Nils Simons Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1168-1169 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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				NILS SIMONS. 

	Among the sons of Norway who have aided in the development of the 
American northwest is Nils Simons, who successfully engaged in farming 
on section 35, Split Rock township, Minnehaha county. His birth 
occurred on the 15th of November, 1846, and his father was Simon 
Askvig, who spent his entire life in the land of the midnight sun. Our 
subject was reared at home and received a common-school education. At 
the early age of thirteen he began his independent career, taking up a 
seafaring life. He followed the sea for many years, and in 1869 when a 
young man of about twenty-three years came to the United States and for 
four years sailed out of New York city on the Melrose Star line, plying 
between New York and South American ports. At length he came west to 
Sioux City, Iowa, and for some years was on the Mississippi, the Ohio 
and the Missouri rivers, as well as several of the southern streams. In 
1871 he came up into South Dakota and filed on a homestead adjoining 
his present farm. He later traded a team of mules for his present 
quarter section, but it was necessary to preempt the land to hold it 
and preemption cost him two hundred dollars. However, he did not give 
up the river until 1886 and was known as a mall thoroughly experienced 
in river navigation. He has in all some fifteen or sixteen master's 
certificates which are evidence of his skill and competence. Since 
settling down to farm life he has proved an efficient agriculturist and 
his farm on section 35, Split Rock township, is one of the well 
developed places of the county. 

	Mr. Simons was married in 1882 to Miss Betsy Risty, a resident of 
Brandon township, although her birth occurred in Norway. To this union 
six children have been born as follows: Guy, a bank cashier of 
Sterling, Colorado; Anna, the wife of William Sawyer, of Black Hawk 
county, Iowa; Simon, at home; Blaine, who is a student in the law 
department of the State University at Vermillion; and Carrie and 
William McKinley, at home. 

	Mr. and Mrs. Simons are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church 
and are loyal to its teachings. He is independent in politics and has 
taken an active interest in public affairs, having served on the town 
board, the school board and as township assessor for many years, and is 
known as a man of ability and rectitude. These characteristics, 
combined with his agreeable personality, have made him one of the 
popular men of his community.