Leasburg Historical Society

The teamsters could see their livelihood vanishing and many were the threats uttered against the railroad. By 1853 the railroad was opened to what is now known as Pacific Missouri. Construction progressed and the first traffic train entered Rolla 30 miles west of Leasburg, late in December of 1860. By that time many who had dreaded the coming of the railroad were engaged in providing fuel for the wood-burning engines, which pulled the trains, of that day.

Samuel Lea, a native of Yorkshire England came to this country in 1858. In 1859 he built the first residence in what today is Leasburg. It was a log structure 24x26 feet in size. On January 9 1860, Samuel Lea became the owner of a large parcel of Leasburg land paying William H. Harrison Jr. and his wife Margaret the sum of $2500.00 for these holdings. The same year he built the first frame house in Leasburg and opened the first general store. About that time Harrison Station was renamed Leasburg for Samuel Lea.

Some of the early merchants and residents of Leasburg were

William H, Davis and his wife Artiressie McWilliams Davis had the mill, a store, and a hotel. The later two in Leasburg. Mr. Davis spent most of his time at the store. Aunt Tressy as she was known, was a hard worker spent time at the mill, sold eggs, milked cows, drew water up by a rope from an old well; she got water this way for folks and their horses when passing by her house. In summer she took the team and buggy into Leasburg where she worked at the hotel. This hotel was used as a hospital during the Civil War battle at Leasburg. She was not afraid of anything. She cussed like a sailor, which embarrassed her children, but the community accepted her as she was rough talking but big hearted. The first blacksmith in Leasburg was a man named Whitehead. Some of the early families to settle in Leasburg were the Walls, Pat and Denme Mullem, the O'Briens, Wallaces, McGraths, and Pat Fitzgerald. The great numbers of these early Leasburg families were Irish immigrants who came as laborers on the railroad.

During the early years, as the surrounding trade territory prospered, our town prospered.

Leasburg Historical Society
PO Box 127
Leasburg, MO 65535

Our bank, our half dozen stores, our post office, our railroad station were busy places. Whole families could be outfitted from head to toe in our stores.

It is said that we cannot stand still. We either advance or we slide backward. The change came so gradually that at first it was hardly noticed. As time passed Leasburg's people found themselves looking backward and speaking of things that had been and those that might have been After the long down grade, Leasburg had at last dug her toes in paused for a deep life giving breath and is again moving FORWARD.

By John Kimmel

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