BIO: James REDDING, Clearfield County, PA
 
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From Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania,
and Representative Citizens, by Roland D. Swoope, Jr.,
Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1911, pages 484 & 485.
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  JAMES REDDING, the genial host of the Hotel Leonard, a first class house of 
public entertainment at Clearfield, Pa., and an experienced man in this line of 
business, was born at Snow Shoe, Center county, Pa., July 13, 1865, and is a son 
of James and Catherine (Doyle) Redding.  The parents of Mr. Redding were born in 
Ireland and were married in Center county, Pa.  The father operated a hotel at 
Snow Shoe for many years.  There were seven children in the family, namely:  
Margaret, Henry, Lawrence, James, Mary, Anna and Michael.
  James Redding obtained his education in the schools at Snow Shoe but was not 
very old when he went to work in the mines there and continued until he was 
twenty-two years old.  He also worked as a fireman on the Pennsylvania and N. Y. 
Central Railroad lines before becoming interested in hotel keeping.  His first 
experience in this business was thirteen months in Mrs. Nolen's hotel at Snow 
Shoe.  He discovered that he was well fitted to go into this undertaking and 
from there he went to Mitchels, in Clearfield county, where he bought a licensed 
public house which he conducted for three years and then sold to James Isenberg.  
From there he came to Clearfield and here purchased the St. Charles Hotel, from 
James Crossman, and nine months later sold it to Edward McLaughlin.  Mr. Redding 
then bought the Allegheny House from Leopold Bros., which he sold five years 
later to James Forshey.  About this time he secured a mining contract for 
eighteen months and after its expiration he opened the Hyde City Hotel and 
operated it for nine months.  For one year he then kept out of business, in the 
meantime looking out for a desirable opening and when the Hotel Leonard came on 
the market, he bought this property on August 7, 1905, from B. A. and E. J. 
Smith.  Mr. Redding offers the public first class quarters with modern 
improvements, at $1.50 per day and has thirty-two comfortable bed rooms, a 
sample room and a clean, substantial and satisfying table.  He is widely known 
and enjoys liberal patronage.  In his hearty entertainment of guests, no 
question of either religion or politics comes to the surface.
  On February 4, 1891, Mr. Redding was married to Miss Sarah Smith, of Center 
county, Pa., and they have one son, Edward J.  Mr. Redding and family are 
members of the Catholic church.  He is identified with the order of Elks, at 
Clearfield.