Background
Leffingwell was born on November 16, 1868 in Whitewater, Wisconsin.
Leffingwell was born on November 16, 1868 in Whitewater, Wisconsin.
In his early years Leffingwell traded horses and cut granite. Leffingwell joined the Benton County police force and became deputy Sheriff in 1898. In 1900 he ran in a 3 way election for the position of Sheriff as the Democrat candidate.
While he was Sheriff Leffingwell got into the Hotel business he owned his first Hotel The Hotel Foley in Foley, Minnesota from 1902 to 1906.
Leffingwell arrived in Warner, to take part in the great land rush, they procured a 150,000 acres (610 km2) of land, selling it all to arriving settlers. Leffingwell used his fortune to found the Warner Hotel in 1906.
The Hotel operated from 1906 to 1927 before it was destroyed by fire. He also helped fund the construction of the first church on the town site the Evangelical church in Warner, and established the Warner Cemetery.
Leffingwell continued his active role in politics serving as the towns first Mayor.
He moved to provincial politics in 1913. Leffingwell ran for the Legislature for the first time in the 1913 general election. In that election Warner had become big enough to have its own seat represented in the Legislative Assembly of Leffingwell was re-elected to his 2nd term in office in the 1917 general election with a comfortable plurality.
He would suffer electoral defeat in the 1921 general election by Maurice Conner, a candidate from the United Farmers of Leffingwell would run against Conner again in the 1926 general election, losing half the votes he had during the previous election.
After Conner retired in 1935 he attempted to run for office 1 more time in the 1935 general election. This time he placed a distant 3rd behind Social Cr candidate Solon Earl Low and James Walker.
Leffingwell became the first Member of the Warner winning a hotly contested 3 way race.