Background
Cleng Peerson was born Klein Pedersen near the community of Tysvær in the county of Rogaland, Norway. Cleng Peerson grew up on the farm Hesthammar in Tysvær, but was born on the farm Lervik in the same district.
Cleng Peerson was born Klein Pedersen near the community of Tysvær in the county of Rogaland, Norway. Cleng Peerson grew up on the farm Hesthammar in Tysvær, but was born on the farm Lervik in the same district.
In 1821, he first traveled to the United States at the request of a religious community in Stavanger. In 1824, when Peerson came back to Norway, it was decided that a group should emigrate. Peerson returned to America to prepare for their arrival.
Cleng Peerson met the immigrants when they landed in New York on October 9, 1825.
They moved to northern New York, settling about 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Rochester in the town of Kendall, near Lake Ontario, in Orleans County. The road that ran through this settlement is today known as Norway Road.
In 1834, Cleng Peerson led a group of settlers to a little settlement on the Illinois River, in the Fox River Valley. The community of Norway in LaSalle County, Illinois is the site of the Norwegian Settlers Memorial which was dedicated in 1934.
Starting in 1838, Peerson returned to Norway several times.
By 1840, Peerson had settled in Sugar Creek in Montrose Township, Lee County in the southeastern part of Iowa. Cleng Peerson was listed in the United States census records as a settler in 1840. He lived here for several years, including the period 1840-1847.
In 1847, he joined the Swedish immigrant society at Bishop Hill Colony in Henry County, Illinois, which had been founded by sect leader Erik Janson.
During 1854, the Texas State Legislature granted Peerson 320 acres (13 km2) of land west of Clifton, in Bosque County, Texas. In 1947 and 1975, Cleng Peerson was featured on Norwegian postage stamps.
During 1982, King Olav V of Norway visited Texas in recognition of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Cleng Peerson. Cleng Peerson Research Library and Cleng Peerson Institute are both located in Clifton, Texas.
Tysvær municipality has announced plans for the Cleng Peerson Center.