WI BIO - Dane Co - OLSON, Torgrim
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol I, pp 183-184

Torgrim OLSON, one of the leading merchants of Madison [Dane County, WI], is 
located at No. 23 South Pickney Street, under the firm name of Olson & 
Veerhusen and carries on a large and flourishing business. This firm deals 
in gentlemen's furnishing goods, hats, caps and also do a general tailoring 
business. Mr. OLSON has been a resident of Madison since 1861, and has made 
his way up from a bench tailor to his present position. After his arrival in 
Madison, Mr. OLSON was engaged at his trade until 1865, when at that time he 
engaged in business for himself, under the firm name of Jones & Olson, which 
continued about a year, when Mr. JONES sold his interest to a Mr. SAUTHOFF, 
the firm being Sauthoff & Olson. This firm continued until about 1875, when 
Mr. OLSON sold his interest to his partner and became the manager of the 
merchant tailoring establishment of Mr. FRIEND, of Madison, remaining with 
him for eighteen months, when Messrs. Olson, Winden & Company bought the 
business of Mr. FRIEND, and have since been interested together, the company 
being Veerhusen, and for seventeen years the firm has been one of the leading 
tailoring establishments of the entire city. They have established a 
reputation for good work and their trade is so large that a couple of clerks 
and two cutters are needed all the time.

Torgrim OLSON was born near Christiania [now Olso; Oslo flyke], Norway, 09 
January 1838. He lost his mother when ten years of age and grew to manhood 
in his native place without her tender care. Mr. OLSON was not the first of 
the family to cross the ocean, as a brother, Knudt, crossed the water in the 
early 1850's. He is now a successful farmer in Minnesota. Mr. OLSON, our 
subject, early learned the trade that was to prove of so much benefit to him, 
and wished to have a broader field to exercise it in, so when his father, 
brother and sister decided to [p 184] join the brother in the new world, 
Torgrim came along and the family landed on the St. Lawrence, sixty-one miles 
from Quebec, from which place they made their way to Wisconsin. Knudt had 
settled in Vermont, Dane County, Wisconsin, and with this son the father made 
his home for many years and then came to Madison, where he remained with our 
subject until his death, which occurred in November 1892, when he was 
eighty-four. He bore the name of Ole TORGRIMSON and was a good and worthy 
pioneer of Wisconsin. He and his wife were lifelong members of the Lutheran 
Church. The other two children, Ole and Mary, who came to the U. S. with the 
father, are yet living and both are farmers of Griggs County, North Dakota.

Our subject [Torgrim OLSON] was married in Madison [Dane County, WI] to Miss 
Karen HENDRICKSON, born in Norway. Her parents died when she was young and 
she was brought to this country with a sister and brother, the young people 
coming direct to Dane County, Wisconsin. The brother later died in Mitchell 
County, Iowa, where the sister still resides, being married and surrounded by 
a family. Mr. and Mrs. OLSON are among the leading people of their 
county and city. For many years they have been firm members of the Lutheran 
Church. Mr. OLSON is a sound Republican in politics, but does not lower his 
political influence in seeking for office. He and his wife are the parents 
of two children, both now deceased, Henry dying when fifteen years of age, a 
bright promising lad, and Gijda was taken away by death when only four years 
of age.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly