California Biographies

Source: History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of 
the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with 
its growth and development from the early days to the present (1919)

History By Paul E. Vandor 
Illustrated, Complete In Two Volumes 
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1919
 
Notes: Missing+page1185-1186

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


NICOLAI PETERSEN.� Descended from an old and honorable Danish 
family Nicolai Petersen was born near Nyborg, Fyen, Denmark, March 2, 1856, 
the same year that Fresno County was organized. He is the fifth oldest in a 
family of ten children, three of whom are in the United States. Rasmus resides 
with our subject and Sophia, Mrs. Carl Poulsen, also resides in Fresno County. 
Nicolai Petersen received a good education in the schools of his native coun- 
try which has been supplemented by reading and observation until he is a 
well-informed man. His parents were farmers so Nicolai early learned the rudi- 
ments of farming as it is done in his native land. Being interested in husbandry 
and liking the freedom and open life he chose it as his life work and engaged in 
farming his father's place until 1894, when he purchased a farm and made a 
specialty of dairying, a business he had always followed. In 1902 he. sold his 
place. He had a desire to visit the Pacific Coast, so came to California, arriving 
in September, 1904. Being a man who was never idle he sought employment, 
which he found with H. Madsen, continuing with him for two and one-half 
years. During this time, however, he came to like Fresno County and its people, 
so in July, 1905, he purchased his present place of forty acres in American 
Colony. Resigning his place with Mr. Madsen he located on his ranch and made 
substantial improvements and sowed it to alfalfa and began dairying, in which 
he has met with success having built up a herd of the Holstein strain, and is also 
raising some fine specimens of horse flesh. He also owns thirty acres on Fig 
Avenue which he has improved to alfalfa. Mr. Petersen intends to devote his 
home place to dairying and turn the ranch on Fig Avenue to a vineyard and 
plans to set it out to Thompson seedless vines the soil being well adapted to that 
purpose. 

Mr. Petersen has always been a very active man, a great worker and 
ambitious, believing the wealth and progress of a country depends upon the 
success of the tillers of the soil. Being reared a Lutheran he adheres to that 
faith. Mr. Petersen's views in politics are expressed in the platform of the 
Democratic Party.