Who are the Kihlstrom?

Carl CARLSSON's son, Carl CARLSSON was born in 1723 in Kil, Sweden. He married Catharina JoNSDOTTER, born in 1723 in Tyslinge, Sweden, and died in Kil, Sweden.

Carl CARLSSON's son, Carl CARLSSON was born in 1753 in Kil, Sweden and died in 1826 in Kil. He married Christina Nilsdotter FRoBERG, born in 1752 in Ervalla, sweden, and died in 1825 in Kil.

Carl CARLSSON's son, Carl Carlsson KIHLSTROM was born on 1 January, 1778 in Kil, Sweden, and died on 25 January 1869, aged 91, at Nasby, Fellingsbro. He was a "knipsmed", a blacksmith specialising in steel rods. He married Brita Helena Aspman from Fellingsbro. They had seven children from 1803 to 1822, all born in Fellingsbro.

He appears to be the first family member with the name KIHLSTROM.

Carl Carlsson KIHLSTROM's son, Jan Erik KIHLSTROM, was born on 10 June, 1813 in Fellingsbro, and died on 9 January 1861, aged 46, in Vastanfors. He was a "hammarsmed", a blacksmith specialising in flattened steel. He worked in several towns, including Malingsbo, Vastanfors, Ervalla, Lindesberg, and Husby. He married Maria Ersdotter from Ramsberg. They had six children from 1842 to 1854, born in Ervalla, Malingsbo and Husby.

Carl Carlsson's daughter, Maria Gustava KIHLSTROM, was born on 2 February 1820 in Fellingsbro, and died on 4 February 1894, in Minnesota, where her second son lived. Her husband, Peter Adloph Fernelius from Hammarby, Sweden, died in Minnesota in 1900. They had ten children in oprebro and Hallefors, Sweden between 1845 and 1864 (nine boys and one girl, with two boys dying in infancy).

Jan's son, Carl August KIHLSTROM was born on 27 December 1849 in Malingsbo, and died on 7 September 1941, aged 92, at Skinnskatteberg. He was a "mastersmed", a blacksmith who worked in the mining industry, being responsible for quality control in the smelting of iron and copper. He worked in Skinnskatteberg, Skutskar, alvarkarleby and Lena in Sweden. He moved to Finland to work at Stromfors, Svarta and Inga, returning to Bergfors, Sweden, after nine years. He married Anna Margareta Hollinda from Gavle on the Baltic coast. They had twelve children, born between 1876 and 1897.

Carl August's son, Oscar Fredrik KIHLSTROM was born on 21 January, 1881 in Stromfors, Finland, and died on 19 August 1972, aged 90, at Eskilstuna. He was a blacksmith. He worked at Skinnskatteberg, Sura and Gavle.

He married Jenny Maria Jansdotter from Jonkopings. They had four children between 1908 and 1920, all born in Eksjo.

Place Names in Sweden and Finland

Kil, Ervalla, Fellingsbro, Lindesberg, Skinnskatteberg and Malingsbo are in Varmland.
Eskilstuna is in Sodermanland.
Eksjo is in Smaland.
Gavle, Skutsar and alvarkarleby are on the northern Baltic Coast of Sweden.
Stromfors, Svarta and Inga are on the southern coast of Finland, in the Helsinki area.
Skinnskatteberg was a large copper and iron ore mining in Sweden in the 19th century.
Stromfors, Finland was an industrial and mining area, specializing in forging steel using water for power

Industry and Blacksmithing in the 1800's in Scandinavia

Iron ore mining and steel manufacture were important industries in Sweden and Finland in the 1800's. Iron ore mines became the focus for a steel-making industry. In Sweden, trees and charcoal were used as fuel for the forges. In Finland, water was used as a power source. Farming and mining areas required skilled blacksmiths for all their metalwork. The skills of the trade was usually passed through the generations. Moving to new jobs in different towns villages appears to have been commonplace.

These pictures are not of Kihlstroms, but are of blacksmiths working in the Värmland area.

Click on the images to see a larger view