The Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization of professional scholars, amateur historians, and above all friends of Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø. We¡¯re bound together by our desire to preserve and tell Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø¡¯s stories.
Our mission is to preserve the history of Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø and its relation to the Lutheran Church and to Swedish-American immigration and culture. We do this through publications, presentations, and preserving written records and artifacts.
Our Own History
Since its founding in 1930, the Society has traced the stories of Swedish-Americans who settled in the Midwest, built the Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Synod, and organized, taught, and studied at Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø and Theological Seminary in Rock Island, Illinois. Like all histories, these stories often intermingle.
We have found the Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø stories to be moving records of vision and courage. Many still remain untold. We¡¯re dedicated to recovering and telling them, believing that the more we know of them, the more fully we can understand who we are and who we want to be.
What We Do
We tell Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø stories in publications ranging from the scholarly work of distinguished professors such as Conrad Bergendoff, Thomas Tredway, and Fritiof Fryxell, to biographies of outstanding figures in our history, to histories of the college itself. We sponsor lectures and presentations on a variety of topics. We have restored historic areas on the Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø campus and placed monuments, markers, and displays to commemorate these areas. Recent work by one of our members received an award of commendation from the Concordia Historical Society.
Some publications may be purchased via the Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Bookstore or via the Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Historical Society on Amazon.com.
The Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Historical Society is working to digitize some of the past publications and make them freely available online in Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Digital Commons. To see digitized titles, visit Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Digital Commons.
Membership
By joining the Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Historical Society you will receive advance copies of all AHS publications, either free or at greatly reduced prices. In addition, you'll receive:
- 10% discount on any AHS publication
- AHS Newsletter
- Advance invitations to programs in the fall and spring
The AHS welcomes new members! See our membership brochure.
Annual membership rates are $35 for individual/couple and $5 for students. To become a member, send a check (payable to "Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Historical Society") to:
Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Historical Society
Attn: President¡¯s Office
Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø
639 38th Street
Rock Island, IL 61201-2296
For more information, visit https://augustanahistoricalsociety.wordpress.com or our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍøHistoricalSociety