- SHELDON W. PECK. The following are the principle events which
have occurred in the life of
- one who, dependent from early youth upon his own resources,
has won his way slowly but surely to an honorable position in
the mercantile world. He was born in Litchfield County, Conn.,
Aug. 31, 1810, and the family of which h e was a member numbered
four children. His parents, Elijah and Abigail (WHITELSEY) PECK,
were married and reared their family in Litchfield County. Henry,
their eldest child, died when a young man; Sheldon W. is the
second in order of birth; James is also deceased, and Maria is
the widow of Rev. Joseph WHITELSEY, a Congregational minister.
By a former marriage with a Miss BECKWITH one son had been born
to Mr. PECK, but he was drowned when a young man. The parents
of our subject were active and consistent members of the Congregational
Church, and received the respect of all who knew them. In his
political sentiments Elijah PECK supported the Whig party and
was a great admirer of its leaders. He never sought or desired
political preferment, giving his attention to his business interests,
but was well informed on all the leading questions of the day.
- The days of his boyhood and youth our subject passed on his
father's farm, his duties being
- alternated by attendance at the district schools during the
winter months. On attaining his majority he left the parental
roof and started out in life for himself. He became associated
in business with DYER, WADSWORTH & Co., who were engaged
in selling the Seth Thomas clocks, and for ten years was in the
employ of that firm as collector, traveling extensively over
the South. In 1841 he was united in marriage with a lady of excellent
Christian virtues and character, Miss Olive G. BEEBE. Her grandfather
was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, enlisting as a private
at the early ago of sixteen years, and for meritorious conduct
on the battlefield was promoted to the rank of Colonel. Mrs.
PECK's parents, Hon. William and Clarissa (SANFORD) BEEBE, were
natives of Litchfield County, Conn., and to them were born six
children, namely: Eliza, who married Dr. John RUSSELL, of Mt.
Vernon, Ohio, where her death occurred; Rebecca wedded Alexander
HOWARD, and both are now deceased; Hon. Philip S., of Waverley,
N.Y., represented his district in the Legislature for many years;
Harriet died at the age of twenty-one; Olive G., wife of our
subject, and Clara, wife of Joshua DARLING, now of Winsted, Conn.
William BEEBE was a man of prominence in the community where
he resided, having several times been elected to both houses
of the Legislature, in which he represented his constituents
with honor. For many years he was Probate Judge of Litchfield
County, where he was held in the highest regard.
- A short time after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. PECK left
their home in Connecticut and started
- for the far West, their journey being by cars to Auburn,
N.Y., which was then the terminus of the railroad, after which
they proceeded by stage to Buffalo, where they took passage on
a lake steamer for Chicago, arriving at their destination after
a long and tedious journey. The city which now ranks third, if
not second, in population in the Union, then contained but 10,000
inhabitants. There was no Madison street bridge, while but a
few scattering settlers resided on what is now known as the West
Side. Soon after their arrival Mr. PECK, in company with Thomas
DYER, purchased the only exclusive crockery store in the city.
He afterwards bought a block in connection with L. M. BOYCE,
on Madison street, the present site of Charles FARWELL's wholesale
store, and erected a linseed oil mill, the first establishment
of the kind in the city, and probably in the State. He also purchased
three lots on State street, where he erected a handsome residence,
one of the finest in the city at that time, then sold the other
two lots at an advance, which paid for the one he had built upon,
together with the cost of the residence. Fortune seemed to favor
his every effort in the city, and he rapidly accumulated money,
and had it not been for the cholera, he would probably be yet
numbered among its residents. Leaving his Chicago home in 1856,
Mr. PECK came to Beloit and immediately established himself in
the lumber trade, though he subsequently built a warehouse and
handled grain in connection with his other business until 1878,
when he retired from active pursuits, having since lived a private
life.
- The union of Mr. and Mrs. PECK has been blessed with a family
of six children. Clara, who was
- the wife of John S. KENDALL, died in Chicago in 1886; Kate;
Georgana died at the age of twenty-one; William S., is living
in Shelby, Ala.; Mary died at the age of three years, and Robert
is located in Chicago. The parents are both members of the Congregational
Church, and in the social world of Beloit hold a high position.
During his earlier years Mr. PECK supported by his ballot and
influence the Whig party, but when the Republican Party sprang
into existence as an organization, desiring to prevent the further
extension of slavery, he enlisted in its ranks, and has since
been a loyal defender of its banner. Almost half a century has
passed since his arrival in this part of the country, at which
time but a few settlers were scattered over the vast Northwest.
The few improvements that had been made were of a primitive character,
while the work of development and progress had hardly begun.
In the great and grand work of transformation which has taken
place Mr. PECK has been not only an eye-witness, but has taken
an active part in producing this change. He has labored long
and faithfully in the interests of the community, and the esteem
in which he is held is well merited.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 961-963.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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