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Russell Leach |
Charles Albert Leach |
Watson Leach |
9. Watson Leach (Married 1st: Sarah Catherine Kenney (#10) (Kate) in 1872; Married 2nd: after he was widowed by Sarah, in 1890 to Edith Wood)
Born: 11 March 1844 of Harvey Leach (#17) & Ann Mariah Dunham (#18).
Died: 25 April 1907, buried Bloomfield Cemetery, Morrow County, Ohio
[His sibling was:
a) Dorothy Almedia Leach: Born: 29 July 1846. Died: 8 Sept. 1852, buried Bloomfield Cemetery, Morrow County, Ohio.]
Miscellaneous:The 1850 Census shows Watson is 6 years old and living with his father (Harvy), mother (Ann M), sister (Dorothy), and grandfather (Amos Leach).
The 1860 Census shows Watson is 16 and living with his father, mother, and Demeris Dunham (aged 8). Demeris is presumed by Susan Snyder (this webmaster) to be Watson's cousin and the daughter of one of his mother's brothers.
Watson would have been 17 years old when the Civil War began.
He grew up living next door to Sarah Catherine Kenney (#10), a girl he would later marry. His father, Harvey Leach (#17) lived next door to her father, Albert Gillespie Kenney (#19) Click on the 1866 map below to see details.
The 1870 Census shows Watson is 26, living with his father and mother and working as a farm laborer for his father.
Below: This photograph of Watson as a young man was found in a trunk that had belonged to Jane Leach Webster (granddaughter of Watson, and daughter of Charles Albert Leach)
Sometime before 1875, Watson purchased 50 acres of land adjacent to and on the east side of his father's property. Click on the 1875 map below to see details.
Below: Watson and Kate
The 1880 Census shows Watson (aged 34) and Sarah (age 34) have two children, Arthur O (age 4) and Estelle (age 1). They are living next door to Watson's parents. [Note: Watson married Sarah in 1872.]
When Sarah ("Kate") died in 1888, Watson was 44 years old, a farmer, and left to raise 5 children. Arthur Othello Leach (aged 12), Charles Albert Leach (#5) (aged 7), Harold Dean Leach (aged 4), Homer Watson Leach (aged 2), and Belva Lockwood Leach (aged 4 months). A sixth child, Estella Leach had died in 1886 at the age of 8, killed by the kick of a colt. At some point after Sarah's death, Belva was sent to be raised by her aunt and uncle (Louisa(Kenny) Newton and John Newton.
In 1890, Watson married Edith A. Wood. Watson and Edith had one child together, Ralph Marion Leach, born 24 June 1890.
The photograph below was taken sometime between 1895 and 1899. Ralph was at least five years old in the picture and Harvey (Watson's father) died in January 1899. Watson would have been in his 50s. [Note: There are three generations of Leach men in this photograph: Harvey (#17), Watson, and Charles (#5), Harold, Homer, and Ralph.]
The 1900 Census shows Watson is 56. Edith A. is 31, and children living at home include Charles A. (age 19), Harold D.(age 16), Homer W. (age 14), and Ralph M. (age 9).
Watson later purchased 100 acres and then took over 50 acres from his father. He must have sold the 50 acres (shown in the 1875 map) prior to 1908, as is shown on the map below. Also, by 1908, he must have sold the northern-most 10 acres of what had been his father's land. The map shows that Watson's northern property on the Delaware County/Morrow County border is adjacent to his brother-in-law, Alexander Kenney's property. Click on the 1908 map below to see these details.
By overlaying the 1908 map on a modern map (1998) of Delaware and Morrow Counties, Watson's property can be located. Susan Leach Snyder and her husband located the probable location of Watson's more southern acreage (land once owned by his father) on 20 August 2006.
Directions to this location from Columbus, Ohio are as follows: Drive North from Columbus on I-71 to Rt. 36. Turn right toward Sunbury. In Sunbury, turn left at the first traffic light (Rt. 61.) Turn right at SR 656. Proceed to Peerless Rd. (It is on the Delaware County/Morrow County line.) Turn right on Peerless. At Trimmer, turn right. Proceed past Beechtree on your left. Watson's land is about another 1/2 mile on the left. He owned 40 acres in this location in 1908. [Note: Trimmer Road is probably named after the family that appeared on the 1900 Census just below Watson's family ]
To locate his 100 acres near the Morrow County, drive back to Peerless, and turn left. Peerless becomes Olmstead when it crosses SR 656. The NW corner of Watson's property is near the intersection of Olmstead and Porter Central. A private street on the East side of Porter-Central called "Kenney Road" goes through the area probably once owned by Watson. [Note: Kenney Road is named after the Kenny Family (Watson's wife Sarah's family).]
Below: The 10 acres that Watson took over from his father and later sold is thought to be just South of Beechtree on the East side of Trimmer.
Below: Harvey's additional 40 acres, taken over by Watson.
Below: This property is believed to have been the 100 acres owned by Watson Leach along the Delaware/Morrow County line. Picture 1 is facing East toward the direction of a creek, perhaps "Long Run". The gravel road is a private road labeled "Kenney." Picture 2 is facing South. Picture 3 is facing Southwest toward Porter Central. At the time this picture was taken 20 August 2006, this farm was owned by Tim Nininger.
Watson lived to be 63 years old. On 26 March, 1907, he wrote his will. He died less than a month later.
A copy of Watson' will and a written statement about the will from his son Charles to his daughter Belva after his death were found by Sharon Hinckley (Belva's granddaughter) in August 2022 and sent to the webmaster. To read both documents click here.
Below: Bloomfield cemetery stone for Watson and Catharine. The photograph was taken October 1, 2003. The other side of the stone says Watson and Edith.
Lifetime Events Summary for Watson Leach:
Contact person for this website is Susan Snyder: susanleachsnyder@gmail.com
