1921 Duluth & St Louis County MN, Van Brunt.pdf - Garon.us

816 DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY
citizenship. He served many times as a member of local juries and was
affiliated with the Grand Army of the Republic and a member of the
Swedish Lutheran Church. His first wife was Eva Johanson, and of her
three children, one is Frank, an employe at the St. James Mine at Aurora.
Brita Lind, the second wife of Carl Halstrom, is still living at the old
homestead near Rush City, now past seventy years of age. She became
the mother of ten children, and one of her daughters is Mrs. Minna Carlson,
a resident of Aurora.
Otto F. Halstrom secured his early education in a typical "old red
schoolhouse" in the rural locality where he was reared. At school he
excelled in mathematics, which stimulated his ambition to become a clerk.
At the age of twenty he started his business career in a rural store.
Later he worked in a clothing store at Duluth, and then in another farm
store at Isanti, Minnesota. With this experience he came to the Range
country and for five years was with the Carlson Mercantile Company
at Hibbing, and then came to Aurora to take charge of the dry goods^
department of the Aurora Mercantile Company. He continued with the
same establishment after it was taken over by Mr. Talboys until 1918.
Mr. Halstrom has been township clerk since 1917 with the exception
of the year 1919. He has been a member of the School Board for a
similar length of time and is now chairman of the board and devotes
much time and study to the improvement of the schools.
At Duluth Mr. Halstrom married Tina Fredin. They were schoolmates
at Rush City. Mrs. Halstrom died leaving two daughters, Gladys
and Grace. Gladys is a graduate of the high school at Aurora and is
now attending the State Normal School at Winona. Mr. Halstrom married
for his present wife. Theresa Johnson, of Two Harbors, Minnesota.
Fraternally he is affiliated with Biwabik Lodge of Masons, and with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Woodmen of the World, Elks and
Moose. Politically he casts an independent vote.
P. George Hanson is one of Duluth's older busmess men. Between
thirty and forty years he has been identified with the city, formerly in
banking, and for the most part with the real estate and insurance busi-
ness.
Mr. Hanson was born in Norway March 23, 1858, and came to Amer-
ica and located at Duluth in 1882. His first employment was as clerk in
a general store. Later for five years he was on duty with the St. Louis
County Bank, beginning as messenger boy, was promoted to bookkeeper,
and on severing his connections from this bank engaged in the real estate
and insurance business and for several years one of his sons, now deceased,
was associated with him under the name P. George Hanson & Son.
That title is still retained, but another son, Frederick C, is now with him.
The firm maintains offices at 1915 West Superior street, and does an
extensive business in loans and insurance, in building management and
in the handling of bonds and other securities. Mr. Hanson has been closely
identified with the development of the West End of Duluth, and the citizens
of that portion of the city regard him as one of their ablest and
most substantial leaders and co-workers.
Mr. Hanson served as a city alderman from 1892 to 1899. He is a
Republican in politics. November 25, 1882, at Duluth, he married Miss
Johanne Erickson. They reared a family of seven children; namely:
Hartwick O. and Anna M., both deceased; Joseph R., a building contractor
of Duluth ; Oscar, an electrical contractor of Duluth ; Frederick
C, an attorney and associated with his father ; Ruby B., bookkeeper for
her father, and Muriel A., attending High School.