John J. Oakland Biography


	This biography appears on pages 791-792 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				JOHN J. OAKLAND.  

	Throughout a long period John J. Oakland was identified with the 
agricultural interests of Yankton county but since 1910 has been living 
in honorable retirement in a comfortable home in Irene. He is one of 
the worthy pioneers of this section of the state, having come here in 
April, 1870, when the settlers in this territory were widely scattered. 
He is a native of Norway, born near Bergen, July 23, 1846, and was 
there reared to the age of nineteen years. On the 10th day of May, 
1865, he secured passage on a sailing vessel from Haugesund, and, after 
a long and tedious voyage covering six weeks, landed at Quebec. He 
thence made his way by lake to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and from the 
latter city. journeyed by rail to Dane county, that state. For six 
months he was employed at farm labor in Penrose township, near Madison, 
Wisconsin, and on the expiration of that period went to Leland, La 
Salle county, Illinois, where he was employed at farm work until the 
summer of 1866. He then made his way to Benton county, Iowa, where he 
lived for four years, and in 1870 made his way to Dakota prior to the 
time that railroads were built through this section of the country. In 
April, of the latter year, he filed on a homestead four miles southeast 
of Wakonda in Clay county, living thereon until he had proved up on the 
land and received a deed to the same. In 1874 he took up a preemption 
claim in Turner county and was identified with the agricultural 
interests of that section for thirty-five years, in the meantime 
increasing his holdings until he became the owner of four or five 
hundred acres of rich and productive land. During this time, however, 
he endured with other pioneers, many hardships and privations incident 
to establishing a home in a new country. For seven years, from 1872 
until 1879, he suffered loss of crops from grasshoppers and droughts 
During one winter he was without funds and as he expresses it, "did not 
have enough money to buy a postage stamp." He walked one season to 
Sioux City, Iowa, a distance of sixty miles, to secure work and after 
an absence of three months from home, walked back the entire distance 
after having secured enough money to provide for his family until 
spring. For eight years the only fuel he had was dry slough grass and 
hay, which was twisted into bundles and used for fuel. In 1881 there 
was no flour in the house, their only breadstuff being corn meal and 
wheat meal which had to be ground in a coffee mill. However Mr. Oakland 
bore these hardships with bravery and gradually worked his way to 
success until he is now the owner of farm property and is able to live 
retired from further labor, occupying a comfortable home in Irene, 
where he has lived since November 12, 1910.  

	Mr. Oakland has been married twice. He was first married in 
Benton county, Iowa, to Miss Martha Ponsness, a native of Norway, by 
whom he had nine children, seven of whom survive: John, who is living 
on one of his father's farms; Margareta, the wife of Harry Conklin, an 
attorney of Yankton; Marthina, the wife of John C. Baker, a resident of 
Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Lars, who has taken up a claim in Stanley 
county; Josephine, the wife of Peter Henset, who is also residing on a 
claim in Stanley county; Peter, who lives on the old homestead; and 
Hannah, the wife of Peter Smith, of Cedar county, Nebraska. On July 21, 
1909, Mr. Oakland married Mrs. Rachel Torgerson, who bore the maiden 
name of Scheie, and was born in Woodstock, Illinois. She was first 
married June 7, 1869, to Thomas Sundy, who for a number of years was a 
merchant of Canton, South Dakota, and by whom she had four children. He 
died July 10, 1887, and on the 17th of September, 1890, she married 
Rev. O. E. Torgerson, who died February 23, 1901.  

	Mr. Oakland is a republican in his political belief and he is 
identified with the Lutheran church, in which he has served as a lay 
minister. Throughout the greater part of his residence he has been 
closely identified with church and Sunday school work and has been 
instrumental in organizing many church societies and Sunday schools in 
the state For the past few years, however, his health has been somewhat 
impaired, so that while he bears his affliction with a cheerful heart, 
it yet deprives him of taking an active part in religious or other work 
as he was formerly able to do. He is a man of high ideals and noble 
purposes, has given a large portion of his time to the effort of 
inculcating a higher sense of duty and responsibility in both young and 
old and his life has indeed been one of activity and far reaching 
usefulness.