Peterson is an historic, small town in northwest Iowa. It is located
in the valley of the Little Sioux River on Highway 10 -- in the southwest
corner of Clay County. The Little Sioux
River and timbered hills surround it.
The area was first settled by the Christian Kirchner family in
1856. Christian and his brother Jacob came to Iowa to find open
prairies and fertile soil.
In Cedar Falls the Kirchners met
Ambrose Meade, who had Indian ponies, and together they started for
the Spirit Lake country. Along their way, they met a person who
told them about the beautiful land on the river southwest of Spirit
Lake, so they turned in that direction.
The Kirchners and Meade arrived on the bluff of the present site
of Peterson on 24 April 1856 -- to find the river so high they
could not cross. However, the surrounding country pleased them so
much they decided to take up land here. They returned to Cedar
Falls to secure tools and equipment. They planned, on their return
to Peterson, to plant gardens and fell trees to build cabins,
which they would need to support their families.
Ambrose Meade selected a site on the south side of the river
some distance to the east, while the Kirchners settled close to
what today is Peterson.
Peterson's history includes a number of interesting firsts for
Clay County:
- First settlement in Clay County (Earlier known as Long
Grove)
- First post office in the county
- First frame building
- First school was taught in Peterson
- First school building
- First site for religious service
- First site for Clay county courthouse
- First store
- First and only fort in the county - Fort Peterson
- First saw and grist mills
- First river dam
- First indian attack
- First town
- First hotel
- First white child born (Ella Jane Kirchner Sitz)
- First polling place, and
- First newspaper printed in the county.
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