In Colorado

Roy Peterson lived for a short time in Colorado before moving to Washington State.  The information I have is sketchy but I do have one good clue here:

In Tacoma

The 1945 Tacoma City Directory list a Roy F. Peterson with a wife named Bertha that lived at 280 Omak. He was a welder at the Todd Pacific Shipyard.

Todd Pacific was known as the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. until June of 1944 when they changed their name. The Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Todd Pacific after June 1944) was a major builder of ships for the U.S. Navy. They built all kinds of ships - but mostly transports and "baby flat-tops".

Why move to Tacoma?  Grandpa was a Welder and Tacoma needed welders...

Berkeley Daily Gazette, 27 Feb 1945

I wonder if grandpa had a hand in building any of the big navy ships used in the second world war?

 Spokane Daily Chronicle, 30 April 1945

Here is an interesting/funny article from the same time period:

Toronto Daily Star, 27 June 1945

The following picture was taken in Tacoma.

In this photo is Bertha Lawson Peterson and four of her and Roy Peterson's kids: 

Velma & Don (holding hands), Charles & Olen Peterson.

Sources:

• e-Mail from Bob Schuler, Special Collections, Tacoma Public Library
• Berkeley Daily Gazette, 27 Feb 1945
• Spokane Daily Chronicle, 30 April 1945
• Toronto Daily Star, 27 June 1945

Robert Peterson's Foster Parents

Martin & Mathelda Peterson adopted Robert Peterson according to census records.  I have not determined if this adoption was official.

Here is a newspaper account regarding Robert's foster parents:

Nevada Daily Mail, Nevada, Missouri, Tuesday, February 23, 1897

"A subscriber to the Mail, who resides at Sandstone, this county, writes that, having seen an article relative to the Peterson children, whose parents died recently, he will give one of them a home.  His request is referred to the ladies of the Children’s Home Society."

More than likely this person was Martin R. Peterson (no relation) who took the three year old (Robert Peterson) under his care.

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Other Sources:

1900 Vernon County, Missouri Census

Name	Age	Birth Month/Year	Birth place	Other
Martin Peterson	41	May 1855	Sweden	·Occupation:  Taylor ·Immigration year:  1871 ·Living in United States 32 years (doesn’t match immigration year) ·Naturalized Citizen · Married for 20 years
Matilda Peterson	41	April 1859	Sweden	· Had 6 children but none living. · Married for 20 years
Robert Peterson	4	Sep 1893	Missouri	·Listed as Grandson. ·Note:  age and birth year don’t match

1920 Morgan County, Missouri Census

Name	Age	Birth place	Other
Martin R Peterson	67	Sweden	·Owns his home ·Immigration year 1871 ·Became a Naturalized Citizen in 1876 ·Occupation:  Taylor
Matilda Peterson	64	Sweden	·Immigration year 1871 ·Became a Naturalized Citizen in 1876

1930 Morgan County, Missouri Census

Name	Age	Birth place	Other
Martin Peterson	77	Sweden	·  Widower ·  Rents Home
Robert Peterson	33	Arkansas	·  Divorced ·  Listed as adopted son
Paul Peterson	3	Missouri	·  Listed as Grandson

The following picture is of Martin Peterson (according to my Aunt Leona), date unknown.

Sources:

• 1900, 1920, and 1930 Census, Ancestry.com

Finding Homes for the kids

The following articles tell the story about Roy and his brothers fate after the death of their parents.

Nevada, Missouri, Saturday, February 27, 1897

FATHERLESS AND MOTHERLESS

But the Three Peterson Orphans are Cared for.

            Joseph Wiswold, who so kindly took charge of the little Peterson children when their parents died, still has them in his family where they are being tenderly cared for.

            Mr. Wiswold yesterday received a letter from Mrs. Thompson, a sister of the mother of the children, who lives in Arkansas.  She stated that she and her husband desired to have the custody of the little orphans and that they would be here after them as soon as it was possible to travel over the country by wagon.  She did not want the children given to the care of strangers especially if they had to be separated.

            The melancholy circumstances that left these little ones orphans among strangers were published at the time of the death of the parents within a few hours of each other.  The fact that they were left entirely destitute and that they were so very young—the oldest being but 5 years of age, and the youngest six weeks led a number of kind-hearted people to offer them homes.  Mr. Wiswold took charge of all three of the little ones and at once set about locating their relatives with the result noted.  No doubt good homes here would have been found for them but it is better perhaps that they be together with their relatives.

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Nevada, Missouri, Monday, March 22, 1897

HOMES FOR THE BABIES

The Peterson Orphans Provided for.

  

            “I have secured homes for two of the Peterson babies, “said Chief of Police W. W. Hill.  “One of them, the two and a half year old boy.  I have placed with M. A. Peterson, who lives on South Washington Street.  The little fellow will have a good home with them.

            “Mrs. Judge Stratton tells me she has secured a good home with an excellent family for the baby which is only 2 ½ months old.  The baby is with a woman in East Nevada who does not want to give it up, but I shall get it anyhow for I am determined so far as lays in my power to see that the best possible provisions are made for these children.  The older child, who is about 5 years of age, is still with old man Wiswold and wife, both of whom are kind to him, I shall look up a good home for this little fellow also.”

            The Peterson children, it will be remembered, were left by their parents, both of whom died here about two months ago in abject poverty.  They came here from some point in the south part of the state where they have relatives living.  Those relatives wrote to Mr. Wiswold that they desired to have the children and would come for them, but subsequently sent him word they could not come.

            The dead father and mother were kept at the morgue for quite a while but were finally buried at the expense of the county.

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 Nevada, Missouri, Tuesday, June 29, 1897

Taken to St. Louis.

Through the ministrations of the Children's Home Society, of which Miss Mary McCary is district secretary, little George Peterson, 6 years old, has found a permanent home.

Little George will be readily recalled as one of the children left by the father and mother who, after being for some time dependent on charity here last winter, while they were passing through the town, suddenly sickened and died, leaving three small children.  These were at once taken care of by a poor but kind family named Wieswold, living beyound the smelter.  This burden, however was too heavy for their straightened circumstances, and when the Home Society asked for the children they were forced to give them up.  When the little fellow was taken away yesterday he exhibited uncontrolable grief at the separation from his foster parents.  He was completely outfitted in clothes by Jno. Clack, J.J. Abell, Goss & Glenn and Schroder Brothers, and was taken to St. Louis today by Rev. W. B. Gay tate superintendant of the home.  He will be kept in the asylum until a permanent home can be found for him.

Source:

• Nevada Daily Mail, Nevada, Missouri

Deepwood Cemetery

The final resting place of John Robert Peterson and Mary Thompson, parents of Roy Peterson.

https://www.findagrave.com/user/profile/46864828

On March 3, 1869, the town (Nevada City) was incorporated and the word "City" dropped from its name.  The new city fathers hired a marshal to keep the peace, laid down some board sidewalks and started Deepwood Cemetery.

Below is an facinating story that comes from Deepwood Cemetery.  I included this article as another example of how 1897 was interesting and tragic year in my family history.

31 Oct 2001, Nevada Daily Mail

There is more to this story...The following article come the Rolla Herald (Phelps County, Missouri) on the 5th of August 1897.

31 Oct 2001, Nevada Daily Mail

Sources:

• http://www.nevamo.com/NevadaThen.htm
• Nevada Daily Mail, Nevada, Missouri

Thompson, Arkansas: A Vanished Hamlet of Northwest Arkansas

Nestled in the shoestring valley of the White River in Northwest Arkansas lies the forgotten town of Thompson, a small but vibrant community that once thrived as a hub of trade, justice, and rural life. Although Thompson no longer exists as a populated place, its history echoes through the lives of its settlers and the remnants of its once-bustling town center.

A Community Takes Root

Thompson was established in 1884 when Lewis Washington Thompson built the first store near a ford on the White River. The store quickly became the nucleus of the town, giving rise to a post office, a railroad stop, and a tie yard that supported the local economy. Thompson’s location near the St. Paul Railroad, which extended southeast from Fayetteville, played a pivotal role in its development.

The town's first settlers, including Mortimer Creech, Enos Robbins, and Ebenezer Harred, arrived before the Civil War. However, Thompson only became a community in the late 19th century when the railroad connected the area to larger markets.

The General Store: A Hub of Activity

The Thompson Store, c. 1880s.

(Image Source: Madison County Musings, Winter 1998)

The general store, originally built by Lewis Thompson, was much more than a place to buy goods. It served as a post office, a trading center, and even a courtroom where local justices of the peace presided over cases. Notable figures like John Knox Pool, who later purchased the store in 1890, managed it successfully, turning it into a focal point of the community.

Pool, known for his business acumen, created a market for local goods like railroad ties, cedar posts, livestock, and crops. He was a key figure in the town's prosperity, contributing to its reputation as a "clean community," free from the violence and lawlessness often depicted in rural tales of the South.

Education and Governance

By the mid-1870s, a school was established in Thompson, providing education to children from surrounding farms. Teachers like Clinton “Mack” Robertson, who taught during World War I, left a legacy of dedication to rural education. The school eventually consolidated in 1943, marking the end of an era for the town’s younger residents.

Justice in Thompson was pragmatic and community-centered. Records from the late 19th and early 20th centuries show cases ranging from disputes over livestock to more serious offenses. Local justices like T. Hall and Henry Lollar maintained order with humor and fairness, reflecting the values of a close-knit rural society.

Decline and Transformation

The decline of Thompson began as the Great Depression and changing transportation needs led to the railroad’s demise. By 1937, the tracks were dismantled, and the tie yard and post office ceased operations. The town gradually faded, leaving behind only memories and the occasional mention of "Thompson Switch" or "Thompson Cut."

Today, little remains of the original townsite. The foundation of the store is hidden beneath underbrush, and the graves of early settlers, once marked by fieldstones, have been lost to time. Yet, the legacy of Thompson lives on in historical records, family stories, and the quiet landscape of Madison County.

Sources and Acknowledgments

1. Madison County Musings, Winter 1998, Madison County Historical and Genealogical Society.
2. "Boston Mountains Still Echo Sounds of Vanished Hamlets," Northwest Arkansas Times, October 26, 1975, by John L. Smith.
3. Gloria Sisk, Madison County Remembrances of the Past.

Nevada, Missouri

Nevada is the county seat of Vernon County, on the main line of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway and on the Lexington Southern and the Nevada & Minden divisions of the Missouri Pacific Railway, 107 miles south of Kansas City and 280 miles west of St. Louis.  It lies in the heart of an exceedingly rich agricultural, stock and fruit region, and overlies extensive beds of bituminous coal. 

                                    

In this 1860 map, Nevada is called Nevada City. 

Vernon County is on the Kansas/Missouri boundary.

Source:

• The Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, Vol. IV, 1901



A home for the children and parents...

Nevada, Missouri, Thursday, February 18, 1897.

            The bodies of the Petersons, husband and wife still lie in Wainscott & Gammon’s morgue, being held till something can be heard from relative in McDonald County.  The husband died just one week ago today and the wife the next day, leaving three children the oldest but five years old.

                       

            Ladies of the Childrens Home Society, are looking into the matter of placing the little Peterson children, whose parents died the other day, into permanent homes.  There are three of these children, the oldest being five years and the youngest six weeks old.  They are said to sprightly children.  They have temporary homes with kind-hearted residents in the east part of the city.

Nevada, Missouri, Saturday, February 20, 1897

            The bodies of J. R. Peterson and wife, which have been kept in Wainscott & Gammon’s morgue for more than a week were consigned to their last home in Deepwood, this afternoon, the relatives not desiring to have them taken elsewhere.  A letter was received by Joseph Wiswold who has the children, from Mrs. Peterson’s mother, who lives in Thompson, Ark., stating that they were not able to send for the bodies.  They want the children and will send some one after them.  The little ones are 5 and 3 years and six weeks old respectively.

See post on Deepwood Cemetery.


Source:

• Nevada Daily Mail, Nevada, Missouri

Orphans

Nevada, Missouri, Saturday, February 13, 1897.

Mrs. John R. Peterson died last night on East Sycamore Street.  Her husband died Thursday morning.  Three small children—the oldest 5 years of age and the youngest six weeks, are left utterly destitute.  The family came here from Arkansas and have relatives in McDonald County this state.  The bodies will be buried in the Potter’s field by Wainscott & Gammon next week.

Mary Thompson's family was living in or near Thompson, Madison County, Arkansas.  John's family was living in Pineville, McDonald County, Missouri.

Source:

• Nevada Daily Mail (Nevada, Missouri)

Fatherless, motherless, and homeless

Nevada, Missouri, Friday, February 12, 1897.

THE MOTHER WILL DIE.

And Three Babies Will Be on the Charities of the World.

            The body of John R. Peterson, the man who died yesterday on East Sycamore Street under distressingly sad circumstances, is held in Wainscott & Gammon’s morgue as it is thought his wife can not live through the night.

            Mention was made in yesterday’s issue of the Mail of the melancholy condition of this afflicted family.  When the mother dies three little ones—the oldest five years of age and the youngest six weeks, will be left fatherless, motherless and homeless.

            The family came here not long since from Arkansas and for six weeks past have been cared for by the Provident Association, being sick and utterly destitute.

The family came to Nevada, Missouri from Thompson, Madison County, Arkansas.  See post on Thompson, Arkansas.


Source:

• Nevada Daily Mail (Nevada, Missouri)

The "Worthy" Poor

The Idea of a Provident Association: Who Were the "Worthy Poor"?

While reading The History of Jackson County, Missouri (1881), I came across a passage discussing the concept of a Provident Association—an organization formed to aid the "worthy poor."

"The idea of a provident association, for the relief of worthy poor, presented itself again in the fall of 1880, and on the 22d of November such an association was organized, with Col. T. S. Case, President; George H. Nettleton, Vice-President; C. S. Wheeler, Secretary; W. P. Allcut, Treasurer, and F. M. Furgason, Superintendent. During the winter it collected and distributed several thousand dollars and relieved much distress."

This passage made me wonder: how did they determine who was "worthy" of assistance?

Every generation has its share of people in need, as well as those who try to take advantage of charitable efforts. Societal views on poverty, responsibility, and public assistance have always been complicated, shaped by cultural norms and economic conditions. The very phrase "worthy poor" implies that some individuals were deemed more deserving of help than others—an idea that still sparks debate today.

The Provident Association, established in 1880, aimed to organize relief efforts systematically. But how did they decide who qualified for aid? What criteria were used to separate the “worthy” from the “unworthy”? These questions remain relevant, as modern discussions on charity, public welfare, and assistance programs continue to grapple with similar concerns.

It seems that, even over a century later, skepticism about charitable giving persists. We still question motives, evaluate need, and debate the best way to offer help. Some things never change.

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Source:

The History of Jackson County, Missouri: Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, Etc. Biographical Sketches of Its Citizens, Jackson County in the Late War ... History of Missouri, Map of Jackson County... United States, Ramfre Press, 1881.

"A Babe Six Weeks Old"

Finding traces of our ancestors in historical records is always an emotional experience, but few records capture the gravity of their struggles like this one. The following newspaper article, printed just days after my grandfather's birth, is likely the first public mention of him—though not by name, but as "a babe six weeks old." This tragic account tells the story of my grandfather, Royal Frederick Peterson, and his siblings, left in desperate circumstances after the sudden loss of their parents in early 1897.

The following account is probably the first mention of Roy F. Peterson in any form of public record. Royal Frederick Peterson was born on January 1, 1897 in Nevada, Missouri to John Robert Peterson and Mary Thompson.

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Nevada, Missouri, Thursday, February 11, 1897

SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS

The Father Dead, The Mother Dying; Children Destitute.

John R. Peterson died this afternoon of pneumonia at his home on East Sycamore Street. Mrs. Peterson is also critically ill with the same disease, and doctors doubt she will survive.

The family came to Nevada, Missouri, from Arkansas and had been relying on the aid of the Provident Association for food and clothing for the past six weeks.

Three young children remain:

• A babe six weeks old
• A child, three years old
• A child, five years old

With their father deceased, their mother near death, and no financial means, these children are in desperate need. This is truly a case for Christian charity.

Source: Nevada Daily Mail, Nevada, Missouri

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The three children mentioned in this report are:

6 week old: Royal F. Peterson
3 year old: Robert Peterson (uncle Bob)
5 year old: George Peterson