MOSES PECK, a prosperous agriculturist and cattle dealer of the town of Patterson, Putnam county, residing near Towners, is a leading citizen of that locality, and has filled, ably and acceptably, numerous offices of trust in his town. He is a native of the town of East Fishkill, Dutchess county, where he received a practical education in the common schools, but he settled at his present home many years ago. As a worker in local affairs, he has always shown much public spirit. In political faith he is a Republican, and among the offices to which he has been elected on that ticket are those of assessor and excise commissioner. His partner in life's joys and sorrows is Hannah M.K., daughter of Alvin and Martha E. (Dingee) Chase, of Pawling. Mr. and Mrs Peck have had two children: (1) Martha E., who married George W. Kinner, and has three children, Clara L., Georgie H. and Bessie L. (2) Clara M., who married J. Addison Fowler, and died at the age of thirty-three years.

The Peck family is well known in Putnam county. Abel Peck, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Newtown, Conn., and came with two brothers, Hezekiah and Caleb, to Dutchess county, N.Y., settling where Peekskill now stands. Transportation at that early day was of the primitive sort, and they brought all their belongings on horseback. Abel Peck was educated in the common schools of Connecticut, and was by occupation a farmer. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. He married Miss Hannah Davis, and had four children: Davis, our subject's father; Alfred, who remained single; Moses, who married Betsey Dean; and Betsey, who (first) married Daniel Mead, and (second) John Shenton.

Davis Peck was born in Pecksville, Dutchess Co., N.Y., in 1783. He was educated there in the common schools, and engaged in agriculture. In politics he was a Republican, but he never sought public office. He was a member of Carmel Lodge, F. & A.M., and was quite prominent in that order. His wife, Miss Alice Knapp, was a daughter of Brundage and Abigail Knapp. Her father was a well- to-do miller of Pound Ridge, Westchester Co., N.Y. Davis and Alice Peck had ten children: (1) Caroline, born in 1821, in East Fishkill, Dutchess county, married David Peck. They have two sons: Charles B., who married Emily Robison, and has three children: Colman D., Annie F. and C. May; and Henry, who married Josephine O. Whitlock, and has one child, Henrietta. (2) James M. Peck, born and educated in East Fishkill. He married Jane (Henion), and had four children: (a) Alice, who married Silas Rinehardt, and had two children: James R. and David E. (b) Carrie, who married Jerd Rinehardt, and has no children. (c) Edwin Peck, who is in business in Ulster county; he married Catherine Flura, and has one daughter, May. (d) Annie M., at home. (3) Abigail married Denis Conners, and had three children: Eliza, Alfred and Bell. (4) Moses is the subject of this sketch. (5) Alfred, born in Dutchess county, is now engaged in farming. He married Amanda Philips, but has no issue. (6) Darius Peck, also born and educated in Dutchess county, is engaged in farming. He and his wife, Maria (Deniger), have two children: Otis, who married Vean Lamoree; and Hannah A., Mrs. Solomon Snyder. (7) Brundage B., a farmer of Ulster county, married Sarah J. Rose, and has the following children: (a) Alice M., who is at home; (b) Phebe J., who married (first) James Haviland, and (second) William Haight; (c) Adelbert M., who married Sarah Vannoah, and has four children: Elma, Fred, Bertha and Lela; (d) Earl V., who married Clara Teller. (8) Jane (deceased) never married. (9) Hannah married Simon VanDemark, and has two children: Allie, wife of Harry Banks, and Jennie, who is not married. (10) William H. Peck is a successful educator, having taught for nearly forty years. He married Abigail White, and they have nine children: Sarah (Mrs. Isaac Snook); Charles B., who married Clara Eastwood, and has one child; Amanda (Mrs. Eugene Richard); Frankie (Mrs. Elex Mead); and Abbie, Leola, William, Albert and Mary, who are not married.

BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF THE COUNTIES OF DUTCHESS AND PUTNAM NEW YORK CONTAINING BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PROMINENT AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS, AND OF MANY OF THE EARLY SETTLED FAMILIES. CHICAGO. J.H. BEERS & CO., 1897.

An Old Time Family of Our County.

While driving from Carmel to Ludingtonville recently, in passing the farm house of Eli Townsend, our thoughts went back to the old woodcolored dwelling which formerly stood on that site, and which Mr. Townsend had torn down some years ago to make room for his present neat and commodious residence.

More than a century ago the woodcolored house referred to was occupied by Obed Chase, whose father was Isaac Chase, and his good, wife, Susanna, or Susan, as she was more familiarly called. Her maiden name was Berry.

They had an interesting family of six robust sons and three buxom daughters, among whom sickness was rarely known, and their home was one of industry and good cheer.

The father died at the early ago of forty-five years, leaving his wife and children to fight the remainder of life's battle for themselves. Isaac, the eldest son, was a farmer; Daniel, the second son was a Christian preacher, and moved to Tioga County, N.Y., where he died; Elmer and Elvin (the latter changed his name to Alvin) were twins; Jesse and John, the other two sons, were tillers of the soil, and moved near Peekskill, where their children and grandchildren now reside. The daughters were Mary, Kate and Huldah.

Elmer and Alvin moved to Tompkins County, N.Y., taking their mother with them. Elmer remained there, as also did his mother, who died at his home at the advanced age of 96 years.

When Alvin moved to Tompkins County one cart and a team of oxen carried himself, his wife and children, and all their worldly goods. He built a log cabin, his family remaining with a neighbor until their home was ready for occupancy. Bark was used to roof the cabin, but it was so open that they could lie in bed at night and see the stars through the cracks, and in the winter time snow would occasionally sift through the crevices, on them, but they had stout hearts and were happy and contented. Their bedsteads wore split out of logs and pinned fast to the sides of the cabin.

That region was then a wilderness, and when they left their cabins, marked trees with a compass were the only means by which they could find the path to retune home. Wolves, bears and deer were plenty at that time and pigs and poultry had to be closely housed at night to save them from being destroyed.

One morning while Mr. Chase and family sat at breakfast, a neighbor, John Smith, rushed in shouting, "Chase, there is a bear and her cubs up a tree, out here, get your gun quick and help us shoot them." They went out and soon dispatched Mrs. Bear and her cubs, and the settlement feasted for a while on bear steak.

After spending thirteen years in Tompkins County, Alvin Chase moved with his family back to Putnam County and bought the farm in his native town (Kent) formerly owned by J.W. Hazen, now the property of Charles Nichols. He resided there a number of years and then went to Pawling, Dutchess County, where the remainder of his life was passed; He was twice married. His first wife was Ruth Cole and twelve children were born to them — seven sons and five daughters. His second, wife was Martha Elizabeth Dingee and two sons and one daughter were the issue of their marriage, Mr. Chase thus being the father of fifteen children. Of this large family only four sons and two daughters survive.

They are Darius Chase, of Pawling, who is now in his 90th year; Francis, who lives in Ohio; John, who is a resident of South Kent, Conn.; Elmer, of Patterson, N.Y.; Cynthia who married Gilbert Knapp, and Hannah, wife of Moses Peck, of Towner's, N.Y. The late Mrs. Polly Colwell, of Kent, was also a granddaughter of Obed Chase.Elmer Chase would, drive from Tompkins County east to visit his brothers and their families, and it was a custom with them, on such occasions, both at meeting and parting for all present to kneel down and invoke the Divine blessing and guidance, showing how strong was their faith and how earnest had been their early religious training.

PUTNAM COUNTY REPUBLICAN, CAMEL, N.Y., JULY 3, 1897.