BIO: A. M. Leidich, Cumberland County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter

Copyright 2011.  All rights reserved.
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http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/
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History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania.
Containing History of the Counties, Their Townships, Towns, Villages, 
Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and 
Prominent Men; Biographies; History of Pennsylvania; Statistical and 
Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc.  Illustrated.  Chicago: Warner, Beers 
& Co., 1886.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/beers/beers.htm
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                                PART II.

             HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

                             CHAPTER LVIII.

    SOUTH MIDDLETON TOWNSHIP AND BOROUGH OF MOUNT HOLLY SPRINGS.

555  SOUTH MIDDLETON TOWNSHIP.

  A. M. LEIDICH, surveyor and merchant of Boiling Springs, was born at 
"Leidich's oil-mill farm," in Monroe Township, Cumberland Co., Penn., 
on the 18th of October, 1822.  He is a son of John and Mary (Diller) 
Leidich.  His grandfather, Adam Leidich, was of German lineage, and 
died at the "oil mill-farm" in 1828.  His mother was a daughter of 
Martin Diller, an early settler of this county and of German origin.  
John and Mary Leidich had two children:  Adam, the subject of this 
sketch, and D. J., a prominent merchant of Carlisle, Penn.  John 
Leidich died in 1826, and Mary Leidich died in 1886.  A. M. Leidich 
commenced the study of surveying at fifteen years of age, and two years 
later began the practice of his profession.  He engaged in keeping a 
general store at Boiling Springs in 1845, and continued in that 
business until 1874, with only an interruption of two years.  In 1845 
he laid out the town of Boiling Springs for Daniel Kauffman, who owned 
the land on which the town was built.  The same year, he bought the lot 
on the corner of Main and Front Streets - the first lot that was sold 
in this town - paying the then enormous sum of $200 for it, and built 
the brick store which is still standing.  Boiling Springs was so named 
as early as 1762.  Our subject was married in 1847, to Regina, daughter 
of Capt. Stewart McGowan, and great-granddaughter of Andrew Crocket, 
who was prominent in the early history of this county.  Mrs. Leidich's 
ancestors were early settlers of Pennsylvania, of Scotch-Irish origin.  
The children born to this union 

556  BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

are Stewart M., an attorney at law, in Carlisle, Penn.; Mary, wife of 
R. Craighead; Margaret, wife of Dr. Houk, of Boiling Springs, this 
county, and Emma J., at home.  Mrs. Leidich died in 1873; she was a 
member of the First Presbyterian Church of Carlisle.  Mr. Leidich is a 
member of the same church.  In politics he is a Republican.  He was the 
first postmaster of Boiling Springs, appointed by President Pierce, the 
mail then being carried to Boiling Springs from Allen postoffice by 
Henry Erbin, who walked with it on his shoulder, or, more frequently in 
his pocket.  He continued postmaster until the election of Abraham 
Lincoln.