James P. Leffel

As printed in 1881

JAMES P. LEFFEL, retired farmer; P. O. Springfield. “ Father" Leffel is one of the few remaining pioneers.who are yet left to relate the scenes and incidents of early pioneer life in this county. He was born March 29, 1799, on the banks of the Potomac River, in Berkeley Co, Va. Of John and Margaret's eleven children, James is the only surviving one. When James was but 2 years old, his father died, when the care of the eleven children devolved upon the mother; at the age of 15, James hired out at $6 per month, to work on a farm, and at the age of 18 came to Ohio and to this county, bringing with him his mother ahd one brother, the rest of the children having come some three or four years before. On his arrival here he hired to his brother John to work in the, mill and at the end of four years went into partnership with his brother, and built the mill now owned by Henry Snyder; and after running this mill eight years, his health failed so much that he was obliged to quit milling. He then sold his interest in the mill to his brother John and moved to Medway, where he remained two years, when he removed to his present home. He started for himself with no fortune except a good character and willing hands, and has maintained. the same without a blemish. He owns 1,600 acres of land, besides a considerable amount of city property. He was married in 1822 to Elizabeth Miller; she departed this life Sept. 18, 1874. Of their ten children, six are now living, viz., Michael, Martin, Joseph, Reuben, Elizabeth and Scott. He has twenty-five grandchildren.

As printed in The History of Clark County Ohio, (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.