Bio of Peters, Samuel (b.1829) Wabasha Co., MN
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Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara Timm
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This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1920.
Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab3.htm
There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some 
of the bios on her pages.

Peters, Samuel (p. 514), a veteran ship builder, and one of the best known
and most respected citizens of Wabasha city, was born on Cape Breton
Island, at the mouth of the St. Lawrence river, Canada, January 31, 1829,
son of Samuel and Mary (Anderson) Peters. He was reared on his parents'
farm, in his boyhood attending the common school, after which his
educational period, so far as schools were concerned, came to an end.
After remaining at home until the age of 21, he went to East Boston,
Mass., where he began to learn the trade of ship building. Late in the
fifties he returned to Massachusetts, but when the Crimean war broke out
in 1859, he returned to Nova Scotia, where he followed his trade. At the
close of the war he sent to Massachusetts, where he followed his trade
both at Boston and Cape Cod, for a short period, then again returned to
Sidney, Nova Scotia, and there followed the ship building business until
1880; coming that year to the United States, he located in Minnesota and
entered the employ of the Batchelor Boat Building Co. at Stillwater. Later
he went to Montana, where he superintended the building of the "Crescent,"
a freight and passenger steamer for service on Flathead Lake and River.
This done, he returned to Stillwater, re-entering the employ of the
Batchelor company. He was a second time called to Montana, on this
occasion to build a smaller vessel for the Flathead Lake and Columbia
River service. His work in Montana occupied altogether about three years.
After his second return to Stillwater, he remained there until 1893, in
which year he came to Wabasha and leased the Wabasha boat yard. This he
purchased in the spring of 1894 and has since operated it, his son,
William, having been for some years associated with him. Among the many
boats he has built may be mentioned especially the "Frontenac," the "Sam
Peters," the "Orion," the "Ed Douglass," the "Phil Shackel," the
"Gazelle," the "Virginia," the "Harriet," the "Keokuk," the "Blackhawk"
and "The Crescent," and he has also done much repairing and rebuilding.
Several of the boats he built he operated for a season or more. Mr. Peters
has always been a hard worker and continued actively until the summer of
1919. A Republican in politics, while in Stillwater he served as assessor
for two terms. In Wabasha he served one term as alderman, and was elected
for a second term, but resigned. He has always been a strong advocate of
temperance and in favor of the prohibition movement. He is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Peters was married February 18, 1866, to
Anne Muggah, a native of Nova Scotia, and of Scotch descent, who was
reared in the faith of the Presbyterian church. She died October 2, 1899.
Mr. and Mrs. Peters were the parents of four children: Isabella, George,
William and Emma. Both Isabella and George are now deceased. William, who
was born in Nova Scotia, November 10, 1872, has been associated with his
father since beginning industrial life. He is a practical ship builder,
and now manager of the Wabasha yard. He is unmarried. Emma, who is also
unmarried, was graduated from the Winona Normal School and subsequently
taught school in Grand Forks, N. D., Spring Grove, Minn., and Wabasha,
Minn. She is now engaged in keeping house for her father and brother. Mr.
Peters comes of a sturdy line of Scotch-Irish ancestors, and is a
remarkably well preserved man for his age. His wife was the daughter of an
old sea captain, and in her family and among her relatives were no less
than 42 masters of sea-going boats.