COUDRIET, LEON M. The portion of
Clearfield
county that is embraced within the
township
of
Covington, was settled between the years 1830 and 1840 by French colonists, who were
induced to locate there by the proprietors of a large tract of land for which
they held warrants. Among the first
of these colonists was Francis Coudriet and his family. Both he and his
wife were natives of
France. They came to America
in the year 1831. When at
Lebanon,
Pa.
, they stopped for a short time, and there the subject of this sketch, Leon
Mitchell Coudriet, was born, on the 10th day of May, 1831. Soon after this
event the family came to Bellefonte, Centre county, where Francis was, for a
time, employed working at the furnace. While so engaged he made one or two
trips to this region, and to the "Keating lands" (such being the name
by which the lands in Covington
were styled), and subsequently he made a purchase of fifty acres, receiving as
a bonus, twelve acres additional. Soon after this the family moved to Clearfield
town. From this point the father would walk to his tract, which was
entirely covered with timber, and, with his ax alone, cleared the land
sufficient for the erection of a log house, after which he, with his
family, moved to the place.
Francis Coudriet was an enterprising, thrifty,
honest, and progressive man. By hard work and good judgment he acquired a
comfortable fortune, and by his integrity and moral worth he gained that which is more to be desired,
the respect and confidence of his fellowmen. The stone used in the
erection of St. Mary's Church at Frenchville was contributed by him, and taken
from his land. For a period of eighteen years he was postmaster at
Frenchville.
Leon Mitchell Coudriet, the second of eleven
children, sons and daughters of Francis Coudriet, seems to have possessed much
of his father's enterprising spirit, and to have taken up that father's business
upon the death of the latter in 1877, although Leon commenced his business
operations several years earlier. Up to the age of twenty-three years he
worked at home with his father on the farm and in the woods, and having but
little chance for an education. In
the year 1853 he married Gonpiere Guenot, an orphan girl, who had come to this
country with relatives. Of this marriage twelve children have been born,
ten of whom are still living. For a period of nearly a year after marriage,
Leon
lived with his parents, working at such business in which his father was
engaged, and receiving no money compensation for his service. He then moved to
Girard township and began life for himself.
In 1866 he opened a store on Buck Run, which he managed successfully
until 1866, when he succeeded to the business formerly managed by Captain P.
A. Gaulin, at Mulsonburg, and then moved to that point. Besides
this mercantile business Mr. Coudriet has been, and still is engaged in
extensive lumber operations, and in this direction has acquired a vast amount of
real estate and some of the most desirable timber lands in the county. By his
several purchases his land, in acres, reaches an aggregate of nearly ten
thousand, and much of it is underlaid with valuable coal deposits. Upon the
division of his father's estate he became the owner of most of it by purchasing
the interests of the other heirs. He is the owner of the flour and grist-mill at
Frenchville; also has a saw-mill at the same place, and owns in other places, in
whole, or in part, several saw-mills, all of which are in successful
operation. More than this he has, at
Middletown, Dauphin county, an extensive sash, blind and door factory, and
saw-mill.
From his vast business interests it will be
observed that Leon M. Coudriet is a very busy man, and finds but little time to
devote to public affairs; nevertheless, there is no man in the northern part of
the county that takes greater interest in the welfare of the community, or of
his people, than he. His sound judgment and business capacity, together
with a reputation he bears for honesty and integrity, places him in an enviable
position before the people, and has gained for him their unbounded confidence
and respect. Political aspirations, he has none, yet in every
campaign his influence is felt in support of the Democracy. To the
building and support of St. Mary's Church he contributed generously of his
means. For about eight years he has been the postmaster at Frenchville
post-office.
Source: Pages 703-704, History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania,
edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich, Syracuse, NY: D. Mason & Co., Publishers,
1887.
Transcribed January 2011 by Alice J. Gayley for the Clearfield County
Aldrich Project
Published 2011 by the Clearfield County Genealogy Project
