George Wilbur Peck (September 28, 1840 – April 16, 1916) was an American writer and politician from

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. He served as the 17th Governor of Wisconsin and the 9th

Mayor of Milwaukee This is a list of mayors of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. List External linksJS Online {{Mayors of the City of Milwaukee Milwaukee Milwaukee, Wisconsin Mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal governmen ...

Biography

Peck was born in 1840 in

Henderson, New York Henderson is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Jefferson County, New York, Jefferson County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 1,360 at the 2010 census. The town is named after William Henderson, the o ...

, the oldest of three children of David B. and Alzina P. (Joslin) Peck. In 1843, the family moved to what is now Cold Spring, Wisconsin. Peck attended public school until age 15 when he was apprenticed in the printing trade. He married Francena Rowley in 1860 and they had two sons. In 1863 he enlisted in the 4th Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment as a private. He was taken prisoner and held at

Libby Prison Libby Prison was a Confederate prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. In 1862 it was designated to hold officer prisoners from the Union Army. It gained an infamous reputation for the overcrowded and harsh conditions. Priso ...

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

. After he was released in a prisoner exchange, he was appointed to the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

. He was promoted to lieutenant and served until the regiment mustered out in 1866. Peck became a newspaper publisher who founded newspapers in

Ripon Ripon () is a cathedral city in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. The city is located at the confluence of two tributaries of the River Ure, the Laver and Skell. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the city ...

and

La Crosse, Wisconsin La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population as of the 2020 census w ...

. His La Crosse newspaper, ''The Sun'', was founded in 1874. In 1878 Peck moved the newspaper to

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, renaming it ''Peck's Sun''. The weekly newspaper contained Peck's humorous writings, including his famous "

Peck's Bad Boy Henry "Hennery" Peck, popularly known as Peck's Bad Boy, is a fictional character created by George Wilbur Peck (1840–1916). First appearing in the 1883 novel ''Peck's Bad Boy and His Pa'', the Bad Boy has appeared in numerous print, stage, and ...

" stories. In the spring of 1890, Peck ran for mayor of Milwaukee. A

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, Peck was elected despite a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

majority in the city. The state's Democratic leaders took notice and made Peck the party's nominee for the 1890 gubernatorial race. Peck won the election, beating the incumbent William Hoard, and resigned as Milwaukee's mayor on November 11, 1890. He was reelected as governor in 1892, defeating Republican John C. Spooner, but lost a third term to

William Upham William Upham (August 5, 1792January 14, 1853) was an American attorney and politician from Montpelier, Vermont. He was most notable for his service as a United States senator from Vermont. A native of Leicester, Massachusetts, Upham was rai ...

in 1894. He ran again in 1904 but lost to the incumbent Robert M. La Follette, Sr. Peck died in 1916 in Milwaukee at age 75 of

Bright's disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine, and was frequently accompanied b ...

and was buried at

Forest Home Cemetery Forest Home Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located in the Lincoln Village neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is the final resting place of many of the city's famed beer barons, politicians and social elite. Both the cemetery and ...

. After his death, his "Peck's Bad Boy" writings became the basis for several films and a short-lived television show, including ''

'' and ''

Peck's Bad Girl ''Peck's Bad Girl'' is a 1918 comedy film directed by Charles Giblyn, written by Tex Charwate, produced by Samuel Goldwyn, and starring Mabel Normand and Earle Foxe. The black and white silent film, in the style of the Peck's Bad Boy stories, ...

''. His former home in La Crosse is located in what is now known as the 10th and Cass Streets Neighborhood Historic District.

Works

Peck's Fun
1879 copy

Peck's Sunshine
1882 copy

Peck's Bad Boy and His Pa
1883
Will He Marry Her? A Domestic Drama for Home Reading
1885
How Private Geo. W. Peck Put Down the Rebellion
1887 copy
*Pecks Irish Friend Phelan Geoheagan 1887
Peck's Uncle Ike and the Red Headed Boy
1899 copy

Peck's Bad Boy Abroad
1904 copy

Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus
1905 copy
*Peck's Bad Boy with the Cowboys, 1907
Peck's Bad Boy in an Airship
1908 copy

References

External links

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Podcast, now indexed for convenience
George W. Peck
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peck, George W. 1840 births 1916 deaths American humorists Democratic Party governors of Wisconsin Mayors of Milwaukee Writers from La Crosse, Wisconsin Writers from New York (state) Editors of Wisconsin newspapers American newspaper founders 19th-century American newspaper publishers (people) People from Jefferson County, Wisconsin Politicians from La Crosse, Wisconsin People from Henderson, New York People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Union Army officers 19th-century American politicians Burials in Wisconsin