Tarrant County TXGenWeb - Florence Peak obit

Tarrant County TXGenWeb

Oldest Resident in City,
Wife of First Physician, is Dead

Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Friday, July 14, 1922

Mrs. Florence Peak, oldest resident of Fort Worth and mother of the first children born in the original army post, died at her home, 820 West Fifth Street, at 4 a.m. Friday. She was nearly 90 and had lived in Fort Worth since 1853, when she came here as the bride of Dr. Carroll M. Peak, Fort Worth's first physician. Mrs. Peak was ill only a few days. Funeral services will be held at the residenct Saturday with burial in Pioneer's Rest Cemetery.

Mrs. Peak, who was Florence Chalfant before her marriage, was born in Pendleton Co. Ky. Dec. 20, 1832. She was only 20 when she came to Texas. The couple lived at Dallas for a few months before moving to the old post just vacated by the soldiers. Dr. Peak was called to the bedside of Capt. Julian Feild at the post, decided to move, and the family lived there for the next four years. Their first two children, Clara Peak Walden and Howard W. Peak Sr. was born there. [Clara later married LeGrande Walden and was one of the first three principals of public schools in Fort Worth and for many years was a leading educator.]

Moving from the post in 1857, Dr. Peak built a home on the spot now the block bounded by Weatherford, Houston, First and Throckmorton Streets, which was the family residence for many years after the Civil War. Dr. Peak was the only physician in this section and frequently made long trips to the bedside of his patients.

Mrs. Peak was one of the organizers of the First Christian Church and an active worker during its earlier yars. Though she would have been 90 in December, she was in comparatively good health until a few days before her death. Her last years were spent in her home with her daughters and nothing delighted her more than to tell of the early life of the frontier settlement which has become Fort Worth.

She is survived by her son, Howard W. Peak and two daughters, Mrs. Lily Peak Jones and Miss Olive Peak. Her grandchildren are Carroll Peak, Howard Peak, Jr., Mrs. Florence Hill and Mrs. Frank Kent, the latter of Clinton, Mo.

[One favorite story which Howard Peak was fond of recalling was that regarding the population of the Fort. A traveler passing through asked the local blacksmith how many people resided here and was given a number. A young boy, who had been listening to the conversation spoke up, " You forgot one - Doc Peak had a boy last night!"]

This page was last modified 19 Nov 2003.