Bernt Peterson

Bernt Pederson was born in Vermland Sweden, December 1, 1829, christened January 1, 1830, in the ancient church of Holijaas and later on confirmed in the same place. In 1853 he came to the United States with his parents, Peder Pederson and Sigrid Pederson. They came on a sail ship - their voyage lasting thirteen weeks. Their trip overland from the sea was mostly by canal boats. They entered Wisconsin by the way of Milwaukee, thence of Koshkonong, one of the first Scandinavian settlements in Wisconsin. The young man soon found work in the winter time as blacksmith in Stoughton and Madison and during the summer on a farm in Dane County. One summer he worked as blacksmith for the Federal Government in Kansas.

In the fall of 1855 he came to Trempealeau Valley and bought a claim from a Mr. Trumph. The claim consisted of wild land and a dugout. The next spring, with his father and mother, he moved onto the land he had bought and from that time until his death it was his home.

November 19, 1861 he married Anna Olson Norgaard, with whom he had fourteen children.

His father Peter Benson Peterson died 27 April 1874 in Springfield, Jackson Co., and his mother Sigrid/Sarah Benson in 1887 in Jackson Co,, and his wife, Anna on June 8, 1917. Soon after he moved onto his land, he rigged up a blacksmith shop, making his own forge, bellows and charcoal. Here the new settlers for miles came to get their horses and oxen shod and such other work in his line as they needed. The pay was small and much of it practically charity, but it all helped in the up-building of a new community. With the exception of “Vosse” Nels, Pederson was the first settler in what is commonly known as Vosse Coulee and neighbors few and far between.

Saturday, October 13, he manifested greater weakness than usual and from that time until he passed away he was in bed most of the time. On the fifteenth he was still able to sit up as late as two o’clock in the afternoon and at 6:30 o’clock that evening he went to sleep. He passed without apparent pain - just “slukna” like a candle burned to the socket. His funeral was held in the Trempealeau Valley church on the 18th, Rev. Urberg, his pastor for many years, preached the funeral sermon.

He leaves the following named children: 1. Olaus Peterson, (1862-1939) unmarried and

2. Bennie Arthur Peterson (1884-1963) on the old homstead, where they were born; later of Whitehall, married Ella J Gilbertson

3. Albert B. Peterson (1863-1944), married Amelia Torkelson, well known as a longtime businessman and now president of the First National Bank of Blair;

4. Mrs. Emelia (Dr Karl) Sandberg (1881-1979) of Chicago; buried Trempealeau Valley

5. Sophie Pederson (1865-1940) at Oraville, Oregon; and

6. Mrs. Myrtle Christopherson (1888-1973) of Pigeon Falls, Trempealeau County.

Deceased were: 7. John (1868-1877) 8. Anders abt 1869 - maybe Henry? See #14 9. Karlina/Lena 1866, still alive 1880 10. Tilda Martina 1876, still alive 1900 census (age 23) 11. Janetta Hermana 1879, still alive 1880 12. K Emilia (1874-1877) 13. G Martina (1872-1877) 14. Henry (1870-Jan 1878) Petronella (1876-1877)

All the children were present at the funeral except Sophie and Mrs. Sanberg. Now he sleeps by the side of his father, mother, wife and eight of his children who preceded him in death, near the church he helped to build in 1867 and 1868. Six of his children died within a very short time of each other from diphtheria, and the other two after maturity from other causes.

In contemplating a life of such unusual length, lived so long in the same place - from the dawn of our history as a community until that history has become an epic of wonderful achievement - it is easy to become reflective and reminiscent. Well might he have exclaimed as he sat in his chair for the last time and visualized the changes that had come during the sixty-seven years he lived on the farm: “Behold what God has wrought!”

Fifty years ago this incident was widely known and at the time of its occurrence caused very active excitement among the settlers. In the fall of 1872 Mr. Pederson had been in Black River Falls with a load of wheat. He was on his way home with the price of the load in his pocket. When he came to the top of the hill where W.T. Price had his home, a stranger asked him for a ride to Price’s farm. This request was readily granted. Pederson was driving a spirited span of horses hitched to a lumber wagon. After driving a mile or so they came to a rather lonely place. Here the stranger pushed a revolver against Mr. Pederson’s head and demanded his money. Mr. Pederson instead of complying with his demand grappled with the stranger and in the scuffle the revolver went off, the bullet plowing a furrow across the top of Mr. Pederson’s head from which he carried a scar to his grave. In the struggle, the would-be assassin fell to the ground and the horses ran away, but Mr. Pederson stayed in the wagon dazed but not knocked out. Later in the day the same fellow tried to hold up two other men on the ridge dividing the Black River valley from the Trempealeau Valley. Here again he met with poor success for they captured him, tied him and took him to Black River Falls. Here he escaped lynching only because the mad mob lacked the right leader. This incident coming soon after a man returning from Trempealeau with his wheat money was robbed and killed near the well-known tavern known as the Four-Mile-House, caused not only excitement but real fear among the people over a wide area.

Tosten Tostenson Skyrud was also held up near the place where Mr. Pederson had his lively experience. This little glimpse shows that “the good old days” also had some evil men. Rest the soldier from the wars of peace; the elemental strife which God designed, when from the gates of flaming swords He sent man forth to earn his bread through sweat and toil.

Written by H.A. Anderson, October 31, 1923. THE TAYLOR HERALD OCTOBER 31, 1923