WI BIO - Dane Co - PECK, Victor E.
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol II, pp 599-601

Victor E. PECK, proprietor of the West Madison Hotel, of Madison [Dane 
County, WI], was born in Genesee County, New York, 25 April 1827. His great 
grandfather was one of three brothers born in England, and came to America in 
Colonial times. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. His son, 
Ebenezer PECK, moved from Vermont to Genesee County, New York, and spent the 
remainder of his days on a farm in Middlebury Township. His son, Ebenezer 
PECK, the father of our subject, was born in Shoreham, Addison County, 
Vermont, in 1804. When quite young he removed with his parents to New York, 
where he was reared and educated. In 1827 he [Ebenezer PECK] returned to his 
native State, was employed as clerk in Middleton [Middletown in Rutland 
County, VT?], and 24 February 1829, was united in marriage with Rosaline 
WILLARD. [p 600] After marriage he was engaged in farming on his 
father-in-law's farm in Vermont three years, and then settled on his father's 
farm.

Previous to his marriage, Mr. [Ebenezer] PECK had traveled in the Western 
country, and in 1835 he came to the then Territory of Wisconsin [means 
Territory of Michigan, as the Territory of Wisconsin was still part of 
Michigan Territory until 1836], in company with his two brothers, Stephen and 
John Mullett. At that time Wisconsin was a wilderness, inhabited by Indians 
and wild animals, and not a house marked the now prosperous city of Madison 
[Dane County]. After farming here about one year he returned to New York for 
his wife and infant son, and they then made an overland journey to Blue Mound 
[Blue Mounds, Dane County], Wisconsin. The family remained there until 13 
April of the same year, and then started with teams, Mrs. PECK riding an 
Indian pony. The following is taken from Mrs. PECK's account of the journey: 
"We traveled about seven miles where some person had made a claim, and had 
laid about five rounds of logs for a cabin. We camped therein that night, 
with a tent over us. The next day, the 14th, we pushed on. A more pleasant 
day I never wish to see, but I had a severe headache before night. We 
pitched our tent on a little rise of ground within three miles of Madison, 
spread down our beds, and rested comfortably until near three o'clock 
Saturday morning, when he were awakened by a tremendous windstorm and howling 
of wolves. We found snow five or six inches deep, which continued to fall 
until after we arrived in Madison."

"Well now, here we are at Madison, on the 15th, sitting in a wagon under a 
tree with a bedquilt thrown over my arm and my little boy's head, in a 
tremendous storm of snow and sleet, twenty-five miles from any inhabitants. 
On one side Blue Mound [Blue Mounds], and on the other , 100 miles distant, 
Milwaukee. What is to be done? Go into the buildings with no floors laid, 
and nothing but great sleepers laid across to walk on? No, I must have the 
buildings plastered with lime, and floors laid. Only one sawmill in the 
Territory, and that away up in the Wisconsin pinery and not completed. Of 
course no lumber; but there lies a pile of puncheons. Just build me a pen 
under this tree, move in my stove and we will crawl in there. Sure enough, 
we soon had it completed, and a fire built."

Mr. [Ebenezer] PECK, the father of our subject, was soon elected County 
Commissioner and Justice of the Peace. In 1842 he again started westward, 
and settled in that part of the Baraboo valley near Milwaukee, in Sauk 
County, where he was among the pioneer settlers. He assisted in the 
organization of the county, located the county seat at Baraboo, and secured a 
tract of Government land. In 1849 he started with ox teams for California, 
and the last heard of him was at Fort Laramie [now in Goshen County, WY; 
Wyoming organized as a Territory in 1868]. The mother [Rosaline] is still 
living in Baraboo [Sauk County, WI]. Their daughter, Victoria Wisconsin, was 
the first white child born in that city. This was a great event in the new 
settlement, and a committee convened, of which Governor DOTY was a member, to 
name the child, and the name Victoria Wisconsin was selected. She married 
Mr. WHEELER, and still resides in Baraboo.

Victor E. PECK, the subject of this sketch, was reared to farm life. There 
was no railroad in Sauk County, for a number of years after the family 
settled there, and for a number of years he was engaged in teaming from 
Baraboo to Madison and other points. In 1862 he enlisted for the late war, 
in Company D, Third Wisconsin Cavalry. The regiment was organized in 
Janesville [Rock County, WI], and ordered to Fort Leavenworth, where the 
battalion was divided into four parts. Mr. [Victor E.] PECK was [p 601] 
breveted First Lieutenant, and placed in charge of one of the divisions, 
which he commanded about three years. After returning home he was engaged in 
farming for a time. In 1873 he took charge of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. 
Paul Railroad employees' dining hall at Milwaukee [Milwaukee County, WI], 
where he remained until 1884, with the exception of one year spent in 
Colorado. In that year he took charge of the employees' hotel in Madison 
[Dane County, WI], where he has ever since continued. Victor E. PECK was 
married in 1879 to Mary E. CARY, and they have one daughter, Ruby C. The 
family are members of the Episcopal Church.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly