Carl P. Helsted Biography

	This biography appears on pages 962-963 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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	CARL P. HELSTED, who has already passed life's meridian and is now living in 
honorable retirement, is a sturdy son of Scandinavia. born September 18, 1830, in 
the romantic and historic country of Sweden. His father being a farmer, he too was 
reared a tiller of the soil and followed that time-honored calling in the land of his 
nativity until 1868, in June of which year he took passage for America on the steamer 
"Great Eastern," and after a voyage of sixteen days' duration landed in the harbor of 
New York. From that city he went to Chicago, Illinois thence, after a short time to 
Michigan, where he spent about three months at railroad work, at the expiration of which 
time he transferred his residence to Iowa, where he was similarly employed for a limited 
period. From the latter state he went to Omaha, Nebraska, but after spending some six 
months in the railroad shops of that city. he removed to Plattsmouth, where for about 
one year he kept a boarding house. Mr. Helsted's next move was to Sioux City, Iowa, 
where he also opened a boarding house and after conducting the same with encouraging 
success until 1872, he disposed of the establishment and came to Minnehaha county, 
South Dakota, locating a homestead in Branden township, which in due time he improved 
and converted into a fine farm. Mr. Helsted made a judicious selection of land, having 
been among the early settlers of the county with excellent opportunities for looking 
over the country and comparing the relative merits of its different parts. He put up 
substantial buildings and, devoting all of his energies to agriculture and stock 
raising, succeeded in accumulating a competence of sufficient magnitude to enable 
him, in the fall of 1901, to retire from active life. He sold his farm that year 
and, purchasing a beautiful home in Garretson, moved to the same and since then he has 
been enjoying the fruits of his many years of toil and thrift in a life free from care 
and anxiety.

	Mr. Helsted was married in his native land, and two of his five children were born 
and lie buried near his old ancestral home. One child died in Sioux City, Iowa, and the 
two surviving are Louise, the wife of W. W. Cole, of Clay county, and Frederick, who lives 
in Montana. Mr. Halstead served as constable of Branden township and, although a zealous 
and uncompromising Republican, he has never been an office seeker, having preferred the 
quiet life on the farm, and the simple title of citizen to any public honors within the 
power of his fellow men to bestow. He was reared in the Lutheran faith, and since an 
early age has been a faithful and devoted member of the Swedish Lutheran church, being 
at this time one of the pillars of the congregation in Branden township and one of its 
most liberal contributors. He was treasurer of his church for three years.