ThomasH. Carter

 
THOMAS H. CARTER was bornin Little York, York county, Pennsylvania, October 11, 1823. His father,Bushnell Carter, a native of Connecticut, came when a young man to Pennsylvania,where he married Julia L. Barber, an estimable lady. He was an educatedman, a successful lawyer, and died in early manhood. After the death ofhis mother our subject was taken by his father to an uncle in Connecticut,and there he grew to manhood. When twenty years of age he became a schoolteacher, and so continued until 1847, when he went to Canfield, Ohio, wherehe began the study of law under Judge Newton. He was admitted to the barin 1852, after graduating from Ballston, New York. About this time, witha young wife, he made his way to Beardstown, and engaged in partnershipin a general law business with a cousin, Carter Van Vleck, who had comehere some years before. In later years he was connected in a legal waywith Henry Philips, of Virginia, Illinois, but after some years he hadsole charge of the business himself. He became well known through the Stateas one of the legal lights of the day, and has figured in it prominently.He has amassed a good farm property in Missouri, which is still in thefamily. He was not a politician, but he had been City Attorney of Beardstown,and from 1858 to 1861 he was Postmaster of the place. He was held in highesteem for his upright character and good qualities. He was a Democrat,a Master Mason, a good moral man and a great lover of home.

He was married to Miss MariaL. Peck, in Warren, Litchfield county, Connecticut, where he was reared.She was born in the same place December 13, 1825, and was a daughter ofPhineas and Phoebe (Taylor) Peck, both of Litchfield. Mr. Peck was a farmerand purchased the old Peck homestead, which is yet in the family. His deathoccurred July 11, 1870, at the age of seventy-seven. He was a strong, activeman, and both he and his wife were members of the Congregational Church,as are also their children. Mr. and Mrs. Carter had one son, AugustineP., now chief clerk of Superintendent Johnson of the Montana Central Railroadof Helena, Montana. He married Miss Frances B. Henderson, of Monmouth,a daughter of Colonel Henderson, a prominent man of Warren county. Mr.and Mrs. Augustine Carter and wife have one bright daughter, Marcia P.,named for her grandmother.

Mr. Carter died while inPeoria, Illinois, for treatment, on March 19, 1886, leaving to his manyfriends a memory most pleasing to cherish.

Biographical Review ofCass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review PublishingCo., Chicago, 1892, pages 259-260.

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