Overview

George H. Peck of California is a self-made millionaire in the real estate business. He entered into the real estate property business by chance,

 but soon went on to become one of the most successful and also one of the richest developers around the region.

Education

George Peck’s career proves that even without a good educational background, people can succeed. Right vision and determination made Peck victorious in his endeavor. With hardly any formal education, he started one of the most successful banks of the California.

Business and Career

George Peck, the real estate entrepreneur was simply a railroad conductor when he began his career. He drove the Southern Pacific train into San Pedro and was the first one to do so.

Here, he was convinced of the fact that he the place needed proper harbor facilities. Based on this feeling alone, Peck later bought land along the seashore in 1890 - his first dabble into the property business.

Here he built the Bank of San Pedro, which later came to be known as the United California Bank in 1888. Soon Peck went on to acquire almost all of San Pedro and a huge area in the northern part of present Manhattan Beach too.

He even subdivided area and created a small town known as the El Porto, which was eventually annexed by Manhattan Beach and became part of its northern end.

A big real estate move by this excellent entrepreneur was the sake of 104 acres of land, which would later become Fort MacArthur. Another sake of land took place in 1911, when Peck, the real estate tycoon sold land to Standard Oil for what was soon going to be the Chevron refinery in El Segundo.


After his death, the funds from his trust were used to create recreational facilities in San Pedro, including the four parks, which were made from land that once belonged to Peck. Apart from the largest Peck Park, some of the other parks that were created from his holdings are San Pedro's Rena, Alma, and Leland parks.