Halvor H. Olson 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 986-987

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

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HALVOR H. OLSON. This gentleman is the fortunate owner of one of the 
fine estates of Blendon township, Davison county, and is well known as 
an agriculturist who is doing an extensive business. His name will be 
readily recognized by the citizens of Davison county as that of the 
county commissioner of Blendon township, and one of the prominent and 
influential citizens of the county. Mr. Olson is a son of Hele Olson, a 
native of Norway, who came to America in 1836 and made his home in La 
Salle county, Illinois. 

Our subject was born in La Salle county, Illinois, March 3, 1844, and 
made his home with his parents until the breaking out of the Civil war. 
On the 11th of August, 1862, at the age of eighteen years, he enlisted 
in Company I, Eighty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served in 
that capacity until the close of the war. During this time he 
participated in twenty-two pitched battles, besides numerous 
skirmishes. Of these we will name only a few: Chancellorsville; 
Gettysburg, at which place he was taken prisoner, but was soon after 
paroled and finally exchanged. His next engagement was Lookout 
Mountain, Missionary Ridge, the battles before Atlanta, and then joined 
Sherman on his march to the sea. He was mustered out of service at 
Washington, in 1865.   

After the close of hostilities, he spent four years plying the 
painter's trade, and then purchased a farm in DeKalb county, Illinois, 
and there retained his residence until he migrated to Dakota, in 1882. 
In this last venture Mr. Olson has been very successful and he is now 
the owner of six hundred acres of as fine farming land as can be found 
in the community. The farm is supplied with numerous commodious and 
substantial buildings and a strong artesian well that supplies plenty 
of water both for the stock and for irrigation purposes, while the 
surplus water passes off through the pasture, making an ideal stock 
farm, without the stagnant pools that usually result from the use of an 
artesian well. In politics the subject of our sketch is: identified 
with the Populist party, but is a firm advocate of prohibition. In 
spite of the duties pertaining to the care and management of such a 
large estate, Mr. Olson has found time to devote to the interest of the 
community and he has become quite prominent in local public affairs and 
is at present serving in the capacity of county commissioner. He is 
also a member of the township board. In religious matters he affiliates 
with the Lutheran denomination. 

Mrs. Olson, who in her girlhood was known as Miss Anna Johnson, is a 
native of Norway. She was born in 1853, and migrated with her parents, 
in her early childhood, to America, and located first in La Salle 
county, Illinois, in 1861. In 1869 she became the wife of Mr. Olson, 
and their wedded life has been blessed to them by the presence of a 
family of five children, whose names in the order of their birth are as 
follows: Oscar Henry, Joseph Hovey, Alice Helen, William Elmer and 
Charles N.