Andrew H. Oleson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1666-1667 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.


	ANDREW H. OLESON, promoter, practical miner and prominent citizen 
of Deadwood, hails from far-off Norway, where his birth occurred on July 
15, 1861. His father was a well-to-do farmer and amid the romantic rural 
scenes of his native land young Andrew spent his childhood and youth. He 
attended for some years the public schools, and until reaching the years 
of young manhood remained with his parents) assisting in the cultivation 
of the farm and contributing to the maintenance of the family. Leaving 
home; Mr. Oleson engaged in railroad construction, to which line of work 
he devoted himself until 1879, when he came to America, and for some 
years thereafter lived in Wisconsin, where he was variously employed. 
From that state he went to Michigan and engaged in the manufacture of 
lumber, later returning to Wisconsin, where he also operated a sawmill, 
afterwards following mining for some years in both states. 

In 1883 Mr. Oleson came to the Black Hills, where he put in a 
number of years at mining, being employed a part of the time by the 
Homestake Company at Lead, and devoting the rest to prospecting, later 
to the promoting of various mining enterprises. He has located a number 
of valuable mines that promise liberal returns, when properly developed, 
in addition to which he also owns rich mineral properties adjoining the 
Homestake ledges, from which in due time he will no doubt realize an 
independent fortune. At the present time he is engaged in promoting a 
business he has prosecuted with encouraging financial results, and at 
intervals he mines for himself and for others, realizing from both lines 
of work a handsome income. Since becoming a citizen of South Dakota Mr. 
Oleson has been active in the public and political affairs of his city, 
county and state, having been elected in 1890 a member of the general 
assembly as representative from Lawrence county. He served with credit 
during the session of that year, and subsequently, 1896, was re-elected 
to the same body. He also served as a member of the city council, in 
which capacity his record was above criticism. Mr. Oleson is a Democrat 
in politics, and is a worthy citizen of his adopted country, an admirer 
of its institutions, a loyal supporter of its laws, and to all intents 
and purposes as genuine an American citizen as if he had been born and 
bred under the protecting folds of the Stars and Stripes. 

	Mr. Oleson was married, December 22, 1892, to Miss Minnie Gies, a 
native of Dayton, Ohio, and of German descent, who came to the Black 
Hills with her parents in 1879, when a child. The result of his union is 
one child, a daughter by the name of Florence.