J.E. Anderson

ANDERSON, JOHNSON

Posted By: Sharyl Ferrall
Date: 5/29/2006 at 08:37:29

Anderson, J.E., state legislator and journalist -- Forest City -- born 29 March, 1846, in Småland, Sweden. In 1852 his parents came to America; lived for three years in New York and Brooklyn; moved to Whiteside county, Ill., where they spent two years on a farm; resided three years at Lyons, Iowa, and settled on a farm in Winnebago county in 1860, being the first Swedish family in that county, and there were then only five Norwegian families, no Danes. Young Anderson attended the common schools at the places where he resided, up to 1866, when he entered the Upper Iowa University, Fayette, Iowa, where he spent three years. He took a full course of scientific and classical studies at the State University, Iowa City, from which he graduated in 1872, and completed his law studies at that institution four years later. Anderson is the author of a work on business calculations; and during the years of 1872-75 visited about three hundred colleges, situated in nearly every state in the Union, and delivered lectures on his specialty. He speaks with great ease and energy. In 1881 Anderson was elected state legislator by a large majority on the Republican ticket. During his legislative career he served as chairman of the library committee; and was a member of those on judiciary, schools, claims, constitutional amendments, compensations of public officers, State University, and senatorial representative districts. Up to about 1890, Anderson was a believer in the principles advocated by the Republican party; since he has joined the People's party, and was president of the first state convention of that party in 1891. In 1892 he was a Populist candidate for Congress, but was defeated; the next year he was candidate for lieutenant-governor of Iowa -- again defeated. In 1894 he was candidate for judge of the supreme court -- snowed under. He is now chairman of the People's party state central committee. Anderson laid out the city of Britt in 1878, although he has resided in Forest City since 1876, and started a weekly newspaper, 'The Independent', at that place in 1887. He is a member of the American Methodist Church. In 1875 Anderson was married to Martha A. Johnson, a sister of M.N. Johnson, the congressman from North Dakota, whose father was one of the first Norwegian settlers in the vicinity of Decorah, Iowa. They have four children.
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-transcribed by the submitter from: History of the Scandinavians in the U.S.; Compiled & Edited by O.N. Nelson; 1897; Biographies of Scandinavians in Iowa; pg 159-160
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Photo of J.E. Anderson scanned from the same book:

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