History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties

"History of Lincoln, Oneida, and Vilas Counties Wisconsin"

Compiled by George O.Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others. Printed in 1924 by H.C.Cooper. Jr. & Co., Minneapoli-Winona MN. ill. 787 pages. The first two hundred pages are history of the three counties, the remainder of the book is biographies.

Biography

Olson, Peter a well known and enterprising farmer of Section 34, town of Merrill, Lincoln County, was born in Sweden in 1853, son of Olaf Nelson and Ingeborg (PETERSON) NELSON, both native of that country, where the mother died. The father subsequently came to the United States, remained in this country a few years and then returned to Sweden. After remaining there until he was 83 years old he came back to the United States and lived with his son Peter until his death at the age of 93. He and his wife Ingeborg were the parents of eight children, of whom Peter is the only now living, the others having died in Sweden. Peter OLSON was reared in his native land, where he attended school. He then worked on farms until 1881, when he came to the United States, locating at Big Rapids, Michigan, where he spent three years. In 1884 he came to Merrill, Lincoln County, at that time a very small place with only five or six houses, as Mr. OLSON remembers it, and which was known as Jenny. The lumbermen having started work in the vicinity, he found work logging in the woods, and was occupied in that manner for seven years. After that he worked for 20 years in saw mills. The whole country at that time was covered with timber and brush. In 1903 Mr. OLSON, having resolved to get on to the land, bought 40 acres in the town of Merrill, which had a small house on it, having previously purchased 80 acres of all wild land covered with brush and stumps. He has remodeled and enlarged the frame house, built a modern barn 36 x 80 feet, with full basement and patent stanchions, and with the help of his family has cleared a large part and now has 60 acres under cultivation. He is following general farming and dairying, having a herd of 33 grade cattle, with a registered sire, and is milking 16 cows. Mr. OLSON was married in Merrill to Carrie ANDERSON, daughter of Andrew and Tina ANDERSON, her parents being natives of Norway, where they spent their lives. Mr. and Mrs. OLSON have three children, Olaf, Oscar and Sophia. Oscar, was inducted into the United States service in 1918, and served in this country until after the armistice, when he was honorably discharged.

Transcribed by Susan Swanson, from pages 753, History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties Wisconsin; Compiled by George O. Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others 1924, H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co

You are our [an error occurred while processing this directive] Visitor --Thanks for Stopping By.

© Copyright: All files on this website are protected by the US Copyright Law, Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, they are not to be copied or altered in any way for commercial use. Individuals may copy the information for their personal use. WIGenWeb Oneida and Vilas County Coordinator Judy Groh.