Untitled Document

Hon. JAMES PETERSON. member of the state legislature, was born November 19, 1838, in New York City. His education was such as good public schools afford. The larger part of his knowledge is of that practical sort acquired by actual experience in business. His youth was mostly spent behind his father's counter. His father dying, James, at the age of fourteen years, in 1852, came to Oquawka and became a clerk in the store of the Moir Brothers, his uncles. After the death of James and William Moir, Mr. Peterson became a partner in the firm of Robert Moir & Co. He was for a number of years cashier of the Moir Bank.

In 1875 he retired. His chief business since has been in loaning funds. Mr. Peterson has devoted a part of his life to public business. He was an alderman when Oquawka was under city government. He has taken an active part in educational affairs. In 1882 he was elected to the state legislature. Among his efforts in that honorable body was a bill to compel the Chicago, Burlington Quincy Railroad Company to pay taxes on their bridge at Burlington. The bill passed the house but was defeated in the senate. Mr. Peterson also directed the apportionment constituting his own senatorial as well as congressional district. Mr. Peterson is a staunch republican. He is also a prominent Mason, having been worshipful master ten terms. He was married in 1874 to Sadie, daughter of Dr. S. H. Duple, of Oquawka, and a native of Washington, Pennsylvania.

Their children are Genevieve, James, and Sadie. Mr. Peterson's parents, John P. and Agnes (Moir) Peterson, were both natives of Forres, Scotland, and emigrated in early life to -New York City. John P. Peterson had studied medicine ten years in the colleges of Edinburgh and Glasgow. He also spent one year as surgeon on a fleet to Greenland. He graduated an M.D.

Upon coming to America he was so disgusted in finding that a drug clerk was allowed to practice medicine, or that so little attainment was required by the profession, that he abandoned his profession and embarked in the hardware merchandising in New York City. In about 1843 he located in Berlin, Wisconsin, in business, where he died in 1854, aged little more than fifty years. His wife surv.ived, and came to Oquawka in April, 1.852 ; but when visiting New York she succumbed to death, and was buried in Greenwood cemetery. In the family were five girls and one boy : Amelia, Agnes, Emma, Elizabeth, Georgiana, and James.

History of Mercer and Henderson Counties.

Illinois Ancestors