Nils B. Nilson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 918-919 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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	NILS B. NILSON, a representative farmer of Lincoln county, was 
born in Norway, on the 11th of October, 1837, and is a son of Nels and 
Margaret Nilson, who passed their entire lives in that far distant land 
of the north. The subject was reared and educated in his native 
country, whence he emigrated to the United States in 1867, locating in 
Fayette county, Iowa, where he remained until 1869, when he drove from 
Fayette county through Iowa, with ox-teams, taking up government land 
in Canton township, where he has developed and improved a valuable 
farm. His first dwelling was a log house, but when he first came to the 
county his financial resources were represented in the sum of fifty 
cents after paying necessary expenses; flour was selling for six 
dollars per hundred pounds; he had neither sugar nor coffee and no 
stove, being compelled for some time to do his cooking over the camp 
fire, while the first few months he lived in his wagon. At the time 
when the grasshoppers swept the country and destroyed the crops Mr. 
Nilson managed to provide for himself by burning lime from rock secured 
on his place, the product being sold all over this section. He now has 
two hundred and ten acres, well improved and yielding good returns, so 
that he can look back with no regret on the trials and labors of the 
early years. He gives his attention to diversified farming and has on 
his place a good orchard and an attractive grove. He is a Republican in 
his political proclivities and he and his family are members of the 
Lutheran church.  

	In 1863 Mr. Nilson was married to Miss Carrie Anderson, this 
being before his emigration to America, and they have nine children, 
namely: Andrew, who is a successful farmer in Lyon county, Iowa, 
married Anna Rynes and they have six children; Anders, who resides in 
Canton, married Nettie Hanseth and they have three children; Nicholine 
is the wife of Ludvig Danielson, a farmer of Iowa, and they have four 
children; Marie is the wife of Hans Graning, of Canton. and they have 
four children; Lena, who was formerly a successful school teacher, is 
now the wife of Jesse Feay, a farmer in Iowa, and they have three 
children; Olephine is the wife of Albert Runsvold, of North Dakota; 
Emma remains at the parental home; Nels is in North Dakota; and Ludvig 
is still beneath the home roof.