John H. Williamson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1131-1132 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 H. WILLIAMSON.  

	John H. Williamson, one of the substantial agriculturists and 
leading citizens of Burk township, Minnehaha county, has there resided 
continuously for the past thirty-nine years and is the owner of four 
hundred and eighty acres of rich and productive land. His birth 
occurred in Norway on the 15th of July, 1847, his parents being William 
Alness and Beret (Olsen) Alness, both of whom passed away in that 
country.  

	In the acquirement of an education John H. Williamson attended 
the common schools of his native land, where he spent the first twenty-
one years of his life. In 1868 he crossed the Atlantic to the United 
States, arriving here in August of that year and locating in Allamakee 
county, Iowa. He secured employment as a farm hand, being in limited 
financial circumstances, and spent about seven years in the Hawkeye 
state. In the spring of 1876 he came to South Dakota and at once 
homesteaded a quarter of section 35 in Burk township, Minnehaha county, 
where he has remained continuously since. He also took up a timber 
claim of one hundred and sixty acres on section 25, Burk township. For 
about eight years he lived in a sod house of his construction and then 
built a frame dwelling fourteen by sixteen feet, while in 1898 he 
erected his present modern home. As the years have passed he has 
augmented his landed holdings by purchase until he now owns four 
hundred and eighty acres in Burk township. His homestead is named the 
Tordenskjold Farm. He has met with gratifying success in the conduct of 
his agricultural interests and is also a stockholder in the Baltic 
Cooperative Lumber Company, the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company of 
Baltic and the Cooperative Creamery Company of Baltic. For the past 
five years he has been a member of the board of directors of the Sioux 
Falls Lutheran Hospital.  

	In 1868, in Iowa, Mr. Williamson was united in marriage to a 
widow, Mrs. Inger Anna (Rolson) Oien, who sailed from Norway to the 
United States on the same vessel which brought him. They have three 
children: John, Wilhelm and Julia, all at home, the sons operating the 
farm.  

	Mr. Williamson gives his political allegiance to the republican 
party and has made a highly commendable record as school treasurer, in 
which capacity he has served for thirty three years. He has also served 
as a member of the township board at different times for several years 
and is its chairman at the present time. His religious faith is that of 
the Norwegian Lutheran church, to which his wife and children also 
belong. Mr. Williamson is another of the many sturdy sons of Norway who 
have come to America and, despite the obstacles and handicaps always 
encountered by the foreigner, have succeeded by sheer force of their 
own determination and persistent efforts. In Minnehaha county and South 
Dakota, where he has now resided for nearly four decades, his 
acquaintance is very wide and the circle of his friends extensive.