Atley Peterson (February 21, 1847 – March 29, 1909) was a Wisconsin pioneer who served as a state legislator, and state railroad commissioner.

Background

Atley P. Peterson was born near the small village of Erdal at Lærdal parish in Sogn og Fjordane,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. He was the son of Niels Pederson and Marie Olsdatter (Helland) Pederson. He came to America with his family in 1852. The family moved to Crawford County, Wisconsin in 1854, settling in the Pine Knob area near Soldiers Grove. Mr. Peterson attended local schools and the

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

Business College before going into business in

Soldiers Grove Soldiers Grove is a village situated along the Kickapoo River in Crawford County, Wisconsin, in the United States. The population was 592 at the 2010 census. The town is notable for having relocated its central business district due to flooding ...

at the age of 19. He died of

edema Edema, also spelled oedema, and also known as fluid retention, dropsy, hydropsy and swelling, is the build-up of fluid in the body's Tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may include skin which feels t ...

at his home in Soldiers Grove on March 29, 1909.

Business career

In 1869, Peterson established the village's first post office in the Village of Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin. He later built a small building on the property to house a small store. In addition to being a sawmill and lumberyard owner, store owner, and part owner of the village's grist mill, Peterson's business career also included being a bank president and farmer. He was co-owner of the electric light plant, which enabled Soldiers Grove to be the first village in the Kickapoo Valley to have electric lights.

Political career

His political career included a number of years as a member of the Crawford County Board. Peterson served as president or supervisor of the Village of Soldiers Grove almost continuously until his death. He held the office of postmaster for 17 years, from 1869 to 1886. In 1879 he was elected to the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

as a representative to the

Wisconsin State Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republican ...

from Bad Ax (now Vernon County) and Crawford County. He served in the Thirty-second session, 1879, Thirty-third session, 1880, Thirty-fourth session, 1881, Thirty-fifth session, 1882. In 1886, he was elected to replace

Nils P. Haugen Nils Pederson Haugen (March 9, 1849April 23, 1931) was a Norwegian American immigrant, lawyer, and politician. He served four terms in the United States House of Representatives, representing western Wisconsin. He was a leading member of the Pr ...

Wisconsin Railroad Commissioner The Office of the Commissioner of Railroads is the independent regulatory agency responsible for regulating railroads located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin.

and served in this capacity from 1887 to 1891. He served as

Presidential Elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...

for Wisconsin in 1900. Peterson unsuccessfully ran for the office of Wisconsin State Treasurer in 1890 and again in 1902, in an effort to succeed future Wisconsin Governor,

James O. Davidson James Ole Davidson (February 10, 1854December 16, 1922) was a Norwegian Americans, Norwegian American immigrant and the List of Governors of Wisconsin, 21st Governor of Wisconsin, governor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. He also served as lieute ...

, to that position. He was served as a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

in 1908.''Atley Peterson Obituary'' (Soldiers Grove WI Scout. April 1, 1909)
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References

Other sources

*Nelson, Olof Nickolaus (1900) ''History of the Scandinavians and successful Scandinavians in the United States'' (Minneapolis, Minn. : O. N. Nelson & Company) *Ward, W. M. (1964
First 100 Years - A History of Soldiers Grove''

External links

Atley Peterson family photograph (Wisconsin Historical Society)
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Peterson, Atley 1847 births 1909 deaths People from Sogn og Fjordane People from Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin American merchants Businesspeople from Wisconsin Norwegian emigrants to the United States Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople