H. W. Leonard, of the Port Byron foundry, has quite a contract for the manufacture of iron wheels for wheelbarrow use. - Evening Auburnian 1-8-1878
There was a Henry Leonard who lived in Mentz from 1810-1830. According to Storke's "History of Cayuga County", 1879, p. 310, his partner was "George Anable". The location of the Leonard foundry in Port Byron is shown here on this 1875 map.
A search of Cayuga County's 1870 and 1880 census provide only the following close match for Henry Leonard, which proves to not be the same Henry W. Leonard of the Port Byron Foundry:
In 1870 when the census was taken, there was a Henry Leonard (age 21), employed as a "clerk in store" in Auburn, Cayuga, New York. He and one George* W. Leonard II (age 30), a machinist, both born in New York, were living in perhaps a boarding house, with 24 other people (no other Leonards).
At the time of the 1880 census, Henry M. Leonard (age 30), was still living in Auburn and working as a "clerk in store" and was married to Alice J. Leonard. They had two daughters, Emily B. Leonard (age 6), and Leonara J. Leonard, age 4, and son named George W. Leonard, (age 1). They lived on Lewis Street and appear to have shared a home with Diana and Josephine Howard, hairdressers. *It seems likely that the photo at right (front and back shown) is the same George W. Leonard II, mentioned above.
Meanwhile, we find Henry W. Leonard on the 1880 census in the First Ward of Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York, living in the home of his "brother-in-law", and business partner, "George G. Annable", age 38. "Machinist" was given as both Henry and George's occupations. Henry's father, (Annable's "father-in-law"), also lived in the home. His name was Joseph N. Leonard, age 75, born in New York. Connecticut was given as the birthplace of both of Joseph's parents. Sadly, Henry was a widow, age 45, and it appears he had no children living in the home.
A look further back, to the 1870 census of Onondaga, Onondaga County, New York, finds the following, which explains that George Annabel was married to Esther, presumably the daughter of Joseph N. & Wealthy Leonard, whose birthplace was given as Massachusetts, like her mother, Wealthy. Joseph was a farmer and like on the 1880 census, his birthplace was given as New York.
In 1875, they were counted in Mentz, Cayuga County, as follows:
(Notice, in 1875, Esther's birthplace was reported as Onondaga County instead of Massachusetts).
"Emma Lou Leonard" married first to a Mr. Chapin, who died before 1920, and she married second at the age of 46, to Frederick James Nichols in Niagara Falls, on the Canadian side, in August of 1920. Frederick was a divorcee born in Bridgeport, New York, the son of John Wesley Nichols and Elizabeth Buller. On the marriage license application her birthplace is given as Port Byron, New York. Her parents names are given as George Annabel and Esther M. Leonard. Esther was born in 1846 and died in 1919, according to "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:3MMM-93P), entry for George G /Annable/.
A look back, yet further, to the 1860 census reveals J. M. Leonard (age 55) and wife, Wealthy (age 48) with two children in the home: Esther M. Leonard (age 14) and James D. Leonard (age 12), living in Onondaga. Henry would have been 25 and his place of residence in 1860 has yet to be found.
This family may be related to Russel Leonard, father of Charles Russell Leonard (1830-1908), who went missing in 1834.
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