Biography of PETERS, Johann E., Toning, GER., then (Various parishes), Ouachita Parish, Louisiana

Submitted by Mike Miller
Source: Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions,
and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 561-562.  Edited by
Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.



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Peters, Johann Ernst, who has been a resident of Louisiana for more than
half a century, was born in Tonning, Germany, May 1, 1832, in which country
he acquired his education in the common schools, working in the meantime on
a farm until he was 18 years old.  At that age he began learning the trade
of a cabinet maker, which he pursued for 4 years and the government then
allowed 3 years for improvement of his skill and gave this time off the
required military service.  Following this, he worked for various periods in
several towns and at the end of about 2 years he returned to Hamburg and
took ship to America.  On arriving in the new world he went to Milwaukee,
where he worked during the years of 1857 and 1858.  He received about 75c a
day, and all but $2 a week of this was paid in store orders.  A room-mate
who went to St. Louis to get work in Sept., 1858, and later found his way to
New Orleans, wrote that he had found work at $2.50 a day, so Mr. Peters went
there in Dec., 1858.  He soon began to work for Brownlee & Waterman in a
sash factory near where Charity hospital now stands, and thus he continued
until May, 1860, when he went to Plaquemine, to work as a carpenter on a
sugar plantation.  Succeeding this he did some contracting on his own
account near Baton Rouge and from there went to Penniston, where he remained
until the Civil war broke out.  In 1861 he was in the woods where he cut
young pecan trees for barrel hoops, and then he spent 6 months on the
Mississippi transporting butter, eggs, etc., from Bayou Goula to Baton Rouge
in a skiff.  These he bought from the plantations and sold to the
Confederate soldiers stationed there.  In 1865 he worked on a farm to see if
white labor could stand that work, but he advised the owners to keep negro
help because the white men would not stay unless they could own small farms.
In 1866 he moved to Monroe and began the carpenter contracting business, but
5 years later he opened a furniture and undertaking establishment, which he
has followed very successfully to the present time.  To accommodate his
business, he is now building a large brick store and warehouse.  Mr. Peters
was formerly a Lutheran, but as there is no Lutheran church in Monroe, the
family attended the Presbyterian church.  He was married in Dec., 1859 to
Caroline Schau, who was born in Prussia and met Mr. Peters in New Orleans.
This couple have 6 children grown, 28 grandchildren and ten
great-grandchildren.  There were 4 generations represented by 4 couples
living for 9 years until Mrs. Peters died Feb. 29, 1912.  There are 4
married children, 1 son and 3 daughters living in Monroe.  The son is in the
furniture business with his father.

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