HISTORY OF THE JENNY LIND NAME
IN COLUMBIA.
Johanna Maria "Jenny" Lind was born 6 October 1820 and died 2 November 1887. She was a Swedish opera singer often called the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she performed in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and across Europe, and undertook an extraordinarily popular concert tour of the United States beginning in 1850.
In 1850, Lind went to America at the invitation of the showman P. T. Barnum. She gave Barnum 93 large-scale concerts and then continued to tour under her own management. She earned more than $350,000 from these concerts, donating the proceeds to charities, principally the endowment of free schools in Sweden. She returned to Europe in 1852. Her fame was so great that there were towns, places of business and even "Holes in the Wall" blessed with the title "Jenny Lind's Parlour". She eventually went back to England in 1855.
In the Furguson Building:
1854 William O'Hara opens the Jenny Lind restaurant at the back of the saloon.
1856 William O'Hara runs an ad in the Business Men's Directory.
© Bancroft Library.
The fancy sign attached to large lamp that states; "Jenny Lind Restaurant."
1856 William O'Hara runs an ad in the Weekly Columbian newpaper.
In the Martinez House location:
1857 August 12, Heckendorn sells the adjacent lot on the west to William O'Hara of the Jenny Lind Restaurant.
His advertising described the building as 25 ft by 50 ft and 2 stories high.
Since closing The Clipper, which had been published from this building in early 1856,
he had been renting the rooms for sleeping or offices.
In the Angelo Hall location:
1859 In July, Michael Rosenfield's Jenny Lind restaurant is advertising in the building.
In the Columbia House location:
2008 April - Forever Resorts takes over the Columbia House and renames it the Jenny Lind Restaurant, on a month to month basis until it goes out to bid.
2009 April - Jenny Lind closes for replacement of hood and kitchen flooring.
2009 June 21 - Forever Resorts contract ends. No one bids on the restaurant.
Page created for the public by
Floyd D. P. Øydegaard.
Email contact:
fdpoyde3 (at) Yahoo (dot) com
A WORK IN PROGRESS,
created for the visitors to the Columbia State Historic park.
© Columbia State Historic Park & Floyd D. P. Øydegaard.