Ole Hokenstad Biography


	This biography appears on page 1837 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 HOKENSTAD is a native of Norway, born in Christiania, the 
capital of that country, on the 28th of March, 1846. He was reared and 
educated in his native land and when a youth turned his attention to 
mechanical pursuits, becoming in due time skillful at carpentry and 
cabinet-making. In 1886 he came to America and after spending a short 
time in Quebec, Canada, went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, thence to Monroe, 
the same state, where he worked at cabinetmaking for a period of three 
years; he also followed his trade about one year in the city of 
Janesville, and there returned to Monroe, where he resumed his trade 
until the spring of 1870, when he came to South Dakota, locating on the 
present site of Sioux Falls, of which city he was one of the first 
settlers. On April 14th, of the above year, Mr. Hokenstad took a claim 
of one hundred and sixty acres on the public domain near Sioux Falls 
and after living on the same for six weeks secured employment at his 
trade in the above town. He devoted the next three years to carpentry 
work in Sioux Falls and at the expiration of that time came to Lincoln 
county and entered a quarter section of land in Dayton township. He at 
once proceeded to improve his place in Dayton township, and in the 
course of a few years his farm was. one of the best in the county. Mr. 
Hokenstad has worked hard and by patient and long continued effort has 
succeeded not only in making a good home, but in acquiring a competence 
sufficiently liberal to place him in independent circumstances. He 
served as supervisor for several terms, also as road master and for a 
period of years filled the responsible position of school treasurer. A 
Republican in politics, he was elected county commissioner, an office 
he held for six years, during which time he labored zealously to 
promote the interests of the county. In 1893 he was honored by being 
elected to represent Lincoln county in the state legislature, in which 
capacity he served two terms. Mr. Hokenstad belongs to the Pythian 
lodge at Canton, and in religion subscribes to the Lutheran creed.