Ole S. Swenson Biography

	This biography appears on pages 967-968 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 S. SWENSON, the capable incumbent of the office of warden 
of the South Dakota state penitentiary, in Sioux Falls, and one 
of the highly honored citizens of the state, is a native of 
Hallingdahl, Norway, where he was born on the 8th of November, 
1845, being a son of Swen and Julia (Moen) Swenson, both of whom 
were likewise native of Norway, though both families were of 
Scotch extraction in the respective paternal lines, both great-
grandfathers of the subject of this sketch having been Scotchmen 
who emigrated from their native land to Norway. The father of 
the subject was engaged in farming in Norway until 1857, when he 
emigrated with his family to the United States, settling in 
Nicollet county, Minnesota, in which state he passed the 
remainder of his life, becoming a successful farmer. His death 
occurred in 1870, and the mother died in April, 1903. Of their 
six children five are yet living.

Ole S. Swenson was reared to the age of twelve years on the 
old home farm in Norway, where he secured his early educational 
training, and he then accompanied his parents on their 
emigration to America, being reared to maturity in Minnesota and 
there availing himself of the advantages of the public schools 
of Nicollet county. In 1863 he went to St. Peter, that state, 
where he secured a position as clerk in a general store. In 1876 
he engaged in the hardware business there, but one year later he 
removed his stock to Grand Meadow, Minnesota, where he was 
successfully engaged in business until 1880, when he disposed of 
his interests there and came to Sioux Falls, arriving here on 
the 15th of September of that year. In this city Mr. Swenson 
established himself in the same line of enterprise, in which he 
successfully continued until 1893, when he sold out, soon 
afterward purchasing an interest in the flour mill at Valley 
Springs, this county, and with the operation of this plant he 
was successful until 1902.

Mr. Swenson has given an unfaltering support to the Republican 
party from the time of attaining his legal majority and has been 
an active worker in its cause. In 1886 he was elected treasurer 
of Minnehaha county, and was chosen as his own successor in the 
election of 1888, thus serving four years and giving a most 
faithful and able administration of the fiscal affairs of this 
important county. From 1898 until 1902 he was chairman of the 
Republican central committee of the county. He has attained a 
position of distinction in the Masonic fraternity, in which 
noble and time-honored institution he has advanced to the 
thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite, being also identified 
with the Mystic Shrine and enjoying marked popularity in the 
fraternity. In May, 1901, Mr. Swenson, upon the recommendation 
of Governor Herreid, received from the state board of charities 
and corrections the appointment of warden of the state 
penitentiary, in which office he has served with most perfect 
efficiency, proving a strict disciplinarian and able executive 
and showing that deep humanitarian spirit which is so essential 
in dealing with those of criminal instincts.

In 1870 Mr. Swenson was united in marriage to Miss Celia 
Thompson, of Nicollet county, Minnesota, who died in 1878, 
leaving two children, Arthur Ward, now residing in Winnipeg, 
Canada, and Josephine, who is at the present time in Europe. On 
the 20th of August, 1880, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. 
Swenson to Miss Eliza S. Ranney, of Grand Meadow, Minnesota, and 
they are the parents of three children, William L., Norma and 
Ernest Stuart.