A.Larsen
Chouteau County
History of Montana, Sanders, 1913

Among the prosperous businessmen of Chouteau County 
Montana, A. Larsen of Galata, ranks prominently.  His 
earliest associations with the West date back to 1876 
when he came to Leadville Colorado, as a young man 
barely twenty one and there engaged in mining.  Since 
that time he has been identified with various business 
ventures, all of which have proved successful enough to 
justify his connection with them and he has today reached 
a place of prominence and prosperity altogether in keeping 
with his sturdy, honest and untiring efforts.

Mr. Larsen is a native son of Norway, born in that far 
away land on January 15, 1855 and he is the son of Lars 
and Martha (Larsen) Toreson, both natives of Norway.  In 
1867 Lars Toreson came to America with his family and 
settled in Iowa where he became a successful and 
prosperous farmer.  He died in Norman County Minnesota, 
in 1908 at the advanced age of seventy nine.  The mother 
died in the same county in 1903, aged eighty two.

Up until the removal of his family from the fatherland, 
Mr. Larsen attended school in his native town in Norway 
and when the family located in McKee County Iowa he was 
in his twelfth year and continued his studies in the 
public schools of that district.   He left school in 
his later teens and went to work on a farm, continuing 
in that service until he was twenty one.  In that year 
he went to Leadville, Colorado and engaged in mining.  
After some time he went into business on his own but 
subsequently went to Minnesota locating in Gary, 
Norman County and there also engaged in business.  
This business venture held his attention for eight 
years after which he disposed of his interests and 
returned to the West locating in Galata, Montana.  
He was quick to avail himself of the homesteader's 
opportunity and soon was the owner of three hundred 
and twenty acres of land which he still owns and 
operates and is the proprietor of a thriving general 
store in Galata.

In November 1887 Mr. Larsen was united in marriage with 
Miss Annie Munsen at Aspen Colorado and they have one 
child, Alice, born November 15, 1902 in Norman County 
Minnesota.  At the present time she is attending the 
public schools of Galata.