Johanna Petersson

Johanna Petersson or Peterson née Eriksson, commonly known as Handelsman Johanna ("Merchant-Johanna"), (1807–1899) was a Swedish businesswoman who contributed to the prosperity of Ödeshög in Östergötland. The shop she opened in the mid-1830s was so successful that she was able to buy several farms in the area. With her earnings, she transformed the village into a small town with cobbled streets, a pharmacy, and a nearby telegraph station. The bank crash of the 1870s brought her success to an abrupt end but she continued to run a small shop. Provided by Wikipedia