ANDERSON, CARL

ANDERSON, HUGAMAN, NILSON, LARSON, SWANSON, WILSON, MUNSON, LUNDSTROM, ERICKSON, EDISON, HOWARD

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 5/27/2004 at 15:55:12

Biography reproduced from page 258 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

Among the prominent citizens of Kossuth county is Carl Anderson, a retired farmer living in Swea City in a beautiful home which he built there in 1900, and the owner of three hundred acres of fine farming land in Swea township. He was born in the southern part of Sweden, in the province of Skone, February 6, 1840, a son of Andrus and Elna (Hugaman) Nilson, both natives of Sweden. The father was engaged in agricultural pursuits in his native land, where he owned a large farm, to the cultivation of which he devoted his entire life. In his family were seven children, four of whom are now living, namely: Carl, our subject; and Peter, Nels and Chastie, all of whom reside in Sweden.

Carl Anderson obtained his education in the schools of his native land and assisted his father on the farm until he attained his majority. For eight years he was employed on a neighboring farm and later, having obtained some money from his father’s estate, he rented a farm for two years. This venture, however, proved unsuccessful and he decided to try his fortune in the new world. Accordingly, in 1868, he joined a party of friends who were going to America and on reaching New York city he at once proceeded to Goodhue county, Minnesota, where for five years he operated a rented farm. In 1873 he loaded his household possessions into wagons and he and his family accompanied the families of J. B. Johnson and A. G. Anderson to Kossuth county, Iowa, the trip requiring seven days. The Andersons took up their residence on a farm in Swea township, which the father had purchased previous to his removal to this state. This tract of land, which consists of eighty acres, for which he paid three and a half dollars an acre, he still owns. It is situated three miles northwest of Swea City and to his original farm he has added from time to time until his holdings now aggregate three hundred acres of excellent, well improved land. Upon this farm he lived until 1900, when he built a comfortable home in Swea City, where he took up residence, renting the farm to his son Albert. He has since lived retired in the enjoyment of the fruits of his earlier years of toil, and is one of the well known and highly respected citizens of his community.

In Sweden, in 1866, Mr. Anderson was united in marriage to Miss Elna Larson, a daughter of Lars and Mary (Swanson) Larson, both natives of Sweden. The father, who was a farmer, died when his daughter Elna was a small child and the widow later married Peter Munson. The family subsequently emigrated to America and settled on a farm in Swea township, where the mother passed away in 1897. By her first marriage she had three children: Elna, now Mrs. Carl Anderson; Mrs. Malinda Wilson, of Algona, Iowa; and Lars Larson, of California. The children of the second marriage are: Nels, Peters and Swen Munson. To Mr. and Mrs. Anderson six children have been born. Nels, a farmer of Swea township, married Ollie Crawford and they have three children, Vernon, Leona and Lenetta. Mary is the wife of Elon Anderson, a son of A. G. Anderson, who came to this country with Mr. Anderson, who is operating the old homestead in Swea township, and they have one child, Burdette. Albert, who resides in Forest City, Iowa, is a traveling salesman for the American Gas Machine Company of Albert Lea, Minnesota. He married Mary Lundstrom and she passed away in 1911, leaving three children, Lucile, Irene and Milow. Carl Edward, a barber of Kingsbury, California, married Anne Erickson and they have five children, Florence, Forrest, Gladys, Myron and Leroy. Emil Lawrence, who is engaged in the implement business at Forest City, Iowa, married Mary Edison and they have one child, Mildred. Jacob L., a traveling salesman of Blue Earth, Minnesota, married Hattie Howard, of Swea township, and they have two children, Howard and Elvira.

In his political views Mr. Anderson is a republican and has taken an active interest in the affairs of his township. When the first school district was organized in Swea township he was elected a director, a position which he held for several years. Both he and his wife are members of the Swedish Baptist church of Swea township, his wife being an active member of the Ladies Aid Society. Mr. Anderson has always been an active man in business and not only owns one of the finest properties in Kossuth county but also helped to organize and is a shareholder in the Swea City Creamery Company and a stockholder in the Swea State Bank. He is one of the most respected citizens of the community and as he is a pioneer of the county he has a very large acquaintance and throughout business circles is esteemed as one of its most honored, useful and influential citizens.

(Photo of Carl Anderson and Family accompany this biography.)