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Terry Mason's Family History SiteMajor lines: Allen, Beck, Borden, Buck, Burden, Carpenter, Carper, Cobb, Cook, Cornell, Cowan, Daffron, Davis, Downing, Faubion, Fauntleroy, Fenter, Fishback, Foulks, Gray, Harris, Heimbach, Henn, Holland, Holtzclaw, Jackson, Jameson, Johnson, Jones, King, Lewis, Mason, Massengill, McAnnally, Moore, Morgan, Overstreet, Price, Peck, Rice, Richardson, Rogers, Samuel, Smith, Taylor, Thomas, Wade, Warren, Weeks, Webb, Wodell, Yeiser, Boyce, Branch, Cooper, Jackson, Mann, Nichols, Prior, Sweeting. |
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From the Fairfield Recorder, Thursday, July 20, 1972. Captain William Peck was a prominent early settler of Fairfield, Freestone county, Texas. Came to Texas in 1849 and settled at Mount Pleasant, Limestone County (later called Fairfield, Freestone County). He received a land grant of a section of land (640 acres). In 1850 Fairfield was a thriving little town. It was designated as the county seat of Freestone County and was named Fairfield by the settlers who had come from Fairfield, Alabama. A gristmill was powered by horses as there were no streams nearby. This was the town that William Peck chose as a place for making his mark in life as his forefathers had done before him.
He started as a planter and educator but in 1855, the same year the courthouse was built, he opened a general store on the west side of the square. In 1857 Peck, along with Dunbar Bragg, John Karner and C. Yarbro was appointed by the commissioners' court to supervise the building of a jail that was to be completed in 1858. E. Steele was the first sheriff to live in this now two story structure which has housed the Freestone County Museum since 1987.
Captain Peck's first wife Sarah Virginia Peck, died in Fairfield in 1852. In 1857 he married Nancy Elizabeth Forbes, daughter of Dr. Robert and Elzira Long Forbes. In 1858 a son Lafayette was born to the Pecks. On Christmas Day 1860 a daughter Erixene Felicia was born. About this time Captain Peck built a new home for his family. It was a two story structure with a porch that extended all the way across the front and had chimneys at each end. It was of the ante-bellum design used by many prominent home builders of that day. The square iron nailes and large wooden pegs and door latch from this home, which was torn down in 1957, are on display in the Freestone County Museum.
As an elected delegate from Freestone County, Peck served at the Texas Sucession Convention at Austin and was a signer of the Texas Secession Resolution. In August 1861, Peck enlisted in the Army of the Confederacy as a private under Captain J.L Caldwell in the Reserved Company for Freestone County, 19 Brigade, Texas Militia. One month later he was promoted to Captain in the Praxton Bragg Cavalry, active Company. He led his company through engagements in Arkansas and Louisiana from Bentonville and Pea-Ridge, Freestone county, with General Henry Jones commanding. In the summer of 1852 he was at Salem, Spring River, Talbett's Ferry, Searcy, Smithville and St. Charles. He later served in the Eighth Texas Infantry regiment of Walker's Texas Division. Early in 1864 he was recalled to Texas and elected to the Tenth Texas Legislature from the Nineteenth Senatorial District.
Walker's Division popularly named "Walker's Greyhounds" and commanded by Major General John G. Walker, was organized in November 1862. Captain Peck commanded Company I, First Brigade of the 8th Texas Volunteer Infantry under Colonel Overton Young. He and his company fought at Prairie Grove, Helena and Little Rock. Early in 1864, his company was among those recalled to the defense of Texas by Gov. Pendleton Murrah.
Captain Peck was elected to the Tenth Texas Legislature from the 19 Senatorial District composed of Limestone, Freestone, Navarro and Ellis counties in 1854. In 1859, 10 years after Felicia was born, another daughter Electra was born to the Pecks. After the war, Captain Peck resumed life in Freestone County serving the 19th Senatorial District in the Texas Legislature, helping to establish the Fairfield Female Academy, sponsoring the first building erected by the First Methodist Church at Fairfield. He was a charter member of the United Confederate Veterans of Freestone County and was organizer of the annual Confererate reunion. ... .
William Peck died in Fairfield on Feb. 19, 1892, and two years later in Fairfield his wife Naomi Elizabeth died. One of their daughters, Felicia was married on Feb. 24, 1884 to Rufus Hardy, who later became a prominent national figure serving his nation, state and community with high regard. The daughters of Judge Rufus Hardy and Felicia Peck Hardy and granddaughter of Captain William Mynatt Peck have given these books to the Freestone County Museum to preserve that portion of Freetone County History that is included in the books, so that future generations might know the part that was played in the founding of the county and town.
From the Fairfield Recorder, Thursday, July 20, 1972. Captain William Peck was a prominent early settler of Fairfield, Freestone county, Texas. Came to Texas in 1849 and settled at Mount Pleasant, Limestone County (later called Fairfield, Freestone County). He received a land grant of a section of land (640 acres). In 1850 Fairfield was a thriving little town. It was designated as the county seat of Freestone County and was named Fairfield by the settlers who had come from Fairfield, Alabama. A gristmill was powered by horses as there were no streams nearby. This was the town that William Peck chose as a place for making his mark in life as his forefathers had done before him.
He started as a planter and educator but in 1855, the same year the courthouse was built, he opened a general store on the west side of the square. In 1857 Peck, along with Dunbar Bragg, John Karner and C. Yarbro was appointed by the commissioners' court to supervise the building of a jail that was to be completed in 1858. E. Steele was the first sheriff to live in this now two story structure which has housed the Freestone County Museum since 1987.
Captain Peck's first wife Sarah Virginia Peck, died in Fairfield in 1852. In 1857 he married Nancy Elizabeth Forbes, daughter of Dr. Robert and Elzira Long Forbes. In 1858 a son Lafayette was born to the Pecks. On Christmas Day 1860 a daughter Erixene Felicia was born. About this time Captain Peck built a new home for his family. It was a two story structure with a porch that extended all the way across the front and had chimneys at each end. It was of the ante-bellum design used by many prominent home builders of that day. The square iron nailes and large wooden pegs and door latch from this home, which was torn down in 1957, are on display in the Freestone County Museum.
As an elected delegate from Freestone County, Peck served at the Texas Sucession Convention at Austin and was a signer of the Texas Secession Resolution. In August 1861, Peck enlisted in the Army of the Confederacy as a private under Captain J.L Caldwell in the Reserved Company for Freestone County, 19 Brigade, Texas Militia. One month later he was promoted to Captain in the Praxton Bragg Cavalry, active Company. He led his company through engagements in Arkansas and Louisiana from Bentonville and Pea-Ridge, Freestone county, with General Henry Jones commanding. In the summer of 1852 he was at Salem, Spring River, Talbett's Ferry, Searcy, Smithville and St. Charles. He later served in the Eighth Texas Infantry regiment of Walker's Texas Division. Early in 1864 he was recalled to Texas and elected to the Tenth Texas Legislature from the Nineteenth Senatorial District.
Walker's Division popularly named "Walker's Greyhounds" and commanded by Major General John G. Walker, was organized in November 1862. Captain Peck commanded Company I, First Brigade of the 8th Texas Volunteer Infantry under Colonel Overton Young. He and his company fought at Prairie Grove, Helena and Little Rock. Early in 1864, his company was among those recalled to the defense of Texas by Gov. Pendleton Murrah.
Captain Peck was elected to the Tenth Texas Legislature from the 19 Senatorial District composed of Limestone, Freestone, Navarro and Ellis counties in 1854. In 1859, 10 years after Felicia was born, another daughter Electra was born to the Pecks. After the war, Captain Peck resumed life in Freestone County serving the 19th Senatorial District in the Texas Legislature, helping to establish the Fairfield Female Academy, sponsoring the first building erected by the First Methodist Church at Fairfield. He was a charter member of the United Confederate Veterans of Freestone County and was organizer of the annual Confererate reunion. ... .
William Peck died in Fairfield on Feb. 19, 1892, and two years later in Fairfield his wife Naomi Elizabeth died. One of their daughters, Felicia was married on Feb. 24, 1884 to Rufus Hardy, who later became a prominent national figure serving his nation, state and community with high regard. The daughters of Judge Rufus Hardy and Felicia Peck Hardy and granddaughter of Captain William Mynatt Peck have given these books to the Freestone County Museum to preserve that portion of Freetone County History that is included in the books, so that future generations might know the part that was played in the founding of the county and town.