Magnus 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 779-780

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

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.

	This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
	a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


MAGNUS OLSON is the owner of a fine farm of three hundred and twenty 
acres on section 10, America township, Brule county. His land has all 
been broken and the greater part is now under a high state of 
cultivation, the remainder being devoted to pasturage. The place is 
also improved with good buildings, and all the accessories and 
conveniences of the model farm are thereon found, the owner being one 
of the progressive and practical agriculturists of the community. 

Mr. Olson is a native of Sweden, born in 1858, and is the eldest in a 
family of seven children. His father was born and still lives in that 
country, being overseer of a large farm in the southern part of the 
kingdom. There our subject was reared and in the country school of the 
neighborhood acquired his education. At the age of fifteen he began 
learning the blacksmith's trade, serving a three years apprenticeship. 
At the age of nineteen he bade adieu to friends and native land and 
sailing for the new world took up his residence in Millville, 
Minnesota, where he followed blacksmithing. Later he went to Lakeland, 
Minnesota, where he worked at his trade in the employ of a company 
operating a sawmill, spending two years at that place. 

During that time Mr. Olson was married in Lakeland to Miss Annie 
Matson, a native of Sweden, who came to America during her girlhood. 
Four children have graced this union, Martin Oscar, Anton William, Carl 
August and Emmanda Josephine, and the family circle yet remains 
unbroken by the hand of death. 

The same year of their marriage Magnus Olson came to South Dakota and 
entered the northwest quarter of section 10, America township, Brule 
county. In the fall of 1883 he brought his family to the new home and 
erected a small house, 14 x 20 feet. He also built sod barns, and his 
stock then consisted of two cows. With characteristic energy he began 
the development and cultivation of his land and also worked at the 
blacksmith's trade to a limited extent, building a sod smithy upon his 
place. During the first year the hail destroyed his crops, but since 
that time he has garnered good harvests and prosperity has attended his 
efforts. In 1898 he extended the boundaries of his farm by the 
additional purchase of one hundred and sixty acres, and now has a half-
section of land, well cultivated. Much of it is under fence, and he now 
has a good residence, a frame barn, 20 x 56 feet, a granary, corn cribs 
and other necessary outbuildings. There is also a good well upon the 
place, and in 1893 he set out an orchard of young apple trees. Each 
year he has broken from ten to thirty acres of land, until he now has a 
half-section under the plow, and raises considerable small grain. He 
also raises hogs on an extensive scale. 

Since becoming an American citizen he has given his political support 
to the men and measures of the Republican party, and for five years has 
served on the township board of supervisors. He has frequently been a 
delegate to the county conventions and takes an active interest in the 
growth and success of Republican principles. He and his wife are 
members of the Lutheran church, and in the community have many warm 
friends.