Santa
Clara County
Biographies
PETER JORGENSEN
The Socialist Labor party of the Pacific
coast has no better or more intelligent representative than Peter Jorgensen, an
active and prominent contractor and builder of San Jose. A man of great industry enterprise and
executive ability, he is well known and well liked, and is an influential
member of the community in which he resides, and of the political party with
which he is identified. A native of
Denmark, he was born February 1, 1859. in Vamdrup, in the peninsula of Jutland,
where his parents, Jokum and Maren Jorgensen, spent their entire lives, his
father being employed there during his active career as a wagon maker.
Leaving home when fourteen years old, Peter
Jorgensen went to the island of Fyen where he served an apprenticeship of four
years at the cabinet maker’s trade, and while thus employed joined the Cabinet
Makers’ Union. He subsequently worked at
his trade in Copenhagen, Berlin and Potsdam.
From the latter place he returned to Berlin, and from Germany went back
to Denmark, locating in Copenhagen, where he worked as a journeyman until
1881. Immigrating in that year to the
United States, Mr. Jorgensen located in Chicago, Ill., where he joined the
Cabinet Makers’ Union and followed his trade for a year. Coming to California in 1882, he united with
the Cabinet Makers’ Union of San Francisco, and for eight years worked at his
trade in that city. While a resident of
that city he was very prominent in labor circles, and assisted in organizing
two unions, one of which he served as president for a number of years. Removing to San Jose in 1890 Mr. Jorgensen
opened a furniture store and office, and did cabinet work of all kinds,
including manufacturing jobbing and repairing.
Subsequently taking up his present work as a contractor and builder, he
made a specialty of the fine cottages and residences, and has carried on a
substantial business throughout Santa Clara and adjoining counties, erecting
many of the most beautiful dwelling houses of the mountain and valley, as well
as of San Jose and of Palo Alto, his own residence being located at No 517 San
Carlos street.
In Oakland, Cal., Mr. Jorgensen married
Annie Thompson, a native of Jutland, Denmark, and of the union five children have been born, namely:
Herbert C., Laura Catherine, Rudolph L., Annie T. and Ida. A charter member of the Socialist Labor
party, Mr. Jorgensen has been very active in promoting its interests, and at
different times has been nominated on that ticket as candidate for important
offices. He was very influential while
in San Francisco in securing the eight-hour-day law, and was one of the men
appointed to visit the different factories and get the signatures of the
employees to the petition for the same.
Transcribed by
Louise E Shoemaker August 17, 2015.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 728-729. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Louise E. Shoemaker.