THE PURPOSE OF THE ARCHIVES
The purpose as described in the Incorporation Document is for "Educational, historical and research to preserve and display and make available records, documents, works of art, science, inventions and manufacture by persons of Swedish ancestry and to promote public knowledge of an interest in the history of persons of Scandinavian and particularly Swedish ancestry." The main purpose is to preserve the records of the Vasa Order of America and its members. We have set up a Family register where all Vasa members and their families will be chronicled. The completion of the register will be an important phase of our Archive activity. It will serve future generations in their search for ancestry. Records, manuscripts and literature are not particularly exciting to view if a person is not directly interested in researching such material. We have aimed at making the contents of the building interesting to all visitors. Therefore we have accepted a number of artifacts which relate to immigrant history. These items provide visual objects for viewing. To name just a few items on display: a replica of Biskopskulla Kyrka in Sweden to the exact scale of 1:100, a "besman" made of wood from Sweden dating back to 1783 and one of iron, a replica of Utvandrarmonumentet in Karlshamn, numerous photographs, paintings, crystal and ceramic vases. We set up special displays from time to time, relating to famous Swedish persons.