Peter and Alma Johnson came to Griggs Company in 1915. Peter was born near Bergen, Norway in 1866 and Alma in Sweden in 1868. At the age of sixteen Peter went to sea as a cabin boy on a Norwegian merchant ship. He advanced as a sailor until six years later he was the ship's pilot. His buddy at sea was HANS FERDINAND JOSEPHSON who many years later became one of the early pastors of the Bethlehem Free Church of Cooperstown.
While he was sailing there were great discussions of the wonderful new country, the United States, where there was free land and equal opportunity for all. Peter and Hans Ferdinand determined to emigrate to the United States, in 1887 Hans gave up sailing and came to the United States, and Pete did likewise in 1888.
After Peter came to the United States he sailed on the Great Lakes in summer and worked in a foundry in winter in Racine, Wisconsin. He married Alma Josephson, his buddy's sister and moved to a farm in Navarino, Wisconsin where he farmed. Ten children were born to Alma and Pete in Wisconsin. The land was low and swampy, and Pete was subject to colds and pneumonia so in 1915 he decided to move to the prairies of North Dakota where he hoped the drier climate would be beneficial to his health.
Pete and Alma farmed in Cooperstown Township west of Cooperstown until they retired in the later thirties and moved to Cooperstown.
They were members of the Swedish Evangelical Free Church west of Cooperstown and after it was dissolved they became members of the Bethlehem church. Peter died in Cooperstown in 1945. After his death Alma lived with her daughters until her death in 1962 at the age of 94.
The family of Peter and Alma are:
ALF JOHNSON farms in Cooperstown Township. He is the only son still living.
The Melfred Monsons live in Cooperstown.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 274