John W. Peckham, a well known citizen of South Haven, Sumner county, is a native of Indiana, born December 23, 1852, on a farm in Marshall county. He is a son of John C. and Isabelle (Hackenberry) Peckham. The father was born January 5, 1821, in Holmes county, Ohio, and in 1849 removed to Indiana, where he followed farming, when he again removed, this time to Missouri. He was engaged in farming there when the Civil war broke out and he enlisted in the Thirty-second Missouri infantry, serving about three years, when he was discharged on account of disability. In 1877 he removed to Kansas with his family, settling on Government land in Sumner county near the present site of South Haven. Here he followed farming and stock raising and was successful. He retired in 1889 and spent the remainder of his life in South Haven, where he died August 8, 1907. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Christian church. His wife was a native of Holmes county, Ohio, born April 27, 1825. They were the parents of six children: Sarah Jane, born January 29, 1850, now the wife of George W. Marshall, an Ohio farmer; James W., the subject of this sketch; Alice, born May 12, 1855, now the wife of Horton L. Miles, a merchant and stockman, Montrose, Col.; Eliza, born August 26, 1858, married Erastus West, farmer, Logan county, Oklahoma; Emma, born March 13, 1863, married Robert McGregor, farmer, Sumner county, Kansas, and Ella, born September 8, 1865, married David B. Clark, Wichita, Kan.

James W. Peckham was educated in the public schools of DeKalb county, Missouri, and followed farming in that State until 1876, when he came to Sumner county, Kansas, locating on Government land near the present town of South Haven. Here he engaged in farming, and during the years when they had crop failures he was engaged as a Government freighter, hauling supplies from the nearest railroad to the United States Indian agencies and the military posts, and on these trips he frequently experienced many incidents of frontier life. He sold his original homestead in 1886, and now owns several well improved farms, two of which are near South Haven. He retired from active business in 1907. He has done his work and succeeded in accumulating a comfortable fortune and is now enjoying life in peace and plenty. Mr. Peckham was united in marriage, May 1, 1881, to Miss Ella Cronkhite, daughter of Lansing and Sarah (Gundy) Cronkhite, of Warren county, Indiana. To this union were born three children, all of whom died in infancy. Mr. Peckham is a Democrat, but has never aspired to hold public office. However, he served on the city council of South Haven in 1909-10. He is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Haven Lodge No. 157, and both he and his wife are members of the Christian church.