John P. 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 351-352

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

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JOHN P. CARLSON. The southeastern part of Davison county is peopled by 
a Swedish settlement. Families that live economically, yet with the 
highest notions of honor and who bend all their efforts to the 
improvement and development of their farms and the care of their stock. 
They mix very little with politics as a rule, and yet they hold a power 
politically. A representative citizen of this section of Davison county 
is the gentleman whose name heads this article. He is the fortunate 
owner of a fine farm of three hundred and eight-seven acres of land in 
the northeastern part of Prosper township. 

In tracing the history of the subject of this sketch, we find that he 
is a native of Hovetland, Sweden, and he was born October 21, 1851. In 
1870, when he was nineteen years of age, he became dissatisfied with 
his surroundings in the old country, and accordingly migrated from 
thence to America. Upon reaching this side of the Atlantic, he found 
employment for a time at Bloomington, Illinois, and subsequently rented 
a farm near that city which occupied his time and energy until 1884. 
During the year last named, he moved his stock and household effects to 
Davison county, South Dakota, purchased a quarter-section of land in 
Prosper township, and has since made that his home. As a farmer, Mr. 
Carlson is thorough and systematic, and by thrift and economy he has 
brought his farm into a fine state of cultivation and placed upon it 
all necessary improvements, including a cosy residence and farm 
buildings that are at once commodious and substantial and convenient in 
their construction. Mr. Carlson has always taken an interest in 
religious matters and is a member in good standing of the Swedish 
Lutheran church. Socially he affiliates with the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen, Mitchell Lodge, No. 69. Politically he is a Republican, 
and an advocate of the policy of local option. The duties of a number 
of the local offices have been entrusted to his care since his 
settlement in Davison county, among them being school clerk, township 
treasurer, assessor, and from 1892 until 1895 he served in the capacity 
of county commissioner. 

In 1873, Mr. Carlson was united in marriage to Miss Christina Carlson, 
who is also a native of Sweden, her natal day being April 29, 1851. To 
this congenial union have been born four children, upon whom they have 
seen fit to bestow the following names: Fred, Alma, Earnest and Morris.