Martin Amundson, born in Norway, became a prominent farmer and stock raiser in Kingsbury County, South Dakota. After losing his father at age eight, he worked for local farmers and, at sixteen, began earning wages. He spent three years working in railroad construction and sawmills before immigrating to the United States. Arriving in South Dakota, he took up a pre-emption claim, later selling it to acquire 320 acres of farmland. Amundson became a successful farmer, raising livestock and cultivating crops. A Republican and a member of the Norwegian Lutheran Church, he played a significant role in his community’s agricultural development.
Martin Amundson, one of the representative farmers and stock raisers of Kingsbury County, South Dakota, is of Scandinavian birth, being a native of Norway. He was reared to manhood amid the romantic scenery of Norway, attended school at intervals until his sixteenth year, and early learned the lessons of honest toil which life on a farm in that country invariably imparts. Losing his father at the tender age of eight years, he was soon thrown upon his own resources and two years later went to live with a neighboring farmer. When fourteen years old, he began receiving wages for his services, and at the age of sixteen left his first employer and was engaged by the year with a farmer by the name of Nitberg. After a year or so with that gentleman, he spent the ensuing three years in railroad construction, working in sawmills and at various other kinds of employment, and at the expiration of that time came to the United States, making his way directly to Kingsbury County, South Dakota, where an older brother was then living, and spent that fall in the latter’s employ. The following winter and at intervals during the ensuing spring and summer, he worked on the Northwestern Railroad, in the meantime taking up a pre-emption, a part of which he broke and planted in potatoes the first year. He continued to labor for wages, and as opportunities afforded, he worked his own land from time to time until he finally reduced the same to a fine state of cultivation. Later, he sold his claim and bought a relinquishment on a quarter section, which he at once proceeded to improve. Mr. Amundson bought another quarter section of fine land which, with the farm alluded to above, he still owns, his real estate at the present time amounting to three hundred and twenty acres on which are to be seen some of the best improvements in the township in which it is situated. Mr. Amundson labored diligently to develop his lands and make improvements and was so successful in his undertakings that in the course of years he found himself in independent circumstances. He cultivated both of his farms until 1900, when he rented his tree claim, and since that time has managed the place on which he now lives, but, as indicated above, does little of the hard work himself, being in a situation to employ labor whenever he sees fit to do so. In connection with his agricultural interests, he raises a great deal of livestock, keeping on his place at all times blooded horses, fine cattle, and a number of hogs, and he feeds every year all of the large corn crop grown in his fields. He is a model farmer, uses the best implements and machinery obtainable, and does everything according to system, in consequence of which he realizes the largest possible returns from his time and labor.
He is a Republican in principle but does not confine his voting strictly to party; in matters religious, he is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church.
Source: Robinson, Doane, History of South Dakota: together with mention of Citizens of South Dakota, [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen, 1904.