Star Spangled Leonards
Independence Day is nearly upon us (or is wa-a-a-y off in the future, depending on when you read this). And what kind of Leonard would I be if I didn’t take note of our illustrious Revolutionary War ancestors?
As we celebrate the outcome of the Revolutionary War, let’s just ignore the fact that the Star Spangled Banner was written during the War of 1812, shall we? It’s our patriotic duty to go along with the star-spangled theme…
[continue reading...]Recent Posts
For your enjoyment and edification... here are the titles of the past seven posts. Click any title to read the post in its glorious entirety.
About this Site
This site grew out of my life-long curiosity about my great-great-grandfather Daniel "Uncle Dan" Leonard. To hear the family tell it, he was a legend in his own time, an Iowa pioneer, a bear of a man who arrived by covered wagon and rose to fame and fortune. He told tales of his encounter with Frank and Jesse James, of the Indians who used to hunt these very lands, of the men and women who built communities where there were none before.
For a young man raised on black-and-white westerns, John Wayne movies, and Little House on the Prairie... the stories were irresistible. But were they true? Surely there must be some exaggeration? Initially, decent documentation was a little hard to come by. Then, little by little, bits and scraps of information began to turn up.
First, it was an 1881 county history. Then, the original land grant, dated 1855 and signed by President James Buchanan. Buchanan preceded Abraham Lincoln, which raised questions about the Civil War. And what of the rest of Uncle Dan's family? Brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents... little did I realize it would take me all the way back to the Mayflower...
Contact me!
Those of us who've been doing this family history thing for a while have come to realize the rest of the world thinks we're just a little, uh, "off." Their eyes glaze over as we launch into what we think is a fascinating family story about someone long dead a buried.
So it's especially exciting when a new cousin steps forward and admits their interest. There aren't enough of us and we need new recruits to keep the memories alive, to dig and scratch and uncover the truths about our common past.
So, if any of this sounds like something more than incoherent rambling, drop me a line and I'll see if we don't have something in common. ;-)
Joe Leonard, Buffalo Bill, Gen. Custer, et al
As a child of the fifties (meaning I was a child in the fifties), nothing could be more exciting than ...
Samuel Leonard: Taken by Indians!
Some of you are no doubt familiar with the legend of Samuel Leonard, and some of you are not. No ...
Nathan R. Leonard: Editor, Educator, Author
Think an autobiographical sketch is an exercise in vanity? Think again. Nathan R. Leonard is a truly inspirational example of why ...
Welcome to the Family!
Thanks for stopping by… And welcome, again, my friends… to the show that never ends… and the newly re-designed Leonard Family History Web site. If you’re new here, feel free to poke around. If you’re an old friend, uh, feel free to poke around….
Inlaws & Outlaws
The Whiskey Rebellion Ever heard of the Whiskey Rebellion? Is there any possibility at all that the Leonards could stay OUT of something like that?
Questions & Ancestors
The Iron Leonards Most of us are clear on the difference between the “Mayflower Leonards” and the “Iron Leonards,” but I still get questions and I need a point of reference, so here’s the skinny…
Legends & Legacies
Skeletons in the closet In all the years I’ve been doing family history, I can honestly say that I’ve never come across that deranged ancestor that everyone seems to think we all have…. until now.
