Swedish pioneer settler, Episcopal clergyman, author, b. Helsingfors, Finland. His parents moved to Grisslehamn, Sweden, after Finland was acquired by Russia, and Unonius graduated from the Univ. of Uppsala in 1830, and from its law department in 1833. In 1841 he migrated to the U.S. and to Wisconsin, where he was instrumental in founding New Upsala, Waukesha County, the first Swedish settlement in Wisconsin. There, Unonius soon befriended Episcopal clergyman James L. Breck (q.v.), entered nearby Nashotah Theological Seminary, graduated in 1845, and was ordained in the Episcopal clergy. In this capacity, he helped to found several Swedish-Episcopal congregations in Wisconsin, but soon came into conflict with the Swedish Lutheran Church of America. In 1849 Unonius helped to found St. Ansgarius Church in Chicago; shortly thereafter he moved to Illinois, and for a time acted as Swedish and Norwegian vice-consul in Chicago. In 1856 he visited Sweden and returned permanently to his homeland in 1858. Although Unonius' residence in the U.S. lasted only 17 years, his letters and articles written to Sweden from New Upsala and other points were important factors in encouraging Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian immigration. After returning to Sweden, he subsequently published his memoirs (1862), a portion of which were translated as A Pioneer in Northwest America, 1841-1858. G. E. M. Unonius, Pioneer in Northwest Amer., Trans. by J. O. Backlund; ed. by N. W. Olsson (Minneapolis [1950]); G. M. Stephenson, Religious Aspects of Swedish Immigration (Minneapolis, 1932); Wis. Mag. Hist., 8, 9; WPA MS.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Unonius Gustaf Memoir Excerpts for details. See also the Pine Lake and St. Olaf Church Records.

View a related article at Wisconsin Magazine of History Archives.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]