Peter Benson Biography This biography appears on pages 361-362 in "History of Dakota Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm PETER BENSON. Peter Benson, one of the well known and representative citizens of Highland township. residing on section 3, has devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits in Minnehaha county for the past thirty-nine years and now owns three hundred and twenty acres of some of the finest land in South Dakota. He was born in Norway on the 27th of January, 1839, a son of Ben Benson, who spent his entire life in that country. Peter Benson was reared at home and at an early age was obliged to begin providing for his own support, as his parents were in straightened financial circumstances. He had no educational advantages in his youth but has become a well informed man through reading, experience and observation. In 1872, when a young man of thirty-three years, he crossed the Atlantic to the United States, locating in Lansing, Allamakee county, Iowa, where he spent about four years, being employed in the town during a part of the time and working on a farm throughout the remainder of the period. In 1876 he came to South Dakota and preempted one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 10, Highland township, Minnehaha county. A year later, however, after proving up on the property, he disposed of it and homesteaded the northwest quarter of section 3, where he has resided continuously since. Subsequently he purchased the relinquishment on a tree claim embracing the southwest quarter of section 33, Lyons township, Moody county, and lying just across the road from his homestead. His holdings therefore comprise three hundred and twenty acres of valuable and productive land and in their cultivation he has won a most gratifying and enviable degree of prosperity. Mr. Benson has been married twice. In 1866, in Norway, he wedded Miss Dorothy Peterson, who bore him two children and died soon after coming to this country, passing away on the 24th of March, 1873. The surviving child of this union is John, a resident of Jasper. Minnesota. In 1880 Mr. Benson was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Anna Swenson, also a native of Norway, who has a son by her first marriage, Christian OIsen. Mr. and Mrs. Benson have three children, as follows: Emil, who makes his home in Jasper, Minnesota; Sverdrup, at home; and Mathilda, who gave her hand in marriage to Charles Thompson, of Brookings county, South Dakota. Mr. Benson is a republican in his political views and ably served as supervisor of his township for some years. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Norwegian Lutheran church, to which his wife and children also belong. The hope that led him to leave his native land and seek a home in the new world has been more than realized, for here he found the opportunities which he sought and in their wise utilization won prosperity. He has now passed the seventy- sixth milestone on life's journey and enjoys the respect and veneration which should ever be accorded one who has traveled thus far on this earthly pilgrimage and whose career has been at all times upright and honorable.