Leonidas C. Houk
Leonidas Campbell Houk was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 2nd congressional district of Tennessee. Between 1878 and 1891, Houk was elected to seven consecutive terms in the House, during which time he helped solidify the Republican congressional dominance in East Tennessee that remains to the present day. Houk fought for the Union Army during the Civil War, and rose to the rank of colonel within a few months. Largely selftrained as a lawyer, Houk served as a state circuit court judge from 1866 to 1869.
Houk was born near Boyds Creek, Tennessee in Sevier County on June 8, 1836. He lost his father at a young age, and grew up in poverty. Although he attended local schools for less than three months, he managed to educate himself by reading books. He eventually learned the trade of cabinetmaking, and worked in this trade for several years in Clinton, Tennessee.
Source: Wikipedia