Hon. Leander Firestone 1880 sketch

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

History of Franklin and Pickaway Counties, Ohio ... ([Cleveland, O.] Williams bros., 1880), 590, 591, photograph at 590+ (Hon. Leander Firestone, M. D., LL. D.); digital images, Hathi Trust.

LeaAnn, Hon. Leander Firestone, transcribed sketch from History of Franklin and Pickaway Counties, Ohio ... ([Cleveland, O.] Williams bros., 1880); web content, US Gen Web Archives, from Ohio Gen Web; contributed 4 February 1999.

---

Leander Firestone (1819-)

---

HON. LEANDER FIRESTONE, M.D., LL.D, superintendent of the Hospital for the Insane near Columbus, is one of the most remarkable and successful examples in the State of the self-made man. By his own unaided efforts he has climbed triumphantly from one of the humblest to one of the most exalted walks of life. His career affords to young men everywhere a shining illustration of the possibilities inherent in energy, pluck, and persistence of character and purpose, especially in the free life and amid the abounding opportunities of this republic. Mr. Firestone is of Teutonic extraction, His father, Daniel F. Firestone, was an immigrant in 1815, from Beaver county, Pennsylvania, to Wayne counly, Ohio. In Salt Creek township, in the latter county, on the eleventh of April, 1819, the subject of this notice was born. His general education was received altogether in the country schools of that region, and at Salem academy, whither he went at the early age of fourteen, supporting himself while there by manual labor, a part of the time by chopping cord-wood at three shillings a cord. He began teaching district schools when in his sixteenth year, receiving, at times, but twelve dollars per month, and boarding himself. His first school, was in what is now Perry township, Ashland county, but he afterwards taught nearer home—in Wayne county. He continued in his profession, if such it may be called, during about four years, and also "kept school" at intervals during his study of medicine, which he began in 1838, at the age of nineteen. Toward this branch of the world's work, he showed a decided bent while still a boy; and, determining to excel in whatever he undertook, he was frequently remarked as being studiously engaged with his books, while other juveniles were at play. In 1839, he entered the office of Dr. Stephen F. Day, in Wooster, who was renowned as one of the most skilful surgeons in the State, and to whom Dr. Firestone attributes much of his own proficiency in this line of practice. During the winter of 1840-1, the young candidate for medical honors and emoluments attended lectures at the Jefferson Medical college, Philadelphia, and in 1845-6, at the Cleveland Medical college, where he was graduated in the latter year. He then located, as a practitioner, at Congress village, in Wayne county, but shortly took a vacation for special studies in practical and surgical anatomy, and the principles of operative surgery, the latter under Prof. H. A. Ashley, M.D., of Cleveland. In 1848, he was elected demonstrator of anatomy at his alma mater, the Cleveland Medical college (or medical department of the Western Reserve college). He retained this appointment until 1853, when he was called to a higher and more important duty, as the first superintendent of the Northern Ohio Insane asylum, at Newburg, now the Eighteenth ward of Cleveland. Getting this institution thoroughly organized, and well upon its feel, he retired from its superintendency, in 1856, to enter upon general practice in Wooster. In this, however, his eminent abilities and reputation did not suffer him long to remain. He was recalled to Cleveland, in 1863, by an election to the chair of midwifery in the Charity Hospital Medical college, now, in the same city, the Medical Department of the University of Wooster. In 1868, he was elected to the chair of surgery, which he held until 1872, and was then made professor of medical and surgical diseases of women, in the same institution, holding at the time, also, the position of class lecturer on anatomy, physiology, and hygiene in the University proper. In 1874, he received the honorary degree of doctor of laws, from the Ohio university, located at Athens. Four years afterwards he received from Governor Bishop, the high honor of appointment to the superintendency of the new Hospital for the Insane, occupying a picturesque and commanding site on the hills, west of Columbus. He accepted the post with much reluctance, and, after much hesitation, on account of the pecuniary and other sacrifices it made necessary; but was finally induced to take it, upon the pledge that the legislature should be influenced to increase the salary of the office by one thousand dollars. In this position he has won his crowning reputation, being now regarded as one of the first superintendents of the kind in the country.

Dr. Firestone was married August 23, 1839, when but twenty years old, to a distant relative, Miss Susannah Firestone, also of Wayne county. They have had eight children, but one of whom is now living: Dr. William W. Firestone, of Wooster — also a physician of considerable note. Another son, Melvin O., became assistant physician at the Columbus asylum, and died at his post of duty there, of apoplexy, January 23, 1879. He had previously, for some years, been a practitioner of medicine, with much success. Most of the boyhood and youth of General David S. Stanley, of the United States army, were passed in the elder Dr. Firestone's family, he having taken the boy from obscurity and poverty, out of pure goodness of heart, to rear for honorable and distinguished service, sent him to college, and secured him an appointment to the military academy.

Dr. Firestone became a mason, in 1847, and has filled many high offices in the order. He is also a member of the Ohio State Medical society, which he has served as president, and of the American, Northwestern and Wayne County Medical associations, and is an honorary member of the Gynecological society, of Boston, Massachusetts.