The Peterson Ranch

PETERSON

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 3/7/2007 at 08:43:45

The Peterson Ranch

Part of the Peterson Ranch was purchased in 1884, and adjoining land was purchased over the years so that in the 1900’s the Ranch consisted of about 1,000 acres, half being in Fairview Township, Section 8, 9, and 17 and half in Indian Lake Township, Nobles County, Sec. 35 and 36 all along the Iowa-Minnesota State Line and bordering along the west side of Iowa Lake. The Ranch became known as being the one north of Harris, Iowa, and south of Round Lake, Minnesota.

Besides the house and grainery, which are original buildings, the Ranch had a large corn crib, barn, cattle shed, hog house, poultry house, scale, feed grinder, an ice house with an overhead water tank for water piped to parts of the farm, a coal house and a smoke house for curing meat.

Landscaping was extensive with a large grove and orchards.

In the early years John Mangelson was the head foreman and later Andrew (Gust) Anderson was foreman. Samuel Peterson never lived on the Ranch and after he died in 1906, the Ranch was divided among the Peterson heirs.