San
Joaquin County
Biographies
PETER HANSEN
Born in Denmark, September 4, 1839,
in the death of Peter Hansen the Bethany section of San Joaquin County lost of
the last of its very first settlers and the community lost a man who was widely
known because of his fine character.
Deeply mourning the loss of his life-mate, who death occurred March 3,
1919, he predicted that he would not survive her a year. Their married life had been an exceptionally
happy one and when she died he became grief stricken and passed away August 28,
1919, outliving her less than six months.
Mr. Hansen first came to California
in 1857 around Cape Horn and in 1866 returned to Denmark, where he and Mrs.
Hansen were married on May 16, 1867, returning to California for their
honeymoon journey the same year, coming to Mohr’s Landing, which is now
Bethany, and settling on the ranch which remained their home. Two younger brothers of Mrs. Hansen, Thomas
and John Thomsen, accompanied her on her journey to California. John Thomsen died soon afterwards while
engaged in construction work on the Miller & Lux
Canal, but Thomas lived to become a prosperous farmer at Lathrop and the father
of thirteen children, eight of whom are still living. One of the interesting relics of the old days
remains still in the back yard of the Hansen home and during the celebration of
the golden wedding anniversary of this venerable couple was shown with a
considerable degree of pride by them. It
is the little house of two rooms to which Mr. Hansen brought his young bride
fifty years ago, the lumber being brought up from San Francisco by boat and
landed at Mohr’s Landing, there being no railroad at that time to the
valley. In this little cottage the
family of eight children were born and reared, five of whom still survive and
were present to join in the golden jubilee festivities. The living children are: Chris, Peter and Tom Hansen, and Mrs. William
Von Sosten of Tracy, and Mrs. William Bartsch of San Francisco, who now own and farm the old home
place of 396 acres of choice alfalfa land.
Besides their own children, Mr. and Mrs. Hansen reared two
grandchildren, Clinton P. and Grace A. Odell, who were a comfort and joy to
their grandparents. Clinton P. died at
the age of twenty-one and within a year, after a short married life of three
months, Grace A. passed away. Mr. and
Mrs. Hansen had ten grandchildren.
During the three days’ celebration of their golden wedding anniversary,
Mr. and Mrs. Hansen were showered with congratulations by their many friends
for miles around. Three persons were
present at this celebration that was present at the wedding in Denmark fifty
years before.
Mr. Hansen went to sea when a boy of
sixteen and traveled around the world considerably, and it was interesting to
hear him narrate his early experiences in the various countries he
visited. In the fall of 1863 he
volunteered in defense of the Union and served in the Second Brigade of
California Infantry, and was honorably discharged in 1866.
He lived to see his community grow
from the primitive to the advanced civilization, and endured all of the
hardships of the early settlers. One of
his hobbies was irrigation and he worked untiringly for the introduction of
water before it finally came. He could
always be depended upon to be on the right side of any issue coming up for the
development of the community he loved.
He served for twelve consecutive years as clerk of the board of trustees
of the Lammersville School District. He was a staunch Republican and was for twelve
years road overseer of the Tracy Road District; he also served a number of
terms on the grand jury of San Joaquin County.
He was a charter member of West Side Lodge, K. P., and belonged to
Lincoln Post No. 1, G. A. R. He was a
loving father and a devoted husband. His
life was upright and honorable in every relation, thereby winning the
confidence, good will and high regard of all with whom he became associated,
and the community where he lived for so many years miss his co-operation and
support.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
803-804. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Genealogy
Databases