Cushing, Leonard P. bio

LEONARD P. CUSHING
Biography

transcribed by Sheryl McClure

from Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties, Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1890

LEONARD P. CUSHING is one of the enterprising and successful young farmers of Washington County. He may well be proud of the success he has achieved and the part he has taken in the development of Sheridan Township. He was born in Greene County, Ill., Feb. 14, 1855. When about nine years old, his parents removed to Christian County, where he was reared on a farm. He was the recipient of such educational advantages as were afforded in the district schools.

In March, 1878, he came with his family to this county and purchased eighty acres of land. He has since bought an additional sixty acres, and brought the entire place to a high state of cultivation and productiveness. The farm is divided into fields of convenient size, and all well fenced. There were no buildings on the land, when it was purchased by Mr. Cushing. He now has adequate and substantial stable, hog pens, cribs, etc., and a neat and sufficiently commodious frame house. He has planted about 200 grape vines, and an orchard of seventy-five apple trees. Quite a number of forest trees afford cooling shelter on various parts of the estate.

In Christian County, Ill., on Feb. 14, 1877, an interesting ceremony took place. It was that which united the lives and fortunes of our subject and Miss Emma Webster of that county. The bride is the daughter of M. P. and Theresa (Chase) Webster. The union has been blessed by the birth of three interesting children—Euda, Carrie and Olive.

Our subject is a son of Montgomery H. and Mary (Clark) Cushing, and is the fourth in a family of nine children. Eight of them are still living; all were born in Illinois. The eldest son, George, served in the defense of the Union during the Civil War. The parents removed from Illinois to Clay County, Neb., about the year 1879. There the father took a timber claim of eighty acres, upon which the mother and two sons are now living. The father departed this life in April, 1885. The mother is a communicant of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Mr. Cushing served as constable in this township. He is a man of high principles, marked intelligence and kindly manners. His wife is possessed of many social and domestic virtues. They stand well in the esteem of their neighbors and fellow citizens, and are likely in the years to come to rank still higher as their years of usefulness increase.

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