Ole. W. Everson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1254-1255 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	OLE W. EVERSON is a native of the far Norseland having been born 
in Norway, on the 10th of June 1854 but he is essentially American in 
spirit and breeding, since he was an infant at the time when his 
parents. Henry and Stana Everson, left their native land and emigrated 
to America. For the first five years the family resided in the state of 
Illinois. whence they removed to Faribault county, Minnesota, where the 
father engaged in farming and where the subject was reared to maturity, 
receiving his educational training in the common schools. When about 
eighteen years of age he left the parental roof to engage in the active 
duties of life on his own responsibility. He served an apprenticeship at 
the carpenter trade, which he continued to follow as an employe of one 
man for eight years, in western Minnesota. He then, in April, 1878, came 
to what is now the state of South Dakota, as one of the pioneers of 
Brown county, being accompanied by his brothers, Benjamin and John, and 
a brother-in-law, William R. Howes, and all took up government land in 
the beautiful valley of the James river. They took up squatter's claims, 
and when the government survey was completed, in 1880, they filed formal 
entry on their land, while as soon as possible each of the party also 
took up a tree claim. In the summer seasons the subject returned for the 
first two years and worked at his trade, returning to his claims in the 
winter, in order to be able to perfect his title to the same. His mother 
came here in the fall of 1879, her husband having died in Minnesota, and 
the two other brothers here took up their permanent abode in the spring 
of the same year, the family being thus numbered among the first 
settlers in this section of Brown county. The subject instituted the 
improvement of his farm and for two years he added materially to his 
income by working at his trade in Orway and Columbia. Since that time he 
has practically given his entire attention to his farming enterprise, 
having now a well improved estate of five hundred and sixty acres, of 
which one hundred acres are on the west side of the James river, while 
the value of the place is increased by the fact that on the same is a 
fine growth of natural timber, covering about thirty-three acres and 
including ash, box elder and willow trees. Four hundred acres are under 
cultivation and devoted principally to the raising of wheat, while the 
one hundred acres on the opposite side of the river are given over to 
grazing purposes, the live stock raised by Mr. Everson being of a high 
grade. He was reared in the Republican faith and continued to support 
the principles of this party until the reform movement was inaugurated 
by the organization of the Populist party, when he transferred his 
allegiance to the same, later voting the Democratic ticket when a fusion 
was effected. He now holds himself independent of partisan lines and 
votes in accordance with the dictates of his judgment. Mr. Everson has 
not wavered in his allegiance to the state of South Dakota and has found 
his faith justified in the magnificent development of her resources, his 
satisfaction with conditions here having not been lessened by a tour of 
inspection and investigation which he made in Washington and Oregon in 
1902. He is sparing no pains in the further improvement of his farm, and 
in the rich bottom lands is successfully growing fruit trees, having a 
fine orchard well matured at the present time. Early in the spring of 
1879 Mr. Everson built the first frame house in Brown county, and the 
same constitutes a portion of his present substantial and attractive 
residence. 

	In this county, on the 12th of May, 1883, Mr. Everson was united 
in marriage to Miss Della Bigsby, a stepdaughter of Daniel Farley, one 
of the sterling pioneers of the county. Of this marriage have been born 
five children, namely: Henry James, Frank Marion, Stana Maria, George 
Marshall and Henrietta Jane.