Dalsland

Dalsland is a Swedish province or landskap, situated in Gotaland in southern Sweden,  Lying to the west of Lake Vanern it is bordered by Varmland  to the north, Vastergotland to the southeast, Bohuslan to the west, and Norway to the northwest. It is from here that our Swedish family came.

The original name of Dalsland was “Dal” – “Dalsland” was not used until the 19th century. Dal literally means “Valley

No other part of Sweden has its area covered with as many lakes as Dalsland does. Of its total area. Lake Vänern (Sweden’s largest lake) is in Dalsland Province province. From the shores of Vänern, one can sail through the river systems up to the mythical lake Stora Le. Stora Le is within Dalsland, and the remaining part within the Värmland province, with a bay into Norway. 1/4 of the land, in the southern part of the province, is suitable for agriculture and the other 3/4 is forested.

Dalsland’s exposed location near the Norwegian border made it subject to invasion, although to a lesser degree than the southern Bohuslän and Västergötland. It was first conquered around 1100 by the Norwegian Magnus Barefoot, who only held until King Valdemar Atterdag re-drew the provincial borders.

Our ancestors came from this part of Dalsland

Dals-Ed 

Edstrom ancestors came from  the western part of Dalsland known as Dals-Ed and were believed to have migrated from Bohuslän, although probably long before that area was Norwegian. A distinctive feature in the Högsäter-area of Valbo Hundred was an inclination to brown eyes and dark hair, and a slightly rounder facial shape.