T.H.PEEVER
Although Tom Peever never lived in Peever, we of course, count him as one of our pioneers. Not only was he the
founder of Peever, he also had a store here until his death
The only photo we have ever seen of him is the one that we have repeated here from "The Beginning" page.
We were lucky to find one. The librarian in Sisseton was kind enough to let us borrow a little old history book
of Sisseton and we were able to copy it.
The following is a short biography of this man who accomplished much in a few years.
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Thomas H. Peever was a native of Canada, the eldest son of David Peever who came from Ireland in about 1860. Tom
had five brothers and three sisters. The family engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was born on August 4, 1862,
educated in Canada and came to the U.S. in 1881.
He was involved with the lumber business for ten years in Michigan and Wisconsin before moving to Wilmot,SD in
1892. While there he ran a locating office for a short time before the opening of the reservation. Tom then took
up a homestead near the present site of Sisseton where he opened a real estate office and dealt in farm machinery.
He became very successful. Tom was also the second postmaster of Sisseton (appointed by Pres. Cleveland), and he
was the first chairman of Sisseton and advanced its growth and development. He organized the Peever-Gorham Mercantile
Co. of Sisseton, of which he was president and business manager. It was the most extensive business of its kind
in Roberts County.
Tom Peever helped establish the town of Peever in 1901. He started the T.H. Peever Mercantile in town and also
became preseident of the First State Bank of Peever.
He married Agnes P. Rice on January 22, 1895. Agnes died in 1897 leaving one son, David. Tom married Emma Schindler
May 18, 1901. He passed away in December of 1908 and was laid to rest beside his first wife Agnes at the Brown
Cemetery that overlooks the town of Henderson,MN.
His son David died as a young man during the influenza epidemic of 1918 at Casper, Wyoming.