Several months a year, the Web statistics for the Concord Homepage show that the most non-US visitors are from Sweden. And when they are not number one, Swedish visitors usually rank in the top five or six countries of origin.

However, in-person visits to Concord from Swedish people do not rank particularly high. This posed a mystery.

For several years, this site's editor has been asking "Why Sweden?," and I've made inquiries as well. In the process of discovering what we THINK is the answer (see sidebar, right), we have found that Swedish people have many reasons to be connected to Concord's history, places and people.

Ullabritt Lam, who established a Nordic library at the Newton Swedish Home and has worked with the Boston Swedish consulate and numerous other Nordic organizations, said Swedes read the Concord transcendental authors, especially Henry David Thoreau, who expresses their strong love of nature. Also, when executives move to Boston from Sweden, they frequently rent or buy in the Concord area. And there is a history of Swedish au pairs caring for children in Concord.

Eva Redvall, a Swedish exchange student from my college days who now writes for Swedish publications in Stockholm, feels the most important factor is that lots of Swedes are connected 'Net surfers -- she guesses the largest number among European countries.

Concord historian Mike Ryan, while working for the National Park Service last summer, noted a large number of Swedish visitors to Concord, and the North Bridge in particular. He learned it was an anniversary year of major immigration to the United States (especially Boston and New York City.) Many of the Swedes (along with other Nordic people) worked the stone quarries in Gloucester and Rockport. The quarries ended production in the mid-20th century; however, the names, churches, and culture are still there.

The Sweden-to-New England migration having been so great, this means that many of us here have ancestors from Sweden. As the search for family roots through the Internet becomes more and more popular (see here for an article on this subject), seekers will no doubt run into the work of Concordian, Andreas Ulanowsky. Andreas is working in Sweden updating computer files on the immigration. Andreas, a Concord-Carlisle graduate, is the son of Marta Ulanowsky of Concord and Rattvik, Sweden.

Concord resident and Swedish-American Dick Johnson thinks we have so many Swedish cyber-visitors because of their liberal vacation allowances. They would use the Web to research where they might want to travel, including Concord.

Other, miscellaneous reasons suggested are:

• There is currently a great deal of interest in American history in Sweden
• The Swedish Counsel-General used to live in Concord
• A fair number of Swedish citizens now live in Concord and have over the years
• The climate is similar so Swedes feel drawn here

While no one of the above seems to be "the" answer, we nonetheless honor our many connections to Sweden and its people. We congratulate the people of Sweden on the celebration year of immigration to the United States. We appreciate your contributions to our town. And to all messages arriving transatlantic through and from Sweden, we appreciate your readership and look forward to hearing more from you!