1914 Biography - Johann E. Peters

Peters, Johann Ernst, who has been a resident of Louisiana for more than half a century, was born in Tonning, Germany, May 1, 1832, in which country he acquired his education in the common schools, working in the meantime on a farm until he was 18 years old. At that age he began learning the trade of a cabinet maker, which he pursued for 4 years and the government then allowed 3 years for improvement of his skill and gave this time off the required military service. Following this, he worked for various periods in several towns and at the end of about 2 years he returned to Hamburg and took ship to America. On arriving in the new world he went to Milwaukee, where he worked during the years of 1857 and 1858. He received about 75c a day, and all but $2 a week of this was paid in store orders. A room-mate who went to St. Louis to get work in Sept., 1858, and later found his way to New Orleans, wrote that he had found work at $2.50 a day, so Mr. Peters went there in Dec., 1858. He soon began to work for Brownlee & Waterman in a sash factory near where Charity hospital now stands, and thus he continued until May, 1860, when he went to Plaquemine, to work as a carpenter on a sugar plantation. Succeeding this he did some contracting on his own account near Baton Rouge and from there went to Penniston, where he remained until the Civil war broke out. In 1861 he was in the woods where he cut young pecan trees for barrel hoops, and then he spent 6 months on the Mississippi transporting butter, eggs, etc., from Bayou Goula to Baton Rouge in a skiff. These he bought from the plantations and sold to the Confederate soldiers stationed there. In 1865 he worked on a farm to see if white labor could stand that work, but he advised the owners to keep negro help because the white men would not stay unless they could own small farms. In 1866 he moved to Monroe and began the carpenter contracting business, but 5 years later he opened a furniture and undertaking establishment, which he has followed very successfully to the present time. To accommodate his business, he is now building a large brick store and warehouse. Mr. Peters was formerly a Lutheran, but as there is no Lutheran church in Monroe, the family attended the Presbyterian church. He was married in Dec., 1859 to Caroline Schau, who was born in Prussia and met Mr. Peters in New Orleans. This couple have 6 children grown, 28 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. There were 4 generations represented by 4 couples living for 9 years until Mrs. Peters died Feb. 29, 1912. There are 4 married children, 1 son and 3 daughters living in Monroe. The son is in the furniture business with his father.

Contributed 2021 Nov 04 by Mike Miller, from Louisiana: Comprising Sketches, edited by Alcee Fortier, published in 1914, volume 3, pages 561-562.