John Leonard

BEST, LEONARD, MOTT

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 10/8/2004 at 22:45:43

John Leonard, Winterset, attorney; born in Knox county, Ohio, August 20, 1825; he was reared a farmer, and at twenty-three years of age was elected county surveyor of Monroe county, a new county formed out of the counties of Knox, Richland, Marion and Delaware; during his earlier years he had the benefit of the common schools, and afterward became a student of Granville Seminary, now Denison University, and pursued such studies as he deemed most beneficial in the practical business of life; during the period that he held the office of county surveyor he occupied his leisure hours in reading law, and was admitted to the bar at Wooster, Ohio, in 1852; in 1853 he came to this city and engaged in the practice of his profession; he was elected district attorney in 1862, and resigned in 1864; in 1873 he was elected district judge of the Fifth Judicial District; in 1874 he was placed on the bench, a position he filled four years; he married Mrs. Minerva Denman Best, of Morrow county, Ohio, in 1848; has two children: Byram, who is associated with him in the practice of law, and John F., a student at law; Mrs. Leonard has one daughter by her former marriage: Mary J., with of Hon. Frederick Mott.

Taken from the book, "The History of Madison County, Iowa, 1879" page 542