Ole Olsen was born on March 12, 1871, in Oslo, Norway, to Marie Gulbrandsdatter and Edvart Olsen and grew up with five siblings. In 1890, he emigrated to the United States with his sister Bertha, arriving in New York before traveling through several cities across the country. Olsen worked as a machinist in places such as Laredo, Wilmington, and Philadelphia, served in the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service during the Spanish-American War, and later worked as an engineer on coastal steamships. In 1905 he married Emma Noble in Philadelphia, and they had a daughter, Ena (Ina) Frances Olsen, born in 1906. He was also a member of the Socialist Party of America.
