Andrew Melgaard 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 1061-1062

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

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ANDREW MELGAARD. The foreign born residents of Brown county form a 
large part of the progressive and prosperous members of the locality 
who are engaged in the pursuit of agriculture, and are thoroughly 
identified with American civilization. Among such stands the gentleman 
above named. He has resided in Brown county for over nineteen years and 
has a fine estate upon which he conducts a remunerative business, and 
devotes himself closely and intelligently to his work. His home is 
pleasantly located on section 25, in Aberdeen township, on the banks of 
Mocassin creek, one mile south of Aberdeen, and his land extends 
northward to the city limits. 

Mr. Melgaard was born in Norway, September 15, 1842, and was the son of 
Christian and Annie Melgaard. His father was a farmer and our subject 
alternated school with farm work until the age of eighteen years. He 
then enlisted in the Norwegian Cavalry, in which he served seven years, 
two years as a private, and five years as a sergeant. He emigrated to 
America in 1 869, landing at New York. He went direct to Meeker county, 
Minnesota, and after a brief stay settled in Minneapolis, where he 
remained ten years engaged in the harvester works of that city, 
meanwhile keeping boarders. 

Leaving his family in Minneapolis, he started to seek a new location 
for a permanent home May 10, 1880, and went to South Dakota. At that 
early day he soon found a desirable location and homesteaded a quarter-
section of land on section 25, township 123, range 64, in Aberdeen 
township, and acquired a tree claim of one quarter section additional. 
He at once built a sod house, and returned to Minneapolis for his 
family. They moved to their new home in the spring of 1881 and were 
duly installed in the sod house, which was soon abandoned for a more 
comfortable residence built of lumber. He has since made additions to 
this dwelling and now has a commodious and convenient residence. He has 
erected a good granary and other out buildings necessary for the proper 
conduct of the farm. A fine grove ten acres in extent shelters his 
house from the north winds, and during the summer months is much 
frequented by picnickers from Aberdeen and the surrounding country. A 
second grove of five acres comprising ash, elm, box-elder, and 
cottonwood trees, adds to the beauty and enhances the value of the 
place. He keeps about thirty-two head of cattle and twelve horses on 
the farm, and the land is divided by the Chicago and Northwestern 
Railroad, which runs through it. 

Our subject was married in his native country, July 27, 1867, to G. 
Maria Hoel, daughter of Amund and Kirstina Hoel. Nine children have 
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Melgaard, six of whom are now living, and to 
whom the parents have given a liberal education. They follow in order 
of birth: Alfred, born in Norway, now a prominent druggist at Warner, 
Brown county; Harold; Ricka, now Mrs. Axel Burk, residing in Groton; 
Hilda; Ida and Oscar. The family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran 
church, and are well-known and highly respected. Our subject takes an 
active interest in the welfare of his community and has served as a 
member of the town board for the past nine years, and is at this time 
chairman of the same. Politically he favors Populism. He is a man of 
general, pleasant manner, and has a host of friends.