Leonard Henly Sims (February 6, 1807 – February 28, 1886) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. Born in

Burke County, North Carolina Burke County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 87,570. Its county seat is Morganton. Burke County is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...

, Sims received a limited schooling. He moved to

Rutherford County, Tennessee Rutherford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in Middle Tennessee. As of the 2021 census, the population was 352,182, making it the fifth-most populous county in Tennessee. A study conducted by the Univers ...

, in 1830 and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He served as member of the

Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Constitutional requirements According to the state constitution of 1870, this body is to consis ...

for two terms. He settled near

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

, in 1839 and continued agricultural pursuits. He served as member of the Missouri State house of representatives 1842–1846. Sims was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

Twenty-ninth Congress The 29th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1845 ...

(March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847). He returned to

, in 1847 and continued farming. He moved to

Independence County, Arkansas Independence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 36,647. The county seat is Batesville. Independence County is Arkansas's ninth county, formed on October 20, 1820, from a portion ...

, in 1859, settled on a farm near Batesville, and engaged in cotton raising and farming. He served in the

Arkansas State Senate The Arkansas State Senate is the upper branch of the Arkansas General Assembly. The Senate consists of 35 members, each representing a district with about 83,000 people. Service in the state legislature is part-time, and many state senators have ...

from 1866 to 1870 and 1874 to 1878. He died on his plantation near

Batesville, Arkansas Batesville is the county seat and largest city of Independence County, Arkansas, United States, 80 miles (183 km) northeast of Little Rock, the state capital. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city was 10,268. The city serve ...

, February 28, 1886. He was interred in the family plot on his farm.

References

Library of Congress
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sims, Leonard Henly 1807 births 1886 deaths Democratic Party members of the Tennessee House of Representatives Members of the Missouri House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri Arkansas Democrats Arkansas state senators 19th-century American politicians