Gust Olsen Biography


	This biography appears on pages 876-879 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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				GUST OLSEN. 

	Gust Olsen, one of the leading agriculturists and prosperous 
citizens of Minnehaha county, has continuously resided on his present 
home farm on section 34, Highland township, during the past thirty-
eight years, and is now an extensive landowner. His birth occurred in 
Sweden on the 11th of January, 1848, his father being Olaus Callander, 
who passed away in that country. He was reared under the parental roof 
and received his education in the common schools. In 1868 he crossed 
the Atlantic to the United States, landing in New York on the 19th of 
July of that year. Thence he made his way to Chicago. He had learned 
the trade of a blacksmith in Sweden and on reaching Chicago went to 
work at that occupation in the Rock Island Railroad shops. Two years 
later he entered the employ of the American Bridge Company, and it was 
while in the service of that concern that he had the distinction of 
welding the largest bar ever used in bridge work across the Missouri 
river. At the end of about two months, however, he left that employ and 
returned to the Rock Island Company, working in their Chicago shops 
until 1876. 

	In the spring of that year Mr. Olsen came to South Dakota and 
immediately after his arrival preempted his present home farm. His cash 
capital consisted of one hundred dollars, but after buying some boards 
to roof his sod house and after building a little fence and breaking 
five acres of ground, his funds were exhausted. With the dauntless 
spirit of youth, however, he still pressed forward in the direction of 
his goal. He made his way to Lincoln county, where he secured work in 
the harvest field, being employed at a wage of two dollars per day. At 
the end of two and a half days, however, the grasshoppers drove the 
laborers from the field. Mr. Olsen was three times obliged to cover a 
distance of about thirty-six miles on foot before he was finally paid 
for his work. As the years have passed, however, prosperity has crowned 
his efforts and as an agriculturist he has met with a well deserved 
measure of success. At the present time he owns three hundred and 
twenty acres of land in Highland township, Minnehaha county, and two 
hundred and sixty-five acres lying across the road in Minnesota, as 
well as an entire section in Kidder county, North Dakota. For a period 
of twelve years he was successfully engaged in business as a hardware 
and implement merchant of Sherman. He is likewise a stockholder in the 
Farmers Elevator Company of Sherman and the Garretson Land & Investment 
Company. 

	Mr. Olsen has been married twice. In 1874 he wedded Miss Lena 
Lee, of Chicago, who was a native of Norway and by whom he had twelve 
children, six of whom survive. The wife and mother passed away in June, 
1893, and the following year Mr. Olsen was again married, his second 
union being with Miss Gertrude Hanem, who was also born in Norway. To 
them have been born eleven children, ten of whom survive and all of 
whom are still at home with the exception of the oldest. 

	In politics Mr. Olsen is a democrat. He made a commendable record 
as chairman of the town board, in which capacity he served for one 
term, and also acted as constable of his township for many years, while 
for fifteen years he served as a member of the school board. 
Fraternally he is identified with the Masons, belonging to Unity Lodge, 
A. F. & A. M., of Sioux Falls; Cyrene Commandery, K. T., of Sioux 
Falls; the Consistory, A. & A. S. R., of Sioux Falls; and El Riad 
Temple, A. A O. N. M. S. He is likewise a member of Sioux Falls Lodge, 
No. 262, B. P. O. E. Mr. Olsen is highly esteemed by all who know him 
and has made many friends since coming to this state. He combines the 
good qualities of the Swedish race with the aggressiveness and 
enterprise that seem peculiar to this country.