H. O. Kittleson 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 775-776

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

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H. O. KITTLESON, a worthy representative of the farming interests of 
Sanborn county, took up his residence on section 35, Twin Lake 
township, in the fall of 1883, and has watched the development of the 
resources of this section of the state with the interest which every 
intelligent man feels in regard to the section of the country where he 
has spent the best years of his life, and should feel a satisfaction 
that he has been no unimportant factor in bringing it to its present 
condition. 

Mr. Kittleson was born in Norway, in 1850, but when only ten years old 
was brought to the United States by his parents, who located 
permanently on a farm in De Kalb county, Illinois. He was the fourth in 
order of birth in their family of six children, having two sisters 
younger than he. Upon his father's farm he grew to manhood. As a boy he 
always had an inclination to work around machinery, and since reaching 
man's estate has always operated a threshing machine, and at present 
also owns and runs a corn-sheller. Before his marriage, March 17, 1878, 
he worked at farming for a time in Minnesota, and went several times 
back and forth between Iowa and Illinois. He wedded Miss Lena Larson, 
also a native of Norway, who was brought to America when nine months 
old. Her father was a mechanic, and worked on a corn-sheller Our 
subject and his wife have seven children, namely: Oitte, aged twenty-
one years; Alfred; Harvey; Lilah; Emma; Lawrence and Rosa. 

After his marriage Mr. Kittleson lived in Iowa for one year, and then 
bought the right to sell a patent feed steaming machine in certain 
counties in Illinois, but in this venture he lost four hundred dollars 
in money besides his time, as the machine was a failure. For the 
following two years he rented a farm, and in connection with its 
operation worked with a threshing machine. In the fall of 1883 he 
embarked in the poultry business, which proved quite profitable. The 
same year he came to South Dakota and took up government land on the 
southwest quarter of section 35, Twin Lake township, Sanborn county, on 
which he erected a house 22 x 14 feet, with 10 foot posts, and built a 
barn, 16x 16 feet, from material which had composed his hen house in 
Illinois and which he brought with him to this state. The latter 
building he roofed with hay. At this time he owned two horses, one cow, 
a wagon and a corn planter. He first planted about seven acres in flax 
and a small patch in wheat, turnips and potatoes, and with the 
exception of the flax, which was a failure, his other crops were good, 
the potatoes being the best he ever saw. For the next seven years his 
crops were good, but in 1885 everything he had with the exception of 
his house, two horses and a corn crib were destroyed by fire. In spite 
of that ill luck he remained on his farm and prospered. In 1888 he 
removed to his tree claim on the southeast quarter of section 35, Twin 
Lake township, adjoining the first farm on the east, and erected 
thereon good buildings, drilled a well and set up a windmill. Here he 
has sixteen acres of the finest forest trees to be found in the 
township. In 1893 he again met with misfortune by fire, having his 
threshing machine burned, and in the fall of 1898 nearly everything 
upon the farm except the house was burned. To help meet expenses he 
then purchased a corn shelling machine, which he has since successfully 
operated. In spite of his misfortunes he is meeting with success and 
now has three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land, of which two 
hundred acres are under a high state of cultivation. He has given most 
of his attention to the raising of grain, but expects in the future to 
devote his time to the cattle business and now has a herd of thirty. He 
also has a thoroughbred Percheron stallion. 

Politically, Mr. Kittleson is a pronounced Republican, and since coming 
to this state has served as supervisor and held some school offices 
though living in a Democratic township. He has also been offered county 
offices, but has always declined the honor. He takes quite an active 
and prominent part in political affairs, however, and is now a member 
of the township central committee. He and his wife and family all 
belong to the Lutheran church, and as a teacher, his wife takes a very 
active part in Sunday school work and also in church affairs.