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Peck, George Wilbur

journalist, governor, was born Sept. 28, 1840, in Henderson, N. Y. He learned the printer's trade, and has principally been engaged in journalism.

In 1863 he entered the war as a member of the fourth regiment, Wisconsin volunteer cavalry, and was soon commissioned as second lieutenant of company L. After the war he established The Representative of Ripon, Wis.; was elected city treasurer in 1867, and subsequently was engaged as editor by M. M. Pomeroy, first in New York city, and then on the La Crosse Democrat.

He served as chief of police of La Crosse. In 1847 he started The Sun, which he subsequently moved to Milwaukee; attained success as a humorous paper, and for many years had a circulation of eighty thousand copies per week. He was elected the fifth democratic governor of Wisconsin, and served during 1891-94 with distinction in that high office.