HANS PETERSON, farmer, Secs. 15, 16 and 23; P.O. Stoughton; was born in Norway Dec. 9, 1827; he is the son of Peter and Gunnil Halverson, the former of who is still living in Norway, and is in his 86th year. Hans began the shoemaker’s trade at the age of 14, and continued it till 22 years old, not even losing a single day; he was then appointed to superintend a large farm in the southern part of Norway, and in that position he was retained for two years.April 1, 1852, he set sail from Tunsberg for America, and landed at Quebec after a five week’s voyage; he came thence to Dane Co., Wis. and stopped in the vicinity of Stoughton, where he followed various kinds of employment for two years; he then went to the town of Oregon, and there resumed his boot-and-shoe trade.

In 1859, he formed a co-partnership with S.H. Severson and began the dry-goods trade at Stoughton; Mr. Severson, however, sold out in the following spring, and Mr. Peterson continued the business till 1871; he built and now owns the brick building in which Brickson and Lethe now carry on business in Stoughton; in 1871, he bought his present farm of 140 acres, and has since turned his attention to agriculture.

He was married at Stoughton in 1859, to Martha Thompson, a native of Norway; they have one daughter-Caroline. They are Lutherans.

Ref. 1880 History of Dane County, Wisconsin, p. 1202.

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 children, 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 1854, he came to the United Stated and located in Oregon.

For several years he was a merchant 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 married Miss Martha Thompson, a daughter of Tolaf and Julia (Sylvester) Thompson of Sogen, Norway, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson always lived in Norway but their seven children came to America. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson adopted a daughter, 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 1880 and lived 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.

Ref. 1906 History of Dane County, Wisconsin, p. 705-706.