Jeremiah Leas
Allamakee county numbers among its representative and
successful pioneer citizens Jeremiah Leas, of Rossville, who came
to this part of Iowa in 1856 and who was for forty-six years
thereafter one of the greatest individual forces in the
agricultural development of Linton township, where he made his
home. The years have brought him success, prominence and a
substantial fortune, upon which he has been able to retire from
active live, his period of leisure rewarding earnest and untiring
labor in the past.
Mr. Leas was born in Harrison county, Ohio, on the 23d of
January, 1830, and he grew to manhood in that vicinity, acquiring
his education in the common schools and becoming, before he was
of age, a practical and progressive agriculturist. He had very
limited educational advantages but has supplied his early
deficiencies along this line by study and reading, since coming
to mature years, and is now a well informed and well educated
man. In his early manhood Mr. Leas operated his father’s
farm in Ohio for several years but in 1856 came to Iowa, locating
in Allamakee county in pioneer times. He purchased one hundred
and sixty acres of land in Linton township and partially cleared
it of timber, adding to his holdings from time to time until he
owned at length four hundred and sixty acres of land in Linton
township and partially cleared it of timber, adding to his
holdings from time to time until he owned at length four hundred
acres. He cleared over two hundred of these of a dense growth of
trees and upon it built a fine residence and good barns and
outbuildings, making it one of the valuable and well equipped
properties in this section of the state. He continued to make his
home thereon for forty-six years thereafter, engaging in general
farming and stock-raising, breeding high-grade cattle, hogs and
horses and keeping also a flock of three hundred and sixty-five
sheep. He sold the farm in 1902 and in that year moved to
Rossville, where he has since lived retired.
In Ohio, in the fall of 1853, Mr. Leas was united in marriage to
Miss Susanna Henderson, who was born near Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, but reared in Ohio. They became the parents of nine
children: Albertus, who resides in Rossville; George, who owns
and operates the home farm; John, who resides in Minneapolis,
Minnesota; Seldon, also of Minnesota; William Leslie, of North
Dakota; Margaret Jane, the wife of H. C. Campbell, a farmer of
Jefferson township; Estella, the wife of A. D. Emmerson, of
Minnesota; Finley, who grew to mature years and engaged in
farming in Jefferson township, meeting death by accident in 1909;
and Mary, who died in early life. The parents are members of the
Presbyterian church, of which Mr. Leas has served as trustee and
treasurer.
A stanch democrat, Mr. Leas has always been interested in public
affairs and has cooperated heartily in all movements for the
advancement and growth of Allamakee county. In 1857 he was
elected road supervisor and afterward township trustee, and he
served also as township clerk and township collector for two
terms. He was for nine years justice of the peace and for three
terms township supervisor and he held various other important
positions of public trust and responsibility. Since coming to
Rossville he has made some judicious investments and is always
ready to stimulate industrial activity by lending his money where
he considers that circumstances justify such action. He is one of
the most prominent and deservedly respected citizens of that
community and in his retired life is enjoying the fruits of many
years of untiring and well directed labor.
-source: Past & Present of Allamakee County; by
Ellery M. Hancock; S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.; 1913
-transcribed by Diana Diedrich
Return to 1913 biographies index