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History of Clayton County,
Iowa:... O Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton. On
the 13th day of July, 1840, P. P. Olmstead and his brother, David, set out from
Prairie du Chien across the Mississippi in search of a home. After one or two
days' journey, they concluded to make a claim in what is now Monona township.
Returning to Prairie du Chien, they purchased an outfit for keeping house, and
then settled on their claim. They were the first white settlers in Monona
township. About two miles northwest of their location was an Indian village,
with a population of 200 Winnebagoes, whose chief was Whirling Thunder. There
was also a farm of about forty-five acres connected with the village and
cultivated by the Indians. this farm had been broken and fenced by the United
States Government in 1838. They found the Indians peaceable, but never regarded
them as very agreeable neighbors. Their first experience concerning the
character of their neighbors was derived a few days after they had completed
their cabin. Some of the Indians called during the absence of Mr. Olmstead and
brother, and carried away all their bedclothes and provisions. The next October,
Whirling Thunder and his band moved to Fort Atkinson, where the whole Winnebago
tribe of Indians, numbering about 3,400, were being moved, most of them from
Wisconsin, for the purpose of compelling them to occupy the neutral grounds,
according to stipulation. The Indians often crossed their reservation lines,
however, and visited the whites. Speaking of the Indians, Mr. Olmstead says:
"We were often visited by the Indians, who were generally friendly and
peaceable. On two or three occasions only did they show any disposition to
injure us. About the first of August, soon after we had completed our cabin,
Brother David went to Grant county, Wisconsin, where he remained about two
weeks, leaving me to work on our claim, and during his absence eight or ten
Indians, of both sexes, came into our cabin and asked for food. I gave them what
I had cooked, but did not appear to satisfy them. One of them commenced
searching the cabin for more food, which did not surprise me or cause me any
alarm until I discovered that he held in his right hand a butcher knife with
blade drawn, which he tried to conceal under his blanket, but which I discovered
probably in time to save my life, for as soon as I saw it and noticed the manner
in which he held the knife, I was satisfied that he intended to take my live,
and I immediately stepped to one corner of the room and caught hold of an ax,
which was the best weapon within my reach, and told them to go out of the house,
which order was obeyed with some apparent hesitation. "About
the first of the following November, Brother David and myself being at our cabin
together, seven strong-looking Indians came from the west, and upon speaking
with them we discovered that they intended mischief. The first words spoken by
them were threats to burn our cabin. After hearing their threats we bolted the
door. They did not show any weapons, and I think they did not intend to injure
us, but as soon as we shut the door against them, they commenced trying to break
it down by throwing their weight against it. About the time they commenced
trying to break down the door, Mr. Schnider, then employed as blacksmith at the
mission neart Fort Atkinson, came along with his team, and the Indians withdrew
from the house. Knowing that Mr. Schneider had been employed by the Government
for several years and could converse with the Indians in their own language, we
requested him to stay with us that night and try to persuade the Indians to be
peaceable and not further molest us. Mr. Schnider very kindly complied with our
request, and succeeded in preventing any further attack upon our premises. What
the result would have been had not Mr. Schnider come just at that time, I am
unable to determine. Had the Indians persisted in their attack upon our cabin we
should have defended it to the utmost of our power, but they might have
overpowered us and our lives been sacrificed. I shall ever remember with
gratitude the timely aid rendered us by Mr. Schnider, who afterward settled in
and became a respected citizen of Giard township." [NB:
from reminiscences of George Monlux] Edwin Olson is one of the substantial and progressive farmers of the younger generation in
his native township and is a representative of one of the sterling Scandinavian
families that have played an important part in the development and progress of
this prosperous and attractive section of the Hawkeye state. Mr. Olson was born
on the home farm of his parents in Marion township, and the date of his nativity
was March 8, 1895. He is a son of Ole K. and Isabel (Gulsvig) Olson, who were
born in Norway and both of whom passed the closing years of their lives on the
well- improved farm in Marion township, where the father established his
residence upon coming to this county as a young man. Both were earnest members
of the Norwegian Lutheran church and they lived righteous, productive and
unassuming lives, secure in the respect and good will of all who knew them. Of
their five children the first-born, Cornelius, died in infancy, and to the
second son likewise was given the name of Cornelius, he being a prosperous
farmer in Marion township, and Edwin, subject of this review, being the next in
order of birth; Melvin is now a resident of Forest Lake, Minnesota, as is also
Jetina, the youngest of the children. That Edwin Olson did not neglect the
educational advantages that were afforded him in his youth is indicated by the
fact that he continued to attend the public schools of his home township until
he had attained to the age of eighteen years. He gained in the meanwhile equally
valuable discipline through his active and effective association with the work
and management of the home farm. In initiating his independent career he rented
a farm in his native township, and under such conditions he continued his
energetic operations as an agriculturist and stock-grower until he was fortified
for the purchasing of his present farm, which he obtained in the year 1915 and
which comprises one hundred and sixty acres of fertile and well-improved land,
in Section 12, Marion township, with service on rural mail route No. 4 farm the
village of Elgin. Here Mr. Olson is bending his energies to progressive
enterprise as an agriculturist and as a raiser of good grades of live stock, and
he is one of the substantial and prosperous young men of his native county, with
high reputation for sturdy integrity of purpose in connection with all the
associations and responsibilities of life. His political allegiance is given to
the Republican party and both he and his wife hold membership in the Norwegian
Lutheran church. On the 23d of February, 1915, was recorded the marriage of Mr.
Olson to Miss Bertina Gunderson, who was born in Fayette county, this state, and
who presides most graciously and effectively over the domestic economies and
social activities of their pleasant home. Thomas J.
Olson, one of the representative agriculturists and stock-growers of Clayton
county, owns and stages his activities on the old homestead farm, in Section 10,
Marion township, that figures as the place of his birth, the date of his
nativity having been May 14, 1874. He has inviolable place in the confidence and
good will of the people of the community that has ever represented his home, and
is now serving as township trustee and as a member of the school board of the
district in which he himself gained his early educational discipline. He has
been the zealous and efficient incumbent of the position of township trustee
since 1912 and as an executive has put forth earnest efforts to further the
measures and enterprises that have been projected for the general good of the
community. His political allegiance is with the Republican party and he and his
wife are communicants of the Norwegian Lutheran church, their attractive and
hospitable home receiving service on rural mail route No. 4 from the neighboring
village of Elgin. Mr. Olson is a son of John C. and Rachel (Holstenson) Olson,
the former of whom was born in Norway and the latter in Clayton county, Iowa,
where her parents settled in the early pioneer days. John C. Olson was a young
man when he came to America and established his residence in Clayton county. He
began his farming operation near McGregor, and about the year 1870 he removed to
Marion township and purchased a tract of land in Section 10, where he eventually
reclaimed and brought under effective cultivation a fine farm of two hundred
acres. Here he continued his residence, a sturdy and honored citizen, until his
death, which occurred in 1890, and his venerable widow still remains with her
son Thomas J., of this review, on the old homestead. He to whom this sketch is
dedicated is the eldest of the eight children; Ole resides at Clermont, Fayette
county; Mary is the wife of Elling S. Houg, of Marion township; Tillie is the
wife of John H. Olson and their home is in North Dakota; Emma is the wife of
Henry E. Rear, of Fayette county; Adolph is a successful farmer in Wagner
township, Clayton county; Henry is now a merchant in Hillsboro, North Dakota;
and Josephine is the wife of Conrad Reinhardt, of Chandler, North Dakota. The
public schools of his native township afforded to Thomas J. Olson his early
educational advantages and he continued to assist in the work of the home farm
until he was twenty years of age. Thereafter he passed about ten months in North
Dakota, and then he resumed his association with the work and management of the
homestead farm. In 1897 he purchased this valuable property, which comprises one
hundred and ninety-five acres of fertile land, excellently improved with good
buildings and maintained under effective cultivation and as the stage of
successful stock-raising enterprise. June 24, 1894, recorded the marriage of Mr.
Olson to Miss Mary H. Olson, who likewise was born and reared in this county and
who is a daughter of the late Hans and Sarah (Knudson) Olson, the former of whom
died December 4, 1915, and the latter of the 6th of July, 1906. Of the children
the wife of the subject of this review was the second in order of birth;
Charles, Ole and John are residents of North Dakota, as is also Emma, who is the
wife of Ole Kuppon; Henry is deceased; Louis is a resident of North Dakota and
the youngest child, a daughter, died in infancy. Of the children of Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas J. Olson the eldest is Henry, who is associated with his father in the
work and management of the home farm; John died in childhood; Selma was born
April 15, 1901, and remains at the parental home; Elmer was born May 24, 1903,
and is still attending school; Thalmer is deceased; and the three younger
members of the happy home circle are: Myrtle, born February 14, 1907; Agnes,
born February 4, 1910; and John, born October 10, 1913. |