Oscar A. Christensen Photograph Collection
Collection
Identifier: Photo 2154
Scope and Contents
Three photographic prints were separated out from MSS 336. The include a photograph of him reading, him as a child, and group portrait of his family around 1912.
Dates
- Majority of material found within 1912-1950
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.
Copyrights
Copyrights to this collection is held by the NDSU Archives
Biography
Oscar Adolph Christensen was born February 20, 1880 to Otto A. and Mina K. Christensen at Moorhead Minnesota, the second of three children. He was a farmer and was active in early farm organizations including the Farmer’s Union. He later resided at St. Paul, Minnesota. He married his wife, Julia, in 1923, and she died in 1960. He died January 25, 1976.
His father, Otto Augustus Christensen, was born July 28, 1851 in Lyons, Iowa, to Abraham and Catherine Christensen, immigrants from Lillesand, Norway. The family moved to Houston, Minnesota, where Mr. Christensen’s father died in 1855. As his mother had to leave him to seek work, he was raised by foster parents and later by his sister, Mathilda Bergland. In 1873, at age 21, he went to work in a lumber camp at Brunswick, Minnesota. Later he attended Caledonia Academy, was a cook for Lamb Brothers Brick Yard, and clerked for G.S. Barnes in Glyndon. He was the first teacher at Buffalo River School and was a clerk for James Sharp in Moorhead.
In 1875 he established a homestead at Oakport Landing and on October 14, 1877 he married Mina Juve of Buffalo River, Minnesota. They had three children; Amy, Oscar, and George Milton. In 1882, Mina died of pneumonia. In January 1890, the widower married his Danish housekeeper, Andrea Nielson, a widow with one daughter. They had eight children; Ruth Mina, John, Milton, Agnes Catherine, Clara, Daniel, and Lillian. On October 17, 1918, Mr. Christensen died of injuries received earlier in an automobile accident. He was buried at Riverside Cemetery in Moorhead.
He was a member of Sovereigns of Industry, and the Grange. He was the town clerk of Oakport for over 35 years. He was also active in the temperance movement, and in the Populist, and Socialist Parties.
Extent
3 Items (Three photographic prints.)
Language of Materials
English
Overview
Three photographic prints that were seperated out from MSS 336.
Provenance
Donated by Oscar Christensen, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1955 and 1958 (Acc. 336).
Property Rights
The NDSU Archives owns the property rights to this collection.
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Oscar A. Christensen Photograph Collection
- Description rules
- Appm
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository
Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu