Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-04-16
HON. LEONARD B. HODGES.


this morning of announcing the death 6
one of natures noblemen-Hon. Leonard
B. Hodges-his demise having occurred at
9o'cIock last evening at his late residence
on Laurel avenue. He has been confined
to his house for two or three weeks with
gastric difficulty, but it was only two or
three days before his death that his disease
seemed to be of a serious character. 1t
finally proved to be cancerous disease of
the stomach, resulting fatally as an
nounced.
Hon. Leonard B. Hodges was born in
West Bloomfield, Ontario county, New
York, in 1924. In his younger days he
followed the profession of farming, and
acquired fair common school education,
which he subsequently increased by study
and reading, and among other things
which he acquired, was good knowledge
of surveying. About the age of twenty
two or twenty-three he came West, and
prior to removing to Minnesota resided in
Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa.
When he removed to northwestern Iowa
in 1S47 or 1S48 it was almost a
wilderness, with but an occasional
''squatter' here and there. He soon after
secured considerable contract for sur
Veying, in which he endured much hard
ship and came near losing his life two or
three times, in billiards which swept over
that region. At subsequent date he
served one term as clerk of the district
court. He was well known and very popu-
lar in the region where he lived.
Mr.. Hodges emigrated to Minnesota in the
fall of 1852, and settled at what
has since become Oronoco, Ohm
sted county. Being one of the pioneer
settlers in that region he joined in estab-
Fishing that town. He remained resi-
dent On the same place until he saw the
handful of claimants increase to a popu-
lus county of many thousand inhabitants.
In the early days of the territory, when
emigrants we're coming in to find homes,
Mr.. Hodges, though himself of limited
means, generally kept open house, and
entertained, for several years, great mum
bers of the new corners who passed by his
home, many Of them now prosperous citi-
zens of Minnesota, and who will remember
his hospitality to them with gratitude.
In 1870 Mr.. Hodges was elected a mem
Der Of the state senate from his county,
though only serving one session, as the ap-
portionment of 1871 terminated his mem
bership. &
In 1872 Mi Hodges removed from Ohm
sted county and located in st. Paul. He
was, about this time, employed by the
Manitoba Railroad company as superin-
tendent of tree planting along their line,
and thus became engaged in that profess
sion which has made his name so well
known, not only in our own state, bu
among the friends of forestry all over the
Union. Mr.. Hodges engaged in his new
calling with energy and an intelligent en-
thusiasm, and soon created, by his writings
and efforts, sentiment in favor of the
tree planting movement in this state,
which has borne glorious fruit. In 1878
he was one of the foremost persons who
aided in organizing the Minnesota
State Forestry association, the first
state organization of the kind, it is said.
in the Union, though there are now quite
a number. Mr.. Hodges made addresses,
published papers and essays, and, as secre-
tary of the association, maintained wide
correspondence with those seeking infor-
nation on forest culture, and in many
ways, and with untiring labor, pushed on
the movement. The ''Forest Tree Planters
Manual which he prepared, valuahle
work of $50 pages, published by state
appropriation, has gone through three
editions, and a fourth is about ready for
the press. Thousands of copies of
this valuable manual have been distributed
through this state, while Mr.. Hodges
writings have become a part of the for
estry literature of the world, being quoted
and noticed even in European publica-
tons, and have aided in giving Minnesota
foremost place in the forestry move
ment. The National Forestry congress,
which meets in this city in August, is the
result of the work of Mr.. Hodges.
About two years ago, Mr.. Hodges was
appointed superintendent of tree planting
on the Northern Pacific railroad.
and since that date has been busily
engaged in his important work.
lie was for several years a director in
the st. Paul chamber of commerce, and
when he rendered his resignation on &C.
count of absence from the city, the cham
Der declined to accept it, but granted a
leave of absence during his busy season in
order that they might nave the beneft of
his counsel portion of the year. In 1878
ne was nominated by his party friends,
HIS dOSSAC0 from inc civ. as
candidate for the legislature
from the Fourth ward, and ran
largely ahead of his ticket. In the
fall of 1878 Mr.. Hodges called the atten-
ton of the chamber of commerce to the
swindle being practiced upon the farmers
IN the grading of grain, and out of that
sprung the historic ''brass kettle" cam
paign of that year. He presented the mat
ter, not with a view of raising political
question, but because he desired to
arouse sentiment which would
stop the injustice to the
farmer. He had always been a man of the
people, and in Olmsted county had fought
the battles of the people with the Winona
st. Peter road, and seeing an Injustice
being done in the grading of grain. he
came to the rescue. A brief extract from
a country paper relative to the
manipulation of the ssbrase
KETTLE appeared in the G1oRr
one Monday morning, and upon goinp 10
the chamber of commerce, AIr. HODGES
said to the writer of these lines that he had
personal knowledge OF the robbery beino
perpetrated, and asked to be supported
In bringing the matter before the BODY
There was not the slightest allusion to. OF
intimation of politics, but his great heart
LII ! Il II