Joeyl Bolson

Bolson, Lawrence “L.C.” and Violet (Young)

(Ransome Bolson)

Lawrence Carlyle Bolson, the son of Edward C. and Maria Louise (Larson - the name in Norway was Jamerdal) Bolson, was born on 20 Dec 1895. His mother died 6 Nov 1897, so Lawrence lived with his grandparents. His father married Ellen (Larson) Stortz, a widow of John Stortz with whom she had a son Ray and a daughter Hazel. John Stortz had 2 sons, Henry and Walter, from a previous marriage. Ellen was a sister of Edward’s first wife, Maria. The Bolson family lived on Clay Hill north of Decorah. Edward and Ellen had a daughter, Laverne.

Lawrence attended the Clay Hill school and later Valders Business College in Decorah. As a young boy, Lawrence’s father gave him a hen and baby chicks to care for. He was in love with chickens from then on. His first purebred chickens were Rose Comb Black Minor-cas.

Lawrence married Violet Young on 5 Sep 1917 at St. John’s Lutheran Church at Locust. It was the first wedding held in the church. Lawrence and Violet became the parents of 3 children: Ransome (b. 4 Aug 1918), Marlin (b. 25 Mar 1924) and Vernetta (b. 27 Jun 1928).

Lawrence and Violet began farming on 90 acres next Lawrence’s home place in the Clay Hill area. They raised White Orpington chickens. In 1921, Lawrence took some of his chickens to Chicago and showed the chickens at the Chicago Coliseum Poultry Show. They won first place cockbird and first place hen.

Family of Mr. and Mrs. L.C. Bolson Back, left to right: Ransome Bolson and Marlin Bolson. Front: Violet, Vernetta and L.C.

With the breeding of exhibition poultry in mind, in 1920 L.C. (as he was later called) purchased 24 acres within the Decorah city limits on the Locust Road. L.C., Violet and their son, Ransome, moved there in about 1921 and established Bolson's Oakview Poultry Farm. They concentrated on producing Single Comb Rhode Island Reds. They began a small hatchery in the basement of the house. To their Single Comb Reds, they added White and Barred Rocks and White Leghorns.

In 1927 L.C. began manufacturing a mineral feed for livestock. At one time 100-150 dealers in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin carried the feed. The feed was mixed