HENRY PETERSON

PETERSON

Posted By: Jake Tornholm (email)
Date: 4/21/2020 at 18:05:56

HENRY PETERSON, proprietor of Nishna Valley farm, is one of the prominent, popular and successful men of the county. He was born in Sweden in 1844, and reared there until nine years of age, when his parents came to Illinois, settling in Henry county, where our subject grew to manhood. He was reared a farmer, and received his education in the public schools of
Henry county and by practical business experiences. The parents of our subject reared two sons and one daughter. The older son, John B., served during the late civil war in the One-hundred and Twelfth Illinois Infantry Volunteers, Company I. He was taken prisoner at Pea Ridge and confined in Andersonville prison thirteen months, where he died of scurvy and gangrene.

In 1872 Mr. Peterson came with his parents to Montgomery county, when all was new and wild. He purchased a farm of 138 acres of wild land, which has since been improved and increased until it now contains 770 acres, and is among the best improved farms of the county. Mr. Peterson has a good residence, one and a half stories high, situated on a natural building site. He has also barns, stable yards, four modern windmills, which supply the motive power for furnishing water for stock and the house, stock scales and other substantial farm improvements. He has also a herd of shorthorn cattle, having been engaged in raising this kind of cattle for seven years. He has the largest herd of Hereford cattle in the county, having purchased 217 head in 1890.

Mr. Feterson was married in Henry county, Illinois, in 1861, to Miss Hannah Peterson, who was born, reared and educated in Sweden. They have six children, viz.: Ellen Feterson, Carrie, Albert, Eddie, Bernie and James. Politically Mr. Peterson is a Republican, has served as township trustee twelve years and in all the minor offices. In religion he is a member of the Lutheran Church; and is a trustee and liberal supporter of the same. He is a self-made man, having commenced life for himself at the age of seventeen years by farming and keeping “bach.” He is possessed of a good constitution, good judgment, industrious habits and good business qualifications, and these combined have helped to make him a successful man.