Louis Cornelius Olson

As printed in 1916

LOUIS CORNELIUS OLSON.

Louis Cornelius Olson, a member of the an of Olson Brothers, who operate a retail business in clothing and men's furnishings at Battle Lake, Minnesota, is a native of Clitherall township, wl ere he was born on March 22, 1883, on a farm.

Mr. Olson is the son of Christian and Louise (Hanson) Olson, who were natives of Eidsvold, Norway. Mr. Olson's parents came to America separately about 1860 and. after arriving in America, settled in Goodhue county, Minnesota, where they were married. One year later they immigrated to Otter Tail county, homesteading one hundred and sixty acres of land in Clitherall township, at a time and place where the nearest railroad station was at St. < loud, sixty miles away. The Olson homestead farm was originally wild land.

Christian Olson built a dugout soukforty rods away from the present house, and after two years replaced this dugout with a log house. From time to time, additional acres of the farm were put under cultivation and 'Mr. Olson came eventually to own two hundred and forty acres, some of which was covered with timber. Eventually, the log house was replaced with a commodious frame house, in which the family lived until the spring of 1007. when they sold, the farm and moved to Battle Lake, where they have since lived retired. Christian Olson is seventy-one years old and his good wife, who is also still living, is only three years his junior, lie has been prominent in the political and civic life of this county and, until recently, voted the Republican ticket, but is now identified with the Prohibition party. He and his wife arc members of the Free Lutheran church.

Of the nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. Christian Olson, the eldest died in infancy; Marvin 1\ who is the manager of the Dwight Farm and Land Company and the Farmers' Elevator Company, resides at Dwight, North Dakota: Henry is the postmaster at Battle Lake and the partner of his brother in the clothing and furnishing business: Thorvald and Hans both died at the age of eight years; Louis Cornelius is the subject of this sketch; Thea is the wife of Charles Peterson, a farmer of near McCluskey, North Dakota; Mary, who is unmarried and at home, is employed as assistant postmaster; Hattie, who taught for some years at Wadena and later at Battle Lake and lives at home.

Louis Cornelius Olson was educated in the public schools of Clitherall township and at the Park Region Luther College. He lived on the farm until 1910, managing the farm after his father had retired. In 1910 Mr. Olson homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in Meade county, South Dakota, and there he lived for eighteen months, when he returned to Battle Lake and became assistant postmaster under his brother, Henry. After serving one year as assistant postmaster, Mr. Olson engaged in partnership with his brother. They purchased the H. L. Wagner clothing and furnishing business on Lake street and this business is now managed by Louis C. Olson.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

Louis C. Olson is independent in politics. He and his wife are members of the Free Lutheran church.

As printed in History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota : its people, industries, and institutions : with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families (1916). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.