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Anders Håkansson found his way from Sweden to Rumford, Rhode Island in 1879. We know nothing at all about hiim at this stage in his life. For us all he has is a name and a place of origin, Vinslöv in southern Sweden.
So here we need a writer of short stories to take over so we all can ask the writer to give Anders "a life". All writers may apply. Until then all we have is the envelope above and the letter within. We see that the envelope left East Providence, Rhode Island, found its way to New York and a waiting boat to Sweden.
It is addressed to Jungfrun Hanna Swenson, Christianstad, Winslöf, Sweden in Europe. Let¨s look inside.
Rumford
March 24
1872
Beloved sister Hanna Swenson. Your letter reached me on January 30, and it was postmarked the 6th and I replied as soon as I saw that you wanted to come here. Therefore I am sending two tickets to my brother (Daniel Håkansson) because I see that you would like to travel with him and I have fulfilled your wish.
I leave to you the reader to begin to "give a life" to this man with only a name, a man who came to America in 1872 with almost nothing, yet three years later was able to purchase two Cunard Line tickets that would make it possible for this young woman from a small Swedish village to "fulfill her wish".
Hanna was not his sister but girl who knew the brothers Håkansson so well that she could take the initiative by writing to Anders to tell him that she wanted to become one of "emigranterna" to America.
She and Daniel would be boarding a Cunard Line ship in Malmö, Sweden that would take them to Göteborg, Sweden from which they were to start the voyage via a route taking them past the Irish coast and on to America. The ship ran aground off the Irish coast but Hanna and Daniel survived to continue on to "det nya landet".
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