John L. Anderson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1204-1205 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				JOHN L. ANDERSON. 

	Norway claims John L. Anderson, a farmer of Clay township, as a 
native son, his birth having occurred there in 1848. His parents, 
Andrew Erickson and Corina (Anderson) Anderson, were lifelong residents 
of the land of the midnight sun. The father was a farmer and shoemaker 
and thus provided for the support of his family, which numbered nine 
children: Edward, a retired farmer residing at Philip, South Dakota; 
Marne, the wife of Otto Helgerson, of Clay county; Antone, of 
Vermillion; Annie, deceased; John L.; Ole, residing in Vermillion; 
Caroline, the wife of John Hanberg, of Sioux Falls; Mena, who married 
Erick Erickson, of Idaho; Emelie, the widow of Peter Holmquist and a 
resident of Rapid City, this state; and Ana, the deceased wife of 
Andrew Charline. 

	John L. Anderson grew to manhood in Norway and attended school 
there until he was fifteen years of age, when he commenced working for 
others. Upon attaining his majority he emigrated to America and settled 
in Spirit Mound township, Clay county, this state. In 1870 he took up a 
homestead of one hundred and sixty acres which was prairie land, barren 
of trees. He soon planted trees and they have now grown to a large 
size. After proving up on his claim he worked in the Black Hills of 
South Dakota for a time and also found employment on the river boats 
running from Yankton to Sioux City, Iowa. He worked at whatever he 
could find to do until some time in the '80s when the country had 
become sufficiently settled to make it feasible to devote his time to 
farming. For a number of years he engaged in the cultivation of the 
fields but for some time past has made his home in town, renting half 
of his quarter section and cultivating the remaining eighty acres 
himself He raises a number of hogs and cattle as well as a variety of 
crops and his ]and yields him a good annual income. He has made four 
trips to his native country and each time has remained there for 
several months. 

	Mr. Anderson was married on the 19th of January, 1909, to Miss 
Elida Moe, a native of Christiania, Norway, and a daughter of Clement 
and Emma (Hansen) Moe, both of whom were natives of that country. 

	Mr. Anderson is a socialist in his political views and his 
religious faith is that of the Lutheran church. He lived in this state 
when it was an unsettled frontier district and has witnessed the 
transformation that has changed it into a prosperous agricultural and 
mining section and is proud of the fact that he was one of those early 
settlers who laid the foundation for its present prosperity.