Lars Larson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 589-590 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) 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.

	This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
	a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


				LARS LARSON. 

	Lars Larson is the proprietor of a furniture and undertaking 
establishment at Mobridge, where he embarked in business in 1909, 
having now one of the best stores west of Aberdeen. He was born in 
Norway, September 22, 1860, and is a son of Lars and Regina Larson, who 
were also natives of the land of the midnight sun, where their entire 
lives were passed. In their family were ten children, of whom five are 
yet living, and three of the number still remain in Norway. 

	Lars Larson was reared and educated there and the common schools 
afforded him his opportunities for intellectual progress. He remained 
in his native country until he reached the age of twenty-four years, 
when in 1884 he crossed the Atlantic and established his home in 
Kansas, where he was employed as a common laborer for a year. He next 
went to Colorado, where he remained for three years connected with the 
stamp mills and mining interests. On the expiration of that period he 
removed to Walworth county, South Dakota, where he arrived in 1887. He 
at once took up a homestead, which he occupied for twenty one years and 
during that period he greatly improved the property, adding to it 
substantial buildings and all modern equipments To his original 
holdings he added until he became the owner of eight hundred and twenty 
acres, which he still retains. Year after year he carefully developed 
and tilled the soil until he brought his farm to a high state of 
cultivation, residing thereon until 1909, when he removed to Mobridge 
and embarked in commercial pursuits, establishing a furniture and 
undertaking business. He has since built up a trade that enables him to 
handle a large and well selected line of goods, so that he has one of 
the best stores in his part of the state. 

	In 1887 Mr. Larson was joined in wedlock to Miss Hannah Ekrem, a 
native of Norway, who came to the United States in 1886. The children 
of the family are ten in number, namely: Martin L. and Richard P., who 
are engaged in agricultural pursuits; Maria, at home; August L.; Lewis 
H.; Regina; John H.; Edwin R.; Theodore R.; and Helmer. 

	The parents are members of the Lutheran church and adhere loyally 
to its teachings because of their firm belief in the Christian 
religion. In his political views Mr. Larson is a republican and has 
been called upon to fill various local offices, for his fellow citizens 
recognize his worth and ability. He acted as road superintendent for 
twelve years and for two terms has been a member of the city council of 
Mobridge. He was also school director for nine years and he is 
interested in everything that pertains to the work of public progress 
and improvement, doing all in his power to promote the welfare of 
Mobridge and its advancement along material, intellectual, political 
and moral lines.