LARSON, Peter W.

LARSON

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 5/30/2021 at 17:51:34

Peter W. LARSON
born 1850

P. W. Larson, a farmer of section 12, Hayes Township, Ida County, was born in Sweden in 1850, a son of Lewis and Hannah Anderson. His father was a farmer by occupation, and died in 1860, and the mother departed this life in 1858. To them was born seven children, four boys and three girls; five are residing in this country and one son is in Norway and another is in Sweden.
P. W. Larson, the subject of this sketch, came to this country in the spring of 1871, landing in New York city, and was engaged in railroad work in several places in the state of New York and New Jersey. In the fall of 1872 he went to the Lake Superior country, in upper Michigan, and worked in the iron mines. In the spring of 1874 he came to Ida county, Iowa, where he bought 160 acres of land, in the northwest quarter of section 12, Hayes township, and broke fifty acres the same year, and the following year erected a frame residence. 22 x 24. In 1879 he was married to Hannah M. Sonnichson, born 1859, daughter of Michael and Hannah Sonnichson, natives of Holstein, Germany. To them were born thirteen children—two boys and five girls are still living. Mr. Sonnichson with his family came to America in 1874 and located in Chicago. In 1876 he came to Ida County, Iowa. The father died in 1886, and the mother is still a resident of Hayes Township. In 1886 Mr. and Mrs. Larson moved to Arthur and built a residence, 18 x 49 feet, one and a half stories, and in the fall of the same year he erected a two-story building, 32 x 40 feet, and embarked in the hardware business, and continued there until 1891, when he retired and went back to the farm and built his present one and a half story dwelling, 30 x 40 feet, with two wings. He has all the necessary farm improvements, and also still owns the property in Arthur. Mr. Larson takes an active part in the Republican party. He served as Justice of the Peace four years. Mr. Larson is among the early pioneers of this township—has always taken an active part in everything for its good. Mr. and Mrs. Larson are members of the Mission Church at Odebolt, Iowa. To them was born one child, Ralph W. Larson, born in 1882 and died in 1888.
Source: Biographical History of Crawford, Ida, and Sac Counties, Iowa, 1893, p.369