From History of Walworth County Wisconsin by Albert Clayton Beckwith, Vol. II, 
Publ. 1912 - Page 928-929
 
MISS ANNA PETERSON.  To few of us it is given to come within sight of the 
gracious castle of our dreams, but there can be no measure of doubt that to 
many earnest, high-minded seekers after the truth, such as Miss Anna PETERSON, 
the able and popular postmistress at Williams Bay, Walworth county, has been 
granted a tangible realization of many of the ideals of early youth, the time 
of air-castle building, which have been crystallized into worthy 
accomplishment in connection wtih the affairs of this work-a-day world.  A 
woman of gracious presence and intellectual attainments, she is eminently 
qualified for the responsible position of which she is incumbent.  Her 
commendable qualities are no doubt inherited from a long line of sterling 
ancestors, men and women who have been leaders in progressive movements in 
their day.  They were Norwegians of the best type - persons characterized by 
strength of mind, breadth of view, high-minded patriotism.
 
Miss PETERSON was born at Leland, Illinois, and is one of a family of seven 
children born to Peter O. and Bertha (THOMPSON) PETERSON, the other having 
been named Tillie, Otto, Peter, Nathaniel, Rebecca and Michael T.  The subject 
was the third in order of birth.
 
The PETERSON family emigrated to the United States in May, 1886, and they 
located at Earlville, Illinois, after spending two weeks in Philadelphia.  
They lived at Earlville a year and at Leland near that place, them went to 
Chicago, where they remained ten or eleven years.  Eventually they came to 
Walworth county, Wisconsin, and located at Williams Bay and there established 
a comfortable home, in which they remained until March 1911 a period of twenty-
five years, then moved to Madison, Wisconsin.
 
Of the children mentioned above, Tillie married Fred RAHN and they live at 
Lake Geneva; Otto is attending high school at Madison; Peter lives at Lake 
Geneva; Nathaniel lives in Fresno, California; and Rebecca lives with her 
parents at Madison, Wisconsin, and is attending the State University; Michael 
T. is in business at Williams Bay.  A sketch of his life appears on another 
page of this work.
 
Miss Anna PETERSON received a good education and she has long manifested an 
abiding interest in public affairs.  She was appointed postmistress at 
Williams Bay in October 1907, and has discharged the duties of the same to the 
present time in a manner that reflects much credit upon herself and to the 
eminent satisfaction of the people and the department. 
 
Prior to her appointment to this position she had, for a period of six years, 
been a clerk in the local postoffice.  When she was appointed she was one of 
the youngest postmasters in the state of Wisconsin.
 
Submitted by Carol