REDWOOD COUNTY, MINNESOTA BIOGRAPHIES
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Authored and submitted by great-great granddaughter, 
Claudia C.Schuman Schuman16@att.net 
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ERICKSON, Lars was born on 9 Jul 1829 in Norway, the son of Eric Jensrud and 
___?.  According to his homestead papers, Lars Erickson arrived in the US from 
Norway on Sept 13, 1853. He was married in St. Paul, MN to Troen Jonsdatter, 
daughter of John and Betsy Peterson, in 1855, but where he spent the 2 years 
between his arrival in the US and his marriage in St. Paul is unknown. After 
their marriage they moved to Minneapolis and it appears their oldest daughter, 
Josephine Amelia, was born there on April 25, 1857. However, her birth record 
has not been found. In 1858 Lars and Froen moved to Carver county, MN. They are 
mentioned in the first record book of the East Union Lutheran Church in Carver. 
Also found in the record book are the baptisms of their children, Edward, Eliza, 
William, and Anna. On August 13, 1859 Lars purchased 160 acres of land in 
Dahlgren Twp. This property was on Sections 22 and 27. 

The Erickson's lived there during the time of the Indian outbreak of 1862 when 
the Sioux Indians went on a rampage through the Minnesota Valley. The towns of 
Carver and Chaska were in the path of this rampage. Even though they never made 
it to that area, the residents were told the Indians were on the way and were 
rousted out of bed in the middle of the night in their night clothes. All 
crowded on ferry boats to be taken to St. Paul. A few hours later they were 
given the all-clear and were able to return to their homes. Lars and Troen most 
likely were a part of this group. It must have been a frightening experience 
having 3 small children and a baby only a few months old.  For reasons unknown, 
Lars and Froen sold their property in Dahlgren and in 1866 moved back to 
Minneapolis. The property was sold to a Nils Thompson. 
In Minneapolis Lars established the "Scandia House", a boarding house for 
Scandinavians, located on 3rd Avenue and 2nd St. The boarding house was 
frequented by newly arriving Scandinavians coming in to the city. At this time 
Norwegian churches were non-existant in Minneapolis and most Norwegians attended 
the Swedish churches. Meetings began being held in the boarding house to form a 
new church. In 1869 the Trinity Lutheran Church was formed and Rev. Ole Paulson 
delivered the sermon. Ole Paulson and his family had also come to Minneapolis 
from Carver county and had been neighbors of the Ericksons. 

Two more children were born to Lars and Troen in Minneapolis. Albertina in 1867, 
and John Arnold in 1871. 

By 1869 the Scandia House had been sold or closed and Lars worked at other 
various occupations until 1878 when they moved to Redwood County MN.
Lars filed for a homestead in Gales Township near the town of Walnut Grove. For 
the next few years he farmed and made improvements on the land as was required 
for 5 years. On December 7, 1882 Troen passed away after having contracted 
Tuberculosis. She was buried on the farm of a neighbor, Lars Pederson. Two 
children of the Pedersons were also buried nearby. 


Lars remained on the farm in Gales, receiving title to it on September 17, 1883. 
He had fullfilled the requirements of the Homestead Act of 1862 by building a 
house (14 x 20 feet and a 9 x 10 addition), a granery, stable, and planting 
trees valued at $300.00. He cultivated 60 acres of the 80. 

In 1885 Lars married a widow from Sweden, Mrs. Hanna Lindstrom, who had one 
child from her previous marriage. She had come to America with her first husband 
and settled on a farm near Walnut Grove in Springdale twp. Her husband, John 
Lindstrom, had died the same year as Troen, and according to information 
provided by her descendants, Lars and Hanna married more for convienience and 
had a legal arrangement regarding their property and assests to protect their 
children. Lars moved into Hanna's home in Springdale and Lars' son John ran the 
family farm in Gales twp. Lars also had income from his work as a salesman, or 
"peddler" as they were referred to then. Hanna had income from her farm. 

Lars Erickson passed away on March 8, 1899 from Stomach Cancer and was buried in 
the Swedish Lutheran Cemetery in Walnut Grove. The headstone has both Lars' and 
Troen's names on it, but there is no evidence that her body was ever removed to 
the cemetery. Hanna died May 3, 1918 was buried next to her first husband, John 
Lindgren.

Authored and submitted by great-great granddaughter, 
Claudia C.Schuman Schuman16@att.net