The late Leonard Case was the second child and oldest son of Magdalene and Mesech Case, of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. His mother, who was a native of Winchester, Virginia, was of German extraction, her maiden name being Extene. His father, believed to have been of English ancestry, was born in Sussex county, New Jersey. For nearly forty years Mr. Mesech Case suffered from asthma to the extent of making him a partial invalid, and hence much of the management of his affairs devolved upon his wife, a woman of superior character, educated beyond the average of those days, energetic, having good executive ability, and blessed with robust health. The family cultivated a small farm in Pennsylvania, which yielded but a moderate support, so that when news came of the land of rich promise beyond the mountains, where the soil yielded with an abundance marvellous in the eyes of those who painfully cultivated and carefully gathered in the older States, they collected their implements and stock, packed their household effects, disposed of the farm, and, crossing the mountains, settled down somewhere between the western foot of the Alleghanies and Pittsburgh. This, however, was not the land of promise. The reports they had heard in their Westmoreland home of the soil which produced crops almost without care, and which embarrassed by their abundant yield, came from still farther west, and again the Case household took up the line of march, settling down finally upon a farm of two hundred acres near Warren, Trumbull county, Ohio, in the year 1800.

There were then five children in the Case household, Leonard, the oldest son, and the subject of this biographical sketch, being then sixteen years old, having been born in Westmoreland county, Penn., July 20th, 1784. In the invalid condition of his father, and being the oldest son of the family, young Leonard was compelled to take a prominent part in the management of the affairs of the farm. In the Spring succeeding the removal to Trumbull, he started out in search of working oxen needed for the Spring work. The task was a difficult one, and he traveled for some time, becoming much heated with the walk and the anxiety. On his return he had to cross a stream several times whilst he was in this heated condition, the result being the contracting of a severe cold which settled in his limbs and brought on an inflammation that confined him to his bed for months.

It was late in the Fall of 1801, when he recovered sufficiently to arise from his bed. But he arose as a cripple. The injury he had received from his unfortunate journey was permanent, and he was unable for some time after his rising from a sick bed to walk, or even to stand. Thus helpless in body, whilst active in mind, he pondered over his future. As a farmer he was no longer of any use, and unless some other mode of livelihood was adopted he must remain a dependent on his relations. This was galling his independent nature, and he determined to avoid it if possible.

[Illustration: I am Respectfully Leonard Case]

His hands were free if his feet gave promise of but little usefulness. He concluded that the pen would be a fitter implement for his purposes than the plow, and he took measures accordingly. Whilst lying in bed, unable to rise, he had a board fastened before him in such a manner as to serve for a desk. With this contrivance he worked diligently, whilst lying otherwise helpless, to acquire the rudiments of knowledge. He learned to write and cipher with moderate ease and correctness, and when he had matured the contents of an arithmetical text book, which was the property of his mother, he borrowed a few works on the higher branches of mathematics from some surveyors in the neighborhood. From the knowledge in this way acquired, he conceived the desire to be a surveyor and he set to work energetically to perfect himself in that science so far as it could be done by books. He was embarrassed by the want of even the most simple instruments. A semi-circle for measuring angles was made by cutting a groove the required shape on a piece of soft wood, and filling it by melting and running in a pewter spoon, making an arc of metal on which the graduated scale was etched. A pair of dividers was improvised from a piece of hickory, by making the centre thin, bending it over, putting pins at the points, and regulating its spread by twisting a cord.

But more education was needed, and if he expected to pursue the path he had marked out in his mind, he must leave his home and venture out in the world. To do this, money was needed, for to a cripple like him the first struggle in the battle of life would be almost hopeless, if he entered on it totally without resources. As seen, he had already manifested a strong mechanical bent. He was domestic carpenter, making and repairing such articles as were needed in the household. This ability he immediately commenced to turn to account. A rude chair suitable to his needs was mounted on wheels, and in this he was able to reach the edge of the woods surrounding the house, where he cut twigs and made baskets, which were purchased by the neighbors. Other jobs requiring mechanical skill were done by him for the neighborhood, and in this way a small fund was gradually accumulated with which to make his meditated start in life.

In 1806, he was able to set out from home and reach the village of Warren, where he concluded that a better opportunity existed for obtaining work with his pen. He found employment as clerk in the Land Commissioner's office, where his industry, zeal, and strong desire to improve both his knowledge and opportunities, soon brought him into notice and gained for him many valuable friends. Chief among these was Mr. John D. Edwards, a lawyer, holding the office of recorder of Trumbull county, which then comprised all the Western Reserve. Mr. Edwards proved a fast friend to Mr. Case, and his memory was ever held in respect by the latter. He advised the young clerk to add a knowledge of law to his other acquirements, and furnished him with books with which to prosecute his studies, until he was at length admitted to the bar. In addition, he gave him such writing as fell in his way to be given out, and thus aided in enabling him to support himself.

The war of 1812 found Mr. Case at Warren, having, among his other duties, that of the collection of non-resident taxes on the Western Reserve, for which he had to furnish what was then considered heavy bail. Having to go to Chillicothe to make his settlement, he prepared for the journey by making a careful disposition of all his official matters, so that in case of misfortune to him, there would be no difficulty in settling his affairs, and no loss to his bail. The money belonging to the several townships was parcelled out, enveloped, and marked in readiness to hand over to the several trustees. The parcels were then deposited with his friend, Mr. Edwards, with directions to pay over to the proper parties should he not return in time. The journey was made without mishap, but on his return Mr. Case found that his friend had set out to join the army on the Maumee, and had died suddenly on the way. To the gratification of Mr. Case, however, the money was found where he had left it, untouched.

In 1816, Mr. Case received the appointment of cashier of the Commercial Bank of Lake Erie, just organized in Cleveland. He immediately removed to Cleveland and entered on the discharge of his duties. These did not occupy the whole of his time, so with the avocations of a banker he coupled the practice of law and also the business of land agent. The bank, in common with most of the similar institutions of the time, was compelled to suspend operations, but was revived in after years with Mr. Case as president. Of those who were connected as officers with the original organization, Mr. Case gave the least promise of a long life, but yet he outlived all his colleagues.

With the close of the bank he devoted himself more earnestly to the practice of the law and the prosecution of his business as a land agent. The active practice of the law was abandoned in 1834, but the land agency was continued until a comparatively recent period, when his infirmities, and the care of his own estate, grown into large proportions, rendered it necessary for him to decline all business for others.

Mr. Case had a natural taste for the investigation of land titles and studying the history of the earlier land owners. His business as a land agent gave him scope for the gratification of this taste, and his appointment as agent for the management of the Western Reserve school lands, enabled him still further to prosecute his researches, whilst his strong memory retained the facts acquired until he became complete master of the whole history of the titles derived from the Connecticut Land Company.

From his earliest connection with Cleveland, Mr. Case took a lively interest in the affairs of the village, the improvement of the streets, maintenance and enlargement of the schools, and the extension of religious influences. For all these purposes he contributed liberally, and spent much time and labor. To his thoughtfulness and public spirit are due the commencement of the work of planting shade trees on the streets, which has added so much to the beauty of the city, and has won for it the cognomen of the Forest City. From 1821 to 1825, he was president of the village, and was judicious and energetic in the management of its affairs. On the erection of Cuyahoga county, he was its first auditor. He was subsequently sent to the State Legislature, where he distinguished himself by his persistent labors in behalf of the Ohio canals. He headed the subscription to the stock of the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad Company with the sum of five thousand dollars, and became a director in the Company. His good sense, a judgment that rarely erred, his extensive knowledge of the village and surrounding country, and the cheerful readiness with which he gave counsel, whenever requested in good faith, caused him to be the confidential adviser of the county and municipal officials, after he had ceased to take an active part in public affairs.

One of the rules from which he never deviated, was in no case to contract a debt beyond his ability to pay within two years without depending on a sale of property. In this way he was enabled to accumulate acre after acre in what has since proved to be valuable portions of the city, and thus to acquire a vast estate, which, in his later years, became steadily remunerative.

Mr. Case was a man of uncommon industry, of high integrity, and strong common sense. His manner to strangers, especially when interrupted in business, was brusque, and gave an unfavorable impression to those unacquainted with his real character, which was uniformly cheerful and kind. As a seller of land, he was both just and generous, and from no one ever came the complaint of oppressive or ungenerous treatment. Although not a member of any church organization, he had strong religious tendencies, of a liberal cast.

Mr. Case died December 7th, 1864, leaving one son, Leonard Case, the other son, William, having died a short time earlier.