Henry Peterson (December 7, 1818 – October 10, 1891) was an American editor, novelist, poet, and playwright. He was editor of ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely c ...

'' for thirty years and owner of H. Peterson & Company publishing firm. He was a member of the Peterson family of publishers including his brother

Robert Evans Peterson Robert Evans Peterson (November 12, 1812 – October 30, 1894) was an American book publisher and author. He also studied law and medicine, but never took up either profession. R. E. Peterson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to George and Ja ...

and his cousin Charles Jacobs Peterson.

Early life and education

He was born on December 7, 1818, in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, Pennsylvania, to George and Jane (Evans) Peterson.

Career

He worked as a clerk in a hardware store at age fourteen, and in 1839 joined the firm of Deacon & Peterson, who became publishers of the ''Saturday Evening Post''. In 1843, Peterson became editor of the Saturday Evening Post. In 1848, he was half owner of the publication along with his brother-in-law Edmund Deacon, and the sole editor. As editor, he refused to publish the works of the female writer, E.D.E.N. Southworth, on grounds that her work was "immoral". He refused to publish ''The Deserted Wife'' since it depicted a character who forced a young woman into marriage against her wishes. The publication became very successful and Peterson bought out his brother-in-law and renamed the firm H. Peterson & Company. Peterson controlled the paper for almost thirty years and sold it to R.J.C. Walker. H. Peterson & Company also published ''The Lady's Friend'', edited by Peterson's wife and ''

Peterson's Magazine ''Peterson's Magazine'' (1842–1898) was an American magazine focused on women. It was published monthly and based in Philadelphia. In 1842, Charles Jacobs Peterson and George Rex Graham, partners in the '' Saturday Evening Post'', agreed ...

''. He addressed the

Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society The Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society was established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1838. Founders included James Mott, Lucretia Mott, Robert Purvis, and John C. Bowers. In August 1850, William Still while working as a clerk for the Society, ...

, and was quoted as saying "Even an army of occupation here could not put the Negro into the street cars." He died on October 10, 1891, in Philadelphia and was interred at

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery is ...

Personal life

He was married to Sarah Webb, who edited ''The Lady's Friend'' magazine for ten years, and their son, Arthur Peterson, became assistant editor of the ''Post''. His eldest brother was the publisher

, and his cousin was the publisher Charles J. Peterson.

Publications

*
Address on American Slavery, Delivered Before the Semi-Annual Meeting of the Junior Anti-Slavery Society, of Philadelphia.
', Philadelphia: Published by Direction of the Society, 1838 * ''The Twin Brothers'' (1843) *
Poems
', Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1863 * ''Universal Suffrage'' (1867) *
The Modern Job
', Philadelphia: H. Peterson & Co., 1869 *
Pemberton, or One Hundred Years Ago
', Henry T. Coates & Company, 1873 *
Faire-Mount
', Philadelphia: Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger, 1874 * ''Confessions of a Minister'' (1874) * The drama ''Helen, or One hundred Years Ago'', produced in 1876. *
Bessie's Six Lovers. A Summer Idyl.
', Philadelphia: T.B. Peterson & Brothers, 1877 *
Caesar; a Dramatic Study. In Five Acts.
', Philadelphia: H. Peterson & Co., 1879

References

External links

* * 1818 births 1891 deaths 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American novelists 19th-century American poets American magazine editors Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) Poets from Philadelphia The Saturday Evening Post people Writers from Philadelphia {{US-novelist-1810s-stub