I can’t find any information on Hans Peterson, but I can tell you he was either courageous or insane. Here he is bringing in explosives on horseback. The explosives were widely used to clear out rock for roads and other things around here.
You’ll notice “Dupont” on some of the boxes. The chemical company was founded in 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthere Dupont. “By the mid 19th century the company had become the largest supplier of gunpowder to the United States military, supplying half the power used by the Union Army during the American Civil War.”
Photo courtesy of Pat Van Eaton.
Click on image to enlarge.
Eatonville To Rainier 