Andrew Leeper
Andrew Leeper was born on July 10, 1841 in Fulton, Missouri to John and Elizabeth Leeper. His parents brought him to Chillicothe in 1854 when he was 13 years old. He attended Chillicothe schools and taught for a time. In 1864 he went to California where he remained for several years.
In 1874 he married Mattie McConnell from Ohio.
The People’s Savings Bank sold their building and lot on the corner to Andrew Leeper, S. McWilliams and J. Ware in 1883 for the purposes of building a fine hotel. Leeper owned half and McWilliams and Ware owned half. The Leeper Hotel (or House - the terms seem to have been used at the same time) was built in 1884-85 by Andrew Leeper and S. McWilliams with 32 rooms. It was one of the leading hotels in north Missouri. The hotel also housed a number of other businesses as well, such as a barn/livery for people to "park" their horses and carriages. Z. B. Myers Livery used the Leeper House as a pickup point. He was an active businessman always trying to promote the town and acted as a mentor to the young up-and-coming men in the area.
Andrew Leeper built a fine home at 910 Washington between 1890 and 1896. It was two stories made of brick placed on a large lot.
Leeper died on November 28, 1912 in his fine home. His obituary said that while he travelled extensively throughout the United States and abroad, he wanted to live and die in Chillicothe, “the ideal spot of the world.” His home was later turned into the Lindley Funeral Home which still operates at that location. He is buried at Edgewood Cemetery.