1830 Census-Lysander, Onondaga Co, NY with two sons under age 5; two other males between ages of 20 and 30.
1840 Census-Lysander
1850 Census-Lysander
1855 Census-Lysander

1860 Census-Leonard and family living in Jackson, Will Co, IL. Also in the household was Ellen Bagley, 15, listed as a servant.

1870 Census-Living in SD
1880 Census-SD

On jury list for Onondaga County, July 1851

In the censuses he was listed as a farmer. He also engaged in boating on the Erie Canal. He was said to have amassed a fortune by the time he came to Joliet, Will Co, IL. The boats were tugged down the canal with mules or horses. His wife, Sarah (called Sal), always had to see things. The first trip on the canal she was on the boat and as the ropes pulled taught, she became entangled and was thrown overboard. At that time it's said, Leonard exclaimed, "Gaud, Sal's overboard." This term was used down through the family when anyone overstepped their bounds.

Leonard Rudd was on the Erie Canal from its opening in 1825 - towing the boats through the locks. It is said that he amassed a fortune of over $200,000 before he moved to Joliet, Illinois. He stayed in New York until after 1855 and then joined his brothers in Illinois where he invested part of his money in a large farm and loaned money. He was a real Vermonter - not many words, was very critical of his sons as they bragged on how much they made. He would always reply, "It is not what you make but what you save that counts." It appears that this advice fell on deaf ears as the records indicate Leonard had to finance them again and again over the years.

1850 Census-Benjamin Rudd, age 22, living with them.
1855 Census-the following living with them: John Monahan, 19 born in Ireland and Catharine Loveless, 19, born in Onondaga Co, NY. She is listed as a servant.

Leonard is listed in the1839 School District 1, Onondaga Co, NY records as having 4 children.

He is listed on the tax rolls for Lysander, Onondaga Co, NY as owning 237 acres valued at $5,850.

In July 1851, he was selected as a juror in Onondaga Co, NY.

In Lodi, SD, Leonard owned the store, a mill and a blacksmith shop, as well as several farms. Leonard owned everything, and the boys operated the businesses. Leonard owned the mill on the river, had built the dam in the river for power and it was run by Hym. He bought the store location and Alexander operated it. He also owned the blacksmith shop, but it is unknown who ran it.

“I had always been told that Sarah and my Gt-Grandfather were wealthy, and i wanted to know what happened that the family - Mother - her brother, and sister did not get it. They owned most of a town in South Dakota, two good businesses, the flour mill of the area - and large general store,, besides hundres of acres of land, all Dakota - hundreds of acres in Illinois. I had seen those farms, when I lived in Illinois worth hundres of dollars per acre. I found out, just a son hating to share what justly belonged to others. After he got it all, I found he was buried by the County, the only one of ten generations not to die honored. So it goes, at least I know the truth of it all.”109