Leonidas DeWeese
Leonidas DeWeese was born in Shelby County, May 20, 1837. John M. DeWeese, the father of the above, was born in Virginia, and came to Ohio at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and located in Miami County. He was but a small boy at the time. He remained in Miami until 1833, when he came to Perry, and located on section 12. His home consisted of two hundred and seventy-two acres, all in the solid woods. His family at the time of their settlement consisted of his wife and five children. He soon made an opening in the woods, erected his cabin, and commenced life in earnest. Year after year the forest disappeared before his axe, until in the year 1849 he had about one hundred acres cleared, and a comfortable home established, when He who doeth all things for the best called him away in the prime of life, leaving a wife and eight children. The widow alter a few years married again. The children kept the home stead among themselvcs, and farmed it as before, and as fast as one of the heirs wished to sell the balance would buy them out. This course was pursued until the whole place was owned by two of the boys, viz., Newton owns one hundred and twenty acres, and Leonidas one hundred and fifty-two acres. Leonidas, with whom this sketch starts, in 1864 married Miss Margaret A. Thompson. By this union they have eight children, whose names are as follows: Laura D., born 1865; Hamilton G., born 1866; Wyant A., born 1861; Thornton N., born 1869; Lagurna, born 1870; Bertha P., born 1876; and Thurman G., born 1878.
Mr. DeWeese now has one of the finest and best improved farms in Perry Township. He has built for himself a fine brick dwelling-house at the cost of $4000. Mr. D. has made his home by his own industry and economy, never having inherited anything but the one-eighth interest of his father’s farm, which was worth at the time of his father’s death about $300.
From History of Shelby County, Ohio; R. Sutton & Co, Philadelphia PA, 1883