John S. Carlson Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 576-577

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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JOHN S. CARLSON. It is unusual for a tradesman to engage in a calling 
entirely different to that followed during the greater part of his life 
and be successful, but the subject of this review is one of this class. 
He has been a carpenter and a workman at his trade for many years, and 
has also during the latter years made a success as an agriculturist. 
His home is located on the southwest quarter of section 15 in Pembrook 
township, and here he has gathered around him a comfortable home and a 
competence to enjoy during his declining years.

Mr. Carlson was born in the central part of Sweden in 1854. His 
grandparents were laborers, and his father was in the standing army for 
thirty years. His parents were married in 1851, and our subject was one 
of two children who grew to maturity. His mother's maiden name was Mary 
Errickson. He was accorded limited educational advantages, and at the 
age of twenty years went into the lumber woods, and was thus employed 
four years, after which he spent one year and a half at carpenter work. 
He emigrated to America in 1880, and when he located in Pennsylvania 
was without means and owed money for his ticket to this land. He mined 
coal in Pennsylvania one year and then obtained work as mine carpenter, 
and remained there one year and a half. He went to South Dakota in 1883 
and stopped at Aberdeen four days, but could see no future in the 
region, and left in disgust for Minnesota. 

He obtained work at his trade on the Great Western Railroad and worked 
on every station between Minneapolis and Chicago, remaining in the 
employ of the company for three years. He then returned to St. Paul and 
worked at his trade, and in the spring of 1889 went to South Dakota to 
work on- buildings for his cousin, Charles Lundquist, and the following 
year filed on a homestead on the southwest quarter of section 15 in 
Pembrook township, his present farm. He erected a small house in 1892, 
sixteen by twenty feet, and started farming, for the first two years 
depending on three oxen for his farm work, and these a time purchase. 
They were old and one died, one furnished beef, and one was sold later 
and horses were purchased. The farm now comprises one hundred and sixty 
acres, fifty acres of which is under cultivation, and our subject now 
possesses a well equipped farm, including a small granary, barn and 
other outbuildings, three horses, two cows, two calves, wagon, buggy, 
and plenty of farm machinery. The principal product of the farm is 
grain, and Mr. Carlson has made a success of this industry. He works at 
his trade, and many of the buildings in the neighborhood have been 
erected by him. He is a practical worker, and has a set of tools 
costing about four hundred dollars. He can fashion after any pattern 
and is thoroughly acquainted with his work, and does blacksmithing, 
tinsmithing, painting, locksmithing, and many other branches to which 
he gives his attention. 

As regards political affairs Mr. Carlson on the state ticket casts his 
vote for the Democratic candidate, but in local affairs, selects 
whoever, in his judgment, is the proper man. He takes an active 
interest in political matters, and is strong in his convictions. While 
living in the east he became a member of the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows. He has held here the office of school clerk for several years 
and at present is school treasurer and postmaster.