Peter G. Daubenheyer was born on December 1, 1802, in Kentucky. By the mid-1820s, he was living in Indiana. He married Nancy March on October 21, 1826, and they had at least five children: George, born around 1831; Margaret, born around 1835; John, born around 1838; Peter, born around 1840; and Samuel, born on May 2, 1844. They lived in Ohio County, Indiana, and he worked as a farmer. By 1850, he owned $1,000 of real estate. The family moved to Shelby, Indiana, and by 1860, he owned $2,500 of real estate and $300 of personal property. He died on February 13, 1884.