Lyman, W. D. "An Illustrated History of Walla Walla County, State of
Washington."  W. H. Lever, Publisher, 1901.  

EBENEEZER M. PECK

     a farmer residing three miles southwest of Walla Walla on Ritz creek, a
pioneer of 1878, was born in Oswego county. New York, December 29, 1817. His
father, Russell Peck, had been a gunsmith in the Revolutionary war. The old
gentleman had volunteered as a soldier, but the government, discovering his
ability, transferred him to one of its gun factories, and there he labored for a
period of five years.
    When Ebeneezer M. Peck was six months old, the family removed to Ohio, where
the father followed blacksmithing and gunsmithing five years. They next moved to
Michigan, and in that state eleven years were spent in farming and
blacksmithing, after which they removed to Van Buren county, Iowa. It was here
that Mr. Peck, then eighteen years old, received his education, though the
facilities were not very good, that being the first year that whites were
allowed in the territory. The next move of the family was to Oskaloosa county,
and here Mr. Peck lost both father and mother by death. He remained in Iowa
continuously, engaged in farming, until 1878, then came to Walla Walla for the
benefit of his wife's health. He did not remain at first, however, but went to
the vicinity of Pendleton, where he resided three years, afterward moving to his
present place of abode. He has one hundred and thirty acres in the home place
and one hundred acres on the Oregon side of the state line and is engaged in
diversified farming.
    Mr. Peck was for many years one of the leading and representative men of
Oskaloosa county, Iowa, and while there held several local offices.  While
acting as constable, it fell to his lot to arrest the first man ever placed
under custody in that county for wife-beating.  The man remained in jail six
months, after which Mr. Peck himself paid his fine and had him released.  
    Since coming to the coast, the desire of our subject to benefit those with
whom he comes in contact has found expression in his activity in church and
Sunday-school work. When he settled near Pendleton, there was no Sabbath school
in his neighborhood, and he immediately set to work to organize one. He found on
his return to Walla Walla county, that his neighborhood here was also without
such an institution, and again he assumed the role of an organizer. He was
superintendent of this school until eventually forced, by the failure of
his hearing, to give up the work. Mr. Peck was married at Oskaloosa, Iowa, on
December 23, 1862, to Miss Polly DeWitt, a native of Ohio, but a pioneer of
Iowa. They have five children living: Emma P., Ai J., Ella E., Nellie M., and
Myrtle S., also two. Franklin C. and Elmer C., deceased. The family affiliate
with the Old United Brethren, church, of Walla Walla.


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Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in September 2007 by Diana
Smith.  Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family
mentioned above.