Biography of Albert Matson

	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 358

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


ALBERT MATSON is one of the rising young business men of Brookings, 
Brookings county. Mr. Matson was born in Chicago, Illinois, December 16, 
1871, and is the son of Andrew and Ellen (Johnson) Matson. Andrew Matson 
was born fifty-eight years ago in Malmo, Sweden. He learned the trade of 
a carpenter and joiner there, and in 1869 brought his family to this 
country. Mr. Matson finally settled in Chicago, where he secured 
employment in the car shops of the Chicago & North-Western Railway. In 
1882  he came to Clark county, South Dakota, where he still resides upon 
a farm. Mrs. Ellen Matson, our subject's mother, also lives upon the 
Clark county homestead. She is a native of the same country as her 
husband. There are five children now living: John, a farmer of Clark 
county, South Dakota; Albert, the subject of this sketch; Anton, now a 
student at the Wessington Springs academy, South Dakota; Mary and Mamie. 
Albert was about eleven when the family came to Dakota. He attended the 
public schools of Clark county and afterward spent three years at the 
State Agricultural college, Brookings. Upon completing his course there 
Mr. Matson studied shorthand and bookkeeping at the Watertown Commercial 
college. He then became a stenographer in Brookings, and followed the ii 
pothooks and curves" for four years, doing much court and other very 
responsible work. In 1895 Mr. Matson embarked in the real estate and 
fire insurance business, and he is now secretary of the Brookings Real 
Estate Company, which handles much property, and is reckoned among the 
leading firms of the city. Such an excellent reputation did Mr. Matson 
leave behind him in the shorthand world for accuracy and reliability 
that he is even now frequently asked to go into court and take testimony 
in a case where the testimony is technical or unusually difficult to the 
reporter. Mr. Matson has been very successful for one of his years, and 
the industry, energy and progressiveness that have given him his start 
in life will aid him to still greater results in the future. Mr. Matson 
was always a Republican politically, until the inauguration of the free 
silver movement, since which time he has been identified with that 
organization, and has shown considerable activity in political matters. 
He is now serving a term as city justice of Brookings and has held the 
office since April, 1896. He was recently appointed circuit court 
reporter and entered upon the duties of that office January 1, 1898. He 
is a member of Perlin lodge, No. 61, Knights of Pythias, and is one of 
its most enthusiastic workers.

	Mr. Matson married Miss Mary Sinjum on the 31st of August, 1896. 
Mrs. Matson is the daughter of Bernt Sinjum, of Brookings county. She 
was born in Dodge county, Minnesota, and came to South Dakota with her 
parents when very young.