LEANDER R. BOTTS, a retired farmer of Sullivan county, was born June 30, 1837, in Coshocton county, Ohio, son of John and Nancy (Morris) Botts. The father was born in Pennsylvania in 1796 and died in 1847, in Hocking county, Ohio. The mother was born in Maryland in 1798 and died July 1, 1859, in Sullivan county. She was of French extraction and the father of German. He was a farmer and they were married in Ohio. Leander R. Botts received a limited education in Hocking county, Ohio, and started out in life for himself at the age of eighteen years, working as a farm hand, and when twenty-two years old he began farming for himself. He also taught school, continuing in this calling until thirty years of age, farming summers and teaching in the winter months. In 1859 he came to Hamilton township, Sullivan county, Indiana. He followed teaching in Hamilton, Jackson, Fairbanks and Curry townships. He next took up the business of stock dealer, in conjunction with his farming operations, following the same ten years. He once owned a hundred and fifty acres in Hamilton township. He remained on the farm until 1904, when he retired to Sullivan, where he purchased a city residence property. He still owns eighteen acres in his home township. Politically, Mr. Botts votes the Democratic ticket. He is a member of blue lodge of the Masonic fraternity at Sullivan.
March 1, 1860, he was married to Elizabeth Rusher, born in Sullivan county, Indiana, February 10, 1836, daughter of Minor and Mary (Marlow) Rusher, both natives of Kentucky. The father was born in 1806 and died in Sullivan county, Indiana, April 30, 1867, and the mother born August 31, 1811, died February 22, 1888. They were of German descent and emigrated to Sullivan county in 1828, being numbered among the very early settlers of the county. The five children born of this union are as follows: Hettie, born June 1, 1861, wife of Joseph Wyman, and residing in Hamilton township: George F., September 10, 1864, now resides on Jackson street, Sullivan, Indiana; William H., October 10, 1866; Maggie, born May 29, 1870, died in February, 1876; Flora C., born February 8, 1876, died May 5, 1896. Mrs. Botts has been a consistent member of the Christian church for many years.
For his years, Mr. Botts has a remarkable memory, as is illustrated by the list of his old school teachers, beginning with the first, and which list he desires to keep as a record for the future: Miss Stratton, in Licking county, Ohio; Mr. Kelsey, James G. McBroom, Nathan England, Henry Lincoln, Rosie O'Neil, Ephraim Woodard, Phebe Sudlow, Jesse Griggsby, all of Hocking county, Ohio; Samuel Edginton and Robert Wolfenbarger, of Coshocton county, Ohio. When Mr. Botts first came to this township the land was all timbered heavily, and this was removed by log rollings, which lasted about two weeks, each spring. He relates how the school teachers of the "fifties" were paid a dollar a day. Also how in his boyhood days they all lived on their own resources, making their own clothing, sugar, molasses, etc. He notes the great transformation since those pioneer days in the Buckeye and Hoosier states, and is glad to have been a participant in changing the wilderness to a fertile, prosperous and highly enlightened section.