Leland Harrison, Department of History
This honors thesis studied the history of the Scandinavian immigrants engaging in commercial fishing practices on Utah Lake during the 1850s to the 1930s. I chose this important topic in Utah and Mormon history due to its originality; local location, which made the records easily accessible; familial connections, since I am related to some of the fishermen; and due to my Scandinavian emphasis within the history department.
Scandinavians emigrated from their native lands during the latter half of the nineteenth century. They came to Utah to be with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which they had just joined in Europe. Several of them were engaged in commercial fishing before coming to the United States. On arriving in Utah they discovered the potential for commercial fishing operations on Utah’s largest freshwater lake, Utah Lake.
Despite swampy land and hostile Indians, the Scandinavians began their fishing efforts. Those new efforts saved lives during the ‘cricket” infestations of 1854 and 1855. In the years following, they netted trout, chubs, and suckers, with catches often measuring over a ton. They used techniques they learned in Europe. A comparison studied of their techniques in the New World versus the Old World showed that their fishing operations and social customs proved an identical match. Although other groups fished on the lake, the Scandinavian fishermen were the most successful.
These fishermen established a community called Lakeview, west of Provo. The fishing village was interlinked by ethnic background, family, employment, social events, and religion. The most prominent of these fishermen was Peter Madsen. He stood as the key to the tightly knit community: he came from Denmark, his children married the children of other fishermen on the lake, he employed several other Scandinavians at his fishery, social events were held at his houses, and the church called him to be the first bishop of Lakeview Ward. The village thrived while fishing did.
By the middle of the twentieth century, commercial fishing tapered off to a minimal existence. The types of fish had changed to less appetizing carp, catfish, and other common fish. Due to high demands placed on water for residential, agricultural, and industrial use in Salt Lake and Utah Valleys, the water to Utah Lake was diverted and the rivers dried to trickles. Ground water seepage from Geneva Steel polluted the lake. Soon, even the common fish were no longer fit for human consumption and were used for animal food instead. Upon returning from fighting in Europe to save ancestral homelands during World War II, many of the Scandinavian fishermen decided not to fish in the lake. Several of them did not even return to Lakeview, but chose to live elsewhere in the state or country. Commercial fishing completely died in the 1970s, after over a hundred years of operations.
Most of the manuscript journals, books, and articles for this topic can be found on the fourth floor of the Harold B. Lee Library. The two best sources for information come from A History of Commerclal Fishing on Utah Lake, a master’s thesis by D. Robert Carter, in 1969, and The History of Lakeview Ward, by Christian Jeppesen, also in 1969. Carter’s thesis discusses commercial fishing operations on the lake in depth, but fails to explore the Scandinavian connection, nor did he have access to the ward history, which discusses the sociological aspects of the fishing village. Some of the sources written in Danish, which may explain why the topic of the Scandinavian techniques has not previously been explored. I also had access to family sources and interviewed family members familiar with the fishermen and their ancestry.
This thesis was supported by wage money from the Office of Research and Creative Work via the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences, and a grant from the College of Honors and General Education; words from Dr. Brian Cannon (History), who advised this thesis, and Dr. Gerald Haslam (History), who helped with the Scandinavian genealogical research; and love from my wife, Patty, and our daughter, Camille. I am grateful to the university for its help in the completion of this honors thesis.