People

Leonard Howard

Leonard Howard (born 1810) was a contractor and builder active in the mid-nineteenth century American Midwest, notable for his early construction work in Buffalo, New York, and later in Chicago and the Fox River valley region of Illinois. He arrived in St. Charles, IL on March 9, 1837, and was employed there as a depot agent. Though his connection to East Dundee is indirect — appearing in the same source record as the Dundee-area Charles F. Howard family — his biography offers context for the broader network of early settlers and tradespeople moving through Kane County during this period.

Known Activities

According to the Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County (1904), Howard was born in 1810 and taken to New York State in 1812, following which little is recorded of his early childhood. His father died in 1818, after which Howard was apprenticed to a Theodore Coburn, presumably in a building or masonry trade.

He is credited with constructing the first cut-stone buildings in Buffalo, New York, in 1828 — a notable achievement for a tradesman of his age at the time. That same year, on January 27, 1828, he married Caroline Esther Smith, daughter of Isaac and Roxy Morton Smith.

Howard moved to Chicago in 1836. The encyclopedia further records that he constructed notable Chicago buildings, including the old Sherman Hotel, though the precise dates of those commissions are not specified in the source. (Source: Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County (1904))

After arriving in St. Charles on March 9, 1837, Howard shifted roles, reportedly serving as a depot agent rather than continuing primarily as a contractor.

Timeline

YearEvent
1810Born
1812Taken to New York State
1818Father died; apprenticed to Theodore Coburn
1828Constructed first cut-stone buildings in Buffalo, NY
January 27, 1828Married Caroline Esther Smith (daughter of Isaac and Roxy Morton Smith)
1836Moved to Chicago; believed to have constructed the old Sherman Hotel during this period
March 9, 1837Arrived in St. Charles, IL; employed as depot agent
## Sources
  • Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County, 1904. Archive.org