John M. Larson Biography

	This biography appears on pages 737-738 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	JOHN M. LARSON. - It is astonishing to witness the success of 
young men who have emigrated to America without capital and from a 
position of comparative obscurity have worked their way upward to a 
position of prominence. To this class belongs Mr. Larson, who is now so 
ably representing his district in the state legislature. He was born 
near Throndhjen, Norway, April 17, 1862, a son of Lars Olsen and Berit 
(Johnsdatter) Kongsvig, who were farming people of that country, where 
they spent their entire lives. The father died in 1864, and the mother 
subsequently married again. Her death occurred in February, 1891. Both 
were earnest and consistent members of the Lutheran church. Mr. Larson 
is one of a family of five children, the others being Karren, now 
deceased; Anne, wife of Ole Lykken, a farmer of Union county, South 
Dakota; Ole, who is married and is a successful farmer and prominent 
politician of Charles Mix county, South Dakota; and Maret, who is 
married and successfully carries on farming in Norway. All were well 
educated and are now quite prosperous citizens of the communities in 
which they live.  

	John M. Larson passed the first nineteen years of his life in the 
"land of the midnight sun" and then crossed the Atlantic to become a 
citizen of the United States. In 1881 he arrived in Yankton, South 
Dakota, and during the following three years he was employed on a 
steamer plying between that city and Fort Benton, Montana, on the 
Missouri river. He also worked in Yankton one summer. On the 30th of 
August, 1884, he was united in marriage to Miss Guri J. Rye, also a 
native of Norway, and to them have been born nine children, as follows: 
Lena, who died at the age of four years; Albert died at the age of one 
year; John; Lena; Albert; Bertha; Mary; Carrie, and Louis. They 
constitute a very interesting family.  

	In the fall of 1884 Mr. Larson located on his wife's homestead in 
the northeast corner of Yankton county, and he later bought the right 
to one hundred and sixty acres of land and filed his claim. After 
erecting a shanty he began to break the land with ox-teams and to the 
cultivation and improvement of his farm he has since devoted his 
energies with marked success. He has added to his property from time to 
time until he now has three hundred and sixty acres of land, all under 
a good state of cultivation. Most of this he has broken himself. For 
his first reaper he paid one hundred and twenty-five dollars and as 
time has passed he supplied his place with the latest improved 
machinery of all kinds, making his farm a model one in its 
appointments. He carries on general farming and stock raising, 
expecting to ship two carloads-of cattle and one of hogs to the city 
markets in 1903, and he is also interested in a creamery at Center 
Point.  

	In religious faith both Mr. Larson and his wife are Lutherans and 
they are people of prominence in the community where they reside. As a 
Republican he has taken a very active and influential part in political 
affairs and he has been honored with important official positions. For 
six years he served as deputy assessor of his township and has held a 
number of other minor offices. In 1900 he was elected to the state 
legislature and so acceptably did he fill that position that he was 
reelected in 1902, being the present incumbent. During his first term 
he introduced and put through the bill to cut down the interest on 
school funds from six to five per cent, and the following term 
introduced four bills, three of which were passed. His official duties 
have always been most capably and satisfactorily performed and over his 
public career there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil, 
while his private life has been marked by the utmost fidelity to duty.