16.  "Dr. Washington Freeman Peck. - In July, 1864, Dr. Adler presented for membership in the Scott County Medical Society a name than which none shines brighter in the medical annals of the state - that of W. F. Peck.  Born in Wayne county, New York, of Scotch descent on his father;s side, he had graduated at Bellevue, and served as house surgeon at Bellevue and Blackwell's island hospitals and as United States surgeon in the Lincoln general hospital, Washington, before coming to this city in 1864, at the age of twenty-three.  From that time until his death here in 1891 Dr. Peck was identified with the history and interests of Davenport and of Iowa.  Brave, skillful and cool, he soon took front rank as a surgeon, his fame reaching even across the Atlantic and placing him in the estimation of his fellows as 'one of the six most successful surgeons of the United States.'  With the cooperation of warm friends, such as Judge John F. Dillon and Colonel J. P. Irish, he founded, and with loyal helpers such as Dr. W. D. Middleton, D. N. Richardson and others, he built up the medical department of the Iowa State University, of which he was made dean, and which stands as his monument today.  He was also a prime mover and the medical father, as it were, of Mercy hospital of this city, of the surgical department of the Rock Island road, and of the Iowa Orphans' Home in its extension to more general usefulness.  Dr. Peck possessed, in a wonderful degree, the faculty of inspiring absolute confidence in his patients; they felt that he knew his ground.  The writer who, soon after graduating, spent some months in Dr. Peck's office, was as much impressed by his conscientious care in determining the question of operating as by the fearless skill of his hand  when the decision was reched for action. Debbie Clough G-erischer G-erischer Family Web Site http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/ Assistant CC, Iowa Gen Web, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ List Manager for: IASCOTT-L * G-erischer-L * D-encker-L Fitzpatirck-L * V-lerebome-L * Huntington-L * Otis-L * Algar-L EIGS-L * Pickens-L * McNab-L * Patris-L - Rankin-L