The Connection Between
Phelps County, Nebraska and Richvale, California


Book: Richvale, CA —A Legacy of Courage, Dedication and Preseverance


One of our members, Norma Eggi, from Santa Barbara, California has been instrumental in providing us with this wonderful new book for our library. Starting about 1911 Several Phelps County families moved to Richvale, California to start rice farming. T. A. Carlson, who was a photographer in Holdrege in the 1890s, went to Richvale in 1911 and became a land agent. Below is a list of the families that he sold land to from Phelps County:

P. M. Nelson; C. J. Eckholm; John Olson; Charles L. Moline; Sam Lofgren; August Hendrickson; Frank Anderson; Carl Anderson; J. G. Rystrom; Eric Olson; Oscar Carlson; J. A. Hasselquist; Andrew Shellhase; Albert Erickson; Charles Sunblad; Charles Bloom; and Peter J. Swanson.

Other names I see that have Phelps or Harlan County ties are: Norris Anderson; Oliver Bjorklund; Oscar Fagerstone; Ollie Gustafson; Hilmer Hanson; Kelly High; Arvid Lofgren; Sam and Senia Lofgren; Harold Nelson; George Norall; Effie McLain; John Olson; Arthur and Harry Peterson; Swan L. Peterson; Johannes Gustav Rystrom; Clarence, Adolph, Elmer, Wesley, Alvin and Melvin Samuelson; Elmer Thengvall; and James Murray.

Here are some Nebraska names that may or may not be in Phelps County: Charles Erickson; Albert Erickson; Charles Helmers; David Lindberg; Paul Lofgren; Joe Lundberg; Albert Lindberg and Peter Swanson.

Many of these families resided earlier in northern Phelps County in the Holcomb Church area, Bertrand and Loomis. This book is indexed and has a lot of photographs.

Here is the note received in the book:
“This book is from the Lofgren/Lindberg/Anderson families who moved to Richvale, California from Nebraska. Denny Lindberg gave us this book. My daughter, Norma Eggi has really appreciated your assistance in her genealogy research.” —Signed Annette Kreeth


Evangelical Free Church in Richvale, California that was founded by Phelps County, Nebraska people who moved to Richvale, California.




Return to Phelps County NEGENWEB page HERE.
Page by PS Designs
Posted 2010