TITLE PIONEER (full name) BIR TH (date and place) DEA TH (date and place) PARENTS . MARRIED (who and date) ARRIVAL IN UTAH (date) (Company arrived with) HlSl'ORY (who wrote) (date written) ' (who submitted) (address) PAGE Baltzar Peterson Denmark 3 Dec 1834 - Augersler, Piset, Aarhus, 21 Nov 1910 - Richville, Morgan, Utah Soreq Pedersen (Dalsgoar) Ane Margrethe Baltzarsen Mette Margrette Juulsen - 30 May 1857 f 6 October 1863 John F. Saunder 1 s Ox Team Trai n Clara Beth Peterson Rich 1225 S. Morgan Valley Drive Morgan, Utah 84050 CAMP & COUNTY.SUBMITTING _s_o_u_t_h_M_o_r...;;;g_a_n_ ___ _ _ __ Camp _M_ o_r_g_a_n_ ___________ County - . ( Camp Historian & address )_ ___L _o_l_a_D_a_w_s_o_n_P_e_t_e_r_s_o_n_ _______ P.O. Box 13, Morgan, Utah 84050 County Historian & address)- --V-e-loy- T-on-k!'-! D-ic-ks-on- -------- P. 0, Box 203, Morgan, Utah 84050 SOURCE OF-INFORMATION -& PAGE NUMBERS: • • BALTZAR PETERSON and METTE MARGRETTE JUULSEN The record of both the families of Baltzar Peterson and Mette Margrette Juulsen dates back as far as the date when Denmark officially began to keep records of its subjects. The record states that they were people respected in /9/ their communities. They supported their nation when dut y called, were industrious and took advantage of every opportunity in education, though there were few. In some instances, a few members of their family line branched out in other lines, but generally they stayed with the soil. They were owners and leasers of land, productive and enterprising. They were known for their hospitality and were respected citizens of Denmark • Baltzar Peterson was born 3 December 1834, in Augersler, Piset, Aarhus, Denmark, a son of Soren Pedersen (Dalsgoar) and Ane Margrethe Baltzarsen. He had a brother, Peter, and four sisters -- Karen, Ane Margrethe, Mette Kir stine, and Ane Marie. As a young man, Baltzar was a coach and transferman in Aarhus. He took pride in the good horses he owned and used in his business; hauling and loading material to the boats for shipment to all parts of the world. On 30 May 1857, Baltzar Peterson married Mette Margrette Juulsen, a daughter of Juul Eskilden and Karen Nielson. She was born 11 January 1834, in the Parish of Holme (Ska.a.de), Jutland, Aarhus, Denmark, and was the seventh child of a family of e ig ht children. Mette' s father was a small leasehold farn-1er a nd w eav er . He died when Mett e was only t w o years old, leaving his w ife alone to c a r e for the eight young children. The oldest, Marie Kristine, was only sixteen; • • I'!2 . -2- the youngest, James, two months old. The mother carried well her responsibil-ities, and being an intelligent and resourceful woman, saw that her children were educated in the State School of Holm, which was directed by the Lutheran Church. After Baltzar and Mette were married, they were visited by Mormon Elders in about 1860 while living at 1052 Bestegade, Aarhus, Denmark. They were baptized members of the Church on 20 November 1862, and were anxious to come to America. By now they had four children; Nelse Juul, Soren Juul, Laura (who died before they sailed), and James who was one year old. The following year, 1 May 1863, these people left Denmark for England by sail boat. Then they had their first train ride across England to Liverpool. There they were obliged to wait a few days for other immigrants from Norway and Sweden before embarking for America . On Friday, 8 May 1863, 657 Saints under the direction of Hans Peter Lund sailed from Liverpool, England, on the U.S. Ship II B. S. Kimball, 11 a sort of sail boat. They were 52 days on tht: water, and the food and water became very bad. There was much sickness and they witnessed some burials at sea. Finally, on 15 June 1863, they landed at New York City, America. Here they were fumigated and sent in cattle cars to a point on the Missouri River. Since the Civil War was being fought at this time, they were forced to take the long Northern Route near the Canadian border. After a short time at Winter Quarters, they began the trek across the barren plains to Utah as members of John F. Saunder's Ox Team Train. Tl:.eir experiences were similar to those of thousands of pioneers. At one time, wh.:.le wading across a river, Mette was swept off her feet while trying t o help little Nelse a nd Sor en , a n d a t the same time carry baby J ames. A nearby m an rescued the baby and helped them to the shore. They arrived in Utah on • • 193 -3- 6 October 1863. At Salt Lake City, Bishop Nebeker let Baltzar have a sack of seed wheat which he took to Richville, Morgan County, Utah, and planted in the spring of I 864. After the harvest of that year (1864), Baltzar carried a full sack of wheat on his back over the mountain to Salt Lake City to pay Bishop Nebeker for the seed loaned to him. Upon arriving in Salt Lake City on 6 October 1863, the family went to Weber River County, now known as Morgan County, Utah, and settled in Richville. Baltzar homesteaded a large tract of land and later purchased adjoining fields. The first year or two were hard to forget. Food was short during the winter. A few dusty beans and some coarse grain ground in the coffee mill was about all they had. Their first home was a dug-out with no windows and with Mette's petticoat hung for a door. It was here a baby boy, Joseph, was born and a year later tragedy struck. Joseph was drowned in the Old Mill Race. His body was found on the screen where the water plunged over the water-wheel of the old grist mill at Richville. A year later, Baltzar, the sixth child was born, and soon after the family moved into a new two-room log house. Baltzar (the father) and his brothers had worked in the mountains for the logs. It was here that the other five children were born--Charles, George, Eliza, William (who died a year later), and Fred. Baltzar and his family improved their land, built buildings and fences which were durable. The children were instructed and trained intelligently to be orderly and efficient in their work. Baltzar rs j,1dgement and wisdom in agr .i.culture was unsurpassed for his time, and after 2 5 years this Danish immigra nt wa s cons ider ed the most financially independent man in Richville. • • -4- Mette must receive some of the credit for the families successful pursuits in £arming and livestock. She was resourceful, her judgement was sound, she gave advice where needed and when it would do the most good. She was quite small (considered tiny) in stature, but was quick and accurate, full of energy, and most immaculate in dress and person. She was an artist with the needle, made all her own clothes insisting on the very best quality. She was not extravagent, for nothing was wasted or misused. She insisted everything be cared for properly. She was a beautiful letter writer, both in the Danish and English languages. She never showed favortism. Baltzar never lost interest in the welfare of his family. As the boys became grown men, he helped them acquire farm land of their own. In the year of 1877 he filed on a large tract of land on the Preston Flat and Nelse, Soren, Baltzar (the son), and Charles went there as farm.ers. Soren and Nelse played violins and Soren played a trumpet and called for square dances. They were the first musicians on the Preston Flat. Baltzar (the son) taught a school of dancing both in Morgan County and later in Preston. He and Charles went all over the county playing for dances. Besides farrrdng, Baltzar (the son) was a blacksmith and an excellent horse shoer. As a very young man he shod horses in San Francisco, when draft horses were used for all transfer work. He also sheared sheep. George loved the farm and livestock and stayed with it all his life as did Soren: though Nelse took up a few other trades and jobs. Fred sought education and became a high school professor and then a medical doctor. He played the mandolin and sang. Eliza was very artistic. She was very artistic with her needle and oil paints and muc h credit i s due her and her husband for caring so lovingly for her father • /C/5 -5- and mother in their old age. James was a carpenter and helped to build the fine two-story, eight room family brick home completed in 1866 on the old homestead in Richville. It was considered one of the finest in the county. This old home was well built. There were three thicknesses of brick in the walls, with solid brick partitions. The house contained at>out 5, 600 bricks, all made in Morgan. This home became a gathering place for t h e yo un g fo lk s for many years. Many parties gathered at the Peterson home. Everyone sang and danced. Baltzar (the son) and Charles played their violins and step dancing was a specialty of George and Baltzar (the son). Mette was the perfect hostess, always pleased to entertain, and making sure there was plenty of food and good things to eat. S he enjoyed l ife most when the young folks came there to participate in good home entertainment . In 1963, the decisions to tear down the home, a Morgan County landmark for 80 years, was made. The Peterson home was acquired in 1910 by Sanford Orin Porter, who married Eliza Peterson (only daughter of Baltzar and Mette). In later years it became known as the Porter home. The Porter family decided to tear the h ouse down as it had been s tanding empty for more than a year and elements and time had taken their toll. Rather than watch it deteriorate and crumble into sad ruin, tearing it down seemed much less cruel. The old home was replaced by a modern ranch-type home. Baltzar Peters on died 21 November 191 0 in Richville; M 0 rgan Cou nty; Utah. He was b u ried 2 4 November 1910 in the Richville Cemetery. Mette ~v1argrette Juulsen !'ete::-son died 18 Jant..ary 1919 in Richville, 1vforgan County, Utah. S h e wa.s buried 2 1 January 1919 in the Richville Cemetery. • • -6- Note: Grandfather 11 Baltzar Sorensen" is listed as a Coach and Transfer Man in Aarhus City. His residence in Aarhus City in the year of 1857 was #539 Fredricksgaade, and in 1860 the family wa5 living at #1052 Bestugaade, Aarhus City. (Taken from Hans N. Ogaard Report) Grandfather's sister, 11 Karen·," came to Utah in the year of 1859. She married Mads Peter Rasmussen while crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Grandfather 1 s brother, 11 Peter, 11 came to Utah in 1861. Both Karen and Peter were living at Richville, Morgan County, Utah, when the other members of the family carr~e. Mads Peter Rasmussen and Peter Peterson (grandfather's brother) went to Salt Lake City, Utah, and helped the folks as they arrived in Zion. They hauled their belongings to Richville, Morgan County, Utah, their new home •