Halvor Steenerson
{{Short description|American politician (1852–1926)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Halvor Steenerson
|image = HalvorSteenerson.jpg
|state = Minnesota
|district = {{ushr|Minnesota|9|9th}}
|predecessor = Office established
|successor = Knud Wefald
|term_start = March 4, 1903
|term_end = March 3, 1923
|office2 = Member of the Minnesota Senate
from the 45th district
|predecessor2 =
|successor2 =
|term_start2 = January 2, 1883
|term_end2 = January 3, 1887
|birth_date = {{birth date|1852|06|30}}
|birth_place = Pleasant Springs, Wisconsin
|death_date = {{nowrap|{{death date and age|1926|11|22|1852|06|30}}}}
|death_place = Grand Forks, North Dakota
|restingplace = Oakdale Cemetery
Crookston, Polk County, Minnesota
|party = Republican
|spouse = Mary Christofferson
|children = Four
|occupation = Lawyer, Politician
|alma_mater = Union College of Law
}}
Halvor Steenerson (June 30, 1852 – November 22, 1926) was an American Republican politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota's 9th congressional district from 1903 to 1923.
Background
Halvor Steenerson was born at Pleasant Springs near Madison Dane County, Wisconsin. He moved with his parents to Sheldon, Houston County, Minnesota, in 1853. He attended Houston County Elementary School and graduated from Rushford High School in Rushford, Minnesota. He studied law at the Union College of Law in Chicago. He was admitted to the bar in 1878 and commenced practice in Lanesboro, Minnesota.
Steenerson married Mary Christofferson (1851–1925) in 1878, and they had four children together, all of whom predeceased them.{{cite news |title=Mrs. Halvor Steenerson Is Dead in Crookston |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61444691/mary-steenerson-1851-1925/ |work=The Minneapolis Star |date=August 11, 1925 |location=Minneapolis, MN |page=3 |access-date=October 20, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{cite news |title=Mrs. Steenerson Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61444675/mary-steenerson-1851-1925/ |work=Argus-Leader |date=August 11, 1925 |location=Sioux Falls, SD |page=1 |access-date=October 20, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} Their last surviving child, Benjamin Gilbert Steenerson (1884–1908), drowned while attempting to rescue a fellow Marine Corps member that had fallen overboard.{{cite news |title=Halvor Steenerson's Son Benjamin Drowned |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61444101/benjamin-gilbert-steenerson-1884-1908/ |work=The Pioneer |date=February 17, 1908 |location=Bemidji, MN |page=4 |access-date=October 20, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{cite news |title=Ben. Steenerson Dies a Hero |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61444209/benjamin-gilbert-steenerson-1884-1908/ |work=Warren Sheaf |date=February 20, 1908 |location=Warren, MN |page=1 |access-date=October 20, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}
Career
Steenerson moved to Crookston Polk County, Minnesota, in 1880. He served as prosecuting attorney of Polk County 1881–1883; as city attorney of Crookston; as a member of the Minnesota Senate 1883–1887; and as delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1884 and 1888. While serving in the state senate, Steenerson served on the committees for the Hospital for Insane, Indian Affairs, Joint University and University Lands, Judiciary and the State Prison.
Steenerson was elected as a Republican to the 58th, 59th, 60th, 61st, 62nd, 63rd, 64th, 65th, 66th, and 67th congresses, (March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1923). He was chairman of the Committee on Militia (60th and 61st congresses) and served on the Committee on Post Office and Post Roads (66th and 67th congresses).
Steenerson was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1922 to the 68th congress, when he was defeated by Knud Wefald.{{cite news |title=Halvor Steenerson Is Dead |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61315901/halvor-steenerson-1852-1926/ |work=The Hope Pioneer |date=December 2, 1926 |location=Hope, ND |page=4 |access-date=October 18, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He served as vice president of the American group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. He resumed the practice of law in Crookston, Minnesota.[http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=14926 Halvor Steenerson(Minnesota Legislators Past and Present)]
Steenerson died of apoplexy on November 22, 1926, at a hospital in Grand Forks, North Dakota.{{cite news |title=Halvor Steenerson Victim of Apoplexy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61382854/halvor-steenerson-1852-1926/ |work=The Windsor Star |date=November 23, 1926 |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |page=7 |access-date=October 19, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He is buried at Oakdale Cemetery in Crookston, Polk County, Minnesota.
Steenerson is the namesake of Steenerson Township, Beltrami County, Minnesota.{{cite book|last=Upham|first=Warren|title=Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance|url=https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog|year=1920|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|page=[https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog/page/n59 40]}}
References
{{reflist}}
Additional sources
{{CongBio|S000842}}
External links
{{Portal|Biography}}
- {{Find a Grave|6922756}}
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{{succession box|
before=—|
title=U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 9th congressional district|
years=1903 – 1923|
after=Knud Wefald|}}
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{{US House Post Office and Civil Service chairs}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Steenerson, Halvor}}
Category:Republican Party Minnesota state senators
Category:Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law alumni
Category:American people of Norwegian descent
Category:People from Pleasant Springs, Wisconsin
Category:Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota
Category:20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives