The editor and proprietor of the Woodland Democrat was a native of Hannibal, Missouri, born January 31, 1850, and was the oldest son of the late William M. and Jane F. Leake.
Educated in the public schools and the New London Academy, he subsequently worked on the farm until he was eighteen years of age. He was a powerful advocate of agricultural education fostered by the state, and the establishment of the University Farm in Yolo county was made possible largely by his efforts and those of the men with whom he labored.
Mr. Leake taught three terms in the public schools of Ralls county, near his father's home. Coming to California at the age of twenty his first employment was on a farm near Dixon, in Solano county, after which he taught school one year near Batavia.
In the 1870s he accepted the position of acting agent for Wells Fargo & Company in Dixon and of deputy postmaster in the store of the late W. R. Ferguson. His abilities won recognition from his superiors in the service and he was appointed agent for the express company, also receiving the appointment of agent for the Southern Pacific Company.
Mr. Leake was elected to the State Assembly from Solano County in 1880, and he served one regular and one special session. He was elected chief clerk of the Assembly in 1883, and again in 1889, with only one vote cast against him.
He was a member of the State Board of Agriculture, representing District No. 36, from 1889 to 1891, and was a trustee of the State Library from 1891 to 1893. He was appointed commissioner of public works in 1895 and held the position until 1899.
Mr. Leake attended every Democratic state convention for nearly forty years and was a delegate to the national convention in 1896 that nominated Mr. Bryan.
In 1898 the California Democrats, recognizing that Mr. Leake would be a strong candidate, urged him to accept the nomination for governor. He was endorsed practically unanimously by the Democratic press, and Republican papers likewise praised him. Mr. Leake positively declined to enter the race, but in 1902 his name was again brought forward, and again he refused. However, the commendation of his newspaper brethren, particularly those of opposite political faith, was very gratifying to him.
Mr. Leake was one of the original Woodrow Wilson men, and though his hearty support would have been given to any one of the candidates before the Baltimore convention, the fact that his favorite was chosen induced his friends to think that it would be an opportune time to once more ask him to accept a nomination, and be his party's candidate for Congress in the Third District.
Mr. Leake's journalistic career began in Dixon in 1880 when he became the editor and publisher of the Dixon Tribune. He chose to remain a freelance and not accept a salaried position. In 1891he bought the plant of the Woodland Daily and Weekly Democrat and removed his family to Woodland.
On August 18, 1871, Mr. Leake was married to Miss Cecelia Snyder of Dixon, Solano County. They had two sons, Ed. I. and Paul R., both of whom were associated with their father in the newspaper business.
In December, 1891, Ed. E. Leake became the owner of the Woodland Daily Democrat. He edited and published the Woodland Daily and Yolo Weekly Democrat and also conducted a modern job printing office.
Biographical excerpts source: History of Yolo County, by Tom Watson, volume one, page 849
Supplemental data sources: Sexton record 657, California death record 911856, census records. Appointed Post Master of Woodland, Yolo county, California (1913-1935).
Educated in the public schools and the New London Academy, he subsequently worked on the farm until he was eighteen years of age. He was a powerful advocate of agricultural education fostered by the state, and the establishment of the University Farm in Yolo county was made possible largely by his efforts and those of the men with whom he labored.
Mr. Leake taught three terms in the public schools of Ralls county, near his father's home. Coming to California at the age of twenty his first employment was on a farm near Dixon, in Solano county, after which he taught school one year near Batavia.
In the 1870s he accepted the position of acting agent for Wells Fargo & Company in Dixon and of deputy postmaster in the store of the late W. R. Ferguson. His abilities won recognition from his superiors in the service and he was appointed agent for the express company, also receiving the appointment of agent for the Southern Pacific Company.
Mr. Leake was elected to the State Assembly from Solano County in 1880, and he served one regular and one special session. He was elected chief clerk of the Assembly in 1883, and again in 1889, with only one vote cast against him.
He was a member of the State Board of Agriculture, representing District No. 36, from 1889 to 1891, and was a trustee of the State Library from 1891 to 1893. He was appointed commissioner of public works in 1895 and held the position until 1899.
Mr. Leake attended every Democratic state convention for nearly forty years and was a delegate to the national convention in 1896 that nominated Mr. Bryan.
In 1898 the California Democrats, recognizing that Mr. Leake would be a strong candidate, urged him to accept the nomination for governor. He was endorsed practically unanimously by the Democratic press, and Republican papers likewise praised him. Mr. Leake positively declined to enter the race, but in 1902 his name was again brought forward, and again he refused. However, the commendation of his newspaper brethren, particularly those of opposite political faith, was very gratifying to him.
Mr. Leake was one of the original Woodrow Wilson men, and though his hearty support would have been given to any one of the candidates before the Baltimore convention, the fact that his favorite was chosen induced his friends to think that it would be an opportune time to once more ask him to accept a nomination, and be his party's candidate for Congress in the Third District.
Mr. Leake's journalistic career began in Dixon in 1880 when he became the editor and publisher of the Dixon Tribune. He chose to remain a freelance and not accept a salaried position. In 1891he bought the plant of the Woodland Daily and Weekly Democrat and removed his family to Woodland.
On August 18, 1871, Mr. Leake was married to Miss Cecelia Snyder of Dixon, Solano County. They had two sons, Ed. I. and Paul R., both of whom were associated with their father in the newspaper business.
In December, 1891, Ed. E. Leake became the owner of the Woodland Daily Democrat. He edited and published the Woodland Daily and Yolo Weekly Democrat and also conducted a modern job printing office.
Biographical excerpts source: History of Yolo County, by Tom Watson, volume one, page 849
Supplemental data sources: Sexton record 657, California death record 911856, census records. Appointed Post Master of Woodland, Yolo county, California (1913-1935).
The editor and proprietor of the Woodland Democrat was a native of Hannibal, Missouri, born January 31, 1850, and was the oldest son of the late William M. and Jane F. Leake.
Educated in the public schools and the New London Academy, he subsequently worked on the farm until he was eighteen years of age. He was a powerful advocate of agricultural education fostered by the state, and the establishment of the University Farm in Yolo county was made possible largely by his efforts and those of the men with whom he labored.
Mr. Leake taught three terms in the public schools of Ralls county, near his father's home. Coming to California at the age of twenty his first employment was on a farm near Dixon, in Solano county, after which he taught school one year near Batavia.
In the 1870s he accepted the position of acting agent for Wells Fargo & Company in Dixon and of deputy postmaster in the store of the late W. R. Ferguson. His abilities won recognition from his superiors in the service and he was appointed agent for the express company, also receiving the appointment of agent for the Southern Pacific Company.
Mr. Leake was elected to the State Assembly from Solano County in 1880, and he served one regular and one special session. He was elected chief clerk of the Assembly in 1883, and again in 1889, with only one vote cast against him.
He was a member of the State Board of Agriculture, representing District No. 36, from 1889 to 1891, and was a trustee of the State Library from 1891 to 1893. He was appointed commissioner of public works in 1895 and held the position until 1899.
Mr. Leake attended every Democratic state convention for nearly forty years and was a delegate to the national convention in 1896 that nominated Mr. Bryan.
In 1898 the California Democrats, recognizing that Mr. Leake would be a strong candidate, urged him to accept the nomination for governor. He was endorsed practically unanimously by the Democratic press, and Republican papers likewise praised him. Mr. Leake positively declined to enter the race, but in 1902 his name was again brought forward, and again he refused. However, the commendation of his newspaper brethren, particularly those of opposite political faith, was very gratifying to him.
Mr. Leake was one of the original Woodrow Wilson men, and though his hearty support would have been given to any one of the candidates before the Baltimore convention, the fact that his favorite was chosen induced his friends to think that it would be an opportune time to once more ask him to accept a nomination, and be his party's candidate for Congress in the Third District.
Mr. Leake's journalistic career began in Dixon in 1880 when he became the editor and publisher of the Dixon Tribune. He chose to remain a freelance and not accept a salaried position. In 1891he bought the plant of the Woodland Daily and Weekly Democrat and removed his family to Woodland.
On August 18, 1871, Mr. Leake was married to Miss Cecelia Snyder of Dixon, Solano County. They had two sons, Ed. I. and Paul R., both of whom were associated with their father in the newspaper business.
In December, 1891, Ed. E. Leake became the owner of the Woodland Daily Democrat. He edited and published the Woodland Daily and Yolo Weekly Democrat and also conducted a modern job printing office.
Biographical excerpts source: History of Yolo County, by Tom Watson, volume one, page 849
Supplemental data sources: Sexton record 657, California death record 911856, census records. Appointed Post Master of Woodland, Yolo county, California (1913-1935).
Educated in the public schools and the New London Academy, he subsequently worked on the farm until he was eighteen years of age. He was a powerful advocate of agricultural education fostered by the state, and the establishment of the University Farm in Yolo county was made possible largely by his efforts and those of the men with whom he labored.
Mr. Leake taught three terms in the public schools of Ralls county, near his father's home. Coming to California at the age of twenty his first employment was on a farm near Dixon, in Solano county, after which he taught school one year near Batavia.
In the 1870s he accepted the position of acting agent for Wells Fargo & Company in Dixon and of deputy postmaster in the store of the late W. R. Ferguson. His abilities won recognition from his superiors in the service and he was appointed agent for the express company, also receiving the appointment of agent for the Southern Pacific Company.
Mr. Leake was elected to the State Assembly from Solano County in 1880, and he served one regular and one special session. He was elected chief clerk of the Assembly in 1883, and again in 1889, with only one vote cast against him.
He was a member of the State Board of Agriculture, representing District No. 36, from 1889 to 1891, and was a trustee of the State Library from 1891 to 1893. He was appointed commissioner of public works in 1895 and held the position until 1899.
Mr. Leake attended every Democratic state convention for nearly forty years and was a delegate to the national convention in 1896 that nominated Mr. Bryan.
In 1898 the California Democrats, recognizing that Mr. Leake would be a strong candidate, urged him to accept the nomination for governor. He was endorsed practically unanimously by the Democratic press, and Republican papers likewise praised him. Mr. Leake positively declined to enter the race, but in 1902 his name was again brought forward, and again he refused. However, the commendation of his newspaper brethren, particularly those of opposite political faith, was very gratifying to him.
Mr. Leake was one of the original Woodrow Wilson men, and though his hearty support would have been given to any one of the candidates before the Baltimore convention, the fact that his favorite was chosen induced his friends to think that it would be an opportune time to once more ask him to accept a nomination, and be his party's candidate for Congress in the Third District.
Mr. Leake's journalistic career began in Dixon in 1880 when he became the editor and publisher of the Dixon Tribune. He chose to remain a freelance and not accept a salaried position. In 1891he bought the plant of the Woodland Daily and Weekly Democrat and removed his family to Woodland.
On August 18, 1871, Mr. Leake was married to Miss Cecelia Snyder of Dixon, Solano County. They had two sons, Ed. I. and Paul R., both of whom were associated with their father in the newspaper business.
In December, 1891, Ed. E. Leake became the owner of the Woodland Daily Democrat. He edited and published the Woodland Daily and Yolo Weekly Democrat and also conducted a modern job printing office.
Biographical excerpts source: History of Yolo County, by Tom Watson, volume one, page 849
Supplemental data sources: Sexton record 657, California death record 911856, census records. Appointed Post Master of Woodland, Yolo county, California (1913-1935).
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