Charles Pinkney Leonard (1826 - 1904)

Born 22 Aug 1826 in Lowville, Lewis, New York, United States

Ancestors

Died 6 Jun 1904 at age 77 in Lowville, Lewis, New York, United States

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Biography

Charles Pinkney Leonard was a son of Stephen and Jane Leonard. He was born Aug. 22, 1826, and had a twin brother named George who died in Virginia in the Civil War.

From Genealogical and Family History of Northern New York: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation. by W. R. Cutter, 1910. Vol 1, p. 17-18:

(VII) Charles Pinkney. son of Stephen Leonard and Jane (Martin) Leonard, was born August 22, 1826, in Lowville, New York, and died there June 6, 1904. He received his education in the public schools and the academy at Lowville, and after leaving school engaged in mercantile business and milling. Like his father, he became one of the leading merchants of Lowville, and was interested in many business enterprises. He was actively interested in all public affairs and all movements in the cause of progress, and was identified with the development of the resources of the community. He became interested in lumber in 1875, and also became a manufacturer of chairs. Mr. Leonard in 1879 became one of the founders of the Black River National Bank, of Lowville, of which institution he was president at the time of his death. He was president of the Lowville & Beaver River Railroad Company, and for twenty-nine years held the office of president of the Lowville Rural Cemetery Association. Mr. Leonard at the time of his death had served continuously since 1879 as trustee of the Lowville Academy; he was chairman of the board of trustees of the Presbyterian church, having been a member of the board some thirty-five years. He was president of the first board of water commissioners of the village of Lowville, and at the time of his death held the office of vice-president. He was one of the promoters of the Adirondack Waterworks system. He took a personal interest in the educational work of his city, and served twenty years as the sole trustee of District Number 2. Under his supervision and management, the corps of teachers increased in number from two to twelve, and the small, old-fashioned building gave place to one of more pretentious size and furnishings, now known as the State Street School. Mr. Leonard also encouraged progress in agricultural matters, and owned several farms in Lewis county, which have modern buildings and implements. In politics he was always a Republican, and he served several years as town assessor. He was very energetic and industrious, and looked after his business interests in an able manner, which secured his financial success. He stood well with his fellow-citizens, and his loss was genuinely mourned. Charles P. Leonard married (first), January 11, 1849, Sarah Tyler, of Lowville, by whom he had two children, Charlotte Jane, born September 6, 1851, died October 5, 1866, and Sarah Elizabeth, born August 28, 1863, died, 1900. Mrs. Leonard died May 27, 1865, and he married (second), November 11, 1869, Mrs. Elizabeth Glasgow Pelton, of Lowville, who had one son, Charles E. Pelton; they had one son, Stephen, born December 26, 1874, died in infancy. Mrs. Leonard died February 19, 1901, and Mr. Leonard married (third), January 28, 1902, Mrs. Josephine (Rittis) Herring, born in Lowville, daughter of John L. and Mary (Williams) Rittis.

Charles is buried in Lowville Rural Cemetery, Lowville, Lewis, New York. None of his three children married or had children, thus ending this branch of the Leonard tree.

Sources

• Cutter, William R., Genealogical and family history of northern New York : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation; v. 1, p. 17-18 FamilySearch
• Hough, Franklin, B., History of Lewis County, New York; with...biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, 1883, p. 398 Archive.org
• Findagrave