Asahel Peck | |
|---|---|
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| 35th Governor of Vermont | |
| In office October 8, 1874 – October 5, 1876 | |
| Lieutenant | Lyman G. Hinckley |
| Preceded by | Julius Converse |
| Succeeded by | Horace Fairbanks |
| Associate Justice of theVermont Supreme Court | |
| In office 1861–1874 | |
| Preceded by | Isaac F. Redfield |
| Succeeded by | H. Henry Powers |
| Member of theVermont Senate fromChittenden County | |
| In office October 11, 1860 – January 14, 1861 Serving with John H. Woodward, Elmer Beecher | |
| Preceded by | Lucius E. Chittenden, E. D. Mason, Josiah Tuttle |
| Succeeded by | John H. Woodward, Elmer Beecher,George F. Edmunds |
| Judge of the Vermont Circuit Court | |
| In office 1851–1857 | |
| Preceded by | None (position created) |
| Succeeded by | None (position eliminated) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 1803 (1803-09) |
| Died | May 18, 1879(1879-05-18) (aged 75) |
| Resting place | Hinesburg Village Cemetery,Hinesburg, Vermont |
| Party | Democratic (before 1855) Republican |
| Alma mater | University of Vermont |
| Profession | Attorney Judge |
| Signature | .png) |
Asahel Peck (September 1803 – May 18, 1879) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge. He is most notable for his service as an associate justice of theVermont Supreme Court (1859–1874) and the 35thgovernor of Vermont from 1874 to 1876.
A native ofRoyalston, Massachusetts, Peck was raised and educated inMontpelier, Vermont. He attended theUniversity of Vermont, studied law, and attained admission to the bar in 1832. Peck practiced inBurlington, Montpelier, andJericho, and gained a reputation as a skilled trial attorney.
Initially a Democrat, and later a Republican, Peck served as a Judge of the Vermont Circuit Court from 1851 to 1857. In 1860 he was elected to theVermont Senate, where he served from October 1860 to January 1861. He resigned to accept appointment an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, and he served until 1874. In 1874, Peck was the successful Republican candidate for governor, and he served two years, 1874 to 1876.
After leaving the governorship, Peck retired to a home inHinesburg, where he had moved to live closer to members of his family. He died in Jericho in 1879, and was buried at Hinesburg Village Cemetery in Hinesburg.
Peck was born inRoyalston, Massachusetts, in September 1803, the son of Squire Peck and Elizabeth (Goddard) Peck.[1] He moved toMontpelier, Vermont, with his family at the age of three, and was raised on his family's farm.[2] Peck was educated at Hinesburg Academy and Washington County Grammar School, and attended theUniversity of Vermont.[3] He left college in his senior year so he could study inQuebec, and became fluent inFrench.[3] Afterwards, Peckstudied law inHinesburg with his brother Nahum and at aMontpelier law firm, and attainedadmission to the bar in 1832.[3] (In 1876 the University of Vermont declared Peck a regular graduate and awarded him hisBachelor of Arts degree.[4])
A lifelong bachelor, Peck lived inBurlington, Montpelier, and on a farm inJericho while practicing law.[5] He served as a Circuit Judge from 1851 until 1857, when the Circuit Court system was abolished.[3] He served in theVermont Senate from 1860 to 1861, and was chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Peck resigned from the state senate to accept appointment as an associate justice of theVermont Supreme Court, filling the vacancy created when Chief JusticeIsaac F. Redfield retired, and Associate JusticeLuke P. Poland succeeded him.[3] The other Associate Justices each advanced one step in seniority, with Peck chosen to fill the resulting vacancy.[3]
Originally aDemocrat, Peck switched to theRepublican Party when it was organized in the mid-1850s as the major anti-slavery party.[3] He resigned from the Supreme Court when he was selected as the Republican nominee for governor in 1874. He was elected, and he served until 1876.[3] As governor, he sought to improve conditions in the state's prisons and supported the establishment of workhouses for minor offenders. During his administration, the office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction was created and a joint resolution was passed favoring the formation of a waterway to connect the St. Lawrence River with the Great Lakes.[6]
After leaving office he returned to his farm and law practice inJericho, Vermont.[3] He worked until he retired to a home in Hinesburg, where he had moved to be near family members.[7]
Peck died inJericho on May 18, 1879.[8] He is interred at Hinesburg Village Cemetery, Hinesburg,Vermont.[9] Governor Peck Road in the towns ofRichmond andJericho is named for him.
In 1872Middlebury College awarded Peck anhonoraryDoctor of Laws degree, and in 1874 theUniversity of Vermont awarded Peck an honoraryMaster of Arts degree.[10][11]
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Republican nominee forGovernor of Vermont 1874 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Vermont 1874–1876 | Succeeded by |
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| National | |
| Other | |
