The Larson Families of Lyon County, Minnesota

MARTIN C. LARSON (1877) in partnership with his brother, Anton S. Larson, farms 540 acres of land in Monroe township, 320 acres of this being the estate left them by their father, Hans T. Larson, who died August 7, 1908.

Hans T. Larson was born in Norway April 11, 1846, and came to the United States in 1866, locating in Fillmore county and making that his home until 1871. Then he came to Lyon county and took as a homestead the west half of the northeast quarter of section 10, Monroe township. The next year he took the southeast quarter of section 10 as a tree claim. He experienced the hardships of the early days, the grasshopper scourge and the terrible blizzards of the early eighties. He prospered and was well off at the time of his death. He was active in township affairs. Turi (Gullickson) Larson, his wife, was born in Norway June 16, 1848, and came to America in 1870, where she was married two years later, in Monroe township. She died in 1893.

Martin C. Larson was born on the Monroe township homestead March 5, 187 6, and has lived on the farm ever since. He was educated in the school of district No. 35 and in the Tracy High School. He remained on the farm and worked for his father until the latter's death, since which time Martin and his brother have had charge. Martin was township assessor four years. He has stock in the Farmers Elevator Company of Tracy and in the telephone company. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge of Tracy.

Anton S. Larson, brother of the above, was born on the Monroe homestead January 28, 1879, and was brought up and educated in the township. He was married May 29, 1907, in Tracy, to Adelia Montgomery. To this union have been born four children. Mildred and Manly, the eldest, are twins. The other children are Frances and Gertrude Clara. Mrs. Anton Larson was born in Redwood county March 25, 1878, and is a daughter of George and Julia (Steves) Montgomery, natives of Canada who settled at Walnut Grove just after the Indian outbreak. The father is dead and the mother lives with her daughter. Anton Larson is at present on the school board of his district and he has served on the township board.

Martin and Anton Larson have the following brothers and sister living: Louis, of Braham, Minnesota; Hans T., of Crosby, North Dakota; Tien, of Hastings, Minnesota; and Clara M. (Mrs. Ben Cole), of Amiret.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ADOLPH B. LARSON (1887) is manager of the Christianson-Innes lumber yard at Florence. He is a native of Minnesota and was born in Fillmore county March 9, 1879, a son of Borce and Carrie (Christianson) Larson. The parents came to the United States from Norway in the early sixties and settled in Fillmore county, where they resided until 1878, when they came to Lyon county. In 1910 they retired from farm life and moved to Florence to live. They have six children, as follows: Louise (Mrs. Lars Ordlock), of Florence; Adolph B., of this sketch; Carl, of Lyon county; Lena (Mrs. G. A. Ofstad), of Florence; Anton, the postmaster of Florence; and Clara, of Florence.

The man whose name heads this sketch made his home with his parents in Shelburne township and attended school until sixteen years of age. He then started hustling for himself, working at farm labor and threshing. When twenty-one years of age he engaged in the general merchandise business at Ruthton and continued that business three years. He then farmer the home place several years and in 1908 entered the employ of the Christianson- Innes Lumber Company at Florence as local manager. He is a member of the Masonic lodge and a director of the State Bank of Florence. Mr. Larson is a justice of the peace and was assessor of Shelburne township in 1908.

October 14, 1908, Mr. Larson was married to Miss Ida E. Green, a native of Lyon county and a daughter of C. F. Green, one of the older residents of the county, formerly owner of the lumber yards of which our subject now has charge. Mr. and Mrs. Larson are the parents of two children, Wyvil B. and a baby boy.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

LUDVIG E. LARSON (1876), who owns and farms the southeast quarter of section 18, Lucas township, has lived in Lyon county since he was three years of age. He is a prosperous farmer and has taken a leading part in the affairs of his community.

His parents, Haldor and Engel Marie (Anderson) Larson, were born in Norway in 1849, came to the United States when children, and were married in Wisconsin. They came to Lyon county in 1876 and homesteaded the farm now owned by their son. The mother died on the homestead in the spring of 1880 and the father two years later. There are two other children in the family, Theodore, of Broderick, Saskatchewan, Canada, and Bergene (Mrs. Julius Anderson), of Tacoma, Washington.

Ludvig was born in Jackson county, Wisconsin, July 28, 1873. He came to Lyon county with his parents in 1876 and until their deaths made his home with them. Thereafter until he was thirteen he lived with an uncle, John Anderson, and two years after that with another uncle, George Anderson. At the age of fifteen he began to make his own way in the world and has since been farming except for a time when he worked at the livery and dray business and in a hardware store in Cottonwood.

The homestead had remained in the family and in the spring of 1896 Ludvig and his brother began its cultivation. The partnership continued until 1911, when our subject purchased his brother's interests and became sole owner of the farm. All the improvements the farm has were made by the brothers.

Mr. Larson was one of the organizers of school district No. 89 and he has been clerk of the district since its organization. He served as assessor of his township two years and was a member of the township board four years, three years as its chairman. He is now serving his second term as township clerk. He and his family are members 'of the United Lutheran church.

Mr. Larson was married in Cottonwood November 28, 1895, to Amelia A. Roberts, who was born in Yellow Medicine county February 13, 1876. Her father is Louis Dibble, but she was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. John Roberts. Mr. Larson and his wife have eight children, named as follows: Harvard Eugene, born October 29, 1896; Alfred Leslie, born March 10, 1898; Amy Luella, born July 5, 1900; Haze! Eunice, born March 15, 1903; Edward Ludvig, born February 20, 1905; [name withheld], born March 6, 1907; [name withheld], born February 14, 1909; Elfreda Marie, born December IS, 1911.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

NIELS F. LARSON (18 83) is the proprietor of a general merchandise store at Lynd, carrying dry goods, groceries, crockery, glassware, shoes, etc. He has been a resident of Lyon county since he was fourteen years old, and until buying the store in the present year he has been engaged in farming.

Mr. Larson was born in Denmark on the last day of the year 1869, the son of Peter and Stine (Peterson) Larson, now residents of Nordland township. In 1883 he came to America with his parents, and his first home in the New World was in the old town of Lynd. For two seasons he herded cattle and then for several years he worked out as a farm hand.

In 1893 Mr. Larson was married and started farming for himself. For two years he rented land in Lyons township and then he bought the northwest quarter of section 2 of that township. On that place he farmer and made his home until 1910. He then moved to section 33, Lynd township, having bought 200 acres of land there the year before, and his home is still there. In May, 1912, he traded 431 acres of land in Lyons and Lynd townships for the stock of goods in Lynd and is now in charge of the store. He also conducts Ms farm on section 33 and raises and ships cattle. He raises thoroughbred Polled Angus cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs. His farm is a place of great historic interest, having been the place designated as the first county seat of Lyon county, known as Upper Lynd. There the first court house was built and there Rev. Ellis had his store.

In the city of Marshall, on March 15, 1893, Mr. Larson was married to Lottie G. Watson. She is a native of the county and was born July 4, 1874. Her parents, Gordon and Mary Watson, natives of Ohio, were among the very early settlers of Lyon county. Mr. Watson came in 18 69 and took as a homestead claim the northwest quarter of section 2, Lyons township. The family moved to the claim the following year and lived in the county until their deaths. The following named seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Larson: Oliver G., Olive F., Iva E., Ida P., Elva M., Loyal W. and Ruth.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

KNUT LARSON (1899), of Lyons township, is a farmer and land owner. He was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, May 10, 1866. Knut received his early education in Wisconsin, where he grew to manhood. When nineteen years of age he moved to Lincoln county. South Dakota, where he purchased a quarter section of land, which he farmer until 1899, when he came to Lyon county. At that time he purchased the southeast quarter of section 32, Lyons township, where he has since resided. He raises considerable stock and has fine improvements on his place. Mr. Larson also has other interests. He is a stockholder of the Farmers Elevator Company of Russell and is treasurer of school district No. 93.

On March 27, 1887, the subject of this review was united in marriage to Ella Thompson at Lincoln, South Dakota. Mrs. Larson was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, July 30, 1861, a daughter of Falkver and Gurie Thompson, both natives of Norway. Mr. and Mrs. Larson have two children: Lula G., born April 29, 1890; Florence, born October 15, 1894.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

OLAUS M. LARSON (1901) is manager of the Farmers Elevator Company at Lynd. He also handles farm machinery and vehicles in connection with his elevator work. Mr. Larson was born at Deerfield, Wisconsin, November 4, 1871, where he received his early education and assisted his brothers on the farm. He also taught school for three years. His mother died when he was a young man. Olaus received a high school education.

In 1901 Olaus Larson located in Lynd and a while later went to Muskoda, where he bought grain for the Federal Elevator Company. He also bought grain for the same company at Portland. He returned to Lynd in 1904 and purchased grain for the New London Milling Company two years. then went to Hereford Minnesota, and bought grain for the Federal Company. He also engaged in the same work one year at Bird Island, Minnesota, for the Columbian Elevator Company, and at Maynard one year for the Northwestern Elevator Company. Mr. Larson again took up his residence in Lynd in 1909 and has since managed the farmers' elevator there.

The Lynd Farmers Elevator Company was incorporated in 1909, organized by about seventy-five farmers of the vicinity. They purchased the Northwestern Elevator Company's building, with a capacity of 30,000 bushels. They handle grain, coal and feed. The following are the officers: President, E. E. Davis; vice president, Peter Frahm; treasurer, A. A. Sharratt; secretary, Frank Harris; manager, O. M. Larson. The following are directors: Frank Graves, Let Foster, George Madden, Frank Harris, A. A. Sharratt, Peter Frahm, E. E. Davis.

Our subject was married at Lynd on February 8, 190 5, to Belle Robertson, a native of Illinois. They have three children: Geraldine R., Wilber B. and Reolf E.

Mr. Larson is a son of Gullick and Anna (Brennberg) Larson, natives of Norway and early settlers of Deerfield, Wisconsin, where they both died. They have eight children surviving them: Martha, Lewis, John, Andrew, Nels, Dora, Albert and Olaus.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

GEORGE O. LARSON (1896) farms the northwest quarter of section 13, Nordland township. He was born in Woonsocket, South Dakota, July 22, 1886, a son of Andrew and Metsey (Hauge) Larson. The father was born in Denmark and the mother in Iowa. For a number of years Andrew Larson operated a bus line in Woonsocket. In 1896 he moved with his family to Lyon county and farmer rented land in Eidsvold township ten years.

George began his schooling in Woonsocket and completed his education in the schools of Minneota. In 1904 he began to work out at farm labor and in 1905 and 1906 he worked in the railroad shops at Brainerd and Two Harbors, Minnesota. In the fall of the year last mentioned he and his brother Louis bought eighty acres of timber land in Todd county, Minnesota, and spent the following winter there. He returned to Lyon county in the spring of 1907, worked as a farm hand two years, married in 1909, and commenced farming. He now makes his home with his mother-in-law and farms the northwest quarter of section 13. He and his wife are members of the Free Norwegian church.

Mr. Larson was married in Minneota July 15, 1909, to Josephine B. Bjerkan. She was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, November 3, 1873, was educated in the Appleton High School and in the Minnesota Business College at Minneapolis, and for nine years taught Lyon county district schools. Mr. and Mrs. Larson have one child, [name withheld], born March 4, 1911.

Mrs. Larson's father was Ole J. Bjerkan. He was born in Trondhjem, Norway, June 5, 1826, came to the United States in 1865, and to Lyon county in 1878. He bought the northwest quarter of section 13, Nordland township, and engaged in farming it until his death on May 13, 1905. Mrs. Larson's mother is Karen (Larson) Bjerkan. She was born in Nanestad, Norway, June 25, 1844, and came to America and located in Rushford, Minnesota, in 1869. She still makes her home on the old farm in Nordland.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

FRED LARSON (1896), a successful farmer and stock" raiser of Shelburne township, was born in Thorning, Sogn, Denmark, April 25, 1869. His parents were Thomas and Katrina (Lair) Larson, both of whom are now dead.

Our subject received his early education in Denmark, where he attended the common schools until fourteen years of age. He then worked for his father on the home farm for eight years. Like many of his countrymen, he believed the United States offered great opportunities to the young man, and in 1891 he came to this country, locating in Washington county, Nebraska, where he remained one year. Moving to Clay county, Iowa, Fred worked as a farm hand three years, then rented a place and farmer for himself one year.

In the spring of 1896 Mr. Larson came to Minnesota and located in Pipestone county, near Ruthton, where he purchased fifty acres of land. During the rest of that year he worked out, teaming. In February of the following year our subject purchased the farm upon which he now resides. He conducts a splendid cattle, horse and hog raising business in addition this general farming. Mr. Larson is a member of the Danish Lutheran church of Ruthton and is chairman of the board of school district No. 57.

On October 20, 1896, our subject was married to Johanna Christine Paulson, a resident of Shelburne township and a native of Denmark. She was born September 28, 1878, and her parents were Jess and Christina (Jacobson) Paulson, who now reside at Ruthton.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.