Leech - Thomas (Dr)
Source: Zach, Karen Bazzani. Montgomery Medicine Men .... Crawfordsville, Indiana: MCHS, 2002.
Thomas F. Leech (name also found Leach) love dhis profession but his real passion was chess. In fact, he loved the game so much that he played several others sending moves by way of the telegraph. He was born two days after Christmas in the year 1840, in Flat Rock, Illinois. A graduate from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, he came to Crawfordsville in the 1880s so that his two sons, Charles and Elleaser, could graduate from Wasbash College. He also had a daughter, Mabel. ther eis some evidence that he may have practiced in the Waveland area, as well as just over in to Parke County. He also did some doctoring in Missouri and Kentucky. In 1885, he began a state chess association and the first tournament was slated for June of the next year to be held at the Shades. In 1893, he served as VP of the Indiana State Medical Society. It is known that he retired in Downer's Grove, Illinois about 1895 and that he was especially shocked with the death of his son Elleaser of typhoid pneumonia the year before. Dr. Leech served in the United State Navy as an assistant surgeon. In our area (Feb 1880) he used his knowledge in at least one interesting case, aiding Dr. Montague in the removal of a bullet merged in the breast of WIllie Nash, a teenager playing with a gun. Much publicity ovr gun safety erupted from the article. Dr. Leech died at his home in Downer's Grove October 30, 1919 and his body was shipped to Crawfordsville. He is buried in Oak Hill and had full Masonic rites. It would be interesting to know if this Dr. Leech is relation to the present day Dr. Leech!
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Source: 19th Century Database of Indiana Physicians
Leech, Thomas F.
Civil War Rank: Acting Asst. Surg. / Hosp Steward
Civil War Regiment: Vol. Navy
Place of Birth: Flat Rock, Il
Date of Birth: 12.27.1840
Place of Death: Downers Grove, Il buried Oak Hill Cemetery Crawfordsville
Date of Death: 10.30.1919
Other residence: Shelbyville, In
Schools attended: Jefferson Medical College
Year Medical Grad or Attendance: 1866
Wife: Mary E. b Ny 1841
Children: Ellerslie, Son b MO 1870, 2 college students living with him in Crawfordsville, In
Membership in Medical Orgz.: Indiana State Medical Society-admitted 1879, 1880, 1882-83
Obit location: Journal of the American Medical Association 73:1457
County: Montgomery(Crawfordsville / Wingate / Waveland-1886) / Monroe(Bloomington)
Med. Reg./Exam.: 9.13.97
Sources: 1880c P1886 / Physicians Directory of Kentucky and Indiana 1893 / Indiana State Board of Health 1882, 1884, 1890
Record# 23341 in database 19th Indiana Century Physicians
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Source: Obituary Crawfordsville Weekly Review, Nov 4, 1919 p 4
Dr. Thomas Franklin Leech was born at Flat Rock, Shelby County, Ind Dec 27, 1840. The boy was educated at an academy at Hope, Indiana until he reached the age of 20 years when he went to Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia to attend a couse of lectures. The war broke out before he had a diploma, so he enlisted with the 33rd Indiana at Shelbyville. His company went into Kentucky on a short campaign. His work naturally fell to curing for hte sick, as was hisnatural best, hence he was soon put in hospital service. He had chare of the hospital at Louisville, KY for 18 months. He was granted a furlough to return to the Medical College to continue his course and during that time he was offered a position as surgeon in the Mississippi Squandron, USS Periso (?) he was transferred from the Army service to the Navy. He spent two years in the Navy being stationed near Vicksburg during some of its perilous days. After he was mustered out he returned to Philadelphia for his diploma and his degrrees. While his duties kept him out of the firing line, he was during the whole four years and three months of his service ministering to the sick and wounded. Many a soldier has testified through later years to his having saved his life from either wounds or disease during the time of his country's peril.
Most of his practice of general surgery was during his residence of nearly 25 years in Crawfordsville where he was president of the local medical society for a numbr of years, secretary of the board of health and also on the state board of health. He was early an organizer for the Grand Army of the Republic, having been one of the organizers of McPherson Post, GAR in the early days of the Grand Army.
He moved to Downer's Grove, Ill in April 1899 and has since that time become affiliated with Grove Lodge No 824, F&AM. During the latter years of his life his associations with his comrades and brothres have been his greatest comfort.
He originally united with the Mehtodist Church at Hope, Ind but when he married Mary E. Lock in 1866, he united with her in the Presbyterian Church, being in Center Presbyterian Church at Crawfordsville. At Downer's Grove they united with the Congregational Church and worshipped there until two years ago when he took his church letter to the Central Church of Chicago.
He is survived by one son, Charles Hugh Leech of Chicago and his daughter, Mrs. Alice Paine of Downer's Grove, Illinois at whose home he passed away. He rests beside his wife at Oak Hill Cemetery, Crawfordsville, where he was buried with full Masonic honors onNovember 2, 1919 - typed by kbz