May 13, 1824: Canute Peterson

Canute Peterson was born in Eidsfjord, Hardanger, Norway, and emigrated to the United States with the Quakers in 1837 at age thirteen. A year after the family settled in La Salle County Illinois, his father died and his mother fell gravely ill, leaving Canute to support the household. He spent the next five years caring for her and settling his father’s debts. In 1842 he joined the LDS Church, was ordained to leadership in the “Seventy”, and soon served a mission among Norwegian immigrants in Wisconsin form 1844-45.

February 16, 1827: Sarah Ann Nelson

Sarah Ann Nelson was born and raised in Kendall Country, New York. After her father’s untimely death, her family moved West to Wisconsin with other Norwegian immigrants. Sarah Ann served as a school teacher. She met Canute while on his mission in Wisconsin in 1844, who developed a friendly relationship with her family.

1849-1850: Migration to Utah

In 1849, Sarah’s family moved to La Salle Country with Canute, where she was baptized into the LDS Church. Sarah joined Canute on the migration to Utah in 1849. The couple were married along the trek through Iowa on July 2, 1849. On July 15, they joined the Ezra T. Benson Company and began the rest of their journey West, reaching the Salt Lake Valley in Fall 1849.

1850-1852: Settling “Evansville”

Canute and Sarah did not remain in Salt Lake City for long. In 1850, Canute was called to survey lands north of Utah Lake, settling the Dry Creek area. The settlement was later named “Evansville,” after the Bishop of the local LDS congregation. Canute helped build the first fort, and brought his family, including their first child Peter, in March 1851.

1852-1855: Salvation Wheat

In Fall 1851, Sarah bore a second child, who sadly passed away a couple weeks later. On Aug 28, 1852, Canute was called on a second mission to Scandinavia, leaving Sarah, pregnant again, to plant the year’s crop and care for 2 year old Peter. Sarah planted the crops late, and buried the seeds too deep. When the grasshoppers swept through Lehi’s fields and gardens, threatening the winter food supply, Sarah’s crop was spared. Her patch of wheat produced 60 bushels, and helped feed the local community. Sarah’s “Salvation Wheat” and sacrifice spared many in the early settlement from going hungry.

1855-1870: Lehi’s Immigrant Story

Canute’s mission lasted from 1852-55. When he returned to the US, he led a large company of Norwegian, English, and American converts to Utah. An immigrant himself, Canute helped many new families establish their lives in Utah. In Lehi, Canute helped found the first library, built a school house, opened a tannery, and served in the Bishopric. Sara started Lehi’s first gardening club.

1856-1858: First Murder Case

In 1856, Canute’s first plural wife, Maria Rolfsen, was raped by Jacob Lance. Lance was arrested by Constable James Harwood to await trial. Around 4am that night, a small masked figure in “female attire” entered the holding area and struck Lance with an axe before escaping unidentified. Lance died later that day. Non-LDS District Court Judge John Cradlebaugh sought to prosecute Lance’s killer while also conducting a federal investigation of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. no witnesses would come forward, out of fear of the killer or distain for Cradlebaugh’s investigation, and thus the case faded into obscurity.

1870-1902: Sanpete County

After 10 years in the Lehi Bishopric, Canute was appointed Bishop of the LDS congregation in Ephraim, Utah. In 1870 he was called as the Mission President of the Scandinavian Mission, returning to Ephraim in 1872, where he spent the rest of his life leading the South Sanpete Stake. In that role, he worked to ease tensions with Native Americans and guided the local congregation. Sarah died in 1896, and Canute in 1902, leaving two surviving wives and fifteen grandchildren.

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