Biographies

Source:
Past and Present of Piatt County, Illinois
together with biographical sketches of many prominent and influential citizens.
Publ.: Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.
1903

William Parker.  The diversified wants of man afford an interesting study to one of philosophic mind, and even a cursory view of the business streets of a town will give many illustrations of the tact and enterprise which takes advantage of these wants and derive therefrom a thriving trade.  In Bement a good place in which to study character would be the agricultural implement warehouse of William Parker, as there one will see many customers, and be able to note the distinguishing characteristics, not only of the proprietor, but of his patrons.  Mr. Parker handles a full line line of the tools needed by our farmers, and has secured a good run of custom, being the leading dealer in his line in the place.      Mr. Parker was born in Harrison County, Ohio.  September 4, 1821, and spent the early years of his life on a farm.  In 1830 his father removed to Wyandotte County, where he first received wages for farm work, his remuneration being $3 per month.  When twelve years old he worked in a brick yard, receiving $3 per month and his board.  In the meantime he pursued the studies which were taught in the common schools and making use of his theoretical knowledge by his early start in business, he became more thorough even than would have been the case had he spent his time entirely in school.      When nineteen years old Mr. Parker learned the trade of a wagon-maker in the village of Crawfordsville, serving an apprenticeship of about two years, after which he carried on the business for himself.  He continued his occupation in Crawfordsville until 1854, when he determined to remove farther West and in October located in Piatt County.  For about four years he occupied a farm north of Monticello, bordering on the Sangamon River, and then came to Bement and resumed his former business.  He was obliged to go to Chicago for a small stock of lumber with which to begin his manufactory.  After having labored at his trade some thirty years, Mr. Parker determined to abandon it, and in the spring of 1888 turned his entire attention to the sale of agricultural implement.  For about three years prior to that time he had been selling them on a small scale and it was a comparatively easy matter to work up an excellent trade.      At the head of the household economy in the home of Mr. Parker is a lady who was known some years since as Miss Mary A. Sipple.  She is a native of Stark County, Ohio, but at the time of her marriage to our subject was residing in Seneca County.  She understands well the household arts which tend to home comfort and has been faithful to the interests of her husband and devoted to the welfare of her children.  Mr. and Mrs. Parker have five sons and daughters, named respectively:  Artemus F., Arvilla, Edmund A., Abigail and Alice.  One of them awaits the parents beyond the river of death, Abigail having died in Ohio when about six weeks old.  Arvilla is the wife of George Motherspaw.      The principles advocated by Republican speakers and laid down in the Republican platform find an earnest supporter in Mr. Parker.  He has been a member of the village board and served efficiently, being one of those progressive men who believe in public improvements and think fund well spent that add to the appearance of a town.  He and his good wife are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church and throughout the community are regarded with respect.

Aaron Peck occupies an honorable position among the progressive and public-spirited farmers and stock-growers of Piatt County.  He is a leader among the farmers of Willow Branch Township were he has a valuable farm on section 32.  He is a native of Pickaway County, Ohio, and was there born Jan. 13, 1835.  His parents were Adonijah and Mary (Ater) Peck, natives respectively of Virginia and Ohio.  They were among the pioneers of Piatt County, whither they came from the Buckeye State in 1838 settling in Willow Branch Township where our subject now resides.  The family experienced many hardships and trials in their new pioneer home and lived a life of self-denial and sacrifice, until they became more comfortably situated.  When our subject was a lad he had to go as far as Perryville, and even to Covington, Ind., to get grist ground, and to obtain other articles for family use.      The parents of our subject had nine children of whom eight are living:  Mary, wife of Cyrus Widick of Piatt County; Peter, who lives in Cerro Gordo Township; Aaron David, a resident of Missouri; Catherine, Mrs. Taylor a widow, living in Piatt County; Emily, Mrs. Griswold, a widow living in Moultrie County; Miranda, a resident of Piatt County; Daniel, who lives in Ohio; and Sarah J., deceased, she having been the first born child of the family.  The father departed this life in 1859.  The mother is still living in the home left her by her husband; is now in her eighty-first year and is subject to the infirmities of old age.  She is one of the oldest pioneers still living in Willow Branch Township.      Aaron Peck, of whom we write, was bred to a stalwart manhood, in the pioneer home of his parents.  Being scarcely more than an infant when he was brought to Piatt County, he grew up with it, as it were, and has not only witnessed much of its development, but has taken an active-hand in bringing about the wondrous change from a wilderness to a well-settled and flourishing farming country.  His education was conducted in the subscription schools of his youth, which did not offer many advantages but he has since made up for early deficiencies in learning by experience, observation and reading.      Mr. Peck has one hundred and sixty acres of farming land that is of superior fertility and productiveness.  He has shown great skill and practicality in the management of it, and is constantly increasing its value by the good improvements that he places upon it.  He is a man of independent thought and character, whose geniality and courtesy make him popular with all with whom he associates, and have gained for him hosts of friends.  He is well versed in pioneer history and takes great pride in his township and county.  In his political sentiments he is a decided Democrat and uses his influence in the interests of his party in this locality.

Abram Peck a leading farmer and stock-raiser of Willow Branch Township, is well-known throughout the entire limits of Piatt County, where he has made his home for more than fifty years, and he enjoys in an unusual degree the confidence and esteem of all who have the pleasure of his acquaintance.    Mr. Peck was born in Ross County, Ohio, July 27, 1824.  He is a son of Enoch and Elizabeth (Ater) Peck, natives of Virginia.  His paternal ancestors were Hollanders.  His maternal ancestors are supposed to have been Germans.  Three Ater brothers, uncles of the mother of our subject fought in the War of 1812.  In the fall of 1839 the Peck family came to Piatt County, which then formed a part of Macon County and became pioneers of Willow Branch Township.  Enoch Peck purchased a tract of wild prairie land and in time became quite prominent in the county as he was public spirited and progressive.  He served as County Commissioner under the old law and also as Justice of the Peace.  He was in early life an old-line Whig.  He later joined the Republican party and remained true to its principles until death.  It is a singular fact that he was the only Republican of eight brothers, the other seven being straight Democrats, as was their father before them.  The father of our subject died in October, 1869, leaving behind him an honorable record as a man, as a pioneer and as a citizen.      Mr. Peck was the father of ten children, of whom eight are living, namely:  Abram, our subject; Rebecca, wife of George Matsler, of Texas; George; John; Monroe; Charity, the widow of Mr. Crook, of Milmine, this county; Elizabeth, wife of Austin Durham of Macon County; Henry; James, and one other are deceased.      Abram Peck was reared under pioneer influences principally in Piatt County, as he was but a small boy when the family came here.  When they located in the county, there were then but two houses in Monticello, one a log cabin and the other a rude frame building, and the county itself was but thinly inhabited and had been but little improved.  The schoolhouse in which our subject obtained the rudiments of an education was a log cabin, with a puncheon floor and puncheon hewed for seats and writing desks, which were held up by means of wooden pegs projecting from the wall.  After starting out in life on his own account, our subject obtained a valuable helpmate in the person of Miss Catherine West, to whom he was wedded September 15, 1844.  Mrs. Peck was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, March 24, 1828.  Her parents, John and Eleanor West, were pioneers of Piatt County, coming to Willow Branch Township in 1835 and residing here until death, Mr. West dying in 1871.      Mr. Peck has always followed farming and he and his wife own two hundred and nine acres of choice land on sections 29 and 34, Willow Branch Township.  Here they have built up an attractive home whose hospitality is noted far and wide.  Mr. Peck has his land under fine tillage and has placed an excellent class of improvements upon it, so that it is among the most valuable estates in its vicinity.      To Mr. and Mrs. Peck have been born several children, of whom these survive:  Cyrus; George; Mary, wife of David Zimmerman; Etta, Millard, Abraham L., Rodolphus C., Lewis G. and Charles E.  The deceased children are William, Samantha, Alice, and one who died in infancy.      Mr. Peck began his career as a farmer on rented land and finally settled on a farm of his own.  He and his wife are among the few pioneers of Willow Branch Township now living within its limits and they have witnessed much of its growth and talk interestingly of their experiences of pioneer hardships.  Mr. Peck has borne an honorable part in the public life of the county, which he served six years as Coroner and he was the first duly elected clerk of Willow Branch Township, which office he held three years.  He has also been Assessor and Collector of the township.  Politically he stands with the Republicans and is a stanch defender of Republican principles.  He is also identified with the Farmers Mutual Benefit Association.  His liberality and public spirit have contributed to advance the welfare of the county and the sterling integrity and honesty in business matters that have been characteristic of his life make him a worthy example for the young men of today who are just starting out in life.  Mrs. Peck shares with her husband the regard in which he is held by the entire community, and in her the Christian Church finds one of its most exemplary members.

James Peck.  In the death of this gentleman Aug. 27, 1888, Piatt County suffered the loss of one of her native-born sons, who had become an important factor in sustaining and extending her great agricultural interests.  A life-long resident of Willow Branch Township, he was long associated with its leading farmers and had improved a fine farm within its borders.      Mr. Peck was born Dec. 22, 1846 and was a son of Enoch and Elizabeth Peck, of whom further mention is made in the sketch of Abram Peck on another page of this Biographical Album.  He was reared on a farm and early selected that calling for his life work.  He obtained his education in the public schools of his native township, and was a well-qualified business man.  He was an active worker and devoted himself strictly to improving his farm, which he left to his heirs in a good condition.  It comprises one hundred and forty-seven acres of excellent farming land, which is mostly under cultivation, and is supplied with suitable buildings.  Here his family have a comfortable home and the farm is under good management.      Mr. Peck was married Dec. 12, 1872, to Miss Emma Campbell who was to him all that a devoted wife could be, and is highly respected by all around her.  Mrs. Peck is a native of Carroll County, Ind., and was born July 24, 1846.  She is a daughter of the late James D. and Lucinda P. (Moore) Campbell.  Mrs. Campbell is now living in Emporia, Kan., and has attained the venerable age of three score years and ten.  Mrs. Peck is identified with the Christian Church and is an active worker in the society.      The marriage of our subject and his amiable wife was blessed to them by the birth of five children, of whom these three are living - L. J., Lillie M. and Justin H.  Mrs. Jane Peck, widow of the late Enoch Peck, an early settler of Piatt County, resides with the family.  She came to this county in 1857 and has since lived here.      Mr. Peck, our subject, was well and favorably known throughout the county.  He was a liberal, broad-minded man and was always pleasant and obliging in his intercourse with others, so that during his life he contracted a strong friendship with many who sincerely mourn his death with his bereaved family.  He was happy in his domestic relations, and was a considerate husband and a kind father.  Though not a church member he was a generous contributor toward all religious objects and was glad to see the churches prosper.  His fellow-citizens having full confidence in his integrity and capability, called him to responsible offices, and he had served as Township Collector for two years, and as School Director of his district. Politically he was a Republican.

John Peck, the son of a pioneer of Piatt County, is now assisting in carrying on the extensive agricultural interests of the county, owning and managing a good farm on section 16, Willow Branch Township.  He was a volunteer soldier in the late war in which he did honorable service.  Mr. Peck was born in Ross County, Ohio, Dec. 29, 1833.  His parents were Enoch and Elizabeth (Ater) Peck, of whom further mention is made in the sketch of Abram Peck, which will be found on another page of this volume.  Our subject was a lad of six years when he came with his parents to Piatt County, and here he was reared in their pioneer home, being one of a large family of children of whom these survive:  Abram, George, John, Monroe, Henry; Rebecca, wife of George Matshler; Charity, wife of J. M. Crook; and Elizabeth wife of Austin Durham.      Mr. Peck had to perform much pioneer work in his youth and broke prairie with four yoke of oxen and an old fashioned wooden moldboard plow.  His education was gained in the early subscription schools of the county, which were conducted in log houses with puncheon floor, slab benches that had wooden legs and a plank was used for a writing desk.  After his marriage in 1863, he settled on his present farm and has lived here ever since, with the exception of a few months spent in Missouri.  He has one hundred and eighteen acres of land, which is exceptionally well tilled, and has upon it many good improvements, which make it a very desirable piece of property.  The reader's attention is directed to a view of this fine farm on another page.       We should do our subject injustice if we omitted his war record.  He enlisted Dec. 13, 1861, in Company D, Forty-ninth Illinois Infantry, and took part in several important engagements.  He fought at Shiloh, helped to capture Ft. Donelson, and faced the enemy on other memorable battlefields.  The privation and suffering that he had to undergo while in the army undermined his naturally strong constitution, and he was honorably discharged on account of disability in August, 1862.      Nov. 26 ,1863, was the date of the marriage of Mr. Peck with Maria Crawford, a native of  Pickaway County, Ohio.  She was born August 30, 1848, to George and Rebecca (Rambo) Crawford, natives respectively of Delaware and Pennsylvania.  Her father was of Irish ancestry and her mother of German lineage.  They were the parents of ten children of whom these eight survive; Eliza, wife of J. H. Johnson of Pickaway County; June, wife of Thomas Martin of Indiana; Allen, a resident of Ohio; Alfred of Indiana; Susan, wife of Martin Bailey of Ohio; Rachael, wife of David Peck of Missouri; Augustus, a resident of Ohio; and Mrs. Peck, wife of our subject.  In the spring of 1863 the Crawfords came to Piatt County and lived for a short time in Willow Branch Township.  The father and mother then returned to Ohio and there died.  To Mr. and Mrs. Peck have come nine children, whom they have named:  Andrew, Oliver, Ross, Otis, Arch, Arthur, Daisy, Anne, and Nellie.      Mr. Peck has displayed great practicality and good business talent in the management of his affairs, and he and his wife have a charming home, one of the finest residences of this locality in which they are enjoying life as sociable, genial people who have the regard and confidence of all about them.  Mr. Peck has a very vivid memory of the pioneer scenes and experiences of his youth, and talks in a straightforward interesting manner concerning them; he has ever been interested in his township, and as School Director has helped to advance its educational privileges. (See pictures of which were donated by Jack Arthur)

Peter Peck.  Inquiry into the lives of the citizens of Piatt County reveals the fact that there are still living those who shared in the labors necessary to change the forests and prairies from their natural condition into smiling fields and fruitful orchards.  One of the old settlers is Peter Peck, who with the estimable wife occupies a farm on section 25.  Cerro Gordo Township.  He was but six years old when his father's family came hither from Ohio, making their home in Willow Branch Township, and during the half century that has sine elapsed he has been an eye-witness to the growth of this region in material advantages and all that goes to make up true civilization.      The parents of our subject were Adonijah and Mary (Ater) Peck, the father a native of Virginia.  The paternal grandparents were natives of Germany.  When their son Adonijah was very young they removed from the Old Dominion to Pickaway County, Ohio, where the lad grew to maturity.  After his marriage he lived in Madison County a few years when they moved back to Pickaway County where he lived until 1838, when with his family he came to this State as before noted.  He was one of the early settlers in Willow Branch Township, in which he continued to reside until called from earth, Dec. 20, 1861.  His widow is still living and is now quite advanced in years.  Of their nine children seven survive, namely: Mary, wife of Cyrus Widick; Peter, the subject of this notice; David, whose home is in Missouri; Catherine, widow of Elijah Taylor, of Piatt County; Mrs. Emily Griswold, of Moultrie County; Maranda, who lives in Piatt County; and Daniel, whose home is in Ohio.

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