Martin Amundson Biography This biography appears on page 1853 in "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. MARTIN AMUNDSON, one of the representative farmers and stock raisers of Kingsbury county, South Dakota, is of Scandinavian birth, being a native of Norway. He was reared to manhood amid the romantic scenery of Norway, attended school at intervals until his sixteenth year and early learned the lessons of honest toil which life on a farm in that country invariably imparts. Losing his father at the tender age of eight years, he was soon thrown upon his own resources and two years later went to live with a neighboring farmer. When fourteen years old he began receiving wages for his services and at the age of sixteen left his first employer and engaged by the year with a farmer by the name of Nitberg. After a year or so with that gentleman he spent the ensuing three years in railroad construction, working on sawmills and at various other kinds of employment, and at the expiration of that time came to United States, making his way direct to Kingsbury county, South Dakota, where an older brother was then living, and spent that fall in the latter's employ. The following winter and at intervals during the ensuing spring and summer he worked on the Northwestern Railroad, the meantime taking up a pre-emption, a part of which he broke and planted in potatoes the first year. He continued to labor for wages, and as opportunities afforded he worked his own land from time to time until he finally reduced the same to a fine state of cultivation. Later he sold his claim and bought a relinquishment on a quarter section, which he at once proceeded to improve. Mr. Amundson bought another quarter section of fine land which with the farm alluded to above, he still owns, his real estate at the present time amounting to three hundred and twenty acres on which are to be seen some of the best improvements in the township in which it is situated. Mr. Amundson labored diligently to develop his lands and make improvements and was so successful in his undertakings that in the course of years he found himself in independent circumstances. He cultivated both of his farms until 1900, when he rented his tree claim, and since that time has managed the place on which he now lives, but, as indicated above, does little of the hard work himself, being in a situation to employ labor whenever he sees fit to do so. In connection with his agricultural interests he raises a great deal of live stock, keeping on his place at all times blooded horses, fine cattle and a number of hogs, and he feeds every year all of the large corn crop grown in his fields. He is a model farmer, uses the best implements and machinery obtainable and does everything according to system, in consequence of which he realizes the largest possible returns from his time and labor. He is a Republican in principle, but does not confine his voting strictly to party; in matters religious he is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church.