Finding aid for the Leonard Case, Sr. Family Papers, Series II

Biography of the Case Family

The Leonard Case, Sr. Family was prominent in Cleveland, Ohio, from the 1820s through the 1870s. Leonard Case, Sr., an early settler of the area, was interested in canal and railroad development as well as politics and the promotion of cultural and social institutions. Born in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, in 1786, he moved into the Western Reserve prior to 1817 and became an authority on area land titles during his tenure as clerk to General Simon Perkins, an agent for the Connecticut Land Company. From 1827 through 1855 he served as an agent for the Connecticut Land Bank while he developed ventures in transportation, becoming President of the Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati Railroad in 1847. During these years he also promoted a variety of Cleveland institutions through generous monetary donations, including the Cleveland Medical College. He began turning over many of his affairs to his two sons, William and Leonard, Jr., several decades before his death in Cleveland in 1864. William Case was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1818. He became a prominent leader in politics through his election to city council in 1846, service as alderman from 1847-1849, and tenure as mayor from 1850-1852. He served as President of the Cleveland, Painesville and Ashtabula Railroad and Lake Shore Railway Companies. As an intellectual leader in the community, he was active in the Arkites and donated generously to the establishment of the Case Library prior to his death in 1862. Noted philanthropist, Leonard Case, Jr., was born in Cleveland in 1820. Although he was admitted to the bar in the 1840s and opened a law office in the area, he did not enter general practice, but rather oversaw his father's numerous affairs. He was instrumental in the creation of the Case Block, a commercial building at the corner of Superior and Wood Streets in Cleveland which provided retail and office space in 1875 and was later used as city hall until 1916. As had his brother, he became involved with the Arkites and established the Case School of Applied Science before his death in 1880.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Leonard Case, Sr.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Leonard Case, Jr.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for William Case

Scope and Content

The Leonard Case, Sr. Family Papers, 1817-1903 and undated, consist of financial materials, receipts for the Heard and Son construction of the Case Block, land agreements, files on the Ohio State Fair and Silas S. Stone, and miscellaneous materials found in the Case School accession.

The material pertains primarily to the building of the Case Block, Western Reserve land titles and surveys, the Ohio State Fair, and railroad transportation.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

The researcher should also consult MS 2871 Leonard Case, Sr. Family Papers.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4116 Leonard Case, Sr. Family Papers, Series II, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gift of Karl O. Thompson.

Processing Information

Processed by Bari Oyler Stith in 1987.

Detailed Description of The Collection