Sebulon Olson

Zebulon and Caroline Family Portrait
Zebulon and Signe Olson with their daughter Ida Caroline
Image courtesy of Elaine Ekstedt Olson. Used with permission.
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Sebulon (also written as Zebulon) Olson (1862-1933) was born in Sweden and emigrated in 1886. He was a hoisting engineer and probably worked on Nils I. Nelson's crew setting most of the marble. Olson and his wife Signe raised their family on St. Paul's East Side while he worked as a hoisting engineer. Hosting engineers were unionized in St. Paul during the Capitol construction and since Olson likely worked with union activist Nils Nelson, it is quite probable that Olson too was a union member.

Here is further information from his granddaughter (who seems to exagerate) via Zebulon's great granddaughters.  (The family uses the "Zebulon spelling of his last name, though he spelled his name with an "S.")

"Zebulon Olson was a self-educated man, having no schooling and on his own at age 17. He set all the stones in the Minnesota State Capital Building. He had complete control of the [hoisting] machine and was paid $2.00 gold pieces for the work. He was a drinker, and although in his later years he spent a year with Alice and Oscar [Zebulon's son and daughter in law], he finally left and went downhill as an alcoholic, dying of stomach trouble.”  The assertion that he died as a result of alcoholism is contested and not indicated in his obituary (shown on this page).

To read the transcript of an interview with Sebulon Olson's great granddaughters click here

Zebulon Olson portrait
Image courtesy of Elaine Ekstedt Olson. Used with permission.
Zebulon Olson's Home
Zebulon Olson's home at 862 Magnolia Street, St. Paul
Image courtesy of Elaine Ekstedt Olson. Used with permission.
Olson at Mississippi River lock where he set stones
Olson at Mississippi River lock where he set stones
Photo courtesy of Elaine Olson Ekstedt
Minnesota State Capitol, Ground breaking Ceremony, Stone Cutters, 1896
Stone Cutters, reported to have been taken at Minnesota State Capitol groundbreaking ceremony, May 6, 1896
Image courtesy of Elaine Olson Ekstedt. Used with permission.

Documents

Sebulon Olson Obituary
Sebulon Olson obituary marking his death on January 11, 1933 at age 70. First Swedish Baptist Church bulletin, Sept 22 1933.
Courtesy, Minnesota Historical Society