For
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume II, Biographical, 1911, page 647
GEORGE R. LEFFINGWELL....Few men of the west have seen more of human nature as witnessed in the mountains and mining camps than George R. Leffingwell, of Muscatine, who is now living retired at his pleasant home at 311 East Sixth street, where in company of his estimable wife he enjoys the comforts and luxuries of life after many years of activity. He was born in Sag Harbor, New York, November 7, 1837, and is a son of William and Frances Ross ( Lee ) Leffingwell, both of whom were born in Connecticut. The father became a ship builder in the city of New York and there accumulated considerable property. However, in 1839 he yielded to a desire to participate in the developement of the great west and came to Bloomington, now Muscatine, Iowa, settling at Hudson in Wapsinonoc township, Muscatine county, where he purchased a farm. Six years later he located in Muscatine and filled the office of county treasurer, later becoming mayor of the city. He died here in 1876 at the age of seventy-six years, having become recognized as one of the leading men of the county. His wife departed this life in 1885 at the age of eighty-four years. Both were members of the Episcopal church. There were six children in their family, three sons and three daughters, all of whom are deceased except the youngest, who is the subject of this review, the other members of the family being : William Edward ; Ellen B., who married Dr. Henry Murray ; Elizabeth, who was three times married, her husbands being successively James Palmer, W. F. Davis and William E. Gould ; Mary, who became the wife of James Foushee ; and Andrew Jackson, who was judge of the district court at Muscatine at the time of his death.George R. Leffingwell was two years old when he arrived at Muscatine with his parents. He grew up under the influence of a good home and about the time he was ready to begin his business career became attracted by the stories of great wealth in the gold mines of Colorado and started overland with a party from Muscatine county bound for Pikes Peak. When within about two hundred miles of Denver the gold hunters lost one of their number, Henry Mull, and this had quite a depressing effect so that when they met great throngs of men returning from the mines in a much worse condition financially then when they entered the mountains the little party unanimously decided to do likewise and turned their faces eastward, feeling that their destiny could more easily be worked out in some other business than mining. In 1860 Mr. Leffingwell gathered courage and made a second trip to the mountains, being the only one of the original party that did so. After reaching the mines he found that they possessed a great fascination for him and altogether he spent twenty-two years in various mining camps, in the course of which time he made three trips to Alaska when mining was in its infancy in that region. He was in the Black Hills when news came of the death of his father and he immediately returned home, remaining with his mother until she was called away. Here he acted as shipping clerk and also in other capacities in wholesale grocery establishments and was for five years connected with J. M. Gobble. Previous to retiring from active life he served as deputy United States marshal and in all of his dutues displayed a judgment and energy which met the hearty approval of all.
On the 21st of December, 1882, Mr. Leffingwell was united in marriage to Miss Anna Mary Eversmeyer, a daughter of Bernard H. and Magdalena ( Kuechmann ) Eversmeyer, a record of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Leffington was born and reared in Muscatine and was educated in the public and high schools, later graduating from Snavely's Business College. After leaving this institution she kept books in her father's office, with which she was connected at the time of her marriage. Being a woman of unusual intellectual activity, she took up a few years ago the study of psychology and therapeutics and graduated from the S. S. Still College of Des Moines, Iowa, in 1905. Upon receiving her diploma she began practice in Muscatine, where she has attracted a large patronage and is recognized as one of the most competent practitioners of the osteopathic school in this part of the state. She was reared in the German Methodist church but is not identified with any religious denomination.
Mr. Leffingwell in prominently connected with the Masonic order, belonging to Iowa Lodge, No. 2, A. F. & A. M.; Washington Chapter, No.4, R. A. M.; and Webb Council, No. 18, R. &. S. M. He and his wife hold membership in the Order of the Eastern Star. Politically he is in sympathy with the candidates and the principles of the democratic party. His wife has proven to him a most worthy helpmeet and they have a host of firends and acquaintances in Muscatine, who have been attracted by their genial qualities.
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