Sacramento County
Biographies
WILLIAM F.
PETERSON
W. F. PETERSON, manufacturer, and wholesale and retail dealer in candies and confections, Sacramento, is a native of Germany, born at Bremen, July 8, 1850, his parents being W. F., Sr., (a shoe manufacturer), and Gesiene (Wischusen) Peterson. When he was an infant his mother died, and when he was eleven years old he came to the United States to live with his mother’s sister, in New York. He finished his education commenced at Bremen, at Martin S. Payne’s College, corner of Canal and Bowery, and under Prof. Daniel Sullivan. At the age of fifteen years, having finished his schooling, he engaged with the wholesale ship-chandling house of W. F. Hartkopf. He was engaged in that business until 1866, when he came to California via Nicaragua, leaving New York on the Santiago de Cuba, and landing at San Francisco from the steamer of that name, on the 23d of August, 1866. He engaged with Meyer Bros., corner of Folsom and Freeman, with whom he remained until 1868. He was then taken sick, and his case given up as hopeless. He went back to New York, and when fully recovered went into business on the corner of Broome and Werrick streets, in the firm of H. Stelling & Peterson, grocers. The firm had continued one year, when Mr. Peterson sold out and went to Idaho. There he tried his luck mining at Placerville, but three months later went to Portland, Oregon. He found things dull there, and proceeded to San Francisco, where he went to work for Fred Carson, corner of Bush and Dupont streets. Eleven months later he came to Sacramento and went to work with P. H. Russell, with whom he remained nearly four months. He next engaged with H. Fisher. On the 3d of May, 1876, Mr. Peterson started in business for himself, with a retail candy factory and restaurant, at the present location of J street, between Sixth and Seventh. From that time his business has been steadily and rapidly increasing, until it has assumed vast proportions. He employs thirty-one people, and his trade extends throughout California, Nevada, Oregon, Montana and Arizona, and is gradually but surely extending its limits. The products of his factory are strictly pure, and have a splendid reputation. Mr. Peterson was married in Sacramento, August 29, 1875, to Miss Annie E. Bryte, a native of Yolo County, and daughter of Mike Bryte, deceased. They have four children, viz: W. F., Jr., Bryte M., Allen E., and Mabel. They lost one child by death - Edward Bryte Peterson. Mr. Peterson is a member of Capital Lodge, I. O. O. F.; of Union Lodge, A. F. & A. M.; of Sacramento Chapter, Sacramento Council, and Sacramento Commandery. Mr. Peterson is a pushing, vigorous man of business, and a successful manager, yet at all times genial and courteous in his manner. He is one of those men whom success has not spoiled.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated History of
Sacramento County, California. Pages 751-752. Lewis
Publishing Company. 1890.
© 2007 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.