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L[ars]. A. KOLSTO, owner of two hundred and forty acres in section 26, Eldorado township, was born in the village of Kopervik on the Isle of Karms, on Norway's western coast, July 4, 1868. He is a son of Lars and Martha Iverson (Skaar) Kolsto. His father was born in 1832 and is now living at seventy-eight years of age; his wife died in 1882, aged forty-eight years. They were parents of seven children, all living and mentioned in connection with the sketch of Iver C. Kolsto, found elsewhere in this work.
L. A. Kolsto was reared in his native village, and there received a good education. In 1883 when but fourteen years of age, he came to the United States in company with his brother, Iver C., and they located first in Eldorado township, Benton county, near Newhall, Iowa, where for seven years L. A. Kolsto continued to work on a farm by the month. While he was working for T. C. Tanner, Mrs. Tanner gave him lessons at the same time as her own children; she had formerly been a school teacher, and in this way Mr. Kolsto received a good education in English. In 1888 he and his brother rented a farm in Fremont township, in partnership, where they remained several years; they then removed to Lyon county and purchased one hundred and sixty acres at twenty-seven dollars and a half an acre; after cultivating it three years they sold it for thirty-five and one-half dollars an acre and returned to Benton county. While in Lyon county they sold their wheat for thirty-four cents a bushel.
L. A. Kolsto purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 25 and 36, Eldorado township, and began farming by himself. He put up new buildings, subsequently purchased another eighty acres, and now owns his present farm of two hundred and forty acres; he rents one hundred and sixty acres and takes care of the remaining eighty acres more for pastime and occupation than for profit. He has always taken great interest in stock raising, and has made considerable money breeding horses, also raising Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs. He is an excellent judge of horses, and still deals largely in them.
Mr. Kolsto is a great reader of good literature, and is well informed on the general topics of the day. He is a member of Valentine Lodge, No. 76, Knights of Pythias, of Newhall. He has held the office of school director. He is a member of the Lutheran church, and active in working for its interest. Mr. Kolsto is unmarried. In the fall of 1908 Mr. Kolsto, in company with his three brothers, including I. C. Kolsto's wife and two children, returned to Norway for a visit, and they spent about three months there.
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