Bio of John C. SWENSON (m.1906), Yellow Medicine Co., MN USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: LaNaye Hennen JOHN C. SWENSON (1879) John C. Swenson, farmer of Norman township, was born on the place he now conducts May 21, 1879, and has spent his entire life on the one farm. He farms 320 acres of land on sections 28 and 33. John C. Swenson is a son of two of the earliest settlers of Norman township. His father, Charles Swenson, was born in Telemarken, Norway, May 15, 1837, came to the United States in 1867 and located in Wisconsin. He worked in the pineries there two years and then made his home in Goodhue county, Minnesota, where he resided until 1872. In the spring of that year Charles Swenson and his brother, John Swenson, now of Canby, started out for the West, driving an ox team, in search of homestead lands. When they started they had no definite destination but at Redwood Falls they learned of this part of the country and traveled until they cam to western Yellow Medicine county, the county having then just come into existence. When the Charles Swenson family arrived they had $500 in cash, and that was their entire possessions. Liking the looks of the country on Two-Mile creek, in Norman township (there was considerable timber on the stream), Charles Swenson decided to build his home there and filed a homestead claim to the land now farmed by his son. He erected a cabin of rough logs with a dirt roof, and in that the family lived four years; then a better log cabin was build, a reproduction of which is shown in this volume. John Swenson also took a claim on the same section and made his home in a dugout. A little later he traded that claim for the one upon which Canby was later build and became the first business man of that village. Soon after the Swensons came to Norman township, the grasshoppers came with their terrifying infliction, and the new comers encountered hard times. Marshall was their nearest trading point upon their arrival, and Granite Falls was their nearest milling point. Charles Swenson became a well known man in his community. He was on of those who brought about the organization of Norman township and he participated in many events of pioneer times. He lived on the homestead until his death on May 4, 1904. He was married in Yellow Medicine county to Margaret Iverson, who was born near Helgeland, in Northern Norway. She survives her husband and now lives in Canby. John C. Swenson, of this review, spent his boyhood days on his father's farm and was educated in the school district No. 32. Prior to his father's death he assisted with the work on the farm; since then he has conducted the farm, renting from his mother. Mr. Swenson farms the half section farm and raises lots of stock. He served three years as clerk of his township and is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church of Canby and of the Modern Woodmen lodge of the same village. Minnie Wesby became the wife of John C. Swenson on January 25, 1906, the ceremony being performed in Duluth, Minnesota. She was born in Norman township, not far from Canby, April 30, 1879. Her father, Hans Wesby, died when she was five years of age; her mother, Caroline (Twait) Westby lives in Hendricks, Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Swenson have no children. Source: "A History of Yellow Medicine County" by Arthur P. Rose Published 1914