Representative Francis Celeste Le Blond

Francis Celeste Le Blond (February 14, 1821 – November 9, 1902) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who served two terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio from 1863 to 1867. He was born in Bellville, Ohio, and was the grandfather of Frank Le Blond Kloeb, who would later serve as a United States Representative and federal judge. Le Blond came of age in the early decades of Ohio’s statehood, a period of rapid growth and political development that shaped his interest in public affairs and the law.

Le Blond pursued legal studies in Ohio and was admitted to the bar in 1844. Shortly after his admission, he commenced the practice of law in Celina, Ohio, in Mercer County. Establishing himself as an attorney in a developing community, he built a professional reputation that soon led him into public service. His legal career provided the foundation for his later work as a legislator at both the state and national levels.

Le Blond entered elective office as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, serving from 1851 to 1855. During this period he became a prominent figure in state politics. In recognition of his leadership and influence, he was chosen as speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives in 1854 and again in 1855. His tenure as speaker placed him at the center of legislative deliberations in Ohio during a time of growing sectional tension in the United States, and it solidified his standing within the Democratic Party.

Building on his state legislative experience, Le Blond was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Ohio in the Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth Congresses. His service in Congress extended from 1863 to 1867, encompassing much of the American Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction. As a Democratic member of the House during this significant period in American history, he contributed to the legislative process, participated in debates over war measures and postwar policy, and represented the interests of his Ohio constituents in a time of national crisis and transformation. After two terms in office, he declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1866.

Following his departure from Congress, Le Blond returned to Celina, Ohio, where he resumed the practice of law. In addition to his legal work, he engaged in business pursuits, remaining an active figure in the civic and economic life of his community. He continued to reside in Celina for the rest of his life, maintaining the professional and local ties he had established early in his career.

Francis Celeste Le Blond died in Celina, Ohio, on November 9, 1902. He was interred in North Grove Cemetery. His career, spanning service in the Ohio House of Representatives and the U.S. House of Representatives, reflected the trajectory of a 19th-century Midwestern lawyer-statesman who participated in both state and national governance during one of the most consequential eras in American history.