"History of Cottonwood and Watonwan Counties of Minnesota, 1916"



An enterprising young business man of Watonwan county is Amel Bolin, who is engaged in the lumber business at the village of LaSalle. He was born in Riverdale township, Watonwan county, August 31, 1889, and is a son of Charles and Carrie (Olson) Bolin, natives of Sweden.

Amel Bolin received his education in the public schools of Mankato, also attended a commercial college there, after which he went to North Dakota and secured a position as bookkeeper at Alexander, where he remained six months, then came to Madelia, Minnesota, and entered the employ of the S. Hare Lumber Company, remaining with this firm one and one-half years at Madelia, then came to LaSalle to take charge of their yards here, in December, 1915, and he has been here ever since, discharging his duties in an able faithful and satisfactory manner. He is also interested in farming in this county.

Politically, Mr. Bolin is a Republican. When twenty-one years old he was elected assessor of Riverdale township, which office he held in a commendable manner for three years, or until he left the farm. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Madelia, and belongs to the Lutheran church. He is unmarried.

Charles S. Bolin, father of the subject of this sketch, was born on June 1, 1837, in Sweden. He is a son of Andrew and Ellen Johnson. His parents grew up in Sweden, where they were married and they became owners of a small farm there. They were members of the Lutheran church. The father was in the Swedish army two years. He had three children: Charles S,, father of the subject of this sketch; Eliza, who remained in Sweden; and John, who is now living in LaSalle, Minnesota.

Charles S. Bolin grew to manhood in his native land and remained there until 1866, when he immigrated to America, locating in Red Wing, Minnesota, but after a few months went to Wisconsin, residing in Dunn county until 1869, when he came to Watonwan county, Minnesota, buying a homestead right of eighty acres, in section 22, on which he has since resided. He worked on railroad construction work when the road was being built from Mankato to Lake Crystal. He helped lay out many of the wagon roads in his township here. He has added to his original holdings until he now has a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He was one of the citizens who assisted in capturing the Younger brothers and their gang after the attempted bank robbery at Northfield. He is an active member of the Lutheran church.

Charles S. Bolin was married on November 28, 1874, to Karan Nelson, a native of Sweden, born in 1848, and to this union the following children were born: Ellen Louise, Anna, who is the wife of John Swanson, of Watonwan county; Nels, Eva, Matilda, Emma is deceased, and Amel.

Mr. Bolin developed his farm from the wild prairie and made all the improvements. He built his large barn in 1905, built his home in 1889 and remodeled it three years ago.

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