Christopher Larson

LARSON, AABY

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 2/21/2011 at 16:10:38

Christopher Larson, engaged in general merchandising at Wallingford, has also been prominent in connection with the public life of the different communities in which he has lived and in a word is a enterprising and progressive citizen of Emmet county. He was born in High Lake township, August 23, 1870, and is a son of Peter and Anna (Aaby) Larson, who were natives of Norway. On coming to America they made their way westward to Iowa and cast in their lot with the pioneer settlers of Emmet county, taking an active and helpful part in promoting its progress and improvement. They had a family of eleven children: Halvor, who is now married and resides in Wallingford; Anna, who is the widow of I. B. Peterson, of Williams, Minnesota; Tom, a widower living at Whittemore, Iowa; Belle, the widow of A. B. Peterson and a resident of Lake Mills, Iowa; Christopher; Bertha, the wife of Ole Lee, a resident of Oakley, Minnesota; Oliver, who is engaged in farming in Twelve Mile Lake township; Andrew, who follows farming at Coteau, North Dakota; Thea, the wife of L. Nelson, of Coteau, North Dakota; Lena, the wife of L. Carter, a farmer of West Bend, Iowa; and Emma, the wife of O. T. Akre, of Mankato, Minnesota.

Christopher Larson attended the common schools and worked with his father upon the home farm until he reached the age of sixteen years. He was afterward variously employed for about six years and when a young man of twenty-two established the second store in Wallingford, securing a stock of general merchandise. He successfully conducted that business for fifteen years and then sold out, after which he removed to Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, where he owned a general store for four years. He next went to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was connected with general merchandising for two years, and on the 1st of May, 1915, he returned to Wallingford, where he purchased the hotel building, the postoffice and three residences. In 1916 he erected a new general store building and now handles a complete line of groceries, shoes, dry goods and men's furnishings. He has won a liberal patronage and his success is the merited reward of earnest, persistent labor intelligently directed.

In community affairs Mr. Larson has also taken a deep and helpful interest and for five years he filled the office of postmaster under President Cleveland. He was justice of the peace for eight years, during which time his rulings were strictly fair and impartial. For seven years he served as president of the school board and while at Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, was police justice and justice of the peace and also a member of the town council and the board of health. He has never lightly regarded the obligations of citizenship but has faithfully performed every task devolving upon him in that connection. He became a member of Turtle Lodge, No. 328, I. O. O. F., assisted in organizing the Modern Woodmen camp at Wallingford, of which he served as clerk for eleven years, and also became connected with the Royal Neighbors. He holds membership with the Norwegian Lutheran church and he has always voted with the democratic party. It is well known that he is a man true to his honest convictions and nothing can swerve him from a course which he believes to be right.

Source: History of Emmet County and Dickinson County Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, The Pioneer Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1917.