842
HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
both of New England ancestry, the father being descended from William Leete, who came from England in 1639, was Governor of New Haven Colony and later of Connecticut Colony. His parents having but limited means, William Leet had difficulty in securing an education equal to his ambition, and what he did obtain was largely won in the school of experience. In 1841 he removed to Illinois with his uncle, a Mr. James, and worked on a farm in Peoria County some four or five years, after which he spent a. short time in his native State. Soon returning to Illinois, he was employed for a time in Bureau County, where he purchased eighty acres of wild land. Later on he purchased and operated a much larger farm in the same neighborhood, known in after years as the Leet homestead. Some years before the Civil War he entered the grain trade at Henry, Marshall County, and for years controlled the markets at Bradford, Castleburg, Duncan and Lombardville, all stations on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railway. Removing to Bradford, he purchased the Bradford Exchange Bank in 1875, of which he was owner and manager until his death. Later in life he established a bank at Audubon, Iowa, of which his son Frank W. Leet became manager. He was one of the largest land-owners in Illinois at one time, having over 5,000 acres in Stark County alone, beside extensive holdings in Iowa and other States. His grain business brought him to Chicago in 1888, where he made his home two years. In 1890 he removed to Aurora, where he lived until his death. Sept 5, 1896. Mr. Leet was married in 1854 to Miss Helen Spear, who survives him, and lives in Aurora. She is a native of England. She has remarried, and is the wife of Matthew T. Chapman, President of the American Well Works Company. Mrs. Chapman and her children have kept the large Leet estate intact, and have managed it as a copartnership affair. The children are: Mrs. Jonathan C. Stoughton, widow of the Rev. Dr. Stoughton; Frank W. Leet; of Audubon, Iowa, President of four banks in that State; Mrs. Rose Thompson, of Bradford, Ill., who has the unique distinction of being President of two banks; Mrs. Anna Boysen, wife of a large land-owner near Manning, Iowa; and Keller Leet, an extensive land-owner of Aurora, Ill.
CHARLES W. LEHMANN, attorney, Elgin, Ill.; born in Roxbury, Mass., Dec. 3, 1874; educated in the public schools, Elgin Academy, Lake Forest Academy, and obtained his legal education at Kent College (Chicago), afterwards taking a special course at Harvard and Heidelberg University. He was admitted to the Bar in 1896, and began practice in Elgin in 1900. Mr. Lehrcann was married Dec. 14, 1899, to Miss Janet N. Ranstead, daughter of Judge John W. Ranstead, of Elgin.
WILLIAM LEMKE, retired farmer, Dundee, Ill.; born in Germany Nov. 21, 1832; came to Dundee, Ill., in 1859, and for more than thirty years was identified with agricultural interests in that locality. He was married in 1858 to Miss Christina Sternberg, who was also a native of Germany.
ALPHONSO B. LEMON, farmer and stock-raiser, Campton Township, Kane County; born in the township where he now resides, Sept. 8, 1858; educated in the public schools; located on his present 260-acre farm in 1882; married, in 1880, Adeline J. Addie.
FRANK J. LENNARTZ, merchant and City Treasurer, Geneva, Ill., was born in Kenosha, Wis., March 19, 1876, son of Frank and Caroline (Enter) Lennartz, and was taken by his parents to Geneva, Ill., in 1879, where he was
