USA > Wisconsin > Dane County > History of Dane County, Biographical and Genealogical > Part 72
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Joseph Pearson, proprietor of the Spring Park dairy in the town of Madison, was born on March 10, 1850. at Cumberland, England, his parents, Mossop and Mary (Tidyman) Pearson, both being natives of that shire. The father was a stone mason and cutter in which trade he was very proficient. In 1855 he came with his family to America, and located at Madison, where he continued to work at his trade until his death, which occurred in 1888. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and his wife was an Episcopalian. She died in 1895. They had the following children: John, deceased ; Joseph, the subject of this sketch; Eleanora, deceased, and Ann. Joseph Pearson was educated in the public schools of Dane county, after which he learned the trade of stone cutter with his father. He then removed to the farm where he now lives and later started the dairy, which he still operates in connection with a general farming bus ness. He keeps forty cows and has one of the best appointed dairies in the state. In politics Mr. Pearson is a Republican, though in local matters he votes for the man he considers the best calculated to discharge the duties of the office for which he is a candidate. He is a member of the Presbyterian church and -a consistent practitioner of the precepts of his faith. On April 26, 1877, he married Gertrude Jenkins, daughter of Lewis H. and Adelia T. Jenkins, both natives of the state of New York, he of Columbia and she of St. Law- rence county. They came to Dane county in 183-p. bought a tract of land and improved it. Lewis H. Jenkins was one of the first super- intendents of the deaf and dumb asylum at Delavan, Wis., started the deaf and dumb institute at Omaha, and was also the founder of the one at Little Rock, Ark. Subsequently he was connected with
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the school for the deaf and dumb at Jacksonville, Ill., for eleven years. Altogether he followed that line of work for twenty-five years. spending his summers at his home in Dane county. He died in March, 1884, and his widow is now living with the subject of this sketch. Mr. Pearson and his wife have four children, Louis M., Joseph. Annie and Ralph J. Louis M. is a graduate of the Rush Medical College at Chicago, and is now located at 1517 Lincoln Ave. in that city, where he is engaged in the practice of h's profession. Jo- seph is a farmer and dairyman in Dane county. He married Louisa Albright and they have one son Melvin A. The other two children are at home with their parents. Mr. Pearson is a member of the All- cient Order of United Workmen, which is the only secret or fraternal organization to claim his affiliation. He is regarded as one of the suc- cessful men of the community, and his success is due entirely to his energy and sound judgment.
Milton F. Peck, the owner of a large farm at Marshall, Wis., came to Dane county when he was eighteen years old. William H. Peck, his father, was a native of Connecticut and was born near Salem June 15, 1814. William H. Peck married Miss Lomira White, who was born in Genesee county, N. Y., February 10, 1816. Three child- ren were born to them, of whom but two, Milton F., the subject of this sketch, and Sarah M., are living. In 1850, the family came from Jack- son county, Mich. to Dodge county, Wis. and lived there part of one year. Their next home was in Marquette county and in 1867 Mr. Peck purchased an eighty-acre farm in Dane county, near Marshall. In 1882 they again changed their residence, at this time locating at Sun Prairie. Here Mr. Peck died in November, 1896, and his wife survived him but a few months. Milton F. Peck was born in Jackson county, Mich., December 29, 1849, attended school in his native dis- trict and again in Dane county and early began to work upon the farm. His present home, a fine farm of one hundred fifty-two acres, includes the tract which was the first home of the family in Dane county, to which Mr. Peck has added many improvements. He makes a specialty of fine Holstein cattle, which business has interested him for the past seven years and he keeps well posted on all that relates to the best care and breeding of a fine grade of cattle. Mr. Peck is a Republican in his political affiliations, as was his father before him, but has always been too busy to give up much time to active politics. January II, 1882, Mr. Peck was married to Miss Lucy Kelley, a native of Dane county and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Kelley. Six children have been born to them: Henry Milton, November 22, 1882; Arthur Milton, July 21, 1884: Seward B., August 21, 1885: George
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Newell, August 16, 1887; Jean Lomira, July 9, 1889; Olive Sarah, August II, 1893. The older members of the family, Henry, Arthur, and Seward, were graduated from the high school at Marshall and the younger ones attend the home schools. The family are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church of Marshall.
Victor E. Peck is entitled to recognition, not only from the fact that he has been for twenty years the proprietor of a leading hotel in the capital city, but also because he is the oldest resident of Madison, having lived here continuously, with the exception of a few intervals, since 1837. And a few words concerning his genealogy will not be out of place in this connection. His great-grandfather was one of three brothers, born in England, and he came to America during co- lonial times and served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. A son of this man, Ebenezer Peck, removed from Vermont to Genesee county, N. Y., and spent the remainder of his days on a farm in Mid- dlebury township. His son, also named Ebenezer Peck, who was the father of him whose name introduces this review ;. was born in Gene- see county, N. Y., in 1804, where he was reared and educated. In 1827 he removed to Vermont, was employed as a clerk in Middlebury, that state, and on February 24, 1829, was united in marriage with Miss Rosaline Willard. Previous to h's marriage he had traveled in the western country, and in 1835 he came to Wisconsin, at that time a ter- ritory, in company with his two brothers, Stephen and Luther, and John Mullett, they having the contract for surveying thie southern half of the territory into townships. Ebenezer Peck returned to Vermont in the latter part of the summer, but the others remained in Milwau- kee during the winter and returned in the spring of 1836 to complete the survey. At that time Wisconsin was a wilderness, inhabited bv Indians and wild animals, and not a house marked the now prosperous city of Madison. Soon after reaching h's eastern home, and as soon as he could make the necessary arrangements, Ebenezer Peck started for the west again, accompanied by his wife and infant son, and they made an overland journey to Blue Mounds, Wis. They spent the fol- lowing winter at the fort at Belmont, which place was the capital of the then territory of Wisconsin, and on April 13, 1837, they started for the present site of Madison with teams, Mrs. Peck riding an Indian pony a good portion of the way. The following is taken from Mrs. Peck's account of the journey : "We traveled about seven miles, to where some persons had made a claim and had laid about five rounds of logs for a cabin. We camped therein that night with a tent over us. The next day, the 14th we pushed on. A more pleasant day I never wish to sec, but I had a severe headache before night. We
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pitched our tent on a little raise of ground within three miles of Mad- ison, spread down our beds, and rested comfortably until near three o'clock Saturday morning, when we were awakened by a tremendous wind-storm and the howling of wolves. We found snow five or six inches deep, which continued to fall until after we arrived in Madi- son. Well now, here we are at Madison on the 15th, sitting in a wagon under a tree with a bedquilt thrown over my arm and my little boy's head, in a tremendous storm of snow and sleet, twenty-five miles from any inhabitants. On one side Blue Mounds, and on the other,-one hundred miles distant,-Milwaukee. What is to be done? Go into the buildings with no floors laid, and nothing but great sleepers laid across to walk on? No: I must have the buildings plastered with lime, and floors laid. Only one sawmill in the territory, and that away up in the Wisconsin pinery and not com- pleted. Of course no lumber ; but there lies a pile of puncheons. Just build me a pen under this tree, move in my stove and we will crawl in there. Sure enough, we soon had it completed, and a fire built." The location of this primitive abode was back of the Capital House on Butler street, and the tavern, which Mr. Peck built to board the workmen on the state's structure, and which was practically three log cabins united ;. stood upon lot 6, block 107. All the territorial officials and workmen on the capital building boarded with Mr. Peck, but owing to lack of room they were forced to put up tents for sleep- ing apartments. Mr. Peck was soon elected county commissioner and justice of the peace, but in 1842 he again started westward and set- tled in that part of the Baraboo valley which is now Sauk county, where he was among the pioneer settlers. He assisted in the organi- zation of that county, secured a tract of government land which he proceeded to improve, and located the county seat at Baraboo upon land belonging to his preemption. He remained there seven years, and in 1849 started with ox teams for California, but was last heard of at Fort Laramie, and it is supposed that he was killed by Indians. The mother continued to reside in Baraboo and lived the remainder of her days there. Two children were born to these parents, one of whom is the subject of this review, and the other was a daughter, who was the first white child born in what is now the city of Madi- son. Her birth was a great event in the new settlement, a committee convening, of which Governor Doty was a member, to name the child, and the name Victoria Wisconsonia was selected. She married N. W. Wheeler of Baraboo, who formerly practiced law in Chippewa Falls, and later removed to Baraboo, where he died. Victor E. Peck, the subject of this sketch, was born in Middlebury, Genesee county, N. Y.,
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April 25, 1834, and was reared to farm life. He first attended a school in Madison, which was held in a log schoolhouse where the First National bank building now stands; then a school at Baraboo, and he also attended one term at the University of Wisconsin. There was no railroad in Sauk county for a number of years after the family settled there, and for a considerable time he was engaged in teaming from Baraboo to Madison and other points. On February 12, 1864, he enlisted for the Civil War, in Company C. Third Wiscon- sin cavalry. After performing picket and guard duty in Arkansas, the winter of 1864-5 being spent in scouting, guarding trains, patrol- ing the roads in the country surrounding Little Rock, and skirmishing with guerrillas and bushwhackers, Company C was stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., where it remained until October 23, 1865, and then was mustered out. After returning home Mr. Peck was engaged in farming for a time, going to Milwaukee in 1869, where he took charge of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul dining hall, and he re- mained there until 1884, with the exception of one year spent in Colo- rado. In that year he took charge of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Hotel at West Madison, where he continued until two years ago. He now conducts a hotel in Watertown, Wis., but main- tains his residence in Madison, where he owns a home at No. 109 East Johnson street. In his political views our subject is independent, giv- ing his support to men and measures as they meet the approval of his better judgment, and in his social relations he is a member of the Royal Arcanum. Mr. Peck married, November 13, 1879, to Miss Mary L. Cary, daughter of Alonson and Emily (Gill) Cary, both na- tives of the state of New York, where Mrs. Peck was also born. Mr. and Mrs. Peck are the parents of one daughter, Ruby E., who is the · wife of John C. Corscot, the latter being connected with the Madison Gas & Electric company.
Eli Pederson, a substantial and exceptionally well known farmer of the town of Primrose was born in Vossevangen, Bergen Stift, Nor- way. July 26, 1837, and at the age of fourteen came with his parents, Peter and Susan (Ileson) Oleson to the United States, locating first in the town of Norway, Racine county. Here the family remained for two years and then the father took up a quarter section of govern- ment land in the town of Primrose. There were four sons in the fam- ily. Ole, Eli. Knudt and Louis, and after the death of the parents, the father passing away in 1864 and the mother in 1871, the property re- verted to Eli, the subject of this sketch, who had been working the farm since the completion of his scholastic work in the town of Nor- way schools. For nearly forty years Mr. Pederson has been opera-
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ting the farm adding to it from time to time until it now contains some four hundred acres of the best improved land in the county. He has devoted especial attention to the scientific breeding and rais- ing of hogs and sheep and the results have been highly gratifying, not only in a renumerative way, but also for the scientific value. Dur- ing all the years of his active life Mr. Pederson has been interested in politics, his affiliations being with the Republican party. He has served his town as supervisor and for twenty-four years was its asses- sor. For eight years he was chairman of the Republican county com- mittee and during the La Follette administration was for four years state treasury agent. He assisted in the taking of the eighth national census, in 1880, and was elected to the first bienmal session of the state legislature, in 1883, representing the fourth assembly district of Dane county. He has also served the town as chairman, was twelve years school clerk and thirteen years school treasurer. In 1857 Mr. Peder- son married Anna Peterson, a daughter of Peter Erickson, one of the early Norwegian immigrants to Rock county, who located there in 1844. To Mr. and Mrs. Pederson have been born six children,- Belle (Mrs. Wallen), Susan (Mrs. Myrland), Peter and Eli, living in Dakota, Anna (Mrs. Nelson) and Louise, deceased. All were edu- cated in the Primrose schools and like the mother are communicants of the Lutheran church.
Bernhard Severin Peterson is a farmer of the township of Wind- sor and was born in Norway, April 27, 1853, son of Anders and Maren (Steanson) Peterson. Mrs. Maren Peterson was the second wife of Anders Peterson and died in Norway in 1866. Her husband married again, his wife being Randine Peterson and with her he came to the United States in 1871 and purchased property in Stoughton, where he resided for two years. His next home was in Taylor county, Wis., where he resided for sixteen years. He lives at present in North Da- kota, where Mrs. Peterson died in November, 1903. Six children made up the Peterson family and all were reared in the Lutheran faith. Mr. Peterson is a member of the Republican party, to whose princi- ples his son Bernhard also adheres. Bernhard S. was educated in the home schools in Norway and taught himself the English language after his arrival in America. When his father came to Wisconsin, Bernhard was nineteen years of age and he at once interested himself in farming. In 1885, he purchased the farm in Windsor which is his present home, a fertile property of one hundred sixty acres. Mr. Pet- erson improved it, built the present buildings and has raised tobacco for twenty-eight years. He still is an extensive grower of tobacco,
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besides devoting attention to other branches of the farming business. Actively interested in school matters, Mr. Peterson is a member of the school board and has been for a considerable period. Mrs. Peterson was, before her marriage, Miss Sigred Helena Kalland, was born in Norway, April 1, 1860, and married to Mr. Peterson on February 19, 1879. Nine children have blessed the marriage: Marie C., Sina D., Anders, Bennie, Sophie, Anna, Herman, Rebecca and Clara. The family is identified with the Sun Prairie Norwegian Lutheran churchi. Mrs. Peterson's father was Sjur Kalland, who was born in Norway, and there married Miss Karie Olson, with whom he came to America in 1872 and located at Stoughton, where he died November 19, 1898. Mrs. Kalland died February 1, 1904. Four daughters and two sons made up their family, of whom all but one daughter are still living.
Charles C. Peterson is the owner of a valuable farm of three hun- dred and fifty-three acres in the town of Rutland. A native of Den- mark, he came to America with his parents, Peter and Caroline Christ- enson, when a boy of eight years. Peter Christenson and his wife were born near Maribo, Denmark, were married there and commenced their married life upon a farm. In 1869 they came with their young family to Wisconsin and located upon a farm of sixty acres in the town of Rutland. Four children were born to them. Charles is the oldest son; Christiana is Mrs. Martin Mason of Oregon, Wis .; Augusta mar- ried Peter Oleson of Rutland, who purchased the old Christenson farm and with whom Mr. Christenson makes his home. Hannah is the wife of Reinholt Rasmunson of Oregon. Charles C. Peterson was born on the farm near Maribo, May 4, 1861, came west with his parents and attended school at Rutland, working meanwhile upon the farm. When he was sixteen years old he commenced to work out and later rented a farm. The first property he owned was an eighty acre farm about a mile west of Brooklyn and he worked it for four years, selling at a good profit. He then purchased his present place, consisting at that time of one hundred and ninety-three acres in section 32. It was known as the Allsop farm and to it he has added from time to time un- til now his farm consists of three hundred and fifty-three acres. Many improvements have also been made and the farm equipment is excep- tionally good. About nine acres of tobacco, one hundred acres of corn, twenty-five acres of hay and forty to sixty acres of oats are raised, besides much fine stock. Mr. Peterson was married August 30, 1883 to Miss Katie Hansen, a native of Denmark and daughter of Hans J. and Anna Marie Hansen. Mr. Hansen died in Denmark and his wife was married a second time, her husband being Andrew Ibesen. They
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came to Wisconsin in 1879 and located in Rutland. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson have had ten children: Leslie, Arthur W., Victor, Holley, Clara Louise, Mabel Caroline, Harvey, and H. Marie. Clara Louise died in 1905 and two children died in infancy. The family attends the Danish Lutheran church in Rutland. Mr. Peterson is a Republican and takes an active interest in everything which concerns the welfare of the community. He is interested in school affairs and has served several terms on the school board. He is associated with the chapter of Modern Woodmen at Brooklyn.
Hans and Ole Peterson are natives of Denmark, the former born February 11, 1848, and the latter, October 5, 1842. Their parents were Peter and Catherine (Jenson), who owned and worked a small farm in their native country and lived and died there. They had a family of five sons and two daughters, of whom, beside the two living in Oregon, there are still two sons and both of the daughters living in Denmark. Both Ole and Hans left school when they reached the age of fourteen years and began working for themselves, farming and working by the month as opportunity offered. In 1877, when Hans was twenty-nine years of age, he came to America and settled in Oregon where for five years he worked in a brick-yard. In 1881 his brother Ole joined him and together they bought an improved farm of one hundred and twenty acres, which they have worked in partnership for twenty years. It is run as a general farm. Mr. Hans Peterson joined the Lutheran church in his native country, and the family affiliate with that church here. He is a Republican in politics. His brother, Ole, married, March 12, 1885, Miss Kerstine Rasmusson, daughter of Rasmus and Karren (Mickolson) Nelson, and a native of Denmark.
Hans Peterson is a retired farmer of the town of Rutland and an old resident of Dane county. He was born at Tunsberg, Norway, where his father, Peter, was a blacksmith and spent his entire life. Peter married in Tunsberg and he and his wife, Julia, had six chil- dren, of whom three came to America. Hans Peterson was born December 9, 1827. attended the common schools in Norway and learned the shoemaker's trade. In 1834, he came to the United States and located in Oregon. For several years he was a mer- chant in Stoughton and in 1871 purchased a farm of one hundred and forty acres in Rutland which is his present home. But little of the farm was under cultivation and Mr. Peterson cleared and improved it and carried on a successful farming business. In October, 1859, he marired Miss Martha Thompson, a daughter of Tolaf and Julia (Sylvester) Thompson, of Sogen, Norway. Mr.
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and Mrs. Thompson always lived in Norway but their seven chil- dren came to America. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson adopted a daugh- ter, who married John J. Anderson and died at the age of thirty- three years, leaving three children; Hattie, Ella and Carl. Mr. Anderson has taken charge of the Peterson farm since 1886 and lives with Mr. Peterson. John J. Anderson was born in Primrose, Wis., in 1857, spent his boyhood in Primrose and while quite a young man married Miss Caroline Peterson. After her death he married Miss Hansen and two children were born to the marriage, Sadie and Michael. Mr. Anderson is a Republican and active in the affairs of the town. He is a member of the Lutheran church of Stoughton.
M. A. Peterson, of Oregon, is a native of Denmark, son of Peter and Dorothea (Hanson) Mortenson, who were farmers in the old coun- try and, a few years since, died in their native land. Four of their six children are living and all but two came to the United States; one daughter, Elizabeth, still lives in Denmark, and one son, Hans C., died there. Beside the subject of this sketch, there are Pcter H. Peter- son, of Oregon; Martin Peterson, of Kansas City; and the youngest, Jorgen, who died in Kansas City. The children all received their education in Denmark. Mr. M. A. Peterson was born June 27, 1843, came to this country in 1865, when he was twenty-two years old and settled in Rutland, turning his hand to whatever work presented itself. He worked out by the month for about fifteen years and then bought a farm of one hundred and fourteen acres of improved land; that prop- erty he sold about ten years ago, and bought a hundred and sixty acres of improved land in the town of Oregon, which is run for general farming purposes. During his residence in both townships Mr. Peter- son served as supervisor on the town boards. Three years ago he re- tired from active labors which began when he was only fourteen years of age, and now makes his home in the village of Oregon. In politics, Mr. Peterson affiliates with the Republican party and in religious mat- ters with the Lutherans. His wife died January 10, 1901; she was Miss Christiana Mortenson, daughter of Nels Mortenson, of Denmark. Mrs. Peterson was born in Denmark, and came to the United States when she was twenty years old; she married Mr. Peterson, Novem- ber 1, 1880, in Rutland township. They have four children: Frank, born in Dunn township, who lives on the home farm; May, born in Rutland, married Mr. I. W. Drechi; Mabel and Lillie, the former born in Rutland and the latter in Oregon, are at home. The children were all educated in the schools of Rutland and Oregon.
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Nels Peterson, of Oregon, is the only son of Claus Peterson, a small farmer of Denmark. His mother was Jeriune (Jetson) Peterson, and he has four sisters, Sophia, of Madison ; Maria, (Mrs. Antonson) of Denmark; Lena, (Mrs. Emery Nelson) of Oregon township; Caroline, (Mrs. Carl Nelson) of Oregon township, who were all born and educated in Denmark. Nels Peterson, also born in Denmark, June 15, 1866, and educated there, started out for himself when he was eighteen years of age, and coming to the United States, settled in Oregon where he has spent most of the subsequent time, with the exception of two years when he lived in Baraboo, and worked as fireman for the C. & N. W. R'y., and one year when he lived in St. Paul. He owns eighty-five acres of cultivated land and has made considerable improvement on the place since he purchased it. It is run as a general farm, although he devotes a good deal of attention to dairying and hog raising. June 1, 1895, he married Miss Minnie Madson, daughter of Ras- mus and Maren (Anderson) Madson, of Oregon township. Mrs. Peterson and her parents are all natives of Denmark; they came to America in 1878, and after spending a year in Rock county, Wis., came to Oregon township, Dane, where they still live. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson have two children George Walter and Robbie Clar- ence, both born in Oregon township and now attending school there. Mr. Peterson is an independent in his politics; he attends the Lutheran church, is a member of the school board, and belongs to the Modern Woodmen of Oregon.
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