W. Second Street (First Baptist Church Complex)
Leigh Bolin Woodside was born in Thomasville, in Oregon County, Missouri. He went to Steelville Academy under Professor William H. Lynch. Later when he was 20 years old he married Martha Howell and together they had six children. One of their daughters (Gracia) was the first female lawyer in Salem. He heard about the St. Louis, Salem and Little Rock Railroads and the Iron Mine in Dent County so he moved to Salem in 1870. Once here, he was a part time Circuit Clerk and Notary Public. He encouraged people to plant orchards and helped finance farmers to buy cattle. He had 200 acres north of Salem which he had planted in orchards. He was an organizer of the Bank of Salem and was on its Board of Curators, and was the lawyer for the bank.
Judge Woodside was also instrumental in bringing William H. Lynch to Salem to teach at the Salem Academy. In 1897, Governor W.J. Stone appointed L.B. Woodside as Judge of the 19th Judicial District which served Dent, Shannon, Phelps and Texas Counties. He served 28 years stepping down from the bench in 1924. He was instrumental in the building of the Methodist Church at Sixth and North Jackson Streets. He donated the land for the church to be built on. He later bought the church and converted it into a barrel manufacturing company. Judge Woodside was always a civic minded person finding ways to help the community of Salem.
Judge Leigh Bolin Woodside
2/2/1848 – 7/12/1924
Martha (Howell) Woodside
10/29/1850 – 2/15/1924
Ida M. (Woodside) Dougan
8/23/1868 – 12/31/1951
Maude Irving (Woodside) Bennett
2/23/1871 – 12/13/1954
Roy Clark Woodside
10/20/1872 – 3/31/1904
Relfe Edwin Woodside
4/8/1880 – 1/27/1955
Emily Cleon (Woodside) Sankey
2/23/1882 – 11/15/1965
Gratia E. (Woodside) Monegan
1883 – 10/16/1938
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