Decatur County was organized in 1853, and its county seat moved from Decatur City to Independence in 1855. The town's name changed from Independence to South Independence and then to Leon. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad arrived in Leon in 1871. The courthouse burned in 1874, destroying county records, and a courthouse explosion in 1877 followed an unsuccessful burglary attempt. Leon's improvements included electricity in 1888, telephone in 1896, sewer and water in 1909, brick paving in 1913, and Little River Lake in 1985. In 2003, the Leon Sesquicentennial Project was dedicated to the memory of C. Forest Miller.