Carl John Knutson is a farmer in Eglon township, Clay County, with a varied and interesting history, and is a living demonstration of the fact that no difficulties and hindrances are enough to defeat a man determined to rise to dignity and independence in the great northwest if he is only willing to be industrious, honest and persistent. Mr. Knutson was born in Walders, Norway, in 1851/1853, and was left fatherless when a young child, and when he was about six or seven years old the family came to the United States settling on a farm in Houston County, Minnesota. There he was reared and given such education as the public schools of the day afforded. When he was about nineteen years old he struck out in the world for himself, and in 1871 came to Eglon township, Clay county, where he was employed by the farmers of that community for a number of years. At the time of his arrival in Clay county he visited Moorhead, which then gave little promise of its future importance, as it consisted of a few tents and shanties. In 1872, and again in the summer of 1873, Mr. Knutson took service as a boat hand on the Red River, and made many trips to Winnipeg. Later he was employed on the famous Dalrymple farm, and in the course of the next few years travelled all over the northern part of the state and largely over North Dakota. When the Northern Pacific and the Great Northern Railroads were put through Clay County he was engaged in the work. Mr. Knutson was married in 1880 to Martina Olson. She was born in Norway, and came to the United States in 1871. She lived two and a half years in Texas, and lived in North Dakota before coming into Minnesota in 1876. They have four children: Christ, who was born in 1881; Ida O., born in 1883; Ole A., in 1884; and Ollie, in 1887. All were born in Eglon Township, where the wife had previously taken a homestead farm and in 1880 engaged in its development. He also bought railroad land and began farming with a fine tract of land at his command. Beginning with very little, he farmed with oxen some six or seven years. His first crop of wheat was one hundred and fifty-five bushels from eight acres. While Mr. Knutson has no very phenomenal crops to report, he has kept steadily at work, and he and his wife now own a fine farm of two hundred and sixty acres, with about one hundred and sixty under cultivation. In his political views he affiliates with the Populist party, and has been assessor of the town many years, and school clerk some fourteen years. He helped organize the school district, and was chairman of the board of supervisors five years, his term of office expiring in March, 1901. He has taken an active and leading part in local politics, and has been a delegate to many conventions. Mr. Knutson and his family are members of the Lutheran Church, and are among the most respected and popular people of the community. Data Entry Volunteer: Margit Bakke (mbakke@eot.com)