people (something or some place) with (someone)
To fill something, some place, or some space with multiple people to create a population. Often used in passive constructions. The famine ended up peopling huge portions of the United States with Irish immigrants fleeing starvation and poverty. The small island was peopled with migrants from the various countries surrounding it.
people something with someone
to provide population for something or some place, using someone or some kind of people. The government decided to people the frontier with a variety of races. The island had been peopled with marooned sailors.