Shaver, F. A., Arthur P. Rose, R. F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, compilers. "An Illustrated History of Central Oregon." ("Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Wheeler, Crook, Lake, & Klamath Counties") Spokane, WA: Western Historical Publishing Co., 1905. p. 525. JAMES W. LEONARD residing three miles east of Kent, Sherman county, was born in Sheridan, Worth county, Missouri, February 9, 1853 the son of James M. and Martha (Coy) Leonard. The parents of the father were descended from an old Southern family, of Kentucky. James M. Leonard, the father of our subject, served three years in the confederate army under General Price, and later in a guerrilla regiment where he was killed. The ancestry of the mother were members of an old southern family. She died in 1855 when our subject was an infant. Until attaining his majority the latter lived with his maternal grandparents, attending the public schools and working on the farm with his grandfather. He then migrated to California where he remained nearly a year, and thence to Oregon where he arrived July first, 1875, locating in Polk county. Here, for a few years he rented land, and then purchased a place on which he remained two years, following which he was engaged in the harness business, conducting the same two years, in Independence, Polk county. His failing health, caused by indoor life, induced him to dispose of his business and return to the occupation of farming. During two years he rented a place and then came to Crook county where he engaged in the stock business three years. The severe winter of 1889-90 killed all of his stock, and he returned to the valley where he continued farming for eight years. It was in 1898 that he came to Sherman, county, purchased a half section and, also, rented a section and a quarter of other land, of which he cultivates about eight hundred acres. He owns a comfortable one-story five-room frame cottage, and has a small orchard ; a large barn thirty-six by fifty-two feet in size, with necessary outbuildings and a windmill with a six thousand gallon reservoir, water piped for domestic, stock and irrigation purposes. September 20, 1876, at Monmouth, Polk county, Oregon, our subject was united in marriage to Jennie M. Ireland, born in Iowa in December, 1853. Her parents, David and Jane (Sanderson) Ireland, were natives of Indiana. They are both dead. Our subject has one half brother and two half sisters: Edward, a farmer in Kansas ; Laura, wife of Frank Slote, a Colorado stockman ; and Kate, wife of Charles Wilson of Colorado. Mrs. Leonard has three brothers, Theron A., William P. and James S., farmers in Polk county, Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard have no children living, but have an adopted son, Ralph. Politically our subject is a Democrat, and has served as delegate to the county conventions. He was the Democratic nominee for county commissioner ; he is a school director and has been such ever since the organization of the district. He, also, served one year as road supervisor. Fraternally he is a member of the W. O. T. W., of Kent. In the community in which he resides he is high esteemed and regarded as one of the leading citizens of the county. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in June 2010 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.