INTO THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Leslie O’Rear’s Namesake (The O’Rear - Leslie Building)

My father’s first cousin, Leslie Orear of Chicago, Illinois told me this story in 1949. Leslie had been raised in Marshall, Missouri and as a young man had lived in Kansas City, Missouri in the early 1900’s. At that time a member of the Orear Family (I believe it may have been Edward T. Orear) in partnership with a man by the name of Leslie erected an office building in Kansas City. When finished it was called the Leslie-Orear building. Leslie Orear on noticing this went to see Edward T. Orear, and jestingly thanked him for naming the building for him. Leslie was not surprised the next day to seen that the name had been changed to the Orear-Leslie building.