Biography of Charles A. Leeper

In a number of lines the subject of this sketch has achieved success, having demonstrated his ability as an educator, a frontiersman, and is now one of the leading farmers of Nez Perces County; it is affirmed that he owns more cattle than any other one man in Nez Perces County, having now six hundred on the range. Mr. Leeper is also a man of sterling and intrinsic worth, of moral character, integrity and uprightness.

Charles A. Leeper was born in Marion County, Indiana, on January 19, 1850, being the son of Judge William and Obedience A. (Parsly) Leeper. The father was a farmer and capitalist, born in 1817, in Indiana, and served as lieutenant in the Civil war. He was also County judge in Nodaway County, Missouri. His father, John Leeper, was of Scotch Irish extraction and belonged to a prominent old family of Scotland which include a number of professional men of Edinburg. The mother of our subject was born in Virginia in 1823 and died in 1868, being of Scotch descent.

Our subject remained at home until he was twenty-six years of age, having been educated in the public schools and the state university at Columbia. He came west in February, 1876, to Salmon City, Idaho, and taught three terms of school and also farmed. He was in Custer County when it was cut off from Lemhi, removing to Nez Perces County in 1883, where he bought a man’s right to three hundred and twenty acres of land and settled clown to raising stock farming. He now owns the princely do and main of fifteen hundred and eighty-six acres of fine farm land which is devoted to agriculture and feeding his fine bands of cattle. Since 1883 Mr. Leeper has continued at the business in this County and is now one of the prominent men and leaders in his work.

On February 12, 1888, Mr. Leeper married Miss Annie E. Bollinger, a native of Sandusky, Ohio, being born in 1866. She came to Lewiston to visit her uncle, S. Wildenthaler, and the acquaintance was formed which later ripened into courtship and at the date mentioned Mr. Leeper went to Ohio to claim his bride. Mrs. Leeper has three sisters, Josephine Weible, Sophia and Rosa. Mr. Leeper has the following named brothers and sisters: William, George, Ollie Falconer; also four half brothers, Frank, Fred, Robert and Lawrence. To Mr. and Mrs. Leeper have been born five children, Maude, Annie, Alice, Louise and Helen.

He is a charter member of the K. of P. in Lewiston, and has passed the Commandery degree of the Masonic fraternity. Mrs. Leeper is a member of the Catholic Church. Mr. Leeper is an active Democrat, was nominated for the legislature and was beaten by three votes. Was nominated again and won the day, but in Latah County the courts decided against him in the contest that followed. He has been chosen as County commissioner for three terms and is now chairman of that important body, and in all of his public service he has been characterized by efficiency and candor, always conserving the interests of his constituency and the welfare of the commonwealth.

It is of note that Mr. Leeper’s ancestors fought in the Revolution and he had an uncle on his father’s side who fought with the south and three maternal uncles who fought with the North. He was a scout in the time of the Indian trouble in 1878 and had much experience in repelling the savages in Lemhi County. Mr. Leeper is a member of the Pioneer Association, and is a man respected by all.

Source: An Illustrated History of North Idaho: Embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho; Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903

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