Were some emigrants given passage in exchange for work contracts in US?

[jeanne]

In an old memories narrative it was mentioned that my grandfather got a contract for work from the ship company on which he traveled to US.  He was from Svinhult, Östergotland and went to NYC, then on to Galesburg, Illinois.  Think it was coal mining.  His name was Johan Fredrick Jonasson (Johnson), traveled with wife Johanna Sofia Israelsdotter and two children, Hulda and Anders.

[Floyd Hallberg]

My father had his passage paid by a farmer near LaRose, Illinois in return for working from planting time until harvest time.  That was in 1903.  His brother did the same in 1902.

[Kim Bowman]

I was told that my great grandmother came here the same way.  She was hired as a servant to work in the states.  Dont know how true it is, but you never know.  Too bad we cant go back and ask them, huh?

[Gene Carlson]

My grandfather emigrated in 1889 at the age of 17 and his passage was paid by a family in Morning Sun, Iowa in turn for his labors for an unknown period of time.  I believe it was arranged through the Swedish Lutheran Church.

[Gertrud Pettersson]

A similar practise was still in use in the 50's. When my parents were considering emigrating in 1953, Dad was offered immediate transfer by the lumber company he was in contact with. The hitch was, that Mom and I would not be able to join him there until a year later, by which time they would pay for our fares. Since they didn't want to be apart for that long they never did emigrate. Instead I did some 20 years later - but that's another story!