John Brynteson
Encyclopedia
John Brynteson was one the "The Lucky Swedes" who founded and developed the Nome mining district
.
, Sweden
. He came to the United States
at the age of 16 and headed to the upper Peninsula of Michigan
where he worked in copper and iron mines for about ten years and became a United States citizen. Citizenship was granted in Michigan
in 1896.
on the eastern coast of Norton Sound
, Bering Sea
to find coal for the Swedish Mission Covenant
. A gold seeking venture which commenced in mid-September, 1898 with Erik Lindblom
and Jafet Lindeberg
proved quite successful. Brynteson and partners soon knew they had a major discovery. In 1898, Pioneer Mining and Ditch Company was formed by Erik O. Lindblom, John Brynteson, and Jafet Lindeberg. The company was the largest mining company operating in Nome, Alaska
, in the years following the discovery of gold.
Brynteson was the first of the party to leave Alaska and the only one to return to his homeland. Brynteson used his fortune to fund other business ventures and for philanthropy. Brynteson purchased a farm in Santa Clara County, California
later known as The Pruneyard. He established a home for sailors in San Francisco and endowed charitable works in Chicago
. He also financed the construction of the Ice Palace in Stockholm
for the 1912 Olympic Games.
in 1959.
Nome mining district
The Nome mining district, also known as the Cape Nome mining district, is a gold mining district in the U.S. state of Alaska. It was discovered in 1898 when Erik Lindblom, Jafet Lindeberg and John Brynteson, the "Three Lucky Swedes" , found placer gold deposits on Anvil Creek and on the Snake...
.
Background
Johan Bryntesson was born in the parish of Ärtemark in the County of Älvsborg, in the traditional province of DalslandDalsland
Dalsland is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland in southern Sweden. Lying to the west of Lake Vänern, it is bordered by Värmland to the north, Västergötland to the southeast, Bohuslän to the west, and Norway to the northwest....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. He came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the age of 16 and headed to the upper Peninsula of Michigan
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
where he worked in copper and iron mines for about ten years and became a United States citizen. Citizenship was granted in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
in 1896.
Career
In 1898, Brynteson arrived at Unalakleet, AlaskaUnalakleet, Alaska
Unalakleet is a city in Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States, in the western part of the state. At the 2000 census the population was 747. Unalakleet is known in the region and around Alaska for its salmon and king crab harvests; the residents rely heavily on caribou, ptarmigan, oogruk , and...
on the eastern coast of Norton Sound
Norton Sound
Norton Sound is an inlet of the Bering Sea on the western coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, south of the Seward Peninsula. It is about 240 km long and 200 km wide. The Yukon River delta forms a portion of the south shore and water from the Yukon influences this body of water...
, Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
to find coal for the Swedish Mission Covenant
Swedish Mission Covenant
The Swedish Mission Covenant was formed in 1878, to unite several Swedish mission societies with “evangelical” sympathies and at the same time embrace the range of this ecumenical diversity...
. A gold seeking venture which commenced in mid-September, 1898 with Erik Lindblom
Erik Lindblom
Erik O. Lindblom was one of the “Three Lucky Swedes” who discovered gold in the Nome mining district.-Background:Erik Olof Lindblom was born in Dalarna, Sweden, the son of Olof Lindblom and Brita Lindblom. Lindblom's father was a respected land owner and school master in Sweden...
and Jafet Lindeberg
Jafet Lindeberg
Jafet Lindeberg was a gold prospector and co-founder of the city of Nome, Alaska.-Background:Jafet Lindeberg was born in Kvænangen, Troms county, in Norway. In his youth, he tried prospecting for gold in northern Norway. Lindeberg's father, Isak, was a farmer and fisherman...
proved quite successful. Brynteson and partners soon knew they had a major discovery. In 1898, Pioneer Mining and Ditch Company was formed by Erik O. Lindblom, John Brynteson, and Jafet Lindeberg. The company was the largest mining company operating in Nome, Alaska
Nome, Alaska
Nome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,598. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901, and was once the...
, in the years following the discovery of gold.
Brynteson was the first of the party to leave Alaska and the only one to return to his homeland. Brynteson used his fortune to fund other business ventures and for philanthropy. Brynteson purchased a farm in Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
later known as The Pruneyard. He established a home for sailors in San Francisco and endowed charitable works in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. He also financed the construction of the Ice Palace in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
for the 1912 Olympic Games.
Personal life
Brynteson married Emma Forsberg on May 2, 1900 in San Francisco. The Bryntesons had three children. Brynteson died in Svaneholm, Säffle kommun, SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1959.
Legacy
- A statue of John Brynteson, together with Erik Lindblom and Jafet Lindeberg stands in Nome, Alaska.
- Jafet Lindeberg, Erik Lindblom and John Brynteson are all listed in the Alaskan Mining Hall of Fame
Primary sources
- Harrison, Edward Sanford, Nome and Seward Peninsula: a book of information about northwestern Alaska (E.S. Harrison. 1905)
- Carlson, Leland H., Swedish Pioneers & the Discovery of Gold in Alaska(American Swedish Historical Museum: Yearbook. 1948)
- Olsson, Siv, Torparsonen som blev Guldkung (Dalslands Fornminnes- och Hembygdsförbund. 1989) Swedish