John C. Petersen


John C. Petersen was an American butcher and farmer from Appleton, Wisconsin who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from Outagamie County. He was elected in 1878 as a Greenbacker, and was re-elected the next year as a "Greenback Democrat".

Background

Petersen was born in Glückstadt, Holstein-Glückstadt on November 2, 1842. He received a common school education, and became a butcher by occupation. Petersen came to Wisconsin in 1862, and settled in Appleton, where he was elected to various township offices.

Public office

Petersen was elected to the assembly for 1879 from Outagamie County's 1st Assembly district, receiving 1,096 votes against 1,000 for Republican B. T. Rogers, and 423 for incumbent William Smith Warner. He was assigned to the standing committee on public improvements.
He was re-elected for 1880 by 963 votes, against 779 for D. J. Brothers, a Democrat, and 434 for P. P. Wing, a Republican. Even though he was re-elected running against a Democrat, he is listed in the 1880 Wisconsin Blue Book as a "Greenback Democrat": there were 71 Republicans, 27 Democrats, Petersen and one Greenback listed in the Assembly roster for that year. He remained on the public improvements committee. Petersen was not a candidate for re-election for 1881, and was succeeded by Democrat Henry Clay Sloan.

Personal life

Petersen married Wilhelmina "Minnie" Freiberg, born in Stettin, Pomerania in 1849; they were the parents of five children. Petersen was in the butcher business at Appleton for about twenty-five years, then moved to a farm in Grand Chute township which he operated until his retirement, and then returned to Appleton, where he died on July 10, 1887. His widow survived him, living until 1932. They are buried at Riverside Cemetery in Appleton.