Leonard Thoreson was born (1926) and raised in Port Oneida on the Thoreson Farm.  After serving in the Army at the end of WWII, he married Sally Popa of Cedar and moved back to the home place to share-crop with his father, Ole Thoreson.  “I almost starved to death at that,” reports Leonard.  After trying a few other jobs, he got on with the County Road Commission, built a home in Glen Arbor, and raised five children with Sally. 

Leonard is still a familiar sight around Glen Arbor, where he keeps in shape with a daily bike ride.  His route often takes him through DH Day Campground, where he usually has a good word for whomever he runs into—Rangers, volunteers, and campers.

During the winter of 2004 – 05 Leonard spent many hours sharing and recording his knowledge of Port Oneida history.  He also donated copy privileges to his collection of family photos.  The result is contained in the following pages—Information and images that would otherwise have been lost to history.