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In the spring of 1874, S. E. Peck, accompanied by his twelve year old son, Devillo, and his brother-in-law and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Levi Emerson (newly married) left Monmouth, Jackson county, Iowa, in covered wagons for what was then termed, "The West", which meant Sac county. They made the journey without mishap. Mr. Peck spent the summer breaking prairie, and Devillo herded cattle for N. B. Umbarger, who resided on the homestead now occupied by his son, W. L. Umbarger.
This was Devillo's first trial of being away from home, and he passed many homesick hours. He was plucky however, for when his father made the trip east in the fall, in the covered wagon, he remained here and continued his work.
Mr. Peck spent the fall months in Jackson county, operating a threshing machine, then for the third time that year drove across the state, coming back to Sac, his wife and four children, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Widel coming by train to Vail in November. Mr. Peck and Devillo were there to meet them in a lumber wagon, bringing them to the farm one and three quarter miles northeast of Odebolt, which is still owned by the family.
Mr. Peck purchased the farm of his brother-in-law, A. F. Widel, who, with G. H. Babcock and N. B. Umbarger who came from [illegible] before, buying joining farms. Mr. Peck bought the west half of Mr. Widel's quarter section. In later years, he purchased the other 80, selling 40 to J. A. Cranston.
As it was late in the fall, and money not plentiful, Mr. Peck built a one room shack, for the family to live in. It was too late for plastering, so building paper was put on the inside, with shiplap on the outside. There was no upper story, and as it was rather crowded for a family of seven (the grandparents making their home with their son that winter), beds were made in the loft for the children, who climbed a ladder to get to them, and could not stand when they got there, the roof was so low. They often wakened to find snow piled on the beds. In the day time the ladder was pushed up overhead to get it out of the way.
That was one of the winters that is still talked of by the pioneers, as the winter of terrible blizzards. There was absolutely no protection from the storms, not a tree or a shrub to break the force of the winds, that howled for three days at a time, with blinding snow whirling so that one could see but a few feet from the house. Many cattle were frozen to death. In the little shack of the Peck family, which was so inadequate to resist the cold, it was difficult to keep warm. There were days when coffee froze in a cup which was on the table across the room from the red hot little cook stove, and when a wet cloth hung on the open oven door, also froze.
The children were kept comfortable by being huddled in blankets around the stove.
The four families who lived along the mile road were about all the neighbors there were that winter. There were three families south, the Lyman Mills, Eli Ellinger and J. P. Goreham families, and a few German families farther north, in what was called the German settlement, but the weather was too severe to "neighbor". It was necessary to go to Vail for food, fuel, and mail, and it was a hard trip, starting long before daylight and getting back late at night.
Living was very primitive in those days. Mr. Peck did teaming in the east and had but little cash to go on. "Shorts" biscuit and "Johnny cake" was the bread for months at a time, with a little white flour kept on hand for emergencies. But they were healthy. In dress also but little money was spent. If the girls and women had a nice calico gown, for dress-up trimmed with ruffles, pleats and pipings, they were happy.
The next year the school house one mile east of town was built, and the children started to school. The first teacher was Ansel Ainsworth of Denison. The pupils were from the families already mentioned, and the Albert Jones children, who lived on the farm now owned by G. H. Kessler, a mile north of town. Mr. Jones built a small stable at the school house, and the children drove to school, passing the Peck place and giving them rides also. The Z. W. Sparks children, residing where Reuben Hokanson now lives, and a little later the Dan Lesher children came.
There were gay times in the school house, when a lyceum was organized, and there were debates and programs. There was singing school, with a Mr. Wilson as singing teacher. People came from miles around, and the house was crowded. There were school exhibitions (as they were then called), when Celia Jones was the teacher.
There was great excitement when the railroad came through, and the town of Odebolt was started. Mr. Peck did team work in grading for the railroad. It was a big event when the first train came through.
After Odebolt was started, Frank Kelly came here to run a newspaper. He could not make a living that way it seems, so undertook to teach the school east of town. Some of the "big boys" disliked him, and made life miserable for him. Things came to a climax one day, and three boys, Devillo Peck, George Jones and George Lesher, had a fight with him. The smaller children and girls were greatly frightened, and the school was badly demoralized. Mr. Kelly only taught a couple of days after this happened. The first families that came to Odebolt sent their children to school in the country until a school was started in town, and for a few terms, it was a large school. There has been no school there for many years.
E. D. Peck grew up on the farm, and after he became of age went to Clinton to work in a saw mill. It was not long until he got his hand in the machinery, and lost part of his fingers.
He returned home then, and remained on the farm with his father until he was married to Miss Anna Raftery in 1890. They continued to reside on the farm, the parents moving to town. Their son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Ward Duffy are now living on the Peck homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Peck moved to town in 1924.
The oldest daughter is Mrs. Ray Cranston of this township, and the son, Glenn, is in business with his father.
Mrs. Peck, Sr. died in 1905 and Mr. Peck in 1923.
Of the four families from Monmouth, who located on the mile road in 1873-74 none of the parents are now living. Of the Peck family, only E. D. Peck and his sister, Mrs. Edw. Wilkinson reside here, none of the Widel family are here, and only one of the Umbarger family, and of the Babcock family only E. E. Babcock is living.
The fifty-three years have brought many changes, and those living here now, cannot even imagine the country as it was in those pioneer days.
transcribed by B. Ekse from microfilm