California Biographies

Source: History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of 
the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with 
its growth and development from the early days to the present (1919)

History By Paul E. Vandor 
Illustrated, Complete In Two Volumes 
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1919
 
Notes: Missing+page1185-1186

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


GUSTAV OLSEN.� Gustav Olsen, more familiarly known as Gus 01- 
sen, is a native of Holmestrand, Norway, having been born in that country 
September 12, 1880. When five years of age he came with his parents to 
San Francisco, Cal. He was educated in the public schools of San Francisco 
and Oakland, and started to learn the trade of a tailor, but soon abandoned 
it to devote his attention to sign painting, which he has followed for the past 
twenty-two years. He was in the employ of M. S. Moe, and learned his 
trade with the leading sign painter of San Francisco, M. Stein, for whom 
he worked eight years. He then engaged in business for himself at Eighth 
and Market Streets, San Francisco, with a partner by the name of Ouane, 
under the firm name of Quane & Olsen. After ten months the firm was dis- 
solved and Mr. Olsen went to Chicago, Ill., where he worked for the sign 
painter Bornhoft, for a short time. Later he traveled through the East. 

Mr. Olsen made his first trip to Fresno in 1902, at which time he was in 
the employ of Stein & Company, and he afterwards made frequent trips to 
the city. He was in the employ of J. F. Gallmann of Fresno for a while. 
He was married in this city in 1908 and has made this his home ever since. 
His present place of business is located at 1831 Fresno Street. He maintains 
the largest sign-painting plant between San Francisco and Los Angeles, 
covering a large field of operations in his work, and is prepared to do work 
in any part of the San Joaquin Valley. He does the major portion of the 
work for the Standard Oil Company and the Associated Oil Company, as 
well as the work of the California Associated Raisin Company in the Valley. 
In the busiest season he employs nine men. He is a member of the Fresno 
Sign Painters' Union and was one of the organizers of the San Francisco 
Sign Painters' Union. 

The possessor of an unusually fine baritone voice, Mr. Olsen is well 
known in Fresno as a singer of merit. He studied vocal music under Pro- 
fessor Rowlands of Oakland and Professor Greven of San Francisco, and 
also with Don Pardee Riggs of Fresno. He has sung in most of the churches 
in Fresno, and at present is soloist in the Christian Church of that city, of 
which he is a member. He is also a member of the Male Chorus, and' has 
done a great deal of solo work in Fresno County in singing for the Red Cross 
and Belgian Relief work, etc. 

Mr. Olsen married Mrs. Alma Curren. a native of Canada. The children 
born of their union are: Marie, a native of Oakland, Cal.; Elizabeth, who 
died at the age of three months in 1910; and Virginia and Alma, native 
daughters of Fresno. By her first marriage, Mrs. Olsen had one child, Don- 
ald, born at Manchester, N. H., who lives with Mr. and Mrs. Olsen.