PETERSVILLE

Henry Peters came to Union County in 1851 and located and entered (obtained a deed) land in section 30 of Jones Township.  He also acquired some of the property when the Mormons departed in 1852, which included a watermill for grinding grain, which had been built by the Mormons in 1847.  Soon after Peters platted a townsite of 25 lots and gave it the name Petersville.  At this time the town contained a few log homes that had been built by the Mormons.  In the summer of 1852 Petersville was established as the county seat and in September 1853 the first district court for Union County was convened there.  Petersville was the only town in the county to have ferry service, which was used to cross the Grand River when water levels were too high for wagons  to ford the river.  In the following year, a general store and blacksmith shop were additions to the town.  Interest in the town soon faded with the establishment of the Afton as the county seat in 1855.  The last mention of Petersville in County records was 1858.