University of Virginia Library

JAMES GRESHAM LEONARD

The subject of this sketch was a former member of
the City Council from Melrose Ward, and at present
is an engineer on the Norfolk & Western Railway.
Mr. Leonard was
born in Dinwiddie
County, Virginia,
October 9th, 1867, and
is a son of Mr. and Mrs.
T. S. Leonard. He was
educated in the county
public schools and
reared on a farm and at
the age of nineteen, accepted
a position with
the Norfolk & Western
Railway Company.
Mr. Leonard came to
Roanoke in 1888 and
during his residence of a
quarter of a century
has seen the "Village"
grow and expand until
the present large proportions
have been reached. He is regarded as one of
the safest engineers of the Norfolk & Western Railway
and runs between Roanoke and Lynchburg.

He represented Melrose Ward in the City Council
from 1902 to 1906 and as a representative of the
people, his every official act bears the stamp of honesty
and progressiveness. Always keenly alive to the best
interests of the city, his record is clean and he served
his constituents with credit, not only to himself, but to
the general public as well. He served on the Committees
of Finance and Sewerage.

He was married to Miss Etta S. Cain, December
16th, 1890, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cain,
of Prince George County, and they have five children,
four boys and one girl.

Fraternally Mr. Leonard is a member of Roanoke
Lodge No. 90 I. O. O. F., Wahoo Tribe No. 82 Red
Men, J. O. U. A. M., and the B. of L. E.

Religiously he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South.

He resides at No. 913 Second Avenue, Northwest.