A P Lundvall

LUNDVALL

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 4/26/2010 at 11:29:03

For over fifteen years A P Lundvall has bee engaged in the general merchandise business in Boxholm, carrying a most complete and up to date stock and following business policies which rank him as one of the progressive merchants of the county. Mr Lundvall has secured an extensive and profitable patronage for his business, his customers coming to him form a large adjoining territory. He has succeeded because his business is built upon fair and honest methods, because he contents himself with a reasonable profit and because he is ever ready to oblige a customer if possible. Mr Lundvall was born in Sweden on March 9, 1860, and is a son of J P and Christina Lundvall, natives of that country. During his active life the father was the superintendent of a large woolen mill I Sweden, which country has always remained his home and where he is still living at the age of ninety-two years, his wife dying in 1907.
A P Lundvall was reared ad educated in his native land and after completing his studies accepted a position in the office of the woolen mills with which his father was connected. In 1881, at the age of twenty-one , he came to America, locating at first in New Britain, Connecticut, where for three years he worked for the American Hosiery Company, being impressed y the stories which he had heard of the opportunities that were awaiting an aggressive young man in the middle west, he then made his way to Dayton, Webster county, Iowa, where he arrived in the spring of 1884, accepting a position in the general store of Burnquist Brothers. There he continued as an employee until 1889 in which year he became a partner in the firm, with which re remained as manager until 1895, when his partner died. At that tie the business was sold, but Mr Lundvall again entered mercantile life, allying himself with new partners and founding the firm of Lundvall, Swanson & Johnson. He continued in this establishment until 1899, when he sold his interest and went to Fort Dodge, Iowa, where he worked for the Larson Dry Goods Company for one year. He then returned to Dayton and for three months was connected with the firm of C V Peterson. In April 1900, he came to Boxholm, Boone county, where he bought the first town lot and built the first business building, engaging in merchandising. He has ever since been at the head of this business and now carries a most complete stock adequate to the most exacting demands of his customers. His trade is extensive and covers a large territory. The success of the business must be entirely attributed to Mr Lundvall, who is able, shrewd, honest and thoroughly up to date as regards merchandising methods.
In June 1892, A P Lundvall married Miss Emily Erickson, a daughter of Eric and Betsy Erickson, natives of Sweden, who located in Webster county in the early days of its history. There the father cultivated land until his death, his widow now making her home with Mr and Mrs Lundvall, who have six children as follows: June who is employed in her father’s store, and Evelyn, Lloyd, Reynold, Mildred and Ralph.
Mr Lundvall has other important interests, being a stockholder in the Farmers Savings Bank of Boxholm, and the Farmers Elevator Company. He is always interested in the cause of education and at present serves as school director of his district. Politically he is a republican, loyal to his party, and for seven years served as postmaster of Boxholm, resigning in favor of John Hocke, who at that time was conducting a harness shop in this city. Fraternally Mr Lundvall belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America, and his religious faith is that of the Swedish Lutheran church. By his activities he has largely contributed toward making possible the prosperous conditions that now prevail in Boone county and in particular has been one of the factors in the up building of Boxholm, of which town he is now neophyte foremost representatives of commercial interests.

1914 Boone County History Book