 Hanson was born in 1846 in Denmark and immigrated to the United States in 1867 at age 16, when he began work in the lumber field.Two years later, E. N. Salling, Nelson Michelson, and he organized the first Salling-Hanson Company.After nearly 50 years of service, the Salling Hanson Company had shut down its operation in January 1927.