C. A. Swenson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 271-272 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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				C. A. SWENSON. 

	C. A. Swenson is proprietor of the Golden Rule department store 
at Sisseton. He belongs to that class of men who, when opportunity 
points the way, find the path to success. He has never been afraid of 
close application nor hard work and his energy and firm purpose have 
enabled him to gain a creditable position among the business men of 
Roberts county. He was born in Lucas county, Iowa, December 8, 1872, a 
son of A. G. and Christina C. (Johnson) Swenson, both of whom were born 
in Sweden. The father, whose birth occurred on the 13th of May, 1847, 
died in the year 1895, while the mother, who was born on the 22d of 
August, 1853, is still living. They came to the United States in 1869 
and were married in Chariton, Iowa. The father was a farmer and also a 
minister of the gospel, and he continued a resident of Iowa until 
called to his final rest. In his business affairs he won success and at 
the same time exercised a potent influence for good in the community in 
which he lived. His political endorsement was given to the republican 
party and in all matters of citizenship he displayed a conscientious 
devotion to the general good. 

	C. A. Swenson is the eldest in a family of eight children, all of 
whom survive. He was educated in the schools of Chariton, Iowa, passing 
through the different grades, and he started out in business life on 
his own account when a youth of eighteen, securing a clerkship in a 
store in that town. That he was industrious, faithful and thoroughly 
reliable is indicated in the fact that he remained with his first 
employer for eight years. He then went to Ottumwa, Iowa, and spent 
three years as an employee of J. A. Phillips, after which he removed to 
Minneapolis and was with the Powers Mercantile Company for two years. 
On the expiration of that period he went to Sisseton with the Peever 
Mercantile Company and eventually became one of the partners in the 
business, but the firm failed and he was left with nothing. He then 
established the Golden Rule store upon borrowed capital and the success 
which has since attended his efforts is indicated in the fact that he 
now has the largest establishment of the kind in Sisseton, handling an 
extensive line of dry goods and ready-to-wear clothing. He has produced 
for his customers the latest that the market affords and his reasonable 
prices and fair dealing, as well as the courteous treatment which he 
accords his customers, have been the salient features in winning for 
him an extensive and gratifying patronage. In the six years in which 
the Golden Rule store has been established the business has been built 
up until he now carries a stock valued at twenty-five thousand dollars 
and employs seven clerks. 

	In 1907 Mr. Swenson was united in marriage to Miss Clara E. 
Pryor, a native of Minnesota, and a daughter of Norman J. Pryor one of 
the early settlers of Minnesota where he followed farming and 
merchandising. He now lives with his son-in-law and daughter. 

	In his political views Mr. Swenson is a republican, while his 
religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church. He takes an active 
and helpful interest in community affairs and strongly endorses and 
supports all those movements which are a matter of civic virtue and 
civic pride. His attention is largely devoted to his business and his 
close application has been one of the strong features in his success, 
combined with his ability to readily discriminate between the essential 
and the nonessential.