Samuel Peterson
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Samuel Peterson (c. 1639 – 20 November 1689) was an early settler of
New Sweden New Sweden ( sv, Nya Sverige) was a Swedish colony along the lower reaches of the Delaware River in what is now the United States from 1638 to 1655, established during the Thirty Years' War when Sweden was a great military power. New Sweden f ...
and one of the founders of present-day
Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington (Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...
.


Life

Peterson was born in the province of
Värmland Värmland () also known as Wermeland, is a '' landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are '' ...
, Sweden. He departed Sweden on the ship ''rn'' ("The Eagle") on February 2, 1654, and arrived in New Sweden on May 22, 1654. As he may have been only 15 years old, he was possibly part of the contingent of twelve boys on the ship from the Building College of Stockholm. On April 16, 1675, Johan Anderson Stalcop conveyed half his land in Wilmington to Peterson and Lars Cornelison. Peterson erected a "humble cabin" on a hill overlooking Wilmington and cleared away the forest covering the southern declivity of the hill. It was near Peterson's cabin where, as Peterson tilled the land with oxen, Quaker leader Elizabeth Shipley took in a view that she had earlier reported seeing in a dream, and determined that the Quakers were destined to settle the
Delmarva Peninsula The Delmarva Peninsula, or simply Delmarva, is a large peninsula and proposed state on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by the vast majority of the state of Delaware and parts of the Eastern Shore regions of Maryland and Virginia. ...
. Peterson gave "30 feet" toward the construction of the Mormon Church in Wilmington (now Holy Trinity Church (Old Swedes)). In order to provide for his wife Brita, who outlived him, Peterson left his land "to that son who should live longest with his widow." Therefore, his son Peter took over the plantation and his son Matthias released all claim to the land by a deed dated December 4, 1702. Peter left the land to his son Peter Peterson (by will dated January 29, 1714), who on May 8, 1727, sold the part of the land lying along the
Christina River The Christina River is a tributary of the Delaware River, approximately 35 miles (56 km) long, in northern Delaware in the United States, also flowing through small areas of southeastern Pennsylvania and northeastern Maryland. Near i ...
to ..., who formally laid out the city of Wilmington in 1730.


Notable descendants

* Charles Shreeve Peterson


References

1639 births 1689 deaths Swedish emigrants to the United States American city founders People of New Sweden People from Värmland People from Wilmington, Delaware {{delaware-stub