Daniel Pettersson   

Also went by the name Dan Peterson 
  • Born:  1897, July 16, Valö, Film Sweden 
  • Emigrated: 1923, October 6.    
  • Death:   November 1983, Ashland, Wisconsin
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Photo of a nyckelharpa that belonged to Jonas Skoglund, 1838-1936, that is presumed to be similar to the one that Jonas Spets built and Dan Peterson brought to American with him.   Photo credit MIMO, Musical Instrument Museums Online. 
Dan Peterson was born on July 16, 1897, in Valö, Film parish, Sweden—an area rich in nyckelharpa tradition. On October 6, 1923, he emigrated to the United States, arriving in New York with his nyckelharpa in hand. He eventually settled in Ashland, Wisconsin, a town on the Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior, where he moved in with his uncle, Anders P. Peterson.

In Ashland, Dan found work at the General Hospital and is also believed to have spent some time working in Duluth, Minnesota.
But Peterson’s life was more than just labor.

​He remained deeply connected to his Swedish roots through music. His nyckelharpa, crafted by the renowned maker Jonas Spets, was purchased from the legendary nyckelharpa player Justus Gille for 12 SEK—about one U.S. dollar at the time.
Credit to Per-Ulf Allmo for providing valuable information for this story.  
Music Links
​Here are nyckelharpa tunes played by Justus Gille, who sold Dan Peterson his nyckelharpa.