FRANKLIN COUNTY OHIO - BIOS: LEONARD, Theodore (published 1880)
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History of Franklin and Pickaway Counties,  Ohio
Pub by Williams Bros.,  1880

THEODORE LEONARD,

is the son of French parents,  Louis Leonard and Catharine (LaValle), 
who lived for a time in New York State,  but removed from there to
Canada and located near Montreal,  where Theodore was born,  October
25,  1820.  His father was a well-to-do farmer but lost his property, 
and from the time he was twelve years of age the son was obliged to look
out for himself.  He worked for the farmers in the vicinity of his
home,  getting wages which were a mere pittance,  until he was twenty
years of age.  Although his earnings were small,  he managed,  by the
most careful economy,  to accumulate a small sum of money,  and from the
very first was seldom,  if ever,  entirely without resources.  The
school was a hard one,  but the lessons learned were valuable,  for they
established the value of prudence,  industry and thrift,  that have been
combined to make Mr. Leonard's career one of success.

When Theodore Leonard was twenty years of age,  in 1840,  he came to
Columbus,  where his father had preceded him.  He was comparatively
empty handed and could not speak a word of English.  He immediately went
to work at brick making,  being employed by W. Atcheson as a common
laborer.  He exhibited qualities which Mr. Atcheson admired,  and after
three years had passed by was taken into partnership with Mr. Atcheson
and another gentleman,  the firm name being Atcheson,  Shuemaker &
Leonard.  For sixteen years Mr. Leonard remained in the same business
and partnership.  At the expiration of that period the firm dissolved
and the partners each took an equal share of one hundred and
seventy-five acres of land that they had bought in common.  This was the
beginning of Mr. Leonard's ownership of land.  He continued in the brick
making business and engaged in farming.  As his means increased he added
piece after piece of land to the small tract he originally owned,  until
he accumulated his present possessions,  nine hundred acres of land, 
which lie in the townships of Marion,  Clinton and Mifflin.  In addition
to the other businesses which claimed his attention,  the subject of
this sketch,  became a contractor and builder,  erecting from forty to
fifty houses in the city of Columbus and its vicinity.  But it was in
buying and selling real estate that he perhaps made the greater portion
of his ample fortune.  He bought and sold a great many thousand dollars
worth of city and country property,  and,  in the main,  was very
successful in his ventures,  though by no means uniformly so,  for like
other men of varied and extensive affairs,  he met with some serious
reverses,  from one cause and another.  The real estate lying close to
the city limits increased fast,  in value,  as the city grew in
prosperity and extended its territory.  The avenue,  bearing his name, 
was opened through Mr. Leonard's property in 1870,  and did considerable
towards enhancing its value.

Mr. Leonard is one of those men who,  from their manner of using
wealth,  show themselves worthy of being its possessors.  His good
fortune has been to the advantage of others than himself.  His public
and private charities give evidence of the most whole-souled generosity
of nature,  and are perpetual memorials or monuments of his kind
character.  Among his larger donations may be mentioned one of five
thousand dollars to the building fund of the Catholic cathedral,  and a
still more munificent gift to the seminary known as St. Mary's of the
Springs.  This institution,  located in Mifflin township,  has grounds
thiryt-three acres in extent,  which Mr. Leonard gave outright for the
use of the school,  in addition to the donation of ten thousand dollars
in cash.  Besides these large gifts there have been many smaller, 
unostentatious tenders of aid to worthy objects,  and many utterly
unknown save to donor and recepient.  Such is Mr. Leonards reputation
among those who knew him well.

Mr. Leonard is the father of eight living children.  His home,  which
stands just upon the Clinton and MArion township line,  is one of the
pleasantest in that part of the county.  The house,  of which a view
appears upon another,  was built by its present owner in the year 1852.
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