My Genealogy Hound

Christian Peterson, member of the firm of Peterson & Thias, dealers in stove and tinware of Washington, is a native of Washington, Mo., born February 19, 1858, and is the son of Lawrence and Anne (Esselbruege) Peterson, natives of Germany, born in 1819 and 1827, respectively. About 1847 the father immigrated to America, located in Washington, and was hired as a watchman on the Missouri Pacific Railroad. He died in 1865. After his death Mrs. Peterson married August Peterson, of the same name as her first husband, but no relation to him. He was a tinner by trade, but for many years was a hardware merchant in Washington, and in 1885 took in as a partner Frederick Thias. He died in 1886. He was twice married, and had one child, August, by his first marriage, and one, Frances, by the second marriage. Mrs. Peterson had six children by her first marriage, viz.: Catherine, wife of Henry Hinz, blacksmith, in St. Louis; Christian, Charles, druggist in St. Louis, and Amanda, wife of Charles Everts, commercial traveler. Our subject was educated in Washington, and at the age of fifteen began clerking in a general store in Washington, and there remained five years. At the age of twenty he began learning the tinner’s trade of his step-father, and afterward went to St. Louis, where he worked for five years. After the death of his step-father, Christian returned home and purchased his step-father’s interest in the hardware store with Mr. F. Thias, and has since been in the business with the firm as Peterson & Thias. Mr. Peterson is a young man of enterprise and good business capacity, and is meeting with good success. He is a Republican in his political views.