Biography of Hans Phillipson 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 299. Scan and OCR by Joy Fisher, 1997. This file may be copied for non-profit purposes. All other rights reserved. HANS PHILLIPSON, one of the first settlers of the city of Brookings and one of its most worthy citizens, was born in Shelde, near Sonderburg, Schleswig-Holstein, February 11, 1857, and is a son of Andrew and Anna (Meyer) Phillipson. Andrew Phillipson was a farmer by occupation and lived and died in the village of Shelde. His death occurred in 1889 when he was seventy-one years of age. His wife, Anna Phillipson, died in May, 1896, at the age of seventy-three. They were the parents of four sons and two daughters, of whom we have the following record: John, a farmer in Brookings county; Frederika, deceased; Peter, still living in his native land; Christ, market gardener at Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Hans; and Catharina, deceased. Hans Phillipson, the subject of this sketch, attended common school until fifteen years of age, and then began life for himself as a farm laborer. In 1874 he came to America, arriving at Scandinavia, Waupaca county, Wisconsin, in June. He worked on the Green Bay & Winona railroad for a time, and April 1, 1878, came to Dakota and took a homestead and tree claim in the present city limits of Brookings. There was then but one other family living there at the time and they little thought that the wild open prairie that constituted his farm would one day be the site of a prosperous city. He improved and cultivated this farm for fourteen years. Soon after arriving in this country Mr. Phillipson began to show the keen interest he had in all matters of a social or educational nature and ably aided in the development of these departments in the community. He helped to organize the first school in Brookings and was elected the first clerk of the district. In 1892 he began work in the lumber yards of the Laird Norton Company, and since the fall of 1894 has been the agent of the company, having charge of its interests at Brookings. In 1887 Mr. Phillipson was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Oleson, of Brookings, a native of Norway, who came to America in 1884. Their wedded life has been blessed to them by the presence of two children: Herbert A., six years of age, and Clarence M., three years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Phillipson are members of the Evangelical Lutheran church of Brookings. In political views Mr. Phillipson is a Populist but has no ambition for official honors.