Impact on the Community

Andersonville is known as an enclave of Swedish culture, a characteristic that can be traced back to the 19^th century.  In the 1800s jobs in Sweden outside of agriculture were hard to come by, especially for those of a lower class.  These Swedes took their chances and moved to America, many to Chicago specifically.

The Swedish district in Andersonville only began to grow after the Chicago Fire in 1871.  Because of the new city codes, buildings had to be made of stone or brick.  The Swedish immigrants couldn’t afford these materials and opted to move outside of city limits, which ended at Fullerton.  Andersonville became a booming community rich in Scandinavian heritage.

Modern day Andersonville has become more diverse in culture and is growing in popularity.  Because of this increased growth, businesses have changing over the past decade and the neighborhood is losing some of its Swedish identity as traditionally Swedish stores leave the neighborhood.  The number of Swedish flags around the community is dwindling. Though the water tower was only lost because of a harsh winter, residents are now anticipating its return.

And this concern extends outside of the community as well.  Visitors to the museum are also glad to hear that the water tower will be resurrected. The tower creates more depth and appeal to the museum and helps show off the Swedish flag, almost like a free advertisement.  

Many Chicagoans look past this loss of architecture. One museum visitor, Amy Betulius, noted, "I’m a huge history buff and I've tried to make it a goal of mine to tour all of the Chicago museums especially the little ones. I'm glad I stumbled upon the Swedish American Museum and hope one day I will be able to see the water tower that the museum is known for. Hopefully they will be able to install it before I move this fall."

Betulius, like other museum guests, is interested in learning about the Swedish heritage and history of Chicago. Having the water tower visible to passersby will help alert them to the rich tradition of Swedish American history that can be found inside.