Hans Swenson was born in Norway in October 1818, there being reared on the farm and receiving a common school education.

In 1851 he emigrated to America and located in Boone County, Illinois where he was employed farming, remaining there until 1854 when he came to Mower county as before stated. He built first a bark house in which the family lived one year. Then he erected a good log house. Having no team he did not break any land the first year, so did not raise a crop, but as game, such as elk and deer was plenty, they did not suffer or want of fresh meat. His son, Christopher, then nine years of age, killed a deer with an ax. Mr. Swenson had a coffee mill in which, in the winter of 1854-55 he ground six bushels of corn and four bushels of wheat.

He was married to a Miss Gumell. She died in 1874 at the age of seventy-six years.

There were two children born by this union name, Elizabeth and Christopher.

He married a second time in 1882. There are two children by this marriage named Christopher and Olaff.

History of Mower County, 1884

Transcribed and submitted to MnGenWeb by Kathy Pike, Jan. 13, 2007