Last seen in the survey party of Jacob Kuechler as they flew across West Texas in an attempt to survey the land appropriated to T&P Railwy. Peck was sending letters back to the T&P offices in Dallas complaining about Kuechler's methods and management. They parted ways at El Paso shortly after a Christmas break. If I recall correctly, Peck was unceremoniously fired for failing to report for work after the break. Bowden's book, Surveying The Texas and Pacific Land Grant West of the Pecos River suggests that Peck felt he was better qualified to lead the project than Kuechler and probably had had enough of the old Dutchman.
I just happened across one of Peck's set of field notes today as I was working in one of the blocks he did survey in the company of Champlin. Made me wonder if I could find out anything about him since you never know what is on the internet these days. Looks like he made his way out to Salt Lake City and took a job surveying for the feds:
Article about the passing of Peck - http://tinyurl.com/m9hxxwz
Federal Register - http://tinyurl.com/l6eekf8
James L. Peck, (b. 25 March 1850, ___, Pennsylvania; d. 19 June 1905, Salt Lake City, Utah) was an interesting character. From reading his letters to the Texas & Pacific Rwy. Company in 1879 while engaged as Jacob Kuechler's assistant in the survey of the T & P lands in the 80-Mile Reservation West of the Pecos, Peck comes across as a familiar type: the younger surveyor with unrealistically inflated ideas of his actual abilities.
From that same exchange of letters, I didn't get the idea that Peck had very good judgment as a young man of 29, so the news that he ended up in Utah isn't inconsistent with that picture. I'd think that if he worked as a deputy surveyor in Utah, the townships he surveyed could be identified.
I have a (more or less) complete list of Utah Deputies, he is not on it. Andy's link indicates that he was a draftsman, but he may have worked on a field crew at some point.
Loyal
Based on retracing Peck, it seems his field work was lacking but he was good at math and could fill out field note records with skill, regardless of whether the sections were actually surveyed or not.
> I have a (more or less) complete list of Utah Deputies, he is not on it. Andy's link indicates that he was a draftsman, but he may have worked on a field crew at some point.
Yes, just pulling up Utah township plats from the period January, 1885 through March, 1905 produces plenty of examples where "J.L.P" is listed as either "Computer" or "Topog. and Computer", both of which would be office functions if "topog" refers to the drafting of topography on the plat as seems likely.
Information on Peck's surveying companion, W. B. Champlin. I'm gonna leave this here for future reference.
Quarter plate ambrotype of CSA 1st Lieutenant W.B. Champlin, Co. D, Louisiana 2nd Cavalry. Housed in a full pressed paper case. Champlin has been identified through a CDV that is not included with this lot, though photocopies are included.
William Belden Champlin (1836-1920) was born in Stonington, CT, married in Natchitoches, LA, in 1868, and died in Dallas, TX. He enlisted June 30, 1862, at Iberville, LA. On November 23, 1863, he was captured at the salt works on Avery island, LA, by members of the 36th Illinois Cavalry. Champlin was confined in Union-held New Orleans, at 21 Rampart Street, and exchanged at New Iberia on December 21, just four weeks after his capture. Champlin surrendered May 26th, 1865, and was paroled June 6 at Natchitoches, where he would later marry.
https://swco-ir.tdl.org/swco-ir/handle/10605/87277?show=full
http://www.dcnyhistory.org/books/munstam.html
Information on Peck's surveying companion, W. B. Champlin. I'm gonna leave this here for future reference.
Quarter plate ambrotype of CSA 1st Lieutenant W.B. Champlin, Co. D, Louisiana 2nd Cavalry. Housed in a full pressed paper case. Champlin has been identified through a CDV that is not included with this lot, though photocopies are included.
William Belden Champlin (1836-1920) was born in Stonington, CT, married in Natchitoches, LA, in 1868, and died in Dallas, TX. He enlisted June 30, 1862, at Iberville, LA. On November 23, 1863, he was captured at the salt works on Avery island, LA, by members of the 36th Illinois Cavalry. Champlin was confined in Union-held New Orleans, at 21 Rampart Street, and exchanged at New Iberia on December 21, just four weeks after his capture. Champlin surrendered May 26th, 1865, and was paroled June 6 at Natchitoches, where he would later marry.
I am not sure if it is the same Peck but some of the best survey plats of old downtown Fort Smith, Arkansas and several Railroads in Northwest Arkansas have a J. Peck listed as the surveyor. The maps of Fort Smith are resurveys of the existing blocks and were some of the best work I ever followed in that area.
Ah, nothing like a nice long evening at the office writing a survey report. Footnoted, even.
Andy Nold, post: 387815, member: 7 wrote: Ah, nothing like a nice long evening at the office writing a survey report. Footnoted, even.
[SARCASM] did you forget these brackets[/SARCASM]
I enjoyed writing the report. I was not completely thrilled about leaving at 10:45. But I did get home at 10:50 since my new office is 492 feet away from my new loft apartment.
