Jonathan B. Peck, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of Jonathan B. Peck
JONATHAN B. PECK, who died at his home in Union township, Porter county, Indiana, July 28, 1908, belonged to one of the pioneer families of this locality, and was one of its worthy citizens. His parents were Orrin and Almira Peck.
Jonathan B. Peck was born near Bridgeport, Connecticut, and was a resident of Porter county, Indiana, from 1853, when he came here with his parents and other members of the family, up to the time of his death. On January 12, 1860, he and Miss Elizabeth Blachly were united in marriage, and he settled down to farming on land which he rented from his father. Here he carried on agricultural pursuits the rest of his life. To him and his wife were given six children: the first 110m died in infancy: Ada C., a trained nurse, resides at Dunning, Illinois; Clinton B., a farmer, married Ida M. Cadwell, and has five children, Edith M., Ethel, Viola, Nellie and Linus; Eva L., wife of Hugh Dotzer, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, has three children, Matilda, John R. and Veleska A.; Anna O., wife of Charles C. Frame, resides at the old home place, Mr. Frame having charge of the farming operations; and Orra is the wife of Fay O. Scudder, a traveling agent for the National Press Association, of New York.
Mrs. Elizabeth Peck, widow of Jonathan B., was born in Porter county, Indiana, August 10, 1842, daughter of Boyd and Catherine (Laughlin) Blachly, natives of Ohio, who came over into the neighboring state of Indiana at an early day and settled in Porter county. Their children were Leora, Christina, Morgan, Nellie, Clementine and Ida, and two died in early life -- Eben and Napoleon. The Blachly children were educated in the log schoolhouse at Mount Pleasant. Elizabeth was a studious young girl. At nights she studied her lessons at home by the light of a grease torch -- a twisted rag for a wick placed in a vessel containing grease-the common light of that day, and by the time she was sixteen she qualified as teacher and was employed to teach the home school, which she taught for two terms. The Same earnestness and thoroughness which characterized her school work entered into her home life when she became a wife and mother, the result being a hospitable, pleasant home and a happy family. After the death of Orrin Peck's wife, he made his home with his son, Jonathan, and so kindly was he cared for by Jonathan and family, especially his wife, Elizabeth, that as proof of his appreciation of their affection and kindly attention he willed a farm to Mrs. Elizabeth Peck.
Mrs. Peck is a member of the Christian church at Blachly's Corners, as also, for many years, was Mr. Peck. Politically he was a Republican, his first vote having been cast for John C. Fremont and his last for Theodore Roosevelt.
Source: Lewis Publishing Company. 1912. History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests. Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Company. 881 p.
Page(s) in Source: 763-764
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook