Per August Widmark

  • Born: 1864. Vingåker, Södermanland, Sweden 
  • Emigrated: 1887 and settled in Minnesota:  St. Paul, Ramsey County, and Minerva, Clearwater County.
  • Death:  1944​
Photo of Per August Widmark.  Family Collection. Used with permission. ​
Photo of Per August Widmark. (standing, far right)   Credit to Södermanlands Spelmansförbunds
Photo of Per August Widmark.  1902.  Clearwater County Historical Society. ​
This story is a translated summary of an article written for Södermanlands Spelmansförbunds. The original source is linked and full credit is below.  ​
Per August Widmark was born into a musical family in Vingåker, Sweden, in 1864. His father, Olof August Widmark, was considered as a premier fiddler in Södermanland during the 19th century. Following his father's passing, Per inherited his fiddle and music book, eventually immigrating to the United States in 1887 with family. 

Initially settling in St. Paul, Minnesota, Per worked for the Minnesota Transfer Co. before the family moved to Clearwater County's Minerva township, where they became pioneers. Per Widmark played a vital role in the community, holding various town and school positions, notably serving as an assessor for many years. His contributions and witness to the region's development during the era of ox teams and forest trails solidified his legacy as a respected pioneer settler. 

After an acquaintance from Chicago heard about Per August playing traditional folk dance tunes from the old country, he visited him and recognized what a treasure of tunes Per August had in  note of his music notebook, which contained 199 melodies, including polonaises, waltzes, and American folk tunes.

After Per's death in 1944, his youngest son Oscar arranged for the book to be returned to the Södermanland fiddlers' group in Sweden, recognizing its deep connection to the musical traditions of his homeland.

​More than just a personal keepsake, the notebook serves as a bridge between two musical worlds—the traditional sounds of Sweden and the evolving influences of the new world—making it a valuable artifact of the Widmark family's musical heritage.

Widmark's Tune Book

A PDF link of Widmark's original notebook in its entirety is available online and linked below courtesy of the Södermanlands Spelmansförbunds.  ​
.  FUN FACTS: 
  • Per August's father was the esteemed fiddler, Olof August Widmark, and his grandfather was the town organist and smallpox vaccinator.  
  • Per raised a musical family with many of his children, grandchildren and greats playing music for fun and for local dances in Clearwater County.  His granddaughter Irene played accordion, for a family-operated dance hall in Alida, Clearwater County, MN.  ( Photo of Irene Widmark posing with her band below.  Private Collection)
  • Per August Widmark resided in the small farming community of Minerva in Clearwater County. In 1926, Widmark's nephew was arrested alongside two other Minerva youths for organizing a dance at the Minerva school. Twenty-five witnesses testified in favor of the three defendants, who were ultimately found not guilty, and everybody cut footloose.  
Music Links
  • A book of Widmark tunes is being compiled by Christina Frohm to celebrate the 200 birthday of Per August Widmark's father and their family legacy.   This tune book will be available in fall 2024 from the Södermanlands Spelmansförbunds. 
  • More music videos of Widmark tunes will be added here throughout 2024.  ​
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES