Biography of Helge Korstad

	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, 1898. Page 289.

	Scan and OCR by Joy Fisher, 1997. This file may be copied for non-profit 
	purposes. All other rights reserved. 


HELGE KORSTAD, deceased, was one of the pioneers of Brookings county, 
South Dakota. He was a worthy and upright citizen, and extremely 
popular with all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. Mr. Korstad 
settled upon sections 22 and 23, in Brookings township, in 1879, and 
lived upon his farm there until the day of his death. This property in 
now within the city limits of Brookings, but at that time it was but a 
part of the wild, unbroken prairie which stretched for miles in all 
directions. Mr. Korstad was born in Valders, Norway, in 1835. He was a 
school teacher for a number of years before coming to the United 
States, and was a well educated man. In 1870 he arrived in this country 
and soon after settled in Lyon county, Iowa. There he devoted his time 
for several years to farming and teaching among the families of the 
Lutheran church in the neighborhood of Beloit. In 1 879 Mr. Korstad 
came to Brookings county, as already adverted to, and took up a claim. 
He made the trip from Iowa in a wagon drawn by oxen, taking all his 
household goods and other effects with him. He began improving his land 
the same year, and in the course of several seasons, despite numerous 
hardships and privations, he succeeded in making a successful farm 
where once the wild weeds and underbrush had rioted undisturbed for 
decades. He left one of the finest pieces of improved land in the 
county, most of it under cultivation. The buildings are all large and 
substantial, while a twelve-acre timber grove furnishes delightful 
shade in summer, and greatly adds to the attractiveness of the place. 
Mr. Korstad was one of the original stockholders of the Farmers' 
Shipping Association of Brookings, and was also largely interested in 
the Brookings Cooperative Creamery Company. He was one of the 
organizers of the Farmers' Alliance in this section, and also one of 
the first citizens to lend his aid and encouragement to the Populist 
party by joining it. Connected with his large farm was a steam 
thresher, one of the first brought into the eastern part of the state. 
It did service for many of the farmers in Brookings county for years. 
Mr. Korstad was largely influential in securing the Lutheran church for 
Brookings, and up to the time of his death remained one of its most 
prominent leaders and chief supporters, both financially and in other 
ways. He was married in 1861 to Miss Sigrid Lomen, also a native of 
Norway, and was the father of seven children, Ole, Hans H., Peter, 
Tollef, John, Belle and Mary, all of whom, with Mrs. Korstad, now 
reside upon the homestead. Mr. Korstad died on the 13th  of June, 1895, 
in the sixtieth year of his age. His loss was deeply mourned by all who 
knew him, for through his long career in South Dakota he had made his 
name well known and respected, and never had a suspicion of dishonesty-
or double dealing of any kind connected with it.

	Mr. Korstad's sons now have charge of the farm. All of them were 
educated in the Brookings public schools, and the two daughters, Belle 
and Mary, who are now teachers, have completed the high school course 
there. Mary is also a gracluate of the South Dakota Agricultural 
college, of Brookings. Hans H. Korstad, the second son, also attended 
the public schools of Iowa and took a course in the State Agricultural 
college at Brookings, graduating from that institution. In 1886 he pre-
empted a timber claim for himself on section 14, Brookings township. He 
is still the owner of this land, and, with his brothers, controls and 
operates seven hundred and twenty acres, including the original 
homestead, most of which is under cultivation. While the death of their 
father was a great loss in many ways, the sons have managed this large 
amount of property with great success since his decease, and are fast 
coming into prominence as enlightened, progressive and enterprising 
citizens and men of standing in the community.