Sunday, November 27, 2011

Peter Adolph Mattson and his Sheep Herd Catastrophes

I was visiting my grandparents in 1979 when my Grandma and Vera Mattson  [sister from her Dad's second marriage?]  told me some stories about their dad,  Peter Adoph Mattson.  

I wrote:  "They showed us pictures of their home when they were young and told us how their father made his different fortunes, and lost some too.  He had sheep, and one night they all decided to bed down on the railroad tracks.  Of course once one is down, the rest do the same, and soon the train came and a terrible slaughter resulted. 
 
Another time they were near a deep gorge and the sheep were thirsty.  They could hear the water down below and one jumped.  Soon they all followed suit.  It took six weeks to haul them up and burn the carcasses.  That was Great Grandfather Mattson."
 
This picture is Peter A. Mattson with his grandson Dan Ormsbee Jr. about 1914 on Jeff Avenue near 28th Street,  Ogden,  Utah.
 
 
Here is Peter Mattson with his second wife,  Mabel, photo taken around 1912 at their home,  613 28th Street,  Ogden,  Utah.
 

2 comments:

  1. I didn't realize Peter Mattson married again and had children. I'm sure the sheep episodes were great tragedies. I wonder why they didn't put up fences to keep the sheep away from those places? Guess that will remain unanswered.

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  2. I had heard that sheep were stupid, but I had no idea. I have to dig around and see if I can find any info on the children from the second marriage.

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