Peterson is a city in Fillmore County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 199 at the 2010 census.^[5]

In the year 1853, Peter Peterson Haslerud purchased and platted the village site of Peterson and was the major force behind its early growth and development. The community was named after him.^[6][7] After buying the land and platting the town, he was elected to the Minnesota State Legislature, served in several appointed positions and in 1856 was appointed by the Governor of Minnesota as Immigration officer for the 14th District of Minnesota. Peter was instrumental in bringing the railroad through Rushford Township in 1867 and he gave the railroad company fifteen acres of land and along with other citizens contributed $800. to secure a station and warehouse at Peterson. Peter began buying wheat from local farmers and shipping it back to the eastern part of the U.S.

In 1870, a post office was established in Peterson and Even A. Hjelie was appointed first postmaster. In 1871, Peter Peterson Haslerud developed a "trout farm" on his property outside Peterson and continued to expand the boundaries of the town.

In 1873, Ole Ensberg started a blacksmith shop and in 1874 an additional quarter section of land was laid out into lots and added to the village of Peterson. In 1875, two general stores, a hardware store, and a drug store were established. In 1875, the telegraph was installed at the railroad station and G.P. Haslerud (Peter Peterson Haslerud's oldest son) was appointed agent. Also in that year fifteen additional acres were platted and Prospect Park, Mill, Centennial, Fillmore, Church, and Myrtle Streets were named. In 1876, a mill was built with farmers living in the surrounding areas subscribing most of the stock. A livery barn, a steam mill, the Peterson Hotel, the Northwestern Bar and other small businesses opened for business.

In 1882, the Minnesota and Dakota Gazetteer, gave a contemporary description of Peterson:

"An unincorporated village of 100 inhabitants in Rushford Township, northeastern part of Fillmore County, and a station on the Southern Minnesota Railroad, 25 miles from Preston and 120 miles from Minneapolis. It is situated on the Root Rover which furnishes power to a flour mill at this point. A steam flour mill is also in operation in the village and there is a Lutheran church and district school. The exports are flour and wheat. Modes of communication are: Western Union Telegraph, American Express, two stages semi-weekly from Pilot Mound to Peterson via Arendahl and daily mail service."

Peterson was organized as a village in 1909.^[8]

This section does not cite any sources. (October 2023)

Born  July 21, 1828, in Rollag Parish. Numedal, Norway,  Peter was the son of Peter Knutsen Haslerud ( 1775- 1847) and Ingveborg Pedersdr Bole (1785- 1843).  Very little is known about his early years, or that of his family  however records show he  emigrated  to the  United States at age 14 on  May 14, 1843 with his sister Ragnild and  her husband Gullick O. Laugen.  Their  ship "Hercules" set sail  with 55 passengers from Norway and arrived in New York  ninety seven days later.  

There were many reasons for the emigrations from Norway  to the United States in the 1800s  but economics  and/or religion usually played a big part and we don't know that of Peter Haslerud but we do know that one of the first churches in the village he founded was based on the  principles of  Hans Nielsen Hauge  (see Wikipedia's entry on Hauge).

After early years in Wisconsin and  Illinois (where he met and married Cornelia Aslaksdtter Anderson Teigen (born October 1, 1824- died April 15, 1892). the year 1853 brought Peter to the land that  eventually became the town of Peterson, which is named after him.    He plated and planned the village- seeing that schools and churches were built, naming streets and parks, establishing grain elevators and trout farms. The  Trout Farm, or Trout Hatchery, has provided trout to stock Minnesota's lakes for over 150 years and is now operated by the State of Minnesota.   By 1874 the hatchery supplied at least 100,000 yearling trout  to stock waters for fishing.

Prior to 1874 Peter secured  hundreds of acres of land in Fillmore County, Minnesota, was responsible for getting a railroad depot for Peterson, brought many businesses to Peterson, served in the Minnesota legislature, was appointed to several governmental positions  and contributed to the culture and economy of Fillmore County as well as Peterson.

According to "The Peterson Book-1974" written and compiled by Ann Rislove and  John Ericson ( now curator at Peterson Museum) businesses in Peterson in 1912  run by Peter's family members include Agrimson and Ensberg- General Merchandise,  Moen  Furniture, Carl Smaby- Peterson Hearld Editor and Owner,  Peterson Hardware, A,G, Haselrud, G.P. Haselrud and J.O. Ensberg- owners and operators of  the French Burr Mill Factory, O.A.O. Moen -Mortician, Carl Johnson- City Band,  Carl R. Moen- photographer.  J,O, Ensberg was founder and owner of the factory  and held several patents for original design of  factory machinery and  products.

First Structure in  Peterson

The  first structure in Peterson is Peter's  home,  The original house had a living room, kitchen and two bedrooms.  Over the years as the family grew many more bedrooms were added and also , a second kitchen (called a "summer kitchen".), a music room (with a pipe organ imported from Europe,) extra large screened porches around two sides of the home, a much larger dining room and a second "sitting room"  Sometime through the years the home came to be called "House of seven gables" and was occupied by Peter and his descendants until the year  2003.

Peter lived in the  home from its origin in  1853 until his death in  September 1880, his wife Cornelia died there in  April 1892.  Daughter Ingebord (Mary, Maria) born in 1858 lived in the family home  with her family until her death in 1934; her children  owned and occupied the home until  the year 2003.  

Peter  and Cornelia had five children:

Son- George Peterson Haselerud  (1852-1923) who married Gunhild (Julia) Maria Wethe in Peterson on May 4, 1876

Son-Andrew Peterson Haselerud  (1855-1942)  who married  Gjertrud (Jane) . Ensberg on September 28,  1878

Daughter-Ingebord (Mary/Maria) Peterson Haselerud  (1858-1934) -married Johannes  Olson Engsberg on 9/28/1878

Daughter- Ann Cornelia  Peterson Haselerud ( 1860-1863)

Daughter- Adeline  Peterson Haselerud   (1862- 1933) who married Elmer Halverson on September 1, 1883.

The oldest child, George Peterson Haselerud  is supposedly the first white child born in Rushford, Minnesota township.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.51 square miles (1.32 km²), of which 0.49 square miles (1.27 km²) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km²) is water.^[9]

Peterson is one of several towns intersected by the Root River segment of the Blufflands State Trail.