JACOB H. PEAK was born in Anderson County, Tenn., on May 26, 1829. His father, Absalom Peak, came to Scott County, Ill., Sept. 29, and died May 23, 1867. He married Rebecca Butler, whose parents lived and died in Anderson County, Tenn. Their marriage occurred in 1822. The old lady is now living in Scott County on the farm taken up by her husband in the first decade of the present century. She was the mother of ten children. The following six of whom grew to maturity: Sallie, Germania, Jacob H., Luke, William and Mary J.
Sallie was married twice. Her first husband was C. T. Gillham, by whom she had two children, Harriet and Delos. Her second husband was I. J. True, by whom she was the mother of four children. She is deceased. Luke went to California in 1853, where he married and is now farming in Merced County, that State; William married June Leib, and is farming in Scott County, this State. They have two children: Charles and Leo D.; Mary married John W. Morrison. They are now living in Vernon County, Mo., with their four children: Charles, Delos, Willard and James.
Jacob H. Peak married Mathilda Campbell, whose father came from Tennessee. In her father's family there were sic children, four of whom are living: Newton J., James P., Mary Jane and Matilda. Newton J. married Susan Simmons. They are now residing in Scott County, and have six children: Ann, Mollie, Lucy, Lizzie, Lois and Norman; James P., married a Miss Bacon, and is now living near Odell, Gage Co., Neb. They have four children: Minerva, Ralph, Ira and Matilda. Mary Jane married George W. Camp. They reside in Riggston this State, and have eight children: Charles, Mark, John, Cynthia, Joseph, Alice, Fannie and Florence.
Mr. Peak, whose name appears at the beginning of this sketch, was the father of seven children, four of whom are living: Mary J., Kate, Dora and Lula. Kate married Sherman Luttrell, and is the mother of two children: Rova May and Lois. Alice (deceased) married Jacob Bowyer of this county. She left three children, who are living with their grandfather. Their names are Scott P., Mary J., and Herschel.
When Mr. Peak commenced life his possessions consisted of a horse, saddle and bridle, but by hard work on a farm, he accumulated enough money from his monthly wages to buy a place containing 118 acres of partially improved land, soon after his marriage. He afterward sold this farm and purchased a quarter section of land in this county, adding each year thereto, until he now owns 330 acres of rich Illinois prairie. This farm is all under a high state of cultivation, and upon it have been erected good buildings. He does a general farm business and is eminently successful. He is one of that class of farmers who believes that if anything is worth doing at all, it is worth doing well, and upon that precept he has built up a reputation as a farmer whose method of operations might be profitably imitated. His wife and children are members of the Christian Church.
Mr. Peak, politically, is a sound Democrat, and firmly believes in the principles of his party, although he has kept aloof from politics and has held no office except that of Township Trustee, a position whose duties were discharged in his usual painstaking manner. He has often served on the county juries and as a Juryman has invariably given satisfaction. In a summary of his life Mr. Peak may be truly called a representative Illinois farmer.
Among the pleasant homes of Morgan County, views of which appear on these pages, few are more attractive externally or internally than the country residence of Mr. Peak. It portrays the comforts of rural life amid the pleasant prospects of Nature.