Andrew Peterson Farmstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Andrew Peterson Farmstead
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The Andrew Peterson Farmstead from the southeast
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Waconia, Minnesota |
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| Area | 8.5 acres (3.4 ha) |
| Built | 1867 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 79003713 |
| Added to NRHP | October 11, 1979 |
The Andrew Peterson Farmstead is a special farm located just east of Waconia, Minnesota. It is in rural Carver County, Minnesota, right on Minnesota State Highway 5. This farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site in the United States. It is recognized because of its first owner, Andrew Peterson. Today, the Carver County Historical Society owns and takes care of the farm.
The Story of Andrew Peterson
Andrew Peterson, whose name in Sweden was Anders Pettersson, was born in Sweden in 1818. He decided to move to America in 1850. He traveled with his sister and fourteen other people. They arrived in Boston on July 2, 1850.
About a month later, he arrived in Burlington, Iowa. He lived there for four years. In 1855, Andrew moved to Minnesota. He claimed 160 acres of land near the southeastern shore of Lake Waconia. This is where he built his farm.
Peterson's Diaries and Famous Books
Andrew Peterson kept daily diaries and ledgers. He wrote in them from 1850 until just a few days before he died in 1898. His family gave these important writings to the Minnesota Historical Society in 1939.
These diaries became a big inspiration for a famous Swedish author named Vilhelm Moberg. Moberg used Peterson's experiences to write a series of novels. These books include The Emigrants, Unto a Good Land, The Settlers, and The Last Letter Home. Even though the books were set in a different county, Peterson's real-life story helped Moberg create his characters and their journey.
The Farm's Importance Today
While Andrew Peterson might not be well-known to many Americans, his story is very famous in Sweden. In 2003, the Andrew Peterson Society was started in Sweden. This group helps keep his memory alive.
In 2007, a group of people from Sweden visited the farm. They wanted to see the place where Andrew Peterson lived. The Carver County Historical Society has been working to restore the farm buildings. In 2006, Swedish carpenters helped restore the granary. In 2010, they started restoring the north barn.
In 2012, a musical play about Andrew Peterson was very popular in Sweden. It was called Andrew Peterson: The Genuine Pioneer Story. This shows how important his story is to people in his home country.
This article incorporates text from MNopedia, which is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
