In the quiet farmland of Amherst Township, a shocking act shattered a family and sent ripples through Fillmore County history. Peter Erickson was killed in his own home—struck repeatedly with an axe by his wife, Inga.
Behind the headlines was a deeper story of isolation, untreated illness, and a family tragedy that still lingers.
In this episode, Lenora and Preston revisit the story through period newspapers and institutional records, examining how mental illness was understood in the late 19th century—and how this case reflects both the hardships and the silences of rural life in that era.
📚 Sources Referenced
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2657829/
https://www3.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/structure/rochester-state-hospital?hs_amp=true
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-49507-3
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/137738680/inga_bendiksdatter-erickson
The Preston Republican, April 13, 1876
The Lanesboro Journal, April 15, 1876
FindaGrave.com
Inga Erickson Rochester State Hospital Medical Record March 15, 1881-March 12, 1885
History of Fillmore County, 1882
Ancestry.com
FamilySearch.com
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