Leesburg, Ohio, began as a small settlement on the edge of the frontier and grew into a quiet Highland County village shaped by early industry, farmland, and the rhythms of rural life. Its story is modest, but it reflects the larger patterns that defined the interior of Ohio in the nineteenth century.

The first settlers arrived in the early 1800s, drawn by fertile soil and the promise of stable ground after years of movement across the mid-Atlantic states. The village was formally laid out in 1802 by Nathaniel Pope, John Walters, and John Howard. They named it after Leesburg, Virginia, a reminder of the places they had left behind. Early records describe a settlement that grew slowly but steadily, with homes, small shops, and meeting houses rising along the gently sloping land.

Agriculture shaped the early decades. Families planted corn, wheat, and oats, and livestock moved through the surrounding fields. As the population increased, mills appeared along the nearby waterways. These mills processed grain and wool and became the center of local commerce. Farmers brought wagonloads of crops to be ground into flour, and the sound of the mill wheels became part of the daily landscape.

By the middle of the nineteenth century, Leesburg had developed a small commercial district. General stores, blacksmith shops, and modest workshops lined the main road. The arrival of the railroad strengthened the village’s position in the region. The depot allowed goods to move more easily to larger markets and brought travelers who stepped onto the platform and into a town that balanced industry with rural quiet. The depot that stands today is a reminder of that period, when the tracks connected Leesburg to the wider world.

The twentieth century brought gradual change. Small factories and shops opened and closed. Families stayed for generations, and others left for larger cities. The center of town shifted as new buildings replaced older ones. The Srofe Building, one of the most recognizable structures, housed a series of businesses over the decades, including a bakery and the local telephone exchange. Its changing uses reflect the way the village adapted to new needs while holding on to familiar landmarks.

Leesburg today remains a small community surrounded by farmland. Its history is preserved in photographs, handwritten records, and the memories of residents who trace their families back to the earliest years of settlement. The village has never been defined by dramatic events or rapid expansion. Instead, its identity has been shaped by continuity, by the slow accumulation of stories, and by the steady presence of the land that first drew settlers more than two centuries ago.