COL. F. E. PEEBLES, fruit-grower, hotel, etc., was born May 8, 1833, in Vandalia. Ill.; is a son of Robert H. and Augusta (Ernst) Peebles, natives, the former of Pennsylvania, and the latter of German parentage; was born on an ocean vessel. The father was of Scotch descent, and settled at Vandalia when it was the capital of the State. He was an early physician of that city, and served in the Black Hawk war. He made his advent into the State of Illinois in 1818. The parents were Presbyterians. Our subject had good common school advantages and an academic course at Chicago. He first began business for himself in 1855, in Chicago, where he continued for two years, and then transferred to Winona, Wis., where he remained until the war, at the breaking out of which he enlisted in a Wisconsin B. L. R., as First Lieutenant, which position he held for two years, and was then promoted to the command of the Forty-seventh U. S. C. T., and was mustered out as such in two and one-half years. Soon after returning from the war, he bought a farm near Mobile, Ala., and in one year came to Cobden, where he yet resides. Reengaged for four years in the manufacturing of fruit boxes, and later engaged in the growing of fruits. For the last seven years, until lately, he has been actively engaged in traveling for Hager & Spies' fruit house, of Chicago, which position he resigned to accept the management, as general consignee, of the Cobden Fruit-Growers' Association, a situation he now holds. He was married, 1864, to Mary Stone, one of two children, as the result of the union of Isaac and R. C. Stone. Mr. Peebles' marriage has given him four children, viz.: Gertrude, Augusta, Elizabeth and Robert. He was an active worker in establishing a first-class library at Cobden, a history' of which is given elsewhere. His daughter, Gertrude, is the efficient librarian. In addition to his above mentioned business, he has been running the Phillips Hotel, to remunerative advantage, and satisfaction of many guests, but the Colonel recently gave up the hotel business, and is giving his entire time to his farm in Cobden Precinct. He has held some small offices, and is a stanch Republican.
Extracted 26 Jul 2021 by Norma Hass from 1883 History of Alexander, Union, and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part V, pages 139-140.
| Jackson | Williamson | |
| MO |
 |
Johnson |
| Alexander | Pulaski |
