Peter A. Samuelson

As printed in 1910

PETER A. SAMUELSON.

One of the native sons of Western township, who has won a pronounced success from his farming and the raising and feeding of stock, is Peter A. Samuelson, who owns three farms in different parts of section 26. He was born November 6, 1858, and is a son of Charles M. and Hannah M. (Swanson) Samuelson, both of Swedish birth and both having reached maturity when with their parents they came to this country. Samuel Johnson, the paternal grandfather of our subject, left his Swedish home in 185 1 and after having landed in New York went to Bufifalo, where he spent the winter. His destination, however, was Andover, this county. Although he came here a poor man, in the course of years he acquired eighty acres of land and a comfortable competence. The maternal grandfather, John Swanson, also became the owner of eighty acres after his advent here. Charles M. Samuelson and his wife began their married life with empty hands, but they were of a race that through generations had learned the necessity for incessant exertion and frugality, so that it is not surprising to know that before the end of his career Mr. Samuelson owned seven-eighths of a section in Western township. Eight children were born to him and his wife and all but one reached maturity. They were: Albert J., who lives in Western township; Peter A., the subject of this sketch; Edward C, of Peculiar, Cass county, Missouri, who married Miss Mary Youngquist and is now the father of three children; Victor J., who died at the age of thirty years; Sophia, who passed away when one year old; Oscar, who lives in Orion and is unmarried; Hannah, who lives in Chicago, where she teaches music; and Minnie, who married William Westerlund, of Chicago, and has three children. The father died February 18, 1904, and the mother in February, 1907. In politics he was ever a republican and held a few of the minor offices of the township, while he gave his religious support to the Swedish Lutheran church, which his father had helped to organize and of which he was trustee.

Like all the older members of the family Peter A. Samuelson obtained his education in the public schools of this county, while the younger children were able to enjoy better advantages. Until he was thirty years of age he remained with his father, assisting him in the operation of his large farm, and then left the parental roof, for having married he had the natural desire to possess a home of his own. He took up his residence upon the place of eighty acres on which he now lives and which he purchased in 1892, paying sixty-five dollars an acre. In 1896 he bought another place of equal area, which cost him ten dollars more an acre, and sometime later he bought eighty acres more, for which he paid seventy-five dollars per acre. The last addition to his landholdings was eighty acres, which he inherited from his father, bringing his total acreage to three hundred and twenty. Part of this area is devoted to general crops, but much of it is used as pasture land for the large herds of cattle which Mr. Samuelson raises, feeds and ships to market. He has made a signal success from his agricultural pursuits, as any might know who have seen the handsome and commodious home he erected in 1908.

In the church at Andover, June 26, 1889, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Samuelson and Miss Lottie A. Anderson, of Lynn township. She was born, however, in Andover township, March 12, 1861, a daughter of John Otto and Anna Sophia (Youngquist) Anderson, and received a good education in the common schools. Four children have been born of this union: Blanche Harriet, who died in infancy; Clifford Cylvin, who passed away at the age of four and a half months; Lester A., who was born September 17, 1897; and Mabel A., who was born March 30, 1900.

Mr. Samuelson has always been a stanch republican but no office seeker, although he has ever taken an active interest in politics. He holds membership in the Swedish Lutheran church, in which he has served as deacon. Industrious, honorable and imbued with strong principles, he enjoys the good-will of those who have come in contact with him, either in business or social intercourse.

As printed in History of Henry County, Illinois (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.