Gaston, Joseph.  "The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912."  Vol. 2. 
Chicago, Clarke Publishing Co., 1912. p. 764.
 
LAWRENCE LEONARD

     who passed away in Josephine county on the 17th of March, 1905, was long
numbered among the most influential men of southern Oregon, where he carried on
mercantile interests for a number of years, was heavily interested in mining and
also bought stock on an extensive scale. He was a native of Tallow, County Cork,
Ireland, his parents being William and Margaret  (Downing) Leonard. The
ancestors of William Leonard, three generations back, went over to Ireland from
France with Sir William Percival. Our subject emigrated to America with his
father in 1855. At that early period William Leonard engaged in business as a
grading contractor, assisting in the building of streets at Yonkers, New York.
Subsequently he removed to Ohio and conducted a store near Chillicothe until his
return to the Emerald isle.
     Lawrence Leonard, who was seventeen years of age when he came to this
country with his father, learned the hatter's trade in New York. Later he
crossed the plains to California with a herd of horses and there mined on the
Feather river, making a fortune of ten thousand dollars in the diggings.
Returning east, he purchased a farm near Decatur, Illinois, but after paving for
the same discovered that his title was faulty and accordingly lost the property.
In 1862 he was persuaded to come to Oregon by a Mr. Peter C. O'Reagan, who was
in the east on a visit, and after arriving in this state worked for some time in
the store of O'Reagan Brothers, merchants of Browntown. Mr. Leonard afterward
embarked in business on his own account, conducting a meat market and general
store at Democrat Gulch for about seventeen years. During this period he was
heavily interested in mining and also bought stock on an extensive scale, his
energy and sound judgment winning him success in his various undertakings. In
1884 he removed to the ranch on which he spent his remaining years and on which
his widow still resides. He died on the 17th of March, 1905, passing away in the
faith of the Catholic church. The period of his residence in this state covered
more than four decades and he won and maintained an enviable reputation as one
of the leading and respected citizens of Josephine county.
     On the 11th of July, 1869, Mr. Leonard was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary
Ellen A. Waters. Her father, David Waters, was a native of Bradford county,
Pennsylvania, and in 1855 made his way to California. About six months later he
came north to Oregon. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Leonard were born twelve children, six
of whom still survive, as follows: Lawrence J., at home; William A. and Francis
Joseph, both of whom are residents of Portland, Oregon; Leo Paul, living in
Vancouver, British Columbia; Mercedes, who is attending the Portland Business
College; and Raphael S., who is a student in the Behnke-Walker Business College
of Portland. The mother of these children, who came to Oregon in 1858, taught
the first school in her district. She is a native of Putnam county, Ohio, and
has made her home in Josephine county, this state, since 1864 or for nearly a
half century. She enjoys the warm regard and esteem of all who know her, the
circle of her friends being almost coextensive with the circle of her
acquaintances.


*******************

Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in November 2007 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.