Peter G. Swenson

Judge Swenson was born in Trondheim, Norway on December 23, 1866. At age five he emigrated with his parents to the United States. He attended schools at Decorah, Iowa, and taught school in Iowa and North Dakota before he entered the University of Minnesota School of Law, where he received his Law Degree in 1892. He began practicing law at Hillsboro, North Dakota in 1893, where he also severed as State's Attorney of Traill County. Following the death of Judge Charles M. Cooley of Grand Forks, he was appointed Judge of the First Judicial District, by Governor A. G. Sorlie, on September 24, 1927. He served in that capacity until his retirement on October 1, 1950. Judge Swenson died on June 6, 1959.