| The History of Swedish Crafts |
| Over the decades, their "little-brick-store-on-the-corner" has provided a wonderful resource to the many local, national and international customers they have come to know and serve. While they raised their three children, (Kathy, Paula, and Tom), Hilding and Esther developed a unique and sophisticated collection of the very finest international gift-ware. They soon gained a reputation for providing the best gifts for people to give to others. Swedish Crafts in Lindsborg has been providing mail-order gift services for 40 years, it is a natural fit for handling internet orders. Hilding was a pioneer in import-mail-order , sending an annual catalog of imported gift wares across the United States. Hilding also advertised his imports in national magazine ads. This played an important role in building Lindsborg's reputation as a five-star tourist town. Along with the advertising, Swedish Crafts was occasionally featured in a story in the magazine pages. On all his advertising, Hilding always added the little phrase, in italics or quotes, "Lindsborg, Little Sweden, USA." Through the years, and increasingly after I-135 was laid close by, thousands of Swedish Americans followed that little promotional cue to Lindsborg. If they were anywhere near Lindsborg, whether travelling to ski in Colorado, to bet in Vegas, or between Oklahoma and Nebraska for "Red Day" football games, Swedish Americans, along with countless other curious folks, made a regular pilgrimage to "Little Sweden, USA." So, along with the century-old Handel's Messiah Festival at Bethany College, and the more contemporary bi-annual Hyllningsfest, Swedish Crafts helped create and develop the tourism tradition that Lindsborg now thrives on. The entire town, and many surrounding villages and hide-aways, are rich with Swedish-American history and lore, providing visitors a wealth of places to visit, and events worth remembering. But while it surely is a story of rock-hard Swedish pioneers, and the elegant and cultured legacy they forged out of the wilderness, for their children and grandchildren, Swedish Crafts in Lindsborg is not just a Swedish-American icon. It is as much an All-American story. Swedish Crafts is a wonderful example of the small-town, downtown, brick-front retail store, that grew steadily during the years following WW2, thriving in the post-war American economy. For more of the Jaderborg and Dahlsten family history, click this link. |
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| Since 1948, Swedish Crafts has been importing and selling Swedish and Northern European handicrafts. both retail and via mail-order, from the brick storefront in the little Kansas town of Lindsborg. What Hilding Jaderborg started as " The Walton Bookstore" (named after the Destroyer Escort he was stationed on in the Western pacific during WW2) would become Swedish Crafts, and Hilding's wife, Esther (Dahlsten) Jaderborg, joined the partnership. Both Hilding and Esther are 100% ethnic Swedish, from the first generation of grandchildren born to Lindsborg's founding fathers. |
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