Svea Land Colony

The first structure built in Silverhill, the Oscar Johnson Home.

The second structure built in Silverhill, the Svea Land Colony real estate office.

At that time in history, anyone could pose as a real estate agent and advertise property in any way they decided. Realtors in the United States organized in 1908 when a group in Chicago formed the National Association of Real Estate Exchanges. Professional licensing and certification began in 1919. It was also during that time that regulations on false advertising were beginning to be developed.

Since there were no rules or controls, the Svea Land Company recruited many men as their agents to buy and sell land in the central Baldwin area of Alabama. It is not clear if they were buying the land with their own money or using the money of the company. The deeds were in the name of those men and not the Svea Land Colony.

One of the men the Svea Land Colony recruited was Oscar T. Johnson in about 1900 at the age of 26. He was not the same person as Silverhill's founding father, Oscar Johnson. The fact, that there were two men with the same name, lead to some confusion on the deeds, especially when this man did not use his middle initial.

Some distinguishing differences between these two men on the deeds were that this man was a resident of Chicago, whereas the founding father was a resident of Silverhill. This man was single until 1902, then had a wife named Amanda, whereas the founding father was married to Josephine in 1887. However, at times, none of these facts were on the deeds, and one is left to wonder which Oscar Johnson is named. Oscar T. Johnson is also on the first town map.

Another man recruited was A. A. Norden of Omaha, Nebraska, where he worked as a cabinet maker. Below is a section of the Silverhill News, 3rd year, February 1903, Number 2.

Translation: We hereby have the pleasure of introducing to our readers the Svea Land Co.'s cheerful and reliable representative for the west, Mr. A. A. Nordin, Omaha, Nebr. This photograph was taken at his own farm in Omaha, but soon he says goodbye to the cold north and settles in Silverhill, where he already has three of his faithful Omaha neighbors, Messrs. Sundberg, Linder and Sundin, who have already made Silverhill one's home. Mr. Nordin has an interest in Silverhill's sawmill and has bought land and lots in Silverhill. Mr. Nordin is a happy soul and a friend of people, says Mrs. Sundberg - "you know".

In 1904 at the age of 44, Norden moved his family to Silverhill where he built the Hotel Norden, completed in 1905. In 1906, he built a second building for the hotel where he operated a grocery and post office as the postmaster.

Norden placed advertisements in an Omaha newspaper promoting excursions to Silverhill for land sales in 1902 and 1903.

Omaha-Posten from Omaha, Nebraska; A. A. Norden of the Svea Land Colony ran this ad on Apr. 9, 1902. Translation reads: Apply and Join one of the Excursions to Silverhill, Alabama Departing from Omaha on April 15, May 6 and 20 and June 3. Free travel to anyone who buys 40 acres of land or more. For further information - write to A. A. NORDEN, 1315 Farnam street, Omaha, or directly, Svea Land Colony, 112 S. Clark St., CHICAGO, ILL.

Omaha-Posten from Omaha, Nebraska; A. A. Norden of the Svea Land Colony ran this ad on Jan. 28, 1903. Translation reads: A trip to the South can be made for only half price on the 17th to the 22nd of February, 1903. This offers all countrymen an opportunity to visit at a cheap price the great Swedish colony of Silverhill in Baldwin County, Alabama. Convince yourself now that Silverhill offers the best country, the best climate and the best water. For further information, contact Svea Land Company's local representative, A. A. NORDEN 1315 Farnam St. Omaha, Neb.

The Hotel Norden and Annex about 1910.

The Hotel Norden and Annex about 1920.

A new phase of the Svea Land Colony began after the 1906 hurricane, which devastated the Silverhill area on September 26-27, with 105 mile per hour winds (category 3). The storm traveled due north and came ashore just west of Mobile where it stalled for 9 hours causing widespread destruction along the gulf coast with storm surge, strong wind, and continual rain. Many people died, but none in Silverhill. Homes were damaged, roofs torn off. Trees were uprooted, crops lost. Many of the colonists packed their belongings, waited long lines at the train depot, and returned to the north.

Land sales stopped. Installment payments stopped. Two years past while the men of the Svea Land Company strategized on how to restart sales. They finally decided to invite people of other nationalities to the area.

Karel Josef Hanák arrived in America on November 1, 1906 at Galveston, Texas from Czechoslovakia. He moved to an area west of Houston where he worked as an engineer and surveyor.

He must have begun working with a realtor, since he ran the following advertising during 1908 in the Cesky Oklahoman, a Czech-language newspaper of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Cesky Oklahoman, a Czech-language newspaper of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

ATTENTION! The real estate office K. J. Hanak, Engineer Wallis, Texas, obtained for sale Grassland prairies in the areas of Fort Bend, Wharton, and Austin. near the colonies of Orchard Wallis East Bernard. Very good and cheap lots, down payment ¼ of the price, the rest a 10-15 year loan at 6% interest. Mr. Hanak is an engineer and surveyor and will survey at low cost. For details write to K. J. Hanak, Wallis and East Bernard, Tex.

The Svea Land Company contacted Hanak to find Czech-speaking families to buy land in the Silverhill area. On March 6, 1909, he led a group of settlers to the southwest of Silverhill where he founded the first Czecho-Moravian Colony in the state of Alabama, which he named Cechie.

Visit the pages below to continue reading about the Svea Land Colony.

The Svea Land Colony

The Company

The Idea

The Men

The Land