Biography of S. G. Mogan

	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 400

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


S. G. MOGAN, one of the substantial business men of Lake Preston, 
Kingsbury county, was born in Norway, February 11, 1853. His father, 
Gilbert L. Mogan, was also a native of Norway, born February 24, 1816, 
and by occupation was a farmer and a government employee. He came to 
America in 1871 and settled first in Rock county; Wisconsin, where he 
lived three years and then went to Shawano county, in the same state. He 
also lived in Rock county, Minnesota, and Deuel county, South Dakota, 
and died in the last named county, in 1892. The mother, whose maiden 
name was Miss Jennie Thoen, is a native of Norway, born in 1825, and is 
now living with her children.

	Our subject came to America with his parents and lived with them 
in Rock and Shawano counties, Wisconsin, working on a farm and also 
doing considerable traveling, making a trip to Nebraska and Dakota in 
the fall of 1879. He next moved from his home in Wisconsin to Lake 
Preston, Kingsbury county, South Dakota, in 1883 and acted as salesman 
in a lumber yard for a number of years. In 1888 he moved to Deuel 
county, South Dakota, where he took charge of a lumber yard for Laird, 
Norton & Co. In Madison, South Dakota, he edited a Norwegian Prohibition 
paper for a short time, and went from there back to Lake Preston and to 
Gary, Deuel county, remaining in these places until 1893. After 
traveling for a time, Mr. Mogan settled in Lake Preston, and, in the 
fall of 1893, engaged in the grain business. In 1892, he was a candidate 
on the Populist ticket for secretary of state.

Mr. Mogan was first married to Miss Caroline Oien, a daughter of T. O. 
and Carrie Oien, and a native of Wisconsin, born June 8, 1861. Mrs. 
Mogan died at Gary, South Dakota, October 6, 1 888, leaving three 
children, all of whom are still living. June 18, 1897, Mr. Mogan again 
married, this time to Mrs. Carrie Thorsen, a native of Dane county, 
Wisconsin, and a daughter of Ole and Guri Grodtodden. Politically Mr. 
Mogan affiliates with the Populist party, in which he is a faithful 
worker. He is a member of the Masonic order and of the Modern Woodmen of 
America, camp 2797, of which he has served as venerable counsel. A 
portrait of Mr. Mogan will be found on another page of this volume.