Newly Discovered Charater!

Charles B. Leek

WHAT A GREAT DISCOVERY! Thanks to the research of team member David Tobias, a new and very important character to the film has been found. Many heroes emerged as a result of the Ashtabula train disaster and one of those heroes was Charles B. Leek, assistant telegraph operator who stayed at his post with John Manning for 50 hours straight with no break. We first thought that John Manning (head telegraph operator) was the only telegraph operator working the night of the disaster and the days after. It turns out this was not true! John Manning had help.

Here is the story of Charles B. Leek as published in a 1900's book, History of the LS & MS Railroad,
pages 325-327.

"Charles B. Leek, whose portrait, executed from a recent photograph appears on the opposite page, is probably the first colored gentleman to rise to as high a position as chief operator on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway, being located at Ashtabula, Ohio. It was only after the hardest kind of work that this was accomplished, for his color made it all up-hill work, but by meritorious effort and strict attention to business, he won the good will and respect of his employers and fellow employees, and today their is none who is held in higher esteem.
     Mr. Leek was born in Peacedale, Rhode Island, and was three years of age when his father, J L. Leek, brought him to Ashtabula, Ohio. J.L. Leek was born in slavery, near Richmond, Virginia, and having a kind master he was freed at the age of twenty-one years, after which he drifted to the state of Rhode Island. There he married Miss E. Rodman, and they had three children. Upon removing to Ashtabula, Ohio, Mr. Leek conducted a restaurant for a period of forty years, dying in 1899, and leaving Charles B. administrator of the estate.
     Charles B. Leek began his railroad career on May 18, 1869, (at the age of 19) as a student of John P. Manning (who was then chief operator at Ashtabula), and was an apt pupil, learning telegraphy in the remarkable period of five weeks, which is the record, so far as is known. He was first assigned to Saybrook, Ohio, where he worked nights for one year. He then went on the extra list, working three months at Geneva, Ohio, and then a short time at Perry, Nottingham, Dock Junction, Girard, and Conneaut, Ohio. He then worked at Kingsville, Ohio eight months, when he returned to Ashtabula as night operator, continuing as such for one year.  He was then promoted to be first assistant of John P. Manning, chief operator, and served as such until he succeeded Mr. Manning, when the latter was promoted to be railway agent at Ashtabula Harbor.  He also served as assistant to Mr. Manning at the time of the great disaster at Ashtabula, and worked for fifty hours with out sleep or rest, he had charge of the large force of operators when his supervisor was absent. During the seven days' excitement after the accident, the total receipts of the Western Union Telegraph Company at Ashtabula were $700.  At the present time, our subject has two operators under  him P. Seipel, day operator; and Thomas Burke, night operator.  His work is on the end of the Eastern Division, east of Cleveland.  He has ever been faithful in the performance of his duty, and during his thirty years of service he has never brought upon the company a cent of expense through mistakes or accidents.  He is also an accomplished musician, giving lessons on the violin, and is director of Leek's orchestra of ten pieces, he playing first violin.
     Mr. Leek formed a matrimonial alliance with Ida A. Good, who is of white parentage, and they have three children Clarence E. Leek, who works in the Western Union Telegraph Company's office at Ashtabula, Edna L. Leek, and Elizabeth Leek, both of whom are in attendance at school."

The above is a direct quote from the book.

Doing further research, I was able to find another photo of Mr. Charles Leek, who also played with the Commonwealth Minstrels in 1878 (see photos below.) Here he is holding a horn of some kind, so it seems he played more then the violin. I then tracked the photo down and bought it for the historical society. I'll be delivering it the next time I am in the area. :-)

Charles B. Leek is buried in the Chestnut Grove Cemetery. The below photo was taken by team member Dr. Caillean M. McMahon.

I think it would be great if someone found the time to do more research on Charles Leek and his family to see if he still has descendants in the Ashtabula County.

Len Brown
Producer/Director