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LEANDER VAN NESS PECK Leander Van Ness Peck,
son of Zia and Sarah (Campbell) Peck, was born April 2, 1836, at Acworth, New Hampshire. He received his Academic
education at New London, New Hampshire, and entered college at the beginning of Freshman year, August 24, 1860.
After graduating, he made two unsuccessful attempts to enter the army, but was refused each time on account of
nearsightedness. In September, 1864, he took charge of the Mathematical Department of the Military Institute at
Poughkeepsie, New York, and held that situation for one year. In September, 1865, he opened a Select School at
Mendham, New Jersey, but was recalled to Poughkeepsie in September, 1866, and remained there until July, 1868. He then
went to Boston, Massachusetts, and engaged in the fire and life insurance business, until April, 1869, when he moved
to Chelsea, Massachusetts, and became connected with a publishing firm.
In September, 1870, he again joined the ranks of teachers, and became Principal of the
Grammar School at Marblehead, Massachusetts. In the Spring of 1871, he took charge of a large school at Norwood,
Massachusetts, where he remained two years. In April, 1873, he removed to South Natick, Massachusetts, where he taught
until 1879, at which time he gave up the profession of teaching. He has continued to make his residence at South
Natick up to the present time. Since 1879, he has had more or less private pupils, has written for the newspapers, and
has occasionally attempted something more elaborate in the line of editorial work. He is at present engaged especially
in looking after invested funds, which, though not large, are amply sufficient, he thinks, to keep him out of
Tewksbury.
He has been, for the past eight years, the Secretary of the South Natick Historical, Natural History and Library
Society. He is Clerk of the John Elliot Congregational Church, and Superintendent of the Sunday School. He also takes
an active interest in temperance work.
In politics, he is a Republican, though he confesses that he voted for General B. F. Butler, for Governor of
Massachusetts, in 1882, "just to see what the old man would do.'' It is presumed that he saw.
In October, 1883, he was appointed to a position in the Custom House at Boston, Massachusetts. It was the first
appointment to the Appraiser's Department in the Custom House under the Civil Service Reform rules.
He also had the sad experience of receiving a majority of the votes cast for member of the School Committee, but was
declared not elected, by unscrupulous politicians who assumed control of the votes.
He was married April 9, 1865, to Miss Jennie M. Harris, of Acton, Massachusetts. They have one child, Carrie
Adelaide, born August 21, 1873.
Source: "Memorialia of the Class of '64 in Dartmouth College" complied by John C.
Webster, Shepard & Johnston, Printers, 1884, Chicago
Submitted by Deborah Crowell |