Edward, Jr., his parents Edward, Sr. & Ida (Sundermeyer) Peterson & all their children, some young adults, moved from Iowa to Salem in the early 1930's seeking employment. Most packed their belongings into their cars and began the trek across the country to Oregon. After arriving, the ones who were not married soon became married & began raising their families in the Willamette Valley.
Edward met his wife Ellen at a dance hall where most of the Petersons attended since they all loved dancing. Ed said that when he first saw Ellen at a dance hall he noticed her bright red hair & what a great dancer she was so signed her dance card. Ellen's family had left Montana in 1929 heading for the Willamette Valley also looking for work. Each weekend Ed would go to the dance hall & sign his name on each line of her dance card, hoping she would not dance with others. They soon became married & began to raise a large family in the Salem area.
Their older children have memories of being taken along with the parents to the dance halls & learning to dance with all the aunts & uncles. During that period liquor was prohibited in the dance halls so children were allowed & often halfway through the night would fall asleep on a bench. If the adults wanted a drink of anything with alcohol, they would go out to their car and have a sip from a "brown paper bag". We often wondered how they could drink out of a paper bag but found later that there was a bottle inside the bag.
Edward met his wife Ellen at a dance hall where most of the Petersons attended since they all loved dancing. Ed said that when he first saw Ellen at a dance hall he noticed her bright red hair & what a great dancer she was so signed her dance card. Ellen's family had left Montana in 1929 heading for the Willamette Valley also looking for work. Each weekend Ed would go to the dance hall & sign his name on each line of her dance card, hoping she would not dance with others. They soon became married & began to raise a large family in the Salem area.
Their older children have memories of being taken along with the parents to the dance halls & learning to dance with all the aunts & uncles. During that period liquor was prohibited in the dance halls so children were allowed & often halfway through the night would fall asleep on a bench. If the adults wanted a drink of anything with alcohol, they would go out to their car and have a sip from a "brown paper bag". We often wondered how they could drink out of a paper bag but found later that there was a bottle inside the bag.
Edward, Jr., his parents Edward, Sr. & Ida (Sundermeyer) Peterson & all their children, some young adults, moved from Iowa to Salem in the early 1930's seeking employment. Most packed their belongings into their cars and began the trek across the country to Oregon. After arriving, the ones who were not married soon became married & began raising their families in the Willamette Valley.
Edward met his wife Ellen at a dance hall where most of the Petersons attended since they all loved dancing. Ed said that when he first saw Ellen at a dance hall he noticed her bright red hair & what a great dancer she was so signed her dance card. Ellen's family had left Montana in 1929 heading for the Willamette Valley also looking for work. Each weekend Ed would go to the dance hall & sign his name on each line of her dance card, hoping she would not dance with others. They soon became married & began to raise a large family in the Salem area.
Their older children have memories of being taken along with the parents to the dance halls & learning to dance with all the aunts & uncles. During that period liquor was prohibited in the dance halls so children were allowed & often halfway through the night would fall asleep on a bench. If the adults wanted a drink of anything with alcohol, they would go out to their car and have a sip from a "brown paper bag". We often wondered how they could drink out of a paper bag but found later that there was a bottle inside the bag.
Edward met his wife Ellen at a dance hall where most of the Petersons attended since they all loved dancing. Ed said that when he first saw Ellen at a dance hall he noticed her bright red hair & what a great dancer she was so signed her dance card. Ellen's family had left Montana in 1929 heading for the Willamette Valley also looking for work. Each weekend Ed would go to the dance hall & sign his name on each line of her dance card, hoping she would not dance with others. They soon became married & began to raise a large family in the Salem area.
Their older children have memories of being taken along with the parents to the dance halls & learning to dance with all the aunts & uncles. During that period liquor was prohibited in the dance halls so children were allowed & often halfway through the night would fall asleep on a bench. If the adults wanted a drink of anything with alcohol, they would go out to their car and have a sip from a "brown paper bag". We often wondered how they could drink out of a paper bag but found later that there was a bottle inside the bag.
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