Past and present of O'Brien and Osceola counties, Iowa, Vol. II, Part 2

Author: Peck, John Licinius Everett, 1852-; Montzheimer, Otto Hillock, 1867-; Miller, William J., 1844-1914
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B. F. Bowen & company, inc.
Number of Pages: 840


USA > Iowa > O'Brien County > Past and present of O'Brien and Osceola counties, Iowa, Vol. II > Part 2


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63


Land Speculators 545


Schools 671


Section 2 545


Section 3 546


Court, District, Clerks of. 540


Court, First Term of 541


Court House, First 541


2


1


1


1


1


549


Section 29


549


1


1


I


I


Section 34


549


Settlement


545


Speculators 545


Baptist Churches


616


Bench and Bar


647


Boards of Supervisors


541


C


Catholic Churches


623


Churches


606


Cities 593


Officials


598


St. Gilman


597


Section 24


Altitude


597


1


1


547


Section 11


L


547


Section 17


Section 28


Section 10


First Buildings


HISTORICAL INDEX.


D


Davis, Jefferson, Survey 536


Death, First in County. 672


Deaths by - Accident


667


Deaths by Freezing


663


Diphtheria Epidemic


633


Diseases


631


District Court, Clerks


of


540


Doctors, Early


629


Drainage


535


Dunkelmann, Henry


548


E


East Holman Township 549


Settlement 549


Section


1


549


Section


2


549


Section


4


550


Section 5 550 1 I 1


Section 6 550 1 1


I Section 7 551


Section


8


551


I


Section 10


551


Section 12


551


1


1


Section 14


551


Section 17


552


1


1 1 Section 18 552


Section 20


552


Section 21


553


1


Section 22 553 1


Section 24


553


Section 26


553


1


Section 28 553 1


Section 30


554


Section 32


554


1


Section 34


554


Section 36


554


Early Trials 537


Early Transportation


677


Educational History


670


Election, First


538


* * Evangelical Lutheran Churches __ 611, 620


Extraordinary Events


660


F


Fairview Township 555


Beautiful Vista


555


First Officers


556


Fairview Township-Continued.


„ Officers, First


556


Officers, Present


556


: Prairie Beauty


555


Schools


557, 670


Section


8


555


Section 20


555


Section 22


1


555


· Section 28


555


Section 30


1


1


1


556


Section 32


556


Section 33


556


1


1


Settlement


555


1


Farm Statistics 681


Finances, County 541


First Attorneys


647


First Court House


541


First Election


538


First Grand Jury


541


First Nominating Convention


538


First Preaching Service


606


First Railroad


678


First Schools


670


First Supervisors 540


First Term of Court 541


First Things


672


Foster, William R.


565


Fuel Question


674


G


Geology 535


German Lutheran Churches


621


Gilman Township


557


Hard Times 557


Schools 671


Section


2


557


Section


4


557


Section 6 558 1 1


Section


8


558


Section 10 558 1


Section 12 558


Section 14 559


Section 18


559


Section 22 560


Section 24 560


Section 26 560


Section 28


560


Section 30 560


Section 32


561


1


1


I


I


1


1


1


1


1


HISTORICAL INDEX.


Gilman Township-Continued.


Section 34


561


Settlement


557


Usurious Interest


557


Schools 572, 670


Section 8 570


Section 10


570


Section 12 570


Section 14 570 I 1


Section 18 570


Section 20 570 1


Section 22 570 1 I 1


Section 24 570 1


Section 26 570 1


1 Section 28 570 1 1 1 1


Section 30 571 1


Section 32 571 1


Section 34 571 L


1


Section 36


571


Human Pincushion


643


I


Increase in Land Values


542


Iowa Land Company


673


Ireland Post, G. A. R. 652


J


Jenney, J. B.


588


Johnson Murder


660


Jury, First Grand


541


Grasshopper Scourge


678


Groen, George, Shooting of


663


H


Harris 598


Business Interests 599


Churches


610


Officers, First


599


Officers, Present


600


Organization


599


Harrison Township


568


Agriculture 568


Land Speculators 568


Mennonites


568


Schools


671


Settlers, Early


568


Speculators, Land


568


Horton Township 569


Churches 620


Immigration of 1883-5 571


Goewey Township


561


Schools


671


Section 1


561


Section 2


561


Section 4 562


Section 6 562


Section 8


Section 10 1


563


Section 12


564


Section 13


564


Section 14


564


Section 16


564


Section 18


564


Section 19 1


564


Section 20


565


Section 22


565


Section 23


566


Section 24


566


Section 26


566


Section 28


566


Section 30


567


Section 32


567


Section 34


567


Section 36


567


Grafters, Influx of 539


Grand Army of the Republic


652


Grand Jury, First 541


L


Land Values


542


Legal Fraternity


647


Looting of County Treasury


539


M


Medical History


628


Melvin


604


Churches 608


Methodist Episcopal Churches


606


Mileage, Railroad 542


Military History


652


Miscellaneous


670


Murder of Peter Johnson


660


1


I


1


1


1


1


1 1


1


1


1


1


I


1


1 1


1


1


1 1


1


1


1


1


1


1


F 1


1 1


1


1


1


1


1


563


HISTORICAL INDEX.


N


Naming of Osceola County 536


Natural Features 535


Neill, Dr. H. 636


Nominating Convention, First 538


O


Ocheyedan 601


Beginning 601


Business Concerns 601


Churches


611, 615


Improvements


601


Location


601


Officers


603


Ocheyedan Township 572 1 1 1


Drainage 572


Schools 671


Section


572


Section 3 573 1 1 1


Section


1


573


1


Section 6 573


Section


573


Section 10 573 1


Section 12


574


Section 13 574 1


Section 14 574


Section 18 574 1


Section 20 574 1 1 1 1 1 1


Section 22 574 1


Section 24 574


Section 25 576 1 1


1 1 1 Section 26 576 1


Section 28 576


Section 30


1 576


1 1 1 Section 32 576 1


Section 34 576 1 1


Soil 572


Ode to Osceola 689


Officials, County 540


Old Soldiers in the County 652


Organization Election 538


Organization of County 536


Osceola County, How Named 536


Osceola County Set Off


537


P


Physicians, Early 629


Pioneer Letters


682


(46)


Preaching Service, First


606


Presbyterian Churches


616


R


Railroad Land Taxation 542


Railroad Mileage


542


Railroads


678


Record Setting off County 537


Recorders, County


540


Religious History


606


Roster of County Officials


540


Rush Lake


535


S


Schools, First 670


Schools, Superintendent of 540


Sheriffs


540


Shooting of George Groen 663


Sibley


537, 593


Business Interests 593


Churches


606, 612, 615, 616, 617, 626


596


Hospital


Officers


597


Public


Utilities


596


Schools


672


Sioux City Attorneys 650


Soil


536


Soldiers, Old, in the County 652


Streams


535


Suhm, Josef von Willemoes 682


Superintendent of Schools 540


Supervisors, Boards of 541


Supervisors, First


540


Surgical Cases 630


Survey by Jefferson Davis


536


Surveyors, County


540


T


Taxation of Railroad Land 542


Topography 535


Tower, Joseph P. 574


Town, the First 537


Towns


593


Trails, Early 537


Transportation 677


Treasurers, County


540


Treasury, Looting of County


539


1


I


1


1


1


1


1 1


1


I


1


1


1


HISTORICAL INDEX.


V


West Holman Township-Continued.


Section 12


583


Veterans of the Civil War 652


Section 13


584


Viola Township


576


Section 14


584


Churches


621


Section 15 584


Schools


580, 670


Section 16


585


Settlement


576


Section 18


585


Section co


576


Section 19


585


Section 10


576


Section 20


585


Section 12


577


Section 22


586


Section 14


577


Section 23


586


Section 18


577


Section 24


586


Section 20


577


Section 26


587


Section 22


578


587


Section 24


578


Section 29


587


Section 26


578


Section 30


587


Section 28


578


Section 31


587


Section 29


579


Section 32


587


Section 30


579


Section 32


579


Section 33


579


Wilson Township


I


1


1


589


Schools


592, 670


Section S


589


Section 10


590


Section 12


590


Section 14


590


1 L Section 18 590 1 1


Section 20 590 1


Section 2


580


Section 4


581


Section 22


590


Section 5 581


1 Section 24 590


591


1 1 Section 6 582 1


Section 26 1


1


1


I


Section 8 582 1


582


Section 32


591


Section 9


1


1


582


Section 34


591


Section 10


Section 11


583


Section 36


591


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


I


I


J


1


1 1


I


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


579


Section 36


580


1


1


W


West Holman Township 580


Churches


622


Section 1 580


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


I


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


588


Section 34


1


1


1


588


Section 36


t


1


1


1


1


I


1


1


1


1 Section 582


Section 28 591 I I


Section 30 591


1


1


1


1


Section 28


1


1


1


1


Section 34


1


BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX


A


Adams, Lincoln 1194


Adkins, John V. 837


Agar, Albert H. 1047


Alexander, Thomas


J


1241


Aldinger, John


732


Aldinger, Lester T.


734


Algyer, David 1290


Appleton, Charles E. 1144


Archer, John H. 1260


Armstrong, Hon. William S. 874


Attig, Christ


1176


Attig, Fred


1195


Aupperle, Dr. George .


1061


Avery, Milo, M. D 760


B


Babcock, Charles A. 1270


Ballou, Nathaniel 1262


Bangert, Henry L. 1200


Bark, Tom B.


1159


Beebe, William W. 1114


Beers, Bessie J. 889


Berne, Thomas 919


Bidwell. Francis L. 1202


Billingsly, James J. 743


Bishop, John F. 901


Blaesser, Walter A. 1000


Blahauvietz, John


982


Blake, George G.


808


Bloes, Nick 904


Bobzine, John 1053


Bock, Adolph


995


Boies, Hon. William D.


746


Bonderman, Warner W. 1127


Bonner, William


881


Boor, Nicholas


946


Bossert, John P. 1016


Boyce, Samuel 1042


Boyd, Richard M. 860


Boyd, Robert W.


980


Brackney, Herman J., M. D.


869


Bradrick, Sidney I. 1193


Brady, Albert V. 986


Brady, Ezra M. 986


Brahan, William


977


Braig, Anthony J. 1001


Brandt, Jacob, Jr. 1185


Briggs, Charles W.


822


Briggs, James C.


1052


Briggs, William 721


Brock, Andrew J. 1243


Brock, Walter R., M. D. 867


Broders, Ernest F.


789


Brosh, James 1082


Brown, William H. 773


Brundage, John R.


1314


Brundage, Selonious


1022


Bunce, Wayland M.


1086


Bunker, Ernest A. 1234


Burlet, Willard A. 792


Burley, Victor A.


1235


Burns, Charles 883


Burns, John H.


938


1


Byers, David


941


1


Bysom, Daniel 1096


C


Cain, William 1106


Cajacob, Platcy A. 890


Callenius, Otto


1108


Campbell, James S.


826


Cannon, Charles C.


1004


Clark, Charles S.


1116


Clarksean, Charlie 945


Claussen, Ernst J.


1226


Cleaveland, Ezra D.


1219


Clements, Isaac 784


Closson, Richard 1237


Coleman, George 788


Conn, James


1252


Cooper, John


1162


Cooper, Rev. Leonard J.


1010


BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.


Corns, Thomas M. 937


Cowan, John 998


Cram, Frederick W., M. D. 848


Cronin, Dennis E.


1168


Crum, Roy R.


1024


Culver, Andrew 806


Cutsinger, James 1066


D


Daly. James H. 864


Day, Harley 1240


Dean, Herbert E. 1221


Delan, John J. 987


Den Beste, Joseph


1134


Denny, Michael


959


Derby, Frank N. 1017


Dewey, James


804


Diamond, Tobias E. 834


Doolittle, Hezekiah G. 853


Dougherty, Patrick J.


973


Dornbusch, Ina 1021


Downing, William H. 778


Draper, Merriett S.


1077


Dries, Anton 1175


Dummett, William H. 1090


Dunkelmann, Henry 1191


E


Egdorf, William 1057


Eichner, Julius F. 923


Elliott, William B. 947


Ely. William E., M. D. 1216


Emery, A. J. W. 1088


Engelke, John


1308


Epping, Henry 1242


Evans, Oliver


935


Ewoldt, Hugo


925


F


Farnsworth, Thomas 1074


Farquharson, Charles 1170


Fillenwarth, Arthur T. 850


Finch, Mellville D. 1136


Flinder, Samuel C. 1071


Fogle, John H. 957


Foote, Charles E. 818


Foskett, Elmer C. 1132


Frey, Otto J. 1231


Friedrichsen, William 1092


Frisbee, Frank 832


Frisbee, Fred 1140


Fruhling, Rohlf


1209


G


Gardner, Jolın 1112


Gaster, Ed


742


Geister, Albert G. 1079


Geister, Henry W.


Geister, Joseph


1118


Gere, Capt. Francis 770


Gilkinson, Alexander 1198


Gill, Joseph 780


Glover, John F.


954


Gole, Menno S. 1201


Gosch. Adolph


105G


Grant, Alexander 961


Graves, William 1184


Green, William C. 1245


Grending, Frederick W.


1124


Guhl, Fred


1039


H


Hain, Foster 1034


Hakeman, George 972


Hamilton, George 1232


Hand, William C., M. D. 1018


Hanon. John C. 841


Harding, Orlando B. 758


Harker, William 1253


Harris, George W. 1248


Harvey, Mahlon 1148


Hass, Henry C. 1197


Hastings, John A. 1014


Heatherington, Rev. M. J. 1300


Helmer, E. L. 922


Henderson, Humphrey 1205


Hendrick, Harry H. 1068


Herrick, Frank L. 733


Hickey, Martin


975


Hickey, Peter


1318


Hickok, J. W. 839


Hill, Reuben W. 1311


Hinman, Hon. John F. 800


Hinman, Ralph T. 726


Hinz, Fritz S12


Hodapp, Michael 1111


Hoeven, Andrew 952


1


BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.


Hoffmann, Rev. John P. 761


Hoke, Joseph 1295


Horton, Frank W., M. D. 866


Hough, Frank S., M. D. 749


Hughes, N. I. 1256


Hulser, Frank W. 1154


I


Ihle, Charles E.


1272


Irvine, John H. 1104


J


Jackson, W. C. 1229


Jacobson, Jacob 1277


Jepsen, John W. 966 1


Jinkinson, William 903 1 I 1 1


Johnson, John A. 754


Jones, Benjamin 1210 1


1 Jones, George L. 1030 1


Jones, Martin


1303


Jones. Robert P. 962


Jossem, John T.


1009


K


Kas, Thomas D., M. D. 769


Kelley, Patrick 872


Kenderdine, Dr. William H. 1028


Kennedy, Frank E. 844


Killmer, Henry J.


942


King, Roy H.


896


Kirchhof, Otto


989


Knaack, G. E.


1


Kopp, August 1100


Kundel, John 1186


L


Lange, John 1307


Lemke, William 912


Lewis, C. W. 811


Lighter, Omer L. 967 1


1 t Linsday, James B. 882


Linquist, Sam


908


Locke, Roscoe J.


842


Logan, Scott 1301


Loger, William 1161


Longshore, Channing, M. D. 1164


Mc


McBride, Arthur W. 997


McCallum, A. W.


776


McCandless, John 718


Mcclellan, Elbert 1139


McCormack, Rev. James 906


McCracken, Edwin W. 992


McDougall, Charles M. 1181


McElwain, Lee 1129


McFarland, Mrs. Addie C. 1083


McFarland, Elmer 991


McKenna, George 1255


McNeill, J. H. 870


M


Macomb, John, Jr. 1276


Mann, Edward 1054


Mann, Thomas E. 1075


Mansmith, John C. 928 1


Martin, Alexander L. 1103


Martin, Scott 1150


Mateer, Robert A.


1143


Mathern, John W. 1278


May, Harry C. 724


Mayne, Edward A. 873


Maytum, Dr. Burlington J. 1126


Meier, Ernst 1317


Meltvedt, Chris 1006


Messer, Edwin P. 1258


Metcalf, Wilbert C. 1122


Metz, Oliver A. 815


Meyer, Albert H. 1130


Meyer, C. F. 1130


Miller, Sumner F. 1073


Miller, William J. 730


Montzheimer, Otto H. 722


Moorhead, Robert J. 1029


Morton, Alfred 830


Mullin, Michael P. 1046


Murphy, James B.


1035


N


Nelson, George W. 828


Neuman, John 976


Noehren, W. H. 1250


Nott, Fred


1049


Noyes, William H. 1023


0


O'Donnell, John J.


907


O'Donnell, John F.


1043


1002


BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.


Olson, Ben 930


Olson, Ole F. 968


Osgood, Wilbur J. 1178


Overholser, Willis W. 795


Ruther, H. Theodore 1008


Rnwe, Louis 1032


S


Sands, John A. 1174


Saupe, Bruno 1085


Saupe, Otto 894


Schaap, Clarence C. 909


Schaefer, Louis B. 1286


Schneider, Arthur H. 1218


Schnurr, Berth 1206


Schoelerman, William H. 1050


Schubert, Lorenz 951


Schnknecht, Fred 1297


Schultz, Albert H. 1156


Scott, Henry P. 1064


Shea, Mart 1225


Shearer, Archibald 1093


Shearer, Mrs. Sarah 1093


Sheldon, Daniel M. 1033


Sheldon, Joseph O. 933


Shell, Levi 914


Shinski, Joseph 802


Shumway, David F. 1094


Shuttleworth, W. D. 970


Silverthorn, Isaac M. 931


Sims, William A. 911


Sleeper, William H. 859


Slick & McFarland.


990


Slick, John N. 990


Smith, Daniel A. 1109


Smith, George W. 1263


Smith, John J.


1153


Redmond, Thomas S.


786


Reifsteck, Charles F.


1037


Reifsteck, George


1037


Rembe, Fred 1238


Rerick, Henry


745


Solon, Anthony W.


994


Rerick, Isaac L. 736


Solon, Will A. 858


Soop, Ira 879


Stage, Theodore J. 845


Stamp, Joseph B.


762


Stearns, Mrs. Evelyn (Pease)


766


Richter, Conrad 1296


Robertson, Robert J. 1180


Roland, Edward E.


128S


Romey, Albert


738


Romey, George A.


1207


Roth, Joseph 1304


Strampe, Fred


1313


Roth, W. M. 1274


Roy. e. Clarence H1.


753


Strampe. William 1283


Str-it, John 751


Q


Quilleash, Thomas A. 1171


R


Ralston, Weston D. 1011


Randall, Andrew V. S. 1267


Raymond, Ross L. 1060


Reader, George L. 1183


Rector, George E. 949


Redmond, Patrick


813


Smith, William M. 1281


Snider, John


1098


Sokol, George F.


791


Sollitt, J. E.


1172


Rhodes, Rev. Bert J. 1285


Richards, Prof. Edward E. 836


Richards, Homer E. 765


Stearns, Dr. Pleasant S. 1040


Steelsmith, Daniel C., M. D. 1188


Steinbeck, John 955


Stoelting, Alfred A. 1138


Strampe, Henry 1289


Runyan. Harmon H. 1215


P


Patch, Frank 887


Patch, Freeman R. 797


Peck, J. L. E. 715


Peisley, Patrick L. 978


Peters, Charles F. 863


Peters, Edo 1316


Phelps, Spencer A. 882


Philby, Enoch 1190


Phinney, George F. 740


Pingel, Adolph 1166


Protextor, George W. 1293


Protextor, John


984


Putnam, Denison C.


943


BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.


Sweeney, James F. 1305


Swensen, Peter 892


T


Tagge, Albert 921


Taylor, E. M. 820


Thatcher, William J. E. 757


Thietje, John 1045


Tierney, Frank W. 1151


Tow, Severt L. 1280


Townsend, James E.


728


Trainer, Dr. M. M. 798


Turnbull, William W. 816


V


Van Epps, Cornelius V. 824


Vogel, William C.


927


Vos, Garrett 1310


Voss, William T. F. K. 1062


Y


Young, Ruben W.


1146


Youngers, Louis


856


Yungbluth, Michael


1070


Walter, George W. 1058


Ward, George W. 794


Ward, John C. 1227


Wassman, Herman 1299


Waterhouse, George W. 1080


Weal, John 1025


Webster, Benjamin F. 1291


Webster, James S. 917


Weinke, Albert H. 983


Whitney, David 1265


Wiechner, Theodore 1013


Wilkinson, Noah C. 1120


Williams, Henry L. 781


Wilson, Lyman F. 964


Winkler, Frank P., M. D. 810


Winterfield, A. C. 851


Wolf, Henry 1158


Wolf, Jacob H.


898


Wolf, John


1101


Wollenberg, Louis


1019


Woodman, Lewis 1026


Woods, Paul C. $85


Woods, Mrs. Roma W 1222


Woods, William H. 1222


Wright, Edgar 969


Wagner, William 958


Z


Zahn, Henry


1065


Zimmerman, Theodore


STS


PUBLIC L


ATTC"


×


r


J. L. E. Jeck


BIOGRAPHICAL


J. L. E. PECK.


J. L. E. Peck was born August 18, 1852, at Killworth-on-the-Thames, near London, Middlesex county, Ontario, dominion of Canada. His great- grandfather. Jacob Peck, was born in 1770, 'and his grandfather, Washing- ton Peck, was born April 12, 1801, each in Massachusetts, and each removed west near Toronto, Canada, about 1825. Washington Peck was a rover all his life and had a large family, four daughters and three sons, namely : Elizabeth Whiffin, of Sarnia, Canada : Mary Ann Banghart, of Tucson, Ari- zona: Emma Colvin. of Los Angeles, California : Jane Keys, of Colorado ; David Abbott Peck, of Northboro, Iowa; Egerton E. Peck, of Westboro, Missouri, and Edmond G. Peck, a frontiersman of the west as early as 1849. when but twelve years of age. Washington Peck and family made two over- land trips with ox team across the plains, first in 1852 and again in 1857- 1859, returning via Panama, and at times resided in Canada. Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Arizona, Utah, California, and rounded up in Centralia, Washington, where he spent his last twenty-five years, and from which he was sent to the Territorial Legislature about 1865. The whole family being coopers they all spent eighteen months at Salt Lake and made up for Brigham Young a large amount of what were known as wooden bolts into barrels, tubs, buckets and other vessels, and made one of the strikes of his life so far as money was concerned, in that then wild country where such articles could not be procured.


David A. Peck, the father of J. L. E. Peck, was born November 29, 1829, near Toronto, Canada, and grew up a cooper by trade, which he con- tinned for some years, and then cut down and cleared up a heavily wooded farm of one hundred acres near London. In 1862, with his family and the subject of this sketch, he emigrated to Atchison county, Missouri, near Rock- port. Later on, during the war, under a prevalent fear that the lands of rebels would be confiscated in Missouri and that the titles would be bad, he moved to Page county, Iowa, and bought a farm, then largely prairie, at two dollars and fifty cents per acre, on which he resided thirty-five years, until his death, December 8. 1897, and on which his youngest son. David Arthur


716


O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.


Peck, born November 27. 1872, still lives and owns the old homestead. David Peck spent much of his life as local preacher, establishing churches and Sunday schools and doing other church work in northern Missouri and Page county, Iowa. His wife was Eliza Jane Carey Peck, a cousin of the poets, Alice and Phoebe Carey. Her mother was Beulah Foster Carey and her father Francis King Carey, residing at Killworth. Canada. Benjamin Foster, great-grandfather of J. L. E. Peck, was killed at the battle of Lundy's Lane, fighting on the American side in the War of 1812. The great-grand- father, Francis Carey, was three months on the ocean coming over from Ireland and experienced a shipwreck, in which the passengers had to take possession and manage the sailing vessel. He settled near Albany, New York, and was a contractor on the stone work on the capitol building.


The family of David A. Peck consisted of J. L. E. Peck, the oldest : Edward Washington Peck, of Pasadena, California; Robert E. Peck, hard- ware merchant, and David Arthur Peck, each of Northboro, Iowa, and Johanna Peck Mawhinney and Minnie Peck Blanchard, sisters, each de- ceased in 1902. A daughter, Ida, aged sixteen, died November 27. 1870.


The subject of this sketch attended the district schools until fourteen years of age, then took a course of three years at the academy at College Springs, lowa. At seventeen he commenced teaching school in the rural schools, and taught five years. This being the period of the growing up of the early families, he had large schools of sixty or more. He then took a course at the State University of Iowa, at lowa City, and graduated there June 16, 1874. He studied law and was admitted to the bar. He formed a partnership at the law with Eric P. Johnson, at Decorah, lowa, and remained there nearly three years. He arrived in Primghar June 27, 1877, and on September 1, 1877, formed a partnership in law with Isaac W. Daggett. which continued about one year. Later he had his office in the bank building of John R. Pumphrey. On July 30, 1878, he met with an accident, breaking his left limb, a compound fracture, which, on account of bad surgery, left him lame for life. This left him in debt nine hundred dollars. He got back to work in 1879, just as the campaign for county offices was opening, and at once took part in the agitations of the county and was elected for two terms as county auditor, serving from 1880 to 1884. The main questions and items during his two terms of office and in which he participated, were the rebonding of the old county debt of two hundred thousand dollars, and re- ducing the rate of interest on same from ten to seven per cent. It took seventeen thousand signatures by himself as auditor to sign up those bonds and coupons. He took part in the second trial year and subsequent years in


717


O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.


getting the county on a cash basis. Ile sold eleven of the sixteen sections of school land and loaned the proceeds under the state laws. He took part, as auditor, in the largest tax sale of about thirty thousand dollars ever held in the county. Mr. Peck, as auditor, laid out and established eight hundred miles of roadways, on section lines on the then prairies, it being done when land was cheap, that no damages would be asked for. As auditor he or- ganized Dale, Union and Omega townships and named the latter.


On June 15, 1882, Mr. Peck was married to Alice Wilkinson, of West- boro, Missouri, and they commenced keeping house in Primghar June 24th. Their immediate family consists of two daughters, Demia Eliza Peck, born October 11. 1884, and Beulah Frances Peck, born February 8. 1886. One son, George David Peck, died when five months old. Alice Blanchard, born July 7, 1895, the child of his sister Minnie, has been raised in the family since 1903, and is now a teacher in the rural schools of the county. Ralph Carey Mawhinney. a son of his sister Johanna, was raised in part in the family from twelve to seventeen years of age.


George Harmon Wilkinson, the father of Mrs. J. L. E. Peck. was born February 27, 1830, in Seneca county, New York, and died at Westboro, Missouri, February 2, 1913, and with his wife, Demia E. Wilkinson, resided with his daughter in Primghar for ten years. The grandfather of Alice Peck, John Wilkinson, was a Methodist minister, born in 1794. Likewise her great-grandfather. also a John Wilkinson, resided in Seneca county, New York, the family later removing and settling near Tiffin, Seneca county, Ohio, this great-grandfather being a soldier in the Revolutionary War on the American side. \ sister of Mrs. Peck, Elmetta E. Wilkinson, resides with her in Primghar. Frank B. Wilkinson, her brother, resides at Westboro, Missouri. He was married to Mary E. Rerick, daughter of ex-County Re- corder Isaac L. Rerick, of Primghar. They have three sons, George Rerick Wilkinson, aged twelve years, Burdette Frank Wilkinson, aged eleven years, and Everett Wilkinson, aged nine years.


J. L. E. Peck has been a member of the board of education twenty-four of his thirty-seven years in Priinghar, and president of same about fifteen vears of that time. He was referee in bankruptcy under appointment of Hon. Oliver P. Shiraz, United States district judge of the northern district of Iowa, from August, 1898, to September, 1993, and acted in ninety-one bankruptcy proceedings. He has been commissioner of insanity for thirty of the thirty-seven years, and has acted in the commitment of about six hun- dred persons to the several state hospitals. He was mayor of Primghar two years, 1896-1897. and a member of the town council nine years. He was


718


O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.


one of the ten men who signed the guaranty to the Illinois Central Railroad to furnish twenty-two miles of right of way from Archer to the Cherokee county line, and thirteen acres for depot grounds at Primghar. He has prac- ticed law during all the years. He has participated in much of the court and public records. In the early years he did much abstracting on each of the six sets of abstracts of title in the county, and has examined hundreds of abstracts for land purchasers in many states. He was cashier and manager of the Primghar State Bank for four years, 1886-1890. and has been a stock- holder and director in the Primghar Savings Bank since it started in 1894. In brief, he has participated in scores of the sundry county affairs as de- tailed in this history.


In 1903. with his family. Mr. Peck removed to Indianola .. Iowa, to give his daughters the privileges of Simpson College. After their graduation there he returned to Primghar in 1907. During his time there he was a member of its city council, practiced law, and its mayor, B. F. Clayton, being absent one year in Europe, Mr. Peck acted in his place by appointment. He has dealt much in land, and has farmed much both in O'Brien and Dick- inson counties. in this state, and for twelve years also in the Red River valley : in fact. since Igor has farmed each year more than one thousand acres in crops.


He was partner of David Algyer in 1894. and in the latter part of that year was formed the law, loan and abstract firm of Peck. Artherholt & Ingham, composed of himself, Wade W. Artherholt and Clarence W. Ing- ham. This continued until 1898. He was later partner with Mr. Artherholt as Peck & Artherholt, after returning from Indianola. In 1891, with F. M. McCormack ("Pomp"). he wrote up twenty-four chapters of a history of O'Brien county, which were then published in the O'Brien County Bell, and just now (1914) is one of the editors of this later history of the county. His full name is John Licinius Everett Peck.




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.