Background
Augustus William Ericson (1848-1927) was born in Orebro, Sweden. At age eleven he started a printing apprenticeship, the same
business his father was in, and later had an apprenticeship in the dry goods business. When he was eighteen Ericson, without
his parent's approval, left Sweden and came to the United States. He first took a job in Chicago and then found work in a
logging operation in Michigan.