294 - Petersburg Namesake

As new towns arose across North Dakota, the responsibility for naming them generally fell on the person that established them. Many early settlements were named for the town founder, though it wasn’t uncommon for them to be named for important people or people associated with the railroad. The town of Petersburg was no different.

Levi Peterson was born in Norway in 1834. After immigrating to America in 1843, Levi lived in Wisconsin until he was twenty-seven years old. At that time, he moved to Minnesota. Like many other Norwegian immigrants, he traveled west with his friend, Martin Johnson, in search of available land to claim. Johnson constructed a shanty north of Stella Lake while Levi put down roots on a site near present-day Petersburg, where he built a sod barn near the railroad.

In January of 1881, Levi made the nearly twenty-one mile trek to Bartlett, North Dakota to establish a feed and lumber store. Heavy winter storms hampered his return to Petersburg, so he boarded a train to ride back to his claim. The train traveled four miles east before it was stalled by heavy snow from the storm. After four days of waiting on the train, he walked back to Michigan City for dinner. Determined to return to Petersburg, he began the journey back to his sod barn on foot. Another blizzard came roaring through the Dakota’s and Peterson nearly lost his way. He pressed on, following the railroad tracks until he finally arrived home. Cold, he tried to start a fire in a dug out, but was driven back out into the elements by the smoke. He had no choice but to wander the prairie looking for warmer quarters. It was approximately 8:00 at night and Levi was soon lost in the harsh North Dakota blizzard. It was thirty-eight degrees below zero, so he bravely burrowed himself into a snowbank for the remainder of the night, hoping daylight would help him find his way to his friend Martins’ shanty. While he wasn’t able to find Martin, he did stumble upon a locked shanty. Exhausted, cold, and hungry, he laid on the ground. It wasn’t long before he noticed ice under him and figured he must have been on Deer Lake. Peterson knew two settlers in the area and was encouraged to spot a trail through the snow to a cabin. He staggered to the door, frozen and weary and was taken in and welcomed by the Ingebritson family. Imagine the relief he felt when the warmth of the fire hit his body, chilled to the bone. The ordeal wasn’t over for Levi though. Having suffered thirty-six hours of exposure to the elements, he lost three fingers, his thumb, and severely injured his toes. The Ingebritson family cared for him, ensuring he was refreshed, thawed out, and rested. The perilous events leading up to his arrival at their cabin left him so depleted that he slept for twenty-four hours.

After his recovery, he established a general store, which he ran until 1893. He also served as postmaster in 1883 and sent for his niece, Tillie, in 1883 to fill the role as schoolteacher in the frontier town. Levi, who played an important role in the creation of this community, named Petersburg after a manorial estate in Norway. His grave is located just inside the north gate of the Petersburg Cemetery.