My Genealogy Hound

LEARNER B. LEEDS, editor and printer by trade, was born in Clermont County, Ohio, July 20, 1817, of mixed English and German ancestry, his father’s side coming from Leeds, in England, and his mother’s side coming from Germany. He was born on a farm, and lived a farmer’s life till about seventeen years of age. He knew not what ease or idleness or plenty signified, but was inured to poverty and toil. His means of education were a country school, and two or three months a year thereat. Most of his education was obtained at home of nights and at leisure hours, and his schoolmaster was his own will and determination to acquire an education. In the fall of 1834, he was apprenticed to the printing business to the late Gov. Samuel Medary, who then published the Ohio Sun at Batavia. During his apprenticeship, he served as assistant editor, and part of the time, when Mr. Medary was absent at Columbus as Senator, he had the sole control of the paper, both mechanical and editorial. After completing his apprenticeship, he went to Cincinnati, and first worked in the Daily Gazette office when the late Charles Hammond was its editor; and afterward he worked in the Philanthropist office, edited by the late Gamaliel G. Bailey. In 1840, he purchased the Ohio Sun printing office, and soon after changed its name to Clermont Sun, which name it still bears. He continued its editor and publisher, with a brief interregnum, until 1864, when he sold out to the late Hon. H. V. Kerr. While living in Batavia, he was frequently elected to local offices, such as the School Board, Town Council, etc., and twice as County Recorder, serving as such for six years. His efforts for his party and political friends have no bounds. While he stood at the editorial helm the Democratic party succeeded uniformly, and was only beaten when a political revolution swept over the country, such as in 1854-55, when Know-Nothingism succeeded by 1700 in the county, and the war demoralized parties in 1861. In 1864, having sold the Sun, he purchased the Southern Ohio Argus at Georgetown, Ohio, of John G. Doren. Soon after, he changed the name of the paper to Brown County News. In Georgetown, he was often member of the Town Council, and other local positions were conferred upon him. In 1869, he was elected to the State Senate, and re-elected in 1871, serving four years as State Senator, representing the Fourth District, composed of Brown and Clermont Counties. While member of the Senate, he never missed a roll-call, and was only absent a part of four days when the Senate was in session, making the best record for punctual attendance of any man who ever occupied a seat in that honorable body. In every position in which he was placed, his highest ambition was to do his full duty. Though not an orator, and never having practiced public speaking, he never failed to carry any measure through the Senate to which he set his mind and efforts to carry. He spoke short and to the point, and his presentation of his measures were plain and simple, and had the effect to make them succeed. He belongs truly to that class denominated self-made men. In 1838, he married Harriet Smith, by whom he had four children, three of whom are still living. In 1860, his wife died. In 1864, he married Miss Rachael A. Millspaugh, of Newtown, Ohio.