Edward 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. Page 459

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

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EDWARD OLSON, a wide-awake and energetic farmer who now resides on 
section 29, Ola township, Brule county, South Dakota, is a native of 
Norway, born in 1850, and is the second in a family of three children. 
The father, who was a shoemaker by trade, made his home in the town of 
Draman, near Christiana, until coming to America in 1877. After 
attending school from the age of seven to fifteen years, our subject 
worked in a cotton factory for a time, and then devoted two years to 
the stone mason's trade in his native land. 

In 1872, Mr. Olson emigrated to the United States and first settled in 
Minnesota, where he worked by the month on different farms for ten 
years. In the spring of 1882 we find him a resident of Kimball, South 
Dakota, where he was employed by L. H. Clark for a time. During the 
previous fall he had taken up land on the north half of section 21, Ola 
township,and after erecting a shanty, 12 x 14 feet, he operated his 
land for three years. Selling that place in the spring of 1884 he 
removed to the reservation north of Chamberlain as soon as it was 
opened up and lived there until the settlers were driven off by an 
order of President Cleveland within ninety days of locating thereon. He 
then bought the southeast quarter of section 32, Ola township, and 
built for himself a house. During the six years he resided there he was 
married. He now rents that place and lives on the northwest quarter of 
section 29, which he also owns and which he has greatly improved by the 
erection of good and substantial buildings. During his early residence 
in this state, he gave considerable attention to wheat raising, but at 
present he makes a specialty of the raising of stock, and has thirty 
head of cattle and one hundred hogs. This branch of his business has 
proved quite profitable. 

Mr. Olson first married Bertie Johnson, who died in 1892, leaving four 
children, namely: Oscar, Herman, Mabel, and Effie. He has since wedded 
Julia Johnson, who was born in Norway and was reared on her father's 
farm. The Republican party always finds in Mr. Olson a stanch supporter 
of its principles, and he has most efficiently served in a number of 
school offices. Upright and honorable in all things, he commands the 
respect and confidence of all with whom he comes in contact either in 
business or social life.