BIO: William SPECK, Huntingdon County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley: 
Comprising the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry, 
Pennsylvania, Containing Sketches of Prominent and Representative 
Citizens and Many of the Early Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. 
Runk & Co., 1897, pages 187-188.
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  WILLIAM SPECK, Huntingdon, Huntingdon county, Pa., was born in Walker 
township, July 6, 1830. He was the son of Martin and Catharine 
(Heffner) Speck. Martin Speck, father of William, was born in 1779, at 
York, York county, Pa. he was of German descent, a son of Michael 
Speck, farmer and Weaver. He was one of a family of eight children. His 
parents moved from York county to Huntingdon county, where they settled 
near Mill Creek on a farm which his father cultivated until his death. 
Martin attended a subscription school and could read both German and 
English. He grew up on the farm and worked for his father. When he was 
twenty he bought a farm in Walker township, near McConnellstown. He 
worked hard, clearing a large tract of land, on which he built a house 
and barn. At the time of his death he owned 500 acres of land. Martin 
Speck married Catharine, daughter of Valentine Heffner, a farmer of 
Walker township. She was born in Hagerstown, Md., in 1788, and died in 
January, 1872. They had twelve children, eight of whom are dead: 
Michael; Peter; Mary, wife of Jacob Lininger; David; and four infants. 
The surviving children are: Abraham, a farmer near Mill Creek; John, 
residing at Knoxville, Ill.; Adam, residing at Saxton, Pa.; and 
William. Mr. Speck was well known and highly esteemed. He held all the 
offices of his township, and was the first school director of 
Huntingdon county. He was a member of the Lutheran church. His politics 
were Democratic.
  William Speck attended a subscription school in McConnellstown, where 
he acquired a fair education, which enabled him to teach in different 
townships of the county. He grew up on his father's farm. When he was 
thirty-four he went to Ashland, Ohio, where he farmed for one year. 
Returning he bought a farm in Harts Log valley, which he cleared and 
cultivated for one year, and then sold it. On February 20, 1868, he 
bought 214 acres of land, owned by Judge Kerr. The first buildings were 
of logs. Mr. Speck lived in the log house five years, during which time 
he built a fine brick house at about $3,000, and a brick barn costing 
$2,000. He planted an orchard and made many improvements. Here he 
raised good farm stock, and carried on a dairy. Mr. Speck is well known 
and appreciated by his neighbors, having been tax collector, supervisor 
and assessor of his township. He is a firm Democrat. Mr. Speck is an 
active member of the Lutheran church, and has served as deacon, trustee 
and elder.
  In the autumn of 1856 William Speck married Jane, daughter of Rudolph 
Brenneman, a farmer of Harts Log valley. Their children are: Horatio 
J., general foreman on the Pennsylvania Handle Railroad, residing at 
Dennison, O.; Ada, (Mrs. F. O. Peicht), whose husband is a lumber 
merchant of Charleston, W. Va.; Charles, a traveling agent; George 
McC., M. D., of Saxton, Pa., a graduate of Jefferson Medical College; 
Laura B., graduate of State Normal School at Millersville, teaching in 
Brooklyn, N.Y.; Daniel B., living on the homestead farm; and Annie C.