Dale County AlArchives Biographies.....Kolb, Leonidas W. August 31 1851 - living in 1893 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 18, 2004, 6:40 pm Author: Brant & Fuller (1893) LEONIDAS W. KOLB, a prominent merchant of Ozark, was born in Jasper county, Ga., August 31, 1851. He is a son of David and Ann E. (Bass) Kolb, the former of whom was a native of South Carolina, and while young moved with his parents to Jones county, Ga., growing up there to manhood on a farm. Having but limited opportunities for securing an education in school, he set about educating himself, and in this way obtained a good education. At the age of eighteen he became clerk in a store, and after a short time established himself in business on his own account in Leakville, Jasper county, Ga., continuing a partnership business until he was taken seriously ill, during which illness his partner sold out the business for cash and left the country. Being thus reduced in finances he moved to Newton county, Ga., and engaged in teaching school. He was soon elected tax collecter for Jasper county, and at the end of his term was re-elected. In 1858 he removed to Macon county, Ala., and taught school there four years, buying a farm and carrying on his farm in connection with his teaching. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His death occurred December 27, 1864. The mother of our subject was a native of Virginia, born in Nottoway county, in 1824. Her father, John Bass, moved to Newton county, at an early day. He was a man of great prominence and influence, his advice being sought on frequent occasions. He represented his county in the legislature for eighteen consecutive years. The mother of our subject grew to womanhood in Newton county, Ga., received a good academic school education at Covington, Ga., and was married in her sixteenth year. She is the mother of nine children, seven girls and two boys. A brother of our subject enlisted in the army at the age of sixteen years, and fell in front of Atlanta, July 9, 1864, in his twentieth year. The subject of this sketch was deprived of his father's care at an early age, and the care of the family, consisting of his mother, four sisters and himself, devolved upon him. Nothing daunted by this responsibility, he went to work upon the farm, which he operated successfully, saw that his sisters were educated, married and settled in homes of their own, and that his mother was amply provided for with all necessities and comforts for her old age. He then, at the age of thirty, left the farm and removed to Ozark in January, 1881. Here he formed a partnership with Mr. Blackman under the name of Blackman & Kolb, general merchants, and set about making his fortune and improving himself educationally as much as possible. By close and persistent study he soon became well informed in a commercial way, and continued in business until 1885, when he engaged as clerk with H. Z. Parker and son, a firm doing a business of from $40,000 to $50,000 per year. The son of Mr. Parker died in July, 1886, and as Mr. Parker was a farmer and knew nothing about the business, the full care and responsibility fell upon Mr. Kolb. He continued it successfully until 1889, when he established himself in the furniture business, his entire stock of furniture and coffins being totally destroyed by fire in February, 1891. He then took possession of the large brick store he now occupies with a mammoth stock, worth from $6,000 to $10, 000, and where he has facilities for manufacturing a cheap grade of coffins in connection with furniture business. Mr. Kolb was married October 5, 1879, to Miss Mary E. Blackman, who was born near Ozark and grew to womanhood in this county. She was married in her twenty-fifth year, and died childless December 5, 1885. Mr. Kolb was then married February 13, 1887, to Miss Caswell Smith, daughter of Rev. Caswell Smith, a pioneer minister in the Missionary Baptist church, and who was prominently identified with the settling of southeast Alabama, and with missionary work in the early day. He died January 29, 1892. Mrs. Kolb was the youngest of eight children, all of whom reached maturity. The wife of our subject was married in her twenty-second year, and has three children: Leonidas C., Mary E. and Mattie L. Mrs. Kolb is a member of the Missionary Baptist church. The subject of our sketch took a prominent part in the construction of the Alabama Midland railroad, and he was one of the most active in securing the water supply system of which Ozark is so proud. He takes a reasonable amount of interest in politics having been chairman of the county democratic committee for several years. He is a member of Ozark lodge, No. 349, A. F. & A. M., is now district deputy grand master of I. O. O. F., and he has also served as noble grand. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, and carries a life insurance of $3,000 for the protection of his family in case of his early or untimely death. Additional Comments: from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 826-827 Published by Brant & Fuller (1893) Madison, WI This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 5.4 Kb