Hakan Persson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 792-793 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


				HAKAN PERSSON. 

	Hakan Persson, the owner of an excellent general store in Blunt, 
has never had occasion to regret his emigration from Sweden, his native 
land, to this country, as here he has found opportunities, the 
utilization of which has enabled him to gain a gratifying measure of 
success. He was born in Helsnberg on the 6th of July, 1853, a son of 
Pers Anderson and Kerste (Hanson) Anderson, also natives of that place. 
The father devoted his time to agricultural pursuits, and both he and 
his wife were lifelong residents of Sweden. 

	Hakan Persson attended school in his native land but when fifteen 
years of age began earning his own living by working for neighboring 
farmers. Subsequently he was engaged in mining coal in Sweden until 
1880, when he emigrated to America, making his way to Pennsylvania, 
where he worked in the mines until the spring of 1883. In that year he 
came to South Dakota and located in Sully county, where he farmed and 
engaged in the cattle business until about 1905, which year witnessed 
his removal to Blunt. Since then he has conducted a general store and 
as his stock is well adapted to the needs of the community and as his 
prices are reasonable he has gained a large and representative 
patronage. 

	Mr. Persson was married in Sweden, in February, 1875, to Miss 
Johannah Darrell, whose parents spent their entire lives in that 
country. To Mr. and Mrs. Persson have been born nine children, as 
follows: Tillie, the wife of Frank Pierce, a farmer of Sully county; 
John, who is clerk at the Hot Springs Hotel; Andy, a contractor and 
builder of Lewistown, Montana; Anna, who is teaching in the rural 
schools of this county; Ellen, who married Perry Rosenberger, manager 
of a San Francisco theater, and who died May 14, 1914; Charles, who is 
engaged in farming and stock raising in Sully county, this state; 
Harry, a farmer living near Blunt; Edward B., who is associated with 
his father in business; and Arthur William, attending school in Hot 
Springs. 

	Mr. Persson is a republican and has held a number of local 
offices. For four years he served as justice of the peace of Blunt, for 
two years as county assessor of Sully county and for four years county 
treasurer. His religious faith is that of the Lutheran church, and 
fraternally he is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, in 
which he has held the office of master workman for a number of years. 
He has the greatest faith in the future of South Dakota and has given 
practical evidence thereof by investing extensively in South Dakota 
land. No movement for the growth and advancement of Blunt fails to 
receive his support and hearty cooperation, and his public spirit has 
gained him the confidence and goodwill of his fellow citizens.