Lapeer County MI Archives Biographies.....Peck, Miles G. 1833 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com June 19, 2007, 9:35 pm

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

MILES G. PECK is the son of Ira Peck, a native of Cortland County, N. Y., who
was by trade a carpenter and joiner, but later in life became a farmer. His
mother was Sarah Ann (Simmons) Peck, a native of the same county and State as
her husband, where they were married and resided until 1835, when they came to
Michigan and settled on section 11, Lapeer Township, Lapeer County, being among
the first to come to this township. Among those who were their friends and
neighbors at that early day only Mrs. Lumbard is now living.

  Our subject's father procured eighty acres of land, which was wild and almost
inaccessible. He there built a log house and had only money enough to buy a yoke
of steers and a cow. Afterward he was employed in building a courthouse at
Lapeer and otherwise was engaged at his trade, meantime improving sixty acres of
his homestead. In 1848 he purchased one hundred and sixty acres where our
subject now lives. After a varied experience he died, March 14, 1864; his wife
still survives, at the age of seventy-nine years. They were the parents of eight
children, three of whom are now living. Mrs. Peck is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. Mr. Peck was poitically a Whig and later became a Republican.

  The original of our sketch, who owns the fine farm on section 24, Lapeer
Township, is the eldest of the surviving children born to his parents. He was
born February 8, 1833, in Cortland County, N. Y., and was an infant when brought
to this State. He here received a district-school education, in the intervals
learning the secrets of agricultural life. He gave his father his work until
twenty-one years of age and has always been engaged in farming. For five years
he worked the homestead on shares. Just before his father's decease he bought a
mill which the elder gentleman had built in Attica Township. Only two days after
the transfer the father was killed in the mill. Our subject continued the
proprietorship of it for one year and then sold out. Returning to the farm, he
worked upon it in summers and spent the winters in lumbering in Lapeer County,
having had an experience of nineteen years in the last-mentioned work.

  The last eighteen years of our subject's life have been devoted exclusively to
his farming interests. October 24, 1862, he made mistress of his household Mary
Harris, a daughter of Benjamin and Sophia (Hollenbeck) Harris, the former of
whom was born upon a passenger sloop, his father being captain of the boat. He
started as cabin boy when quite young and advanced to second mate before leaving
the sea, at the age of eighteen years, and was known as Capt. Charles Harris, a
man who stood high in Masonic circles. He and his crew were captured by the
celebrated Capt. Kidd, and all the captains were put to death except Charles
Harris, whose life was spared because he was a Mason. He was imprisoned in the
hold of the pirate ship and in one night his raven hair was bleached to purest
white. Held a prisoner for about six weeks, he was then set ashore and lived a
number of years after.

  Mrs. Peck's mother was born in New York State. Her parents came to Michigan in
1837 and located upon section 34, of Lapeer Township. They afterward sold that
tract and located on section 35, which they also sold, and then removed to
Marathon Township, and settled upon a farm. On retiring from the active pursuit
of farming, they removed to Columbiaville, where the father died in 1880; the
mother still survives, at the age of sixty-five years. They were the parents of
six children, four of whom are now living. A Democrat in his political likings,
Mrs. Peck's father held various township offices, having been Supervisor, Clerk,
Treasurer, etc., of Marathon Township; he was also Justice of the Peace in
Lapeer Township and was connected socially with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows. Mrs. Peck was born June 4, 1843, in Lapeer Township, where she received
a district-school education.

  Our subject and his wife are the payents of five children, four of whom are
surviving. They are Nora A., Mary Hale, Miles Otis and Bertha O. Nora is the
wife of George E. Hosner who lives in Macomb County, and is a farmer; Mary is
the wife of Frank W. Stephens and lives in Lapeer County, a farmer. Our subject
is a member and has been President of the Patrons of Industry, his wife holding
the office of Treasurer in the same society; both are members of the Grange. Mr.
Peck is a Republican in politics. He has one hundred and twenty acres of land,
of which one hundred and ten acres are under cultivation, and upon this he has
put up all the buildings that it at the present time boasts, and he here carries
on mixed farming. He has some fine trotting stock, descendants of Henry Clay and
Hambletonian. After only eight days' training of his two-year-old, it made a
mile in 3:30 at the Lapeer County Fair in 1890.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of
the Presidents of the United States

Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1892


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