Peter Bjorn, was born in Sweden, April 19, 1854, son of John Johnson and Mary Peterson. His parents were farmers and charcoal burners. There were seven children in the family: John, Peter, Johoan, Stena, Anna, Erick and Henry. Peter was the only one of the children who came to the United States, coming in 1880 and landing at New York. He had been an iron worker in Sweden and went to Maine to work in the iron works there. He worked there for about a year and a half and then he went to Minnesota. At St. Paul he worked on the railroad in the summer and in the winter worked in the pineries. After four years of this work he went back to Sweden to visit his parents, remaining there for sixth months. On his return to the United States he came to Sacred Heart township and, in 1885, he purchased a tract of land of 160 acres. There were some old buildings on the place when he bought it. He had a team, one cow, and a couple of chickens. He has now increased his farm to 200 acres and raises a good grade of stock, and has improved the farm in every way.

Mr. Bjorn has held many township offices, having been the assessor for two years, chairman of the board of supervisors for eight years and a member of the school board. He is also a member of the Swedish church at Sacred Heart, and has been a deacon for many years.

In the fall of 1885 Mr. Bjorn was united in marriage to Eliza Edlund, who was born in Sweden Sept. 27, 1865. Her parents, John Bechman and Christina (Peterson) brought their family to the United States in 1868, locating in Sacred Heart township, section 2. The father died after they had been here two years, leaving his wife with the two children, John and Elizabeth. Mrs. Bechman later married Peter Edlund. Mr. and Mrs. Bjorn have had three children, John and Melvin, both at home, and Anna, who died at the age of six. They have also had an adopted child, Christina, who died at the age of twenty-one.