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| MS 603 Peterson Clothing/General Store (Slater, Iowa) Business Ledgers, 1914-1947 |
Special Collections Department |
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| Descriptive summary
| Administrative information | Biographical/Historical note Collection description | Organization | Description of series/container list |
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| creator: | Peterson Clothing/General Store (Slater, Iowa) |
| title: | Business Ledgers |
| dates: | 1914-1947 |
| extent: | 2.82 linear feet (2 oversize boxes) |
| collection number: | MS 603 |
| repository: | Special Collections Department, Iowa State University. |
| access: | Open for research |
| publication rights: | Consult Head, Special Collections Department |
| Preferred citation: | Peterson Clothing/General Store (Slater, Iowa), Business Ledgers, 1914-1947, MS 603, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library. |
| Historical note |
| August Peterson (1849-1918) was born in Jonkoping, Sweden on October 27,
1849. He immigrated to the United States of America at the age of 19 and settled in the
Swedish community of Rockford, Illinois. There he met Sophia Linn, the daughter of Swedish
immigrant Reverend John Linn. They were married on September 12, 1872 and lived in
Rockford until 1881 when they moved to Sheldahl, Iowa, where August worked as a tailor. As
the business grew he also began dealing in ready-made clothing. The Milwaukee Railroad
Line was surveyed and located one and a half miles north of Sheldahl in the early
1880’s, requiring farmers to haul goods over treacherous mud roads to the Sheldahl
Crossing. Increased rail business at the Sheldahl Crossing gave rise to a boomtown in
1885, consisting of a grain elevator and a grocery store. The two businesses served the
needs of the new community, and soon the possibility of expanding the area became a local
endeavor. A general meeting of the town of Sheldahl was called early in 1887 to discuss abandoning the old site of Sheldahl and moving the town to the Sheldahl Crossing site. Approximately half of the citizens decided to move their homes and businesses to Sheldahl Crossing and the new town that resulted was named Slater. Peterson moved his store and family to Slater in 1887. The structure was moved across the fields on skids pulled by 18 teams of horses. When Peterson’s sons, Henry and Archie, reached adulthood they joined their father in the business. August Peterson died on November 16, 1918. Henry and Archie continued as partners until Henry’s death on November 29, 1932. After Henry’s death Archie continued to operate the family business with the assistance of this wife Nellie. The business closed following Archie’s death on November 18, 1964. |
| Collection Description |
| The collection (1914-1947) contains business ledgers and material relating to the history of the Peterson Clothing/General Store. The business ledgers that document the Peterson Store accounts with suppliers of hardware, household goods, and personal consumable goods, as well as the daily business transactions of the store. In addition, the collection includes photocopies from historical books that document the history of the Peterson Store and the town of Slater, Iowa. |
| Organization |
| The collection is arranged chronologically. |
Container list
| Box | Folder | Title | Dates |
| 1 | 1 | Business Ledger, accounts with suppliers of hardware, household goods and personal consumable goods | 1914-1947 |
| 2 | 1 | Business Ledger, daily business transactions | 1917-1928 |
| 2 | 2 | Photocopies documenting the history of the Peterson Clothing/General Store | 1989 |
Iowa State University Library, Ames, IA 50011
Comments: tzanish@iastate.edu
URL: http://www.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/manuscripts/MS603.html
Revised: 23 August 2005.
