Hans Marius Peterson Oral History Interview, 1982 PDF
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Peterson, Hans Marius
- Title
- Dates
- 1982 (inclusive)19821982
- Quantity
- 3 file folders
14 photographs
1 sound cassette - Collection Number
- t151
- Summary
- An oral history interview with Hans Marius Peterson, a Norwegian immigrant.
- Repository
- Pacific Lutheran University, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Pacific Lutheran University
12180 Park Avenue South
Tacoma, Washington
98447
Telephone: 253-535-7586
Fax: 253-535-7315
archives@plu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
The oral history collection is open to all users.
- Additional Reference Guides
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Hans Peterson was born on March 22, 1899 in Mørsvikbotn, Norway to Pedder Pederson and Jakobine Karlsen. There were eight children in the family, including Hans. Pedder was a farmer and fisherman, and he died young of blood poisoning, leaving Jakobine to work and care for the family. They lived in a poorly built home but managed. When Hans was fifteen, he went to Lofoten, where he was a cook on a fishing boat. He took this job to earn money for his confirmation suit. He remained in the Lofoten fishing industry for five years, and also fished for herring in Stavanger for two winters. In an effort to make a better living, Hans immigrated to North Dakota in April 1923. He met his brother in Stanley, ND and worked on his cousin's farm for the winter. The next winter, he drove a school bus, which helped him with his English. Hans then decided to go to Alaska with his cousin, Andrew Olafson, and they fished for herring for a short while. After this, Hans worked in a reduction plant, which made fish oil and other products, and then worked at a fox farm for twenty-seven months. He also worked in a cannery and did carpentry work in Petersburg. In 1928, Hans decided to move to Seattle, WA, where his brother was. He worked in a sawmill in Ballard for a while and then went to Vancouver, British Columbia. In Vancouver, he married Selma Reinvik, who had been his neighbor in Norway. They moved to Gig Harbor, WA in 1930 and had three children: Harold, Raymond, and Joanne. At first, Hans did farming and later he made a living by selling milk to Bremerton. His creamery eventually went broke, but he still owned 95 acres when he retired. In 1946, Selma, Hans' first wife passed away and he remarried five years later to Nellie Cleveland. Hans attends church in Rosedale, WA once in awhile and also goes to the lodge occasionally. He has visited Norway three times and receives a Norwegian newspaper once a week in Washington. Hans is very proud of his Norwegian heritage and considers Scandinavians "some of the most civilized people in the world."
Lineage
Full Name: Hans Peterson. Father: Pedder Pederson. Mother: Jakobine Karlsen. Paternal Grandfather: Peder Olsen. Paternal Grandmother: (?) Barbo. Maternal Grandfather: (?) Karlsen. Maternal Grandmother: Karen Jakobsen. Brothers and Sisters: Ingvald Peterson, Konrad Peterson, Erling Peterson, Julie Peterson, Inga Peterson, Petra Peterson, Magnus Peterson. Spouse: Selma Reinvik Peterson. Nellie Cleveland Peterson. Children: Harold Peterson, Raymond Peterson, Joanne Peterson.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The interview was conducted with Hans Peterson on March 16, 1982 in Gig Harbor, Washington. It contains information on family background, work, emigration, marriage and family, community involvement, and Norwegian heritage. The interview also provides photographs of Hans' home in Norway, fishing in the Lofoten Islands, Hans at age seventeen, Hans at a fox farm in Petersburg, AK, Hans doing construction work in Petersburg, Hans watching traps in Alaska, Hans' farm in Rosedale, WA, Hans picking berries in Rosedale, and Hans at the time of the interview. The interview was conducted in English.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The partial interview transcription highlights important aspects of the interview. Numbers may be used as guides to important subjects. Two numbers separated by a slash indicate that the first number is for cassette and the second for CD.
| Container(s) | Description |
|---|---|
| Cassette | |
| 161, side 1 | 005: Hans Marius Peterson. Born in Nørfold, which is now
Soørfold. Name of the town is Mørviksbotn. Soerfold is the county. Thirteen
Norwegian miles from Bodø. Born on March 22, 1899.
|
| 161, side 1 | 024: PARENTS: Pedder Pederson and Jakobine Karlsen. Mother was
from the same area. Grandfather was from Gudbrandsdalen, Norway.
|
| 161, side 1 | 030: GRANDPARENTS: Paternal grandfather's name was Peder Olsen.
Took his father's first name to get his last name.
|
| 161, side 1 | 039: Father was a farmer and fisherman. He died young of blood
poisoning. Mother was left with ten children to care for. Grandmother, who was
93, lived with them.
|
| 161, side 1 | 049: GRANDPARENTS: Paternal grandmother's name was Barbro. Peder
Olsen was from Gudbrandsdalen. Came on the first steamship that carried mail to
the northern part of Norway in 1840, and he stayed here. He did like fishing.
He made money cutting wood. They had a little farm and a small flourmill.
|
| 161, side 1 | 071: Grandfather gave one place to Hans' father and uncle and
moved to another bay to cut wood. Explains how grandfather caught fish by using
the waterwheel at the mill.
|
| 161, side 1 | 085: MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS: Karlsen. Karen Jakobsen lived with
them for a while.
|
| 161, side 1 | 094: MOTHER WAS LEFT WITH THE CHILDREN: Started work in early
years. Hands did fishing in the bay. They had a small farm with cows, sheep and
goats.
|
| 161, side 1 | 113: Did hunting for ptarmigan. Sold these birds to the
storekeeper. Had sold some to his brother who had a small store before the
Depression.
|
| 161, side 1 | 125: These birds are a delicacy. There were shipped to Oslo. Hans
brought 1700 to Oslo once and doubled his money.
|
| 161, side 1 | 131: BROTHERS AND
SISTERS Ingvald lived on a farm, fished
in the Lofoten Islands for 35 winters. Konrad lived in Tacoma, did fishing and
carpentry. Had 13 children. Erling had a store in Norway, went bankrupt in
1918. Had ligonberries in his store, which cost him more than he made on them.
Sold fish.
|
| 161, side 1 | 168: Julie came to America when she was 18. She died soon after
she came over of double pneumonia. Inga lives in Norway in a nursing home.
Petra lives in Norway. Magnus lives at the home place in Norway. He was in
America for one year. He missed Norway so he went home to Norway in 1931.
|
| 161, side 1 | 199: CHILDHOOD HOME Poorly built for the cold country. Managed to stay
warm. Bedroom downstairs, kitchen, and bedrooms upstairs. Used wood heat. Had a
sod roof, good insulation. Gives some detail of this type of roof. Most of the
old place has been torn down now.
|
| 161, side 1 | 230: CHRISTMAS Lots of good eating. Not much going on where he
lived. Church was not close, four Norwegian miles. Church was hard to go to in
the winter because they had to cross the bay to go to church.
|
| 161, side 1 | 244: SCHOOL Crossed a river to get to school. Dressed good and always
made it to school. Now there is a schoolhouse that is easier to get to.
|
| 161, side 1 | 263: Had religion at school. Learned verses by heart. Learned
history and many other things from memory.
|
| 161, side 1 | 278: CHRISTMAS FOOD Especially good food, lefse, different meats and
breads.
|
| 161, side 1 | 295: "Now they have Christmas in Norway every day,
compared to olden days, people in Norway are kind of rich now."
|
| 161, side 1 | 298: Did not have presents at Christmas, but had lots of
cards.
|
| 161, side 1 | 301: Did not believe in trolls and julenisse.
|
| 161, side 1 | 322: After school, Hans went to Lofoten at age 15. His mother did
not have enough money to buy him a confirmation suit, so he made the money
himself.
|
| 161, side 1 | 329: Was a cook for eleven men. Up at 5am to start the coffee for
the fishermen. Earned 75 krone for the winter.
|
| 161, side 1 | 348: BUYING HIS CONFIRMATION
SUIT Went shopping on the dock where
clothes were sold to fishermen. He paid half price for his suit, 18 krone.
|
| 161, side 1 | 377: Did herring fishing up in Stavanger for two winters. Worked
for five years in Lofoten doing fishing.
|
| 161, side 1 | 390: One winter he cut timber. Made 5 krone a day. Cut cord
wood.
|
| 161, side 1 | 414: Cut wood in the area where his father owned land. Made lots
of money. Mother was given 300 krone.
|
| 161, side 1 | 423: In 1919 he bought a herring boat, there was no herring. He
had to borrow $20,000 from the bank.
|
| 161, side 1 | 437: REASONS FOR COMING TO THE
U.S. Hard to make a living in Norway. Had
one brother in North Dakota. He could not marry the girl he wanted to marry
because she would not marry him. Hans eventually married this girl's sister
when she came to the U.S. Her name is Selma Reinvik.
|
| 161, side 1 | 463: MOTHER'S FEELING ABOUT HIM
LEAVING NORWAY His mother did not think
much of Hans leaving. She died two years later. She had a tough life. Her first
husband died in the river right in front of her. Hans gives more detail about
this.
|
| 161, side 1 | 494: Came over in April 1923 on the Bergensfjord.
|
| 161, side 1 | 502: BOAT TRIP OVER Had some seasickness. Came alone. Took ten days. Went
to Ellis Island.
|
| 161, side 1 | 518: FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF
AMERICA Went to a little town in North
Dakota, lots of mud in the streets. Hamlet, North Dakota close to his
brothers.
|
| 161, side 1 | 532: TRAIN TRIP No problems with the language. Ordered coffee once
and they put sugar in it, which he was not used to, so he dumped it out.
|
| 161, side 1 | 572: Brother met Hans in Stanley, North Dakota. Hans worked on
his cousin's farm for the winter.
|
| 161, side 1 | 581: Next winter he drove a school bus. Describes the old bus. He
stayed at school all day. This helped him learn the language. He learned to
read quickly, it was harder to talk. Also worked for a guy from Norway who had
been in North Dakota for 13 years.
|
| 161, side 1 | 624: Decided to go to Alaska with his cousin. They did some
herring fishing with a fellow from Norway. This did not last long.
|
| 161, side 1 | 643: Worked in a reduction plant. Made fish oil and other
products. Made about 80 cents a hour. Has done well here in America. Has land
he cane sell, cannot do this in Norway usually they just pass the land
down.
|
| 161, side 2 | 010: Talks about his cousin, Andrew Olafson. Hans stayed at a fox
farm for 27 months taking care of foxes. Made about $100 a month. Nicest job he
ever had lots of freedom.
|
| 161, side 2 | 022: Lots of eagles around. Hunted eagles. Brother came and
stayed with Hans for a year. Shot 68 eagles one spring. State and company gave
him $1 per eagle. Hunted deer in the winter. Brother hunted with him.
|
| 161, side 2 | 039: Worked for a cannery in Petersburg, Alaska. Hans did
carpentry work here. Also watched so that no one stole any fish.
|
| 161, side 2 | 064: Lots of black bears in Alaska. Tells about his experience
with bears. Worked for two years in the canneries.
|
| 161, side 2 | 070: In 1928 he came to Seattle and worked in a sawmill in
Ballard. His brother was also here. Then Hans went to Canada.
|
| 161, side 2 | 078: MEETING SPOUSE Met his wife in Canada. She was one of his neighbors
in Norway. They were married in Vancouver, B.C. His wife knew somebody in
Vancouver who helped them out.
|
| 161, side 2 | 105: WEDDING Not big. 4-5 people came. It was in a church with a
Norwegian preacher.
|
| 161, side 2 | 111: Hans helped his brother build a house in Seattle. In 1930
they moved to Gig Harbor, Washington. Did farming and had cows.
|
| 161, side 2 | 120: DEPRESSION Did work around his property, building and farming.
Bought property in 1940, 65 acres at $14 an acre.
|
| 161, side 2 | 128: Made a living selling milk to Bremerton. Wife helped. She
was used to milking n Norway. Had berries, which they sold for 6 cents a pound.
All prices went down during the Depression. Did not even pay to pick the
loganberries.
|
| 161, side 2 | 150: Milked for ten years. Had 18-20 cows, nine cans of milk.
Hans has cleared much of this land himself. Worked about 14 hours a day.
|
| 161, side 2 | 165: Creamery went broke. Hans' family lost lots of money. People
quit milking their cows. Hans had 95 acres when he retired. Has sold this
little by little.
|
| 161, side 2 | 196: CHILDREN Joanne Lewis works in the Social Security Office in
Tacoma, she went to the University of Washington. Married twice and has two
children. Had been to Formosa and Iran with her husband's job in the Navy.
Harold has Chalet, an import business around Gig Harbor. He went to the
University of Oslo. He married a teacher, Beverly Brower. Raymond is the oldest
son. Was in the Navy and went to vocational school in Tacoma.
|
| 161, side 2 | 248: CHURCH Goes once and a while. Goes to lodge once and a while. Does
not like to go at night. Goes to church in Rosedale, Washington most of the
time.
|
| 161, side 2 | 268: First wife passed away in 1946. Alone for five years.
Married Nellie Cleveland. She had been working as a practical nurse in
Seattle.
|
| 161, side 2 | 283: TRIPS BACK TO
NORWAY In 1951 he stayed for five months.
He went alone. Had taken three trips by plane.
|
| 161, side 2 | 296: CHANGES People have quit farming. Kids play all summer long,
different from when he grew up. Kids get too much money and they dress
nice.
|
| 161, side 2 | 324: He has worked with Swedes, Danes and Finns. They are the
same kind of people as Norwegians. Standard of living is higher in Norway than
in the U.S.
|
| 161, side 2 | 345: WHAT IT MEANS TO BE
NORWEGIAN Proud. Norwegians and
Scandinavians are some of the most civilized people in the world. Better
educated. Good school system in Norway today.
|
| 161, side 2 | 364: Speaks Norwegian still. Reads about his land in Norwegian.
Gets the Norwegian newspaper once a week.
|
| 161, side 2 | 388: Children do not speak Norwegian except Harold who learned
Norwegian when he studied there. His daughter understands some.
|
| 161, side 2 | 400: Still cooks fish and potatoes like his grandfather. Had good
food on the farm, lots of meat. Learned to eat fish in Norway. Bought fish tips
in Tacoma. Had lots of salmon. Did canning. No shortage of fish.
|
| 161, side 2 | 435: Hired a few people in the summer to help with the hay.
|
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
- Subject Terms :
- Christmas
- Education--Norway
- Emigration and immigration
- Family--Norway
- Fishing
- Marriage service
- Norway--Social conditions--1945-
- Norwegian language
- Norwegian-Americans--Ethnic identity
- Norwegian-Americans--Northwest, Pacific--Interviews
- Norwegian-Americans--Social life and customs
- Ocean travel
- Railroad travel
- Personal Names :
- Peterson, Hans--Interviews (creator)
- Olafson, Andrew
- Peterson, Joanne
- Karlsen, Jakobine
- Pederson, Pedder
- Peterson, Harold
- Peterson, Nellie Cleveland
- Peterson, Raymond
- Peterson, Selma Reinvik
- Corporate Names :
- Bergensfjord (Steamship)
- Ellis Island Immigration Station (N.J. and N.Y.)
- Family Names :
- Cleveland family
- Karlsen family
- Olsen family
- Pederson family
- Peterson family
- Reinvik family
- Geographical Names :
- Alaska
- Gig Harbor (Wash.)
- Lofoten (Norway)
- Mørviksbotn (Norway)
- Seattle (Wash.)
- Stanley (N.D.)
- Stavanger (Norway)
- Vancouver (B.C. Canada)
- Form or Genre Terms :
- Oral histories
- Occupations :
- Cannery workers
- Carpenters
- Hunters
- Sawmill workers
