Wendy Biorn - Why Andrew Peterson Settled in Minnesota and How His Diaries Influenced Vilhelm Moberg (Programs)
This presentation traces Andrew Peterson’s journey to Minnesota and the discovery of his diaries by Vilhelm Moberg, which later informed his classic novel The Emigrants.
About 2010, the Carver County Historical Society inherited a property once owned by Swedish immigrant Andrew Peterson. Peterson immigrated from Ydre Sweden in 1850. First arriving in Iowa, he moved to Minnesota in 1854 and homesteaded near Waconia, MN. Here, he spent the next 45 years working to find a winter hardy apple tree. Peterson died in 1898 and that may have been the end of his story if it wasn’t for Swedish author Wilhelm Moberg, who found Peterson’s diaries and used them as one of several primary sources for his Emigrant series books. Those books were made into a movie, a Broadway show with music by ABBA and a short run TV series. Today, the farm is open to the public for tours and events. Ms. Petersen Biorn will be presenting about Peterson’s journey from Sweden to the US and Moberg’s books which will forever keep Peterson’s story alive.
Wendy Petersen Biorn is a proud 40-year survivor of the nonprofit world. She holds a master’s degree in public and nonprofit Administration and started her career working at the MN Historical Society’s Oliver Kelley Farm. As the Executive Director at the Carver County Historical Society for the last 19 years, she has overseen the development of the Andrew Peterson Farmstead including raising $1.2M – during covid. As the recipient of the Lilly Lorenzen scholarship, she took a month sabbatical in Sweden to study the construction methods of Swedish farm buildings. She is the co-author of the nationally award-winning book, “Two Wars on the Frontier”, the firsthand account of Swedish immigrant A.J. Carlson.
Location and Hybrid Participation Options
This will be a hybrid program, with the following options available for participating.
- In-person attendance - our programs are held at the Minnesota Genealogy Center, 1385 Mendota Heights Road Suite 100 in Mendota Heights, MN. Ms. Petersen Biorn will join us in person.
- Virtual – The Zoom link will be emailed to all members before the program.
- A recording will be available if you can’t attend in-person or virtually.
Members
No quarterly program fee and you don’t need to register in advance.
Non-members
The cost is $10 per person. If you attend in person, no need to register and pay in advance. Zoom participants can register online below, or if you prefer to mail your registration and check, print and mail this Registration Form. We must receive your registration by Wednesday, May 27.
