Willis Aleney Peck
source : 1903 Denison City Directory

Willis Aleney Peck was born in Johnsville, Montgomery County, Ohio, on May 6, 1856. His parents were Henry Clay Peck (1817–1902) and Ellen Eliza Sandford Peck (1833–1897). In 1870, when Will was 14, the father, Henry, having survived the Civil War, was a grocer in Waverly, Bremer County, Iowa. Ten years later, he was a music dealer there. By that time, according to the Census of 1880, Will, now 24, had become a jeweler in Grundy Center, Grundy County, Iowa. And he had married Mary O. Connell (1858, Schnectady, New York - 1947) on January 24, 1878, daughter of Cornelius C. Connell (1817 - 1902, buried in Fairview Cemetery, Denison) and Diana Stuart. Soon they had two children: Leslie Willis Peck (1879–1964) and Eunice Eliza "Emmie" Peck Crockett (1881–1970).

In 1883, the Peck family moved to Denison, Texas. In 1887, Will was working as watchmaker at Benjamin W. Merrill's store, dealing in "watches, clocks, jewelry, pawn broker and jeweler, 216 West Main." Ben was boarding with the Pecks at 508 West Owings Street. In 1887, Ben was living upstairs at the store.

The Sunday Gazetteer noted in early August 1896 that Will Peck's eldest brother, Franklin Henry, had died at Ranye, Louisiana.  His body was shipped to Denison, where interment took place.

The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, August 9, 1896
W.A. Peck, the jeweler, was notified by telegram Thursday of the death of his brother, which occurred at Ranye, Louisiana.  Mr. Peck left for there at once, and will bring the remains to Denison for interment.  The deceased was here only a few months ago, accompanied by his wife.  Mr. Peck received a letter from his brother in which  he complained seriously of trouble with a diseased foot.

The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, August 16, 1896
The remains of E.F. Peck were shipped here from Rayne, Louisiana, where he died last Thursday.  W.A. Peck, brother of the deceased, who went to Louisiana and accompanied the remains here, arrived Saturday night, and the funeral too place yesterday afternoon.

"Residence of W. A. Peck, Jeweler, 508 West Owing Street."
Source: Robinson, Frank M., comp. Industrial Denison. [N.p.]: Means-Moore Co., [ca. 1901]. Page 47.

508 West Owings housed the Peck family through 1911. In early June 1900, the Census showed five roomers there, in addition to the four Pecks and Mary Connell Peck's father, aged 80 and a harness maker.  Two years later Cornelius C. Connell died on June 13, 1902 and is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Denison.

In 1891, Will and Ben were listed as partners in the jewelry store at 216 West Main. By 1898, L. B. Moore had taken over the store, which was billed as "jeweler and broker in jewelry, diamonds, watches, etc., watch repairing a specialty." Will "the Watchmaker" was store manager, while Miss Luella J. Moore was a watchmaker and engraver.

Around the turn of the century, Will Peck's wife Mary became an optician. She was listed as such in the 1901 Denison City Directory. That year Will and Mary had their own jewelry store at 228 West Main: "Watchmaker, jeweler, engraver, watches, clocks, jewelry, diamonds, silverware." At the same time, son Leslie W. Peck was listed as a stenographer. In 1907, things remained much the same in the store, except that Will advertised his position as "watch inspector" on the Houston and Texas Central Railway.

Peck & Garring Jewelers, Interior, 228 West Main Street, Denison Texas
Photo courtesy of Carol Shaffer.
Source of photo: "Industrial Denison" (1901), p. 97.

Exact timing was extremely important to railroads in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Railroads went to great lengths to insure that clocks, watches, and other timing devices operated with great precision. Peck was not the only Denison jeweler to contract with a railroad to inspect and adjust timepieces on a regular basis.

Industrial Denison, a book published in the early 1900s, contained a photo of the interior of "Peck & Garring, Jewelers, 228 West Main Street." The 1901 Denison City Directory listed "Charles K. Garring, Jeweler. Rooms at 311 West Gandy Street." The next City Directory, for 1907, did not list Charles. The only Garring listed there was "George Garring, foreman, MK&T Railway; boards at 314 West Texas Street."

Though the exact chronology is murky, it seems clear that the Peck & Garring partnership was short-lived. As it happens, we know something of what transpired. Laura James, in her book, The Love Pirate and the Bandit's Son: Murder, Sin, and Scandal in the Shadow of Jesse James (2009), chapter 4, tells how Charles Kittredge Garring came from Ohio to Denison and opened a jewelry store.

Garring befriended a doctor of osteopathy, D. D. Crawford, who roomed above his jewelry store. According to James, Dr. Crawford's enthusiastic exposition of the basic theories of osteopathy, the success he had treating clients, and his evident prosperity—all these impressed Garring. Ultimately the jeweler decided to change careers and enrolled in Dr. A. T. Still's American School of Osteopathy (ASO) at Kirksville, Missouri, in 1902. In 1904, he completed his course of study and set up a practice in Durant, Indian Territory, across the Red River from Denison.

Meanwhile, Charles had married a beautiful fellow ASO student, Zeo Zoe Wilkins. They wed in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 16, 1904. He was 36; she was 18. She returned to Kirksville to complete her own training, then joined Garring in his lucrative medical practice in Durant. The new wife turned out to be a cold-hearted, promiscuous gold-digger. Soon she became bored and began affairs with clients; she ended up shooting her husband, claiming she thought he was an intruder. He survived and got a divorce. The rest of her remarkable life is recounted in James' book. Garring left Durant around 1907 and continued his career in various Texas cities.

The 1907 Denison City Directory lists Will as jeweler and optician at 228 W. Main with residence at 508 W. Owings; Will was also the watch inspector for the Houston & Texas Central Railroad Co.  Will and Mary Peck seem to have had their own store, with no further partners, after about 1907, when city directories began listing his store as "jeweler and optician." The store's location moved from 312 West Main (1909) to 319 West Main (1911) to 412 West Main (1917). In 1913, the couple was living at 1131 West Woodard Street. In 1917, Will lived at 731 West Owings.  
According to the 1920 Denison census, W.A. Peck was living at 418 W. Main St. and owned his repair shop; however, the 1921 Denison City Directory (c March 16, 1921), Willis and his wife, Mary, are listed as living at 418 W. Main St.
At the time of his death, Will was rooming with W.D. Melson at 819 W. Gandy and his small repair shop was located at 416 W. Main St. Will died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his shop on Main St. in the early hours of August 11, 1922 and was buried in Fairview Cemetery, Denison.  

Mary and Will had been living apart for a number of years before his death. (Note: Mary's death certificate shows that she had been living in St. Louis, Missouri for 30 years.)  The children had moved out of the parents' home and to other states before 1910. Mary was enumerated with her son, Leslie W. Peck, age 52, single, and a secretary in an office, on 27th Street, Queens, New York according to the 1930 census; it is possible that both mother and son, who was living in the Territory of Hawaii, were visiting relatives in New York at the time of the 1930 census.  
The 1935 and 1940 censuses lists Mary as living in St. Louis, Missouri with her daughter and son-in-law, Jack and Eunice Crockett and Jack's mother; they lived on Maple Place; and Jack is an assistant in an insurance company.  Mary O. Connell Peck died at the age of 88 on July 8, 1947, in St. Louis Hospital, St. Louis and is buried in Lake Charles Park Cemetery (FAG #120379066).

W. A. Peck: The Watchmaker. Watches, Diamonds, and Jewelry; High-Grade Repairing a Specialty. [312 West Main Street]

Of the jewelers and watchmakers of this city there is no establishment which bears a higher character among the people for honest, fair dealing and first-class workmanship than the subject of this sketch. Mr. Peck has been in business here for twenty-five years. He is thoroughly practical and reliable, having learned his trade many years ago, at a time when it was necessary to learn every department of the business, instead of just one branch, as is commonly the case nowadays. He therefore stands above the average jeweler in knowledge and experience. No timepiece is too complicated for him to adjust. He also carries a handsome line of watches, diamonds, and fashionable jewelry, and all goods are guaranteed to turn out exactly as represented. Is he your jeweler? If not, why not?

Source: “Denison, the Texas Gateway: A Busy, Progressive City with Golden Opportunities.” 16pp. Brochure. N.p.: N.d. [ca. 1908].