The full biographical sketch as printed in 1900, transcribed from the public-domain book. Spelling and wording are the original author’s; a few scanning errors may remain.
ANULF STEENSON, one of the prominent and wide-awake early settlers of Eldorado township, Traill county, is now engaged in diversified farming on his pioneer farm and has accumulated a fine property. He is held in the highest esteem by his associates and enjoys the confidence of those among whom he has resided since the early days of the set- tlement of that region.
Our subject was born in Kummedal, Norway, May 19, 1856, and was the youngest in a family of four children born to Steen and Isabella (Anulf- datterj Knudson. The family came to America in i860 and settled in Mitchell county, Iowa, where a new farm was opened up, and there our subject received a common-school education and later at- tended the Cedar Valley Seminary at Osage, Iowa, and fitted himself for a teacher. He taught school for about three years, and in the spring of 1878 went to North Dakota and traveled through that state and Minnesota by team with a companion. During the summer of that year he filed a claim to the southwest quarter of section 6 in Eldorado township, where his buildings now stand. He be- came a permanent settler in the spring of 1879 and lived alone in a 10x12 board shanty till 1881. He borrowed money with which to get to Dakota, and is now the owner of five hundred and sixty acres of land, on which he has erected a fine residence 28x30 feet, and in 1888 built a fine barn 40x52 feet. He has an artesian well, and from this gets a good sup- ply of water, making his farm one admirably adapted to diversified farming. He taught the first school opened in Eldorado township, which was in October, 1879, and about twelve pupils com- pleted the enrollment. He received twenty dollars per month and board for his recompense, and the pupils occupied a i4xi6-foot tar-papered shanty.
Our subject was married, in January. 1882, to Miss Gunel Pederson. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Steenson, as follows : Ste- phen, Tilda, Thomas and Carl. ]Mr. Steenson was
township clerk from the organization of the town- ship in 1881 to 1894, anu was also elected county commissioner for the secciid district in 1890 and served three years. He was elected county treas- urer in 1894 and proved an efficient and popular officer, being returned for a second term, lie is a Republican in political faith and has attended county and state conventions of his part v. in re- ligious belief he is a Lutheran and a member of that denomination.
Source: Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota (1900. See the original pages at the Internet Archive.
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