The Last Immigrant in My Family — and the Work Ledger He Kept

This Labor Day, I spent some time with a small, brown ledger that my great-great-grandfather kept. It’s a working book (ports, ships, wages, weather) written in a neat, no-nonsense cursive hand. Gustav “William” Augusta Hanson was born January 23, 1867, in Karlshamn, Sweden. He didn’t cross the Atlantic in first class; he crossed it as crew, at the age of fifteen, two days after he was confirmed in the Lutheran church. And he’s the last person in my family who immigrated to the United States. A different era, different rules; but the habits—record-keeping, discipline, service—still ring true. Get full access to ARK Strategy at alexrandallkittredge.substack.com/subscribe