New Sweden Gin is one of the many forgotten cotton gins of Manor and Travis County. This news article will explain and examine the history behind New Sweden Gin in Manor, Texas.
New Sweden Gin was established sometime in 1902 on property owned by Jno Axell and Ed Smith along with the Bauer Brothers. New Sweden Gin Company and New Sweden Co-op Gin used this property for their ginning operations. New Sweden Gin was located near the intersection of Axell Lane & New Sweden Church Road in Manor, Texas. The back of the workshop for New Sweden Gin faced New Sweden Church Road. New Sweden Gin was owned and operated by New Sweden Gin Company for many years. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth787616/m1/108/?q=road%20book)
New Sweden Gin produced anywhere from 100 to 200 bales of cotton per day out of a 7-day work period after cotton seeds were ginned. New Sweden Gin had definitely ginned more than 100 bales of cotton per day.
A tragedy occurred on the night of August 23, 1918 when New Sweden Gin burned in a fire. Ed Smith's cotton gin at New Sweden caught on fire. 10 tons worth of cotton burned and perished in the fire. Austin American reported about the tragedy under the caption of “NEW SWEDEN GIN AND TEN TONS OF COTTON SEED BURN” on August 24, 1918. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/384422259/)
Ed Smith's cotton gin at New Sweden, four miles north of Manor, was burned. Thursday night The gin belonged to Bauer Brothers, who had leased it to Smith. The gin was burned, as well as ten tons of cotton seed.
Directors of the New Sweden Gin Company held a special meeting on the date of June 27, 1928. It was on that date Walter Carlson was elected manager and superintendent during their special meeting. Walter Carlson had managed a few other gins. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/384281539/)
“Directors of the New Sweden Gin company held a special meeting and Walter Carlson was elected manager and superintendent for the coming season.”
“Citizens of the New Sweden community assembled Monday for a discussion of the ginning business. Directors of the New Sweden Gin company held a special meeting and Walter Carlson was elected manager and superintendent for the coming season. The question of the farmers supplying the cotton sacks in Elgin and adjacent territory has not yet brought any material discussion or interest in as much as a majority of the farmers are continuing in the same old way of furnishing the pickers with their sacks.”
A water well for New Sweden Gin was dug in 1933. This water well was 20 feet in depth and was 30 inches in diameter. (Ref: https://www.twdb.texas.gov/publications/reports/historic_groundwater_reports/doc/M283.pdf)
Lawrence R. Olson replaced Walter Carlson as manager of New Sweden Gin sometime during the mid-20th century. Exactly when is unknown. The Austin American newspaper listed Lawrence R. Olson as a manager of New Sweden Gin in 1953. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/386538357/)
“Lawrence R. Olson's coastal Bermuda nursery is producing some runners in spite of dry weather. Olson showed us sprigs or runner several feet long, that have grown during dry weather. He plans to use the nursery to grow sprigs for planting along branches and creeks where he grazes cattle. Olson lives near New Sweden where he leads a busy life running a herd of Herefords, raising several hundred acres of cotton and managing the New Sweden gin.”
A branch of New Sweden Gin called New Sweden Co-op Gin was incorporated and established in 1954. New Sweden Co-op Gin was established as a separate entity of New Sweden Gin Company. According to bizstanding.com, New Sweden Co-op Gin was registered on May 18, 1954 as a domestic nonprofit corporation. (Ref: https://bizstanding.com/p/new+sweden+co-op+gin-7863191)
The Austin American wrote a news article about the opening of the new New Sweden Co-op Gin on the date of Friday, August 6, 1954. Austin American reported that New Sweden Co-op Gin was operated all electronically. A state of the art Super-Mitchell cleaner and 4-80 saw gin stands were installed for the cotton gin. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/384906042/)
[There is practically a new gin going in at New Sweden. The modern New Sweden Co-op Gin was recently organized, buying the old plant from the New Sweden Gin Company. It will start operating not later than early next week. Cotton is now taken through a big reel drier which cleans as it dries; a seven cylinder cleaner; 14 foot bur machine; another five cylinder cleaner; a Super-Mitchell cleaner and 4-80 saw gin stands. The stands once did all the work. Gins really cost money now-a-days. The New Sweden Co-op Gin is all electric. Officers and directors of the co-op are, president, Lawrence C. Nelson; vice president and assistant manager, D. A. Axel; treasurer, E. O. Lundgren; secretary-manager, Lawrence R. Olson and directors, Thure Johnson, Lee Anderson, Rudolph Magnuson, David Samuelson and Henry Munson]
According to the Austin American newspaper, New Sweden Gin Company gift deeded (donated) 2 acres of their land to New Sweden Co-Op Gin Company (New Sweden Co-Op Gin Co/New Sweden Co-Op Gin) on the date of June 11, 1954. “New Sweden Gin Co. to New Sweden Co-Op Gin Co. 2 acs. Thomas Sharp Survey. $9.90 rev. Stamps.” (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/384899127/)
On September 17, 1954, New Sweden Co-Op Gin had undergone a modernizing process where modernizing of the gin was performed. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/384882188/)
“L. R. Olson, manager of the New Sweden Coop Gin, says more than 90 per cent of their crop is harvested. His gin early this week had ginned 967 bales this season as compared with a total of 100 bales ginned last year. This indicates growers in the New Sweden area are making as much cotton as last year but the facts are the newly organized Coop attracted a lot of new business this year, as well as the modernizing of the gin.”
New Sweden Gin Company and New Sweden Co-op Gin both dissolved in 1971. Jon Axell took back control and full ownership of the property in 1971 right after New Sweden Gin Company and New Sweden Co-op Gin dissolved. 1974 was the year Jon Axell would dismantled the New Sweden Gin.
The only remnant left of New Sweden Gin is a metal shed which is was actually the workshop where ginning equipment and harvesting tools were stored. The workshop is now abandoned and sits in a decaying state of rural decay. Here this workshop serves as an example of a bygone where cotton once ruled Manor.
New Sweden Gin was located at the intersection of Axell Lane & New Sweden Church Road, Manor, Texas, US 78653. The address for New Sweden Gin was New Sweden Gin Company, Route 8, Manor.
There was also a road named after the New Sweden Gin which was once called New Sweden Gin Road. New Sweden Gin Road was the former name of Brita Olson Road. The name “New Sweden Gin Road” was used for year. Part of New Sweden Gin was established on property located on New Sweden Church Road and property located on New Sweden Gin Road (now Brita Olson Road). Part of New Sweden Gin was located at Axell Lane and New Sweden Gin Road (now Axell Lane and Brita Olson Road).
A public hearing was held at Travis County Commissioners Court on the date of August 17, 1999. Someone brought forth a proposition to change the name of New Sweden Gin Road to Brita Olson Road. Travis County Commissioners Court officials approved the proposal to change the name of New Sweden Gin Road to Brita Olson Road on August 17, 1999. (Ref: https://www2.traviscountytx.gov/commissioners_court/minutes/1999/08/990803VS.pdf)
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