Leonard Elliott

Source: History Morris County New Jersey, Volume II, Lewis Publishing Co., 1914

The family of which Leonard ELLIOTT, a representative citizen of Dover, is an honored member, is of Scotch-Irish origin. The founder of the family, Alexander ELLIOTT, settled in this country between the years 1820 and 1830, and located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He married Ann LEONARD; she is buried in Locust Hill Cemetery, he in Philadelphia. She was English.

Alexander ELLIOTT, son of the preceding, was a native of Ireland, from whence he accompanied his parents to this country when nine years of age. He obtained a practical education in the public schools of Philadelphia, then learned the iron foundry business where he familiarized himself with all its branches, founding the business of S. & A. ELLIOTT Iron Foundry. Later went to Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, later to Easton, and thence to Boonton, New Jersey, and in about 1852 came to Dover, New Jersey, and established an iron foundry. Also engaged extensively in mining and other branches of the iron business, his death occurring November, 1902. He was survived by his wife, Louisa (WALLACE) ELLIOTT, a native of Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, now a resident of Jersey City. Children of Mr. and Mrs. ELLIOTT.

Anna, wife of Dr. R. B. WATSON, of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania;
Joseph W., of Midvale, New Jersey;
Alexander, who served in the capacity of judge of Paterson, New Jersey, and for a number of years was attorney for Thomas A. EDISON, the famous electrician, now deceased;
Robert W., deceased;
Elizabeth W., residence, Jersey City;
Leonard, of whom further;
William W., of Jersey City; James N., of Jersey City;
Louisa W., of Jersey City;
Charles F., deceased.

Leonard ELLIOTT, son of Alexander and Louisa (WALLACE) ELLIOTT, was born in Dover, New Jersey, October 2, 1861. He attended the common schools of the place, and after completing his studies worked at the mines owned and operated by his father, in this way gaining a practical knowledge of that line of work, also the setting up and installing of mining machinery. In 1881 he went to Tucson, Arizona, where he was employed as assistant superintendent of a copper mine, but preferring to live in the east he returned shortly afterward to Dover, New Jersey, and later removed to Midvaletown, Passaic county, New Jersey, where he engaged once more in installing mining machinery. In 1886 he secured a position as traveling salesman for the A. A. Griffing Iron Company, remaining in their employ for the long period of nineteen years, a fact which amply testifies to his ability and efficiency. In October, 1905, he entered into partnership with the R. C. BARTLEY Company, manufacturers and installers of steam heating plants, and this connection continued for a period of two and a half years, when he disposed of his interest, and since that time has been engaged in business on his own account, not only installing but selling and contracting for both steam and hot water heaters. Among the many public buildings and private residences in which he installed heaters may be mentioned the East Side public school of Dover, Livingston Building of Dover, Dover Alliance Office Building, and the residence of E. L. DICKERSON. He has achieved a large degree of success in his private undertaking, the result of years of experience, of ability of a high degree, of straightforward transactions and unimpeachable integrity.

Mr. ELLIOTT is a man of public spirit and enterprise, actively interested in all that promotes the welfare of his native city. He is a staunch adherent of the principles of the Democratic party, served as chairman of the district committee, as a member of the county committee, and in the fall of 1908 was elected to the Dover council, by a majority of seventy-eight, being the only Democrat to hold position in the town, which attests to his popularity. While a member of the council he served as chairman of the fire and lamps committee, and member of the finance committee and the license committee, in all of which he performed his work well, meriting the approbation of all concerned. In 1910 was re-elected to the council by a record majority, and in 1911 elected member board of freeholders, and in 1913 was up for re-election. Mr. ELLIOTT is a vestryman of St. John’s Protestant Episcopal Church in Dover, a member of the F. and A. M., Acacia Lodge, No. 20; Otserimgo Consistory, S.P.R.S. of Binghamton, New York; Mecca Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S., B.P.O.E., and the R.A.

Mr. ELLIOTT married, January 5, 1892, Stella Eugenia MUNSON, a native of Dover, born October 24, 1864, daughter of Mahlon Ogden and Phebe Ann (COE) MUNSON, who where the parents of two other children, namely:

Thomas Sidney, born December 31, 1855, deceased, and
Mary Esther, born May 15, 1860.

Mahlon Ogden MUNSON was born in Dover, New Jersey, August 18, 1828; son of Mahlon and Eunice (PARSONS) MUNSON, and his line of descent from the immigrant ancestor is as follows: Ezekiel, Solomon, Solomon, Samuel, Samuel, Thomas, the founder, born about 1612. Mahlon O. MUNSON was a merchant, a farmer, a Methodist and a Democrat serving for eight years as a clerk of Randolph township. Mr. and Mrs. ELLIOTT are the parents of two children:

Marjorie E. and
Leonard M.

The family resides in the old MUNSON homestead, which has come down to Mrs. ELLIOTT and Mrs. CURTICE from their great-grandfather, it being situated on the south side of Munson Hill.

This biography was transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003).