American travellers saved the hamlet

At the end of the nineteenth century, there were 35 people living in the hamlet. Between 1888 and 1927, 15 young people emigrated to America.

A large group emigrated in 1903, and the youngest girl from Jönsas, Ida, was only 15 years old.

Many of them died after a couple of years, either from illness or in accidents. Gottfrid’s brother Carl, who moved away in 1914, wrote home in August 1918, saying that he was thinking of coming home, but died of Spanish influenza in October that same year.

A number of them returned home again successfully, including the brothers Aron and Albin from Göttas. They had been reasonably successful as carpenters. On the other hand, the brothers were not particularly good friends when they came home, so Aron moved to a neighbouring farm together with their mother, Gunnor. When Gunnor died, Aron moved back to Göttas again.

As all the young people had moved to America, there was no regrowth in the hamlet. Those who stayed were unmarried, and had no children of their own.

In a way, we should nevertheless be glad that so many of them emigrated, since it led to the hamlet remaining completely untouched.