George Leech, the ancestor of the family of that name, in Clearfield county was born in Lancaster county 1788, and died in 1877. When the Waterford and Erie turnpike was being built in 1818, he came to Pike township, having previously secured the contract for constructing two miles of this road. His section began at Curwensville, and ended at a point in Lawrence township, where the road to Jordan J. Read’s intersected the Pike. After finishing his contract, Mr. Leech was well pleased with Pike township, and determined to settle here.

He first entered the mercantile business, having purchased a store from a Mr. Packer. In 1823 he married Jane Caldwell, and lived until 1834, on the farm now owned [1897] by Chas. E. Patton. In 1824, Mr. Leech built on Hogback Run one of the first carding machines* in this section. This building stood close to the line of the turnpike. For many years this carding machine did the work for the entire county.

In politics, Mr. Leech was also very active. He was a strong “Whig,” and although the county was Democratic by a large majority, succeeded in being twice chosen to county office.

In 1831, he was elected one of the County Commissioners, and served until 1834. In 1840, he was elected Sheriff of the county, after a spirited contest. During his incumbency, the county jail was built. In this connection an amusing anecdote is related of his son, Hiram, who is still living and a citizen of Curwensvillle. After the jail was all completed, it presented a very formidable appearance, and no one entertained a doubt but that offenders once confined therein, could under no circumstances or by any possibility escape therefrom.
Hiram, who was something of an observer, and being, as most boys are, bent on mischief, one morning made this remark to his father, the Sheriff. “Dad” I can climb out of this jail. His father laughed at him. But wonderful to relate, he did climb out, and shortly afterward was walking around outside the wall, surrounding the jail yard. So far as known, this communication with the outer world is still there, as prisoners occasionally, mysteriously
disappear, leaving nothing but the hole they have kicked through the wall behind.

The position of Census Enumerator of the county, was given Mr. Leech in 1850. As an evidence of his remarkable energy and perseverance is this fact. Though the county was then as large as now, and though sparcely settled in some townships, it was necessary, in taking the census to travel over the entire county. Mr. Leech took the census of every township, and the one borough, Clearfield, himself, except Brady and Covington. These were settled mostly by Germans and French. So as he could understand neither language, he appointed a German enumerator in Brady, and a Frenchman to the same position in Covington.2234

Note: See Gleason source 715, one of the census sheets that George signed.
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“He was the census taker for the entire county in 1850. In 1831 he was a [Clearfield] county commissioner and in 1840 was elected Sheriff of the county, serving from 1841-1844.”694,2235
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A George Leech is listed as Postmaster in Curwensville, PA - 16 March 1825 to 8 January 1830.1003
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A George Leech is among those in the list of taxables made in 1861 for Bloom Township, Clearfield County, PA.509
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A George Leech and Mason Garrison in 1815 had one of the first Woolen Mills in the county [Clearfield] at Hog Back Run below Curwensville. The purpose of a Woolen Mill was to make wool into rolls after it had been sheared from the sheep. The rolls were taken home and used on the spinning wheel to make yarn. It was customary for the owner of the Factory to go about the country with his "Wool Wagon" trading finished cloth, blankets or yarn to the farmers for wool.1842
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A George E. Leech is identified as a Curwensville, PA advertiser in the early 1900’s as a Contractor and Builder.538

[Is this a son of this George Leech?]


*Carding is a mechanical process that breaks up locks and unorganised clumps of fibre and then aligns the individual fibres so that they are more or less parallel with each other. These ordered fibres can then be passed on to other processes that are specific to the desired end use of the fibre: batting, felt, woollen or worsted yarn, etc. Carding can also be used to create blends of different fibres or different colors. When blending, the carding process combines the different fibres into a homogeneous mix.2236