Bio of Nels PETERSON (b.1822 d.1904), Wright Co., MN Pages 1042 ======================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormatted by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Diane Hanson ========================================================================= 1042 HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY added forty acres of railroad land. There they have since continued to live. In 1898 the log cabin was replaced by a splendid brick residence, and suitable barns and sheds have been erected as needed. The home is surrounded by spacious lawns, and every- thing, about the place is an evidence of the thrift and industry of the owner. The farm is called " The Pinewood, " and is known for its high-grade horses, Chester White swine and thoroughbred Holstein cattle. Mr. Monson is a successful farmer, has been township supervisor, and has served for the past six years as trustee of the Swedish Lutheran church of Stockholm. He was married, November 11, 1870, to Ellen Peterson, who was born in Sweden, September 9, 1854, and came with her mother to Wright county, her father, Nels, having arrived the previous year. Mr. and Mrs. Monson have had eleven children. Emmanuel was born October 3, 1871. He is a well driller and carpenter in Willmar, this state. August William was born March 11, 1873, and died at the age of six. John was born May 24, 1876. He is a buttermaker in Canada. Hulda Lavina was born January 30, 1878. Ida C. was born March 18, 1880, and died at the age of eight years. Albert William was born April 6, 1882, taught school for four years, and he is now the storekeeper at Rice Lake, Stockholm township. Lillian Florence was born June 2, 1884. Otto Theodore was born May 22, 1886. He and Ernest operate the home farm. Elmer Eugene was born March 17, 1888. He is an electrical engineer. Ernest Godfrey was born July 22, 1890. Mabel Mathalia was born May 30, 1894, and became a school teacher. John, Otto and Ernest have taken homesteads in Canada, which they still own. Nels Peterson, now deceased, an esteemed early pioneer of Stockholm township, was born in Sweden in 1822, there grew to manhood, and married Karin Peterson. In 1864 he came to America. For a year he lived in Carver county, this state, and then came to Wright county and located on a homestead of eighty acres in section 14, Stockholm township. This year (1865) he sent for his family to join him on his homestead in the woods. He was a hard worker and a good manager, and beginning with this wild tract of eighty acres he set at work with great zeal to establish for himself and family a home in the wilderness. He built a log cabin and cleared his land, experiencing all the privations and rigors of pioneer life. His devotion to his life purpose received its just reward and he was enabled to add to his possessions until he owned 240 acres of good land. In time he erected a good frame residence and suitable outbuildings. On this place he farmed successfully until his death in June, 1904. His good wife died in September, 1.909. Their five living children are P. T., Ellen, Nels, Gustaf and Otto. P. T. took the name of Nelson, after the old country custom. Ellen is the wife of Nels Monson, of Stockholm. Nels is in California. Gustaf is a farmer of Stockholm. Otto lives in Florida.