the place of the same name in Dalsland. Throughout the county there were a number of other small communities (now extinct) that had names of Swedish origin. Among them were Bodum, Walbo, Andree and Blomford.
Source: A Guide to Swedish Sites in Kanabec and Isanti Counties, Kanabec - Isanti Swedish Tourism, 1996
Communities
Neighboring Counties
County lines change, check adjacent counties for information
too.
![](images/isantimap.gif)
Cities
Braham (partly in Kanabec County)
Cambridge (county seat)
Isanti
Townships
Athens Township
Bradford Township
Cambridge Township
Dalbo Township
Isanti Township
Maple Ridge Township
North Branch Township
Oxford Township
Spencer Brook Township
Springvale Township
Stanchfield Township
Stanford Township
Wyanett Township
Unincorporated communities
Andree
Athens
Blomford
Bodum
Bradford
Carmody
Crown
Dalbo
Day
Edgewood
Elm Park
Grandy
Oxlip
Pine Brook
Spencer Brook
Spring Lake
Springvale
Stanley
Stanchfield
Stanford
Walbo
Weber
West Point
Wyanett
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About Isanti County
Isanti County is sometimes called the Dalarna of America, but its first Swedish settlers were from the province of Hälsingland. They arrived as a group in 1860 and claimed land just south of Cambridge. They had come to America a few years earlier, settling first in the Chisago Lakes area. It was not until the Civil War ended (in 1865) that immigrants from Dalarna began to comprise the greatest number of settlers. From the parish of Rättvik alone, more than 85 families settled in the country, most around Cambridge but also in the townships of Isanti, Athens and Spring Vale. Their settlement patterns have been well documented in a book by Robert Ostergren (University of Wisconsin), who terms the Rättvik/Isanti connection "a community transplanted"
The community of Stanchfield claims almost as strong a connection to Orsa in Dalarna, and Dalbo has definite ties to both Venjan and Älvdalen, also in Dalarna. The 1895 census indicated that of 10,915 people in the county, more than 4,300 had been born in Sweden.
In spite of it's strong Swedish heritage, many place names such as Bradford, Oxford and Cambridge reflect the influence of the folks from New England who came to the county before the Swedes. Only one township, Dalbo, was given a Swedish name. Thought to be named in honor of the immigrants from Dalarna, it is more likely that Dalbo comes from the place of the same name in Dalsland. Throughout the county there were a number of other small communities (now extinct) that had names of Swedish origin. Among them were Bodum, Walbo, Andree and Blomford.
Source: A Guide to Swedish Sites in Kanabec and Isanti Counties, Kanabec - Isanti Swedish Tourism, 1996
The community of Stanchfield claims almost as strong a connection to Orsa in Dalarna, and Dalbo has definite ties to both Venjan and Älvdalen, also in Dalarna. The 1895 census indicated that of 10,915 people in the county, more than 4,300 had been born in Sweden.
In spite of it's strong Swedish heritage, many place names such as Bradford, Oxford and Cambridge reflect the influence of the folks from New England who came to the county before the Swedes. Only one township, Dalbo, was given a Swedish name. Thought to be named in honor of the immigrants from Dalarna, it is more likely that Dalbo comes from the place of the same name in Dalsland. Throughout the county there were a number of other small communities (now extinct) that had names of Swedish origin. Among them were Bodum, Walbo, Andree and Blomford.
Source: A Guide to Swedish Sites in Kanabec and Isanti Counties, Kanabec - Isanti Swedish Tourism, 1996
Communities |
Neighboring Counties
County lines change, check adjacent counties for information
too.
|
|
CitiesBraham (partly in Kanabec County)Cambridge (county seat) Isanti Townships
Athens Township
Bradford Township Cambridge Township Dalbo Township Isanti Township Maple Ridge Township North Branch Township Oxford Township Spencer Brook Township Springvale Township Stanchfield Township Stanford Township Wyanett Township |
Unincorporated communities
Andree
Athens Blomford Bodum Bradford Carmody Crown Dalbo Day Edgewood Elm Park Grandy Oxlip Pine Brook Spencer Brook Spring Lake Springvale Stanley Stanchfield Stanford Walbo Weber West Point Wyanett |
Last Updated: 03.11.2021