My father, Andrew Berdahl Anderson, was born in Sogn, Norway, November 3rd, 1848; accompanied his parents to America in the year 1861, locating on a farm six miles west from Adams, Minn. His father's name was Anders O. Dahle. So wishing to take advantage of the Norwegian custom accorded the oldest son in the family, father adopted Anderson as his last name and the name of the family farm in Norway (Berdahl) as his middle name. Being the oldest in a family of three boys and five girls, he was compelled to earn his board and keep by working for neighboring farmers. At the age of 14, while preparing for confirmation, he was employed on a farm owned by a Mr. Harris, where he learned to bind grain in sheaves behind a grain reaper. He was confirmed in the Lutheran faith by Rev. C. L. Clausen, in the Little Cedar Church - 2 miles west from Adams, Minn. Up to this time he had received little or no schooling. He worked by the month or day during summer to pay for clothing, and winters for his board while attending school until age 23. His main education was obtained while attending school at Osage, Iowa.
At the age of 23 years, he purchased a heavy draft team of horses with which he worked on farms during the summer and in the pinery during winter months. He started farming on his own in 1875, on a farm in Mower County, Minn. where he farmed until 1879, when he and a friend named Andrew Holstad, moved in a covered wagon to Dakota Territory and homesteaded on the east bank of Fox Lake. NE-Fr. 1/4 Sec-30 Twp-114-R-47 Deuel County Dak. Terr, now South Dakota.
Father was an admirer of good livestock and so developed his homestead into a 700 acre farm, later known as the Fox Lake Stock Ranch. Pure bred sires were always used for improving the herds, and pure bred mares and cows were added to the herd from time to time. At one time this ranch owned and cared for as many as 75 herd of cattle, 45 head of horses and 30 hogs.
The breeds consisted of Shorthorn cattle, Clydesdale, Percheron and French Coach horses; and Poland China and Berkshire hogs. Father always kept two or three stallions for community service, as well as for breeding purposes on the ranch. Several young bulls and stallions were sold at prices ranging from $150.00 to $1000.00. He owned and operated a thresh rig for community threshing, as well as his own grain threshing. Father started driving a horse power threshing rig at the age of 18 and continued to operate a thresh rig for 33 falls. He served as township assessor for a ten year period; also as treasurer of rural school district No. 38 for several years, and as treasurer of Deuel County for two terms.
He served in the South Dakota Legislature, two terms as representative (1901 and 1903) and one term as senator (1905).
At the age of 23 years, he purchased a heavy draft team of horses with which he worked on farms during the summer and in the pinery during winter months. He started farming on his own in 1875, on a farm in Mower County, Minn. where he farmed until 1879, when he and a friend named Andrew Holstad, moved in a covered wagon to Dakota Territory and homesteaded on the east bank of Fox Lake. NE-Fr. 1/4 Sec-30 Twp-114-R-47 Deuel County Dak. Terr, now South Dakota.
Father was an admirer of good livestock and so developed his homestead into a 700 acre farm, later known as the Fox Lake Stock Ranch. Pure bred sires were always used for improving the herds, and pure bred mares and cows were added to the herd from time to time. At one time this ranch owned and cared for as many as 75 herd of cattle, 45 head of horses and 30 hogs.
The breeds consisted of Shorthorn cattle, Clydesdale, Percheron and French Coach horses; and Poland China and Berkshire hogs. Father always kept two or three stallions for community service, as well as for breeding purposes on the ranch. Several young bulls and stallions were sold at prices ranging from $150.00 to $1000.00. He owned and operated a thresh rig for community threshing, as well as his own grain threshing. Father started driving a horse power threshing rig at the age of 18 and continued to operate a thresh rig for 33 falls. He served as township assessor for a ten year period; also as treasurer of rural school district No. 38 for several years, and as treasurer of Deuel County for two terms.
He served in the South Dakota Legislature, two terms as representative (1901 and 1903) and one term as senator (1905).
My father, Andrew Berdahl Anderson, was born in Sogn, Norway, November 3rd, 1848; accompanied his parents to America in the year 1861, locating on a farm six miles west from Adams, Minn. His father's name was Anders O. Dahle. So wishing to take advantage of the Norwegian custom accorded the oldest son in the family, father adopted Anderson as his last name and the name of the family farm in Norway (Berdahl) as his middle name. Being the oldest in a family of three boys and five girls, he was compelled to earn his board and keep by working for neighboring farmers. At the age of 14, while preparing for confirmation, he was employed on a farm owned by a Mr. Harris, where he learned to bind grain in sheaves behind a grain reaper. He was confirmed in the Lutheran faith by Rev. C. L. Clausen, in the Little Cedar Church - 2 miles west from Adams, Minn. Up to this time he had received little or no schooling. He worked by the month or day during summer to pay for clothing, and winters for his board while attending school until age 23. His main education was obtained while attending school at Osage, Iowa.
At the age of 23 years, he purchased a heavy draft team of horses with which he worked on farms during the summer and in the pinery during winter months. He started farming on his own in 1875, on a farm in Mower County, Minn. where he farmed until 1879, when he and a friend named Andrew Holstad, moved in a covered wagon to Dakota Territory and homesteaded on the east bank of Fox Lake. NE-Fr. 1/4 Sec-30 Twp-114-R-47 Deuel County Dak. Terr, now South Dakota.
Father was an admirer of good livestock and so developed his homestead into a 700 acre farm, later known as the Fox Lake Stock Ranch. Pure bred sires were always used for improving the herds, and pure bred mares and cows were added to the herd from time to time. At one time this ranch owned and cared for as many as 75 herd of cattle, 45 head of horses and 30 hogs.
The breeds consisted of Shorthorn cattle, Clydesdale, Percheron and French Coach horses; and Poland China and Berkshire hogs. Father always kept two or three stallions for community service, as well as for breeding purposes on the ranch. Several young bulls and stallions were sold at prices ranging from $150.00 to $1000.00. He owned and operated a thresh rig for community threshing, as well as his own grain threshing. Father started driving a horse power threshing rig at the age of 18 and continued to operate a thresh rig for 33 falls. He served as township assessor for a ten year period; also as treasurer of rural school district No. 38 for several years, and as treasurer of Deuel County for two terms.
He served in the South Dakota Legislature, two terms as representative (1901 and 1903) and one term as senator (1905).
At the age of 23 years, he purchased a heavy draft team of horses with which he worked on farms during the summer and in the pinery during winter months. He started farming on his own in 1875, on a farm in Mower County, Minn. where he farmed until 1879, when he and a friend named Andrew Holstad, moved in a covered wagon to Dakota Territory and homesteaded on the east bank of Fox Lake. NE-Fr. 1/4 Sec-30 Twp-114-R-47 Deuel County Dak. Terr, now South Dakota.
Father was an admirer of good livestock and so developed his homestead into a 700 acre farm, later known as the Fox Lake Stock Ranch. Pure bred sires were always used for improving the herds, and pure bred mares and cows were added to the herd from time to time. At one time this ranch owned and cared for as many as 75 herd of cattle, 45 head of horses and 30 hogs.
The breeds consisted of Shorthorn cattle, Clydesdale, Percheron and French Coach horses; and Poland China and Berkshire hogs. Father always kept two or three stallions for community service, as well as for breeding purposes on the ranch. Several young bulls and stallions were sold at prices ranging from $150.00 to $1000.00. He owned and operated a thresh rig for community threshing, as well as his own grain threshing. Father started driving a horse power threshing rig at the age of 18 and continued to operate a thresh rig for 33 falls. He served as township assessor for a ten year period; also as treasurer of rural school district No. 38 for several years, and as treasurer of Deuel County for two terms.
He served in the South Dakota Legislature, two terms as representative (1901 and 1903) and one term as senator (1905).
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The information is from the estate of Harvey Sathre; written by one of Andrew's children:
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