Person:Leonard Petro (1)

Working Timeline

about 1787 - prob Hardy County, VA - MARRIAGE to Mary See. [NOTE: marriage records of Hardy County are missing from 1785-1795.]

1787 - 13 Jul 1787 - Confederation Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, creating the NW Territory (eventually MN, WI, MI, IL, IN, OH)

1863 - Hardy Co., VA (orig. est. 1785 from part of Hampshire Co., VA) became part of WV

Research Notes and Links

• possible source of more information = Brien, Lindsay M. Miami Valley Will Abstracts for Counties of Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Warren and Butler, Ohio
• 20121117 request has been placed with Warren co Genealogical Society for copies of Leonard's will. --Cos1776 16:49, 17 November 2012 (EST)

1. ↑ Virginia Census, 1607-1890 [database on-line]
   1782.

   Original data: Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.
   ----------
   Name: Leonard Petro ; State: VA ; COUNTY: Hampshire County ; Township: 05 00 ; Year: 1782 ; Record Type: Continental Census ; Page: 24 ; Database: VA Early Census Index

2. ↑ Ohio Census, 1790-1890 [database on-line]
   1799.

   Original data: Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.
   ----------
   Name: Lenard Petro; State: OH ; COUNTY: Hamilton County
   Township: Petitioners ; Year: 1799 ; Page: 033 ; Database: OH Early Census Index

3. ↑ Ohio Census, 1790-1890 [database on-line]
   1800.

   Original data: Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.
   ----------
   Name: Leard Petro; State: OH COUNTY: Ohio Territory ; Township: Northwestern Territory ; Year: 1800 ; Database: OH 1800 Washington Co. Census Index

4. ↑ Ohio Census, 1790-1890 [database on-line]
   1806.

   Original data: Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.
   ----------
   Name: Leonard Petro ; State: OH ; COUNTY: Warren County ; Township: No Township Listed ; Year: 1806 ; Record Type: Tax list ; Page: 015 ; Database: OH Early Census Index

5. ↑ Ohio Census, 1790-1890 [database on-line]
   1809.

   Original data: Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.
   ----------
   Name: Leonard Petro ; State: OH ; COUNTY: Warren County ; Township: Franklin Township ; Year: 1809 ; Record Type: Tax list ; Page: 016 ; Database: OH Early Census Index

6. ↑ Ohio Census, 1790-1890 [database on-line]
   1810.

   Original data: Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.
   ----------
   Name: Leonard Petro ; State: OH ; COUNTY: Warren County ; Township: Franklin Township ; Year: 1810 ; Record Type: Tax list ; Page: 033 ; Database: OH 1810 Washington Co. Census Index

7. ↑ Warren, Ohio, United States. 1820 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   7 Aug 1820.

   1820 U S Census: Clear Creek, Warren, Ohio, Page: 397; NARA Roll: M33_87; Image: 340. , 7 Aug 1820.
   -----
   Name: L Petrow  ;
   Township: Clear Creek ;
   COUNTY: Warren ;
   State: Ohio ;
   Enumeration; Date: August 7, 1820 ;
   Free White Males - Under 10: 1 ;
   Free White Males - 16 thru 25: 1 ;
   Free White Males - 45 and over: 1 ;
   Free White Females - 16 thru 25: 4 ;
   Free White Females - 45 and over: 1 ;
   Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture: 2 ;
   Free White Persons - Under 16: 1 ;
   Free White Persons - Over 25: 2 ;
   Total Free White Persons: 8 ;
   Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other: 8
   --------------------
   RESEARCH NOTE: Petros listed on same page: J Petrow; L Petrow; G Petrow

8. ↑ U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 [database on-line]
   1800.

   Territorial Papers of the US. Volume Number: Vol 3. Page Number: 118. Family Number: 48. Ancestry.com. U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
   -----
   Original data: Census Publishing. State Census Records. West Jordan, Utah: Census Publishing, 2003-2009.
   -----
   Name: Leonard Petro
   Gender: M (Male)
   State: Ohio
   Locality: Territory North West of Ohio River
   Residence Year: 1800
   Household Remarks: Memorial to Congress, 22 Oct 1800, from citizens of the territory many of whom migrated after the "Indian war" to land between the Miami Rivers and north of the grant to John Cleves Symmes which they ...

9. ↑ Capture of Leonard Petro and William White, in Withers, Alexander Scott; Lyman Copeland Draper; and Reuben Gold Thwaites. Chronicles of border warfare, or, A history of the settlement by the whites, of northwestern Virginia, and of the Indian wars and massacres in that section of the state with reflections, anecdotes, &c. ( Cincinnati: Steward & Kidd Co., 1912)
   232, Sep 1777.

   [Note: The text used in this source was copied from another source, such as Haymond's 1910 History of Harrison County, West Virginia which was published 2 years earlier. Please see Haymond's citation for actual text.]

10. ↑ Mentioned, in Lewis, Virgil A.; Henry; Howe; and Morris Purdy Shawkley. History of West Virginia: Mason & Putnam County. (Tucson, Arizona, USA: A Plus Printing Company, 2002).

    [needs better citation]
    "Previous to the war of 1774, the settlers of Tygart's Valley were undisturbed by Indian marauders, yet this happy exemption from sharing the terrible fate of other settlements did not prevent them from using the utmost caution. Spies were regularly employed to watch the Indian war paths beyond the settlement and give warning in case of the approach of the savages. In this capacity William White and Leonard Petro were serving when they were discovered by the Indians."

11. ↑ Family Notes, in Source needed.

    Brother Nicholas Petro moved to Fayette, KY in abt 1791. According to family historians, Leonard and his family (wife Catherine, daughter Catherine, and son Michael See) followed. While in Fayette county, Leonard and his wife had four more children (John, Henry, George Washington and Sarah).

12. ↑ Property Record, in Source needed.

    On 31 Dec 1801, Leonard Petro received a land patent in the Northwest Territory, signed by President James Madison, for 320 ac (the W half of Sec 14, Range 5 E, Twp 2 N). This land eventually became part of Ohio (statehood in 1803), first as Franklin Township, then Clear Creek Township. Presently located approximately one half mile NW of Springboro, OH, the land was sold and developed into the bedroom community of Dayton, OH during the late 1970s. Land is thought to have been originally part of the infamous "Symmes purchase" in the NW Territory.

13. ↑ Family Notes, in Source needed.

    per online family trees - It is thought that John (Leonard's father) with his brother Philip, father and stepmother moved to Lancaster Co, PA (aka Berks Co, PA) in 1752. In 1753 or 1754, John Petro and his family became part of the movement to VA. The land was available in the South Branch of the Potomac Valley in VA. The site of John Petro's settlement, believed to be the "Smoke Hole Settlement" just south of Fort George in Hampshire Co, Va became a part of Hardy Co, VA in 1785, then Pendleton Co, VA in 1787.

14.   Mentioned, in Haymond, Henry. History of Harrison County, West Virginia: from earliest days of northwestern Virginia to the present. (Morgantown, West Virginia: Acme Publishing, 1910)
    64-65.

    CAPTURE OF LEONARD PETRO AND WILLIAM WHITE.
    In September 1777 Leonard Petro and William White, being engaged as scouts in watching the path leading up the Little Kanawha River to the Tygarts Valley killed an elk late in the evening, and taking a part of it with them withdrew a short distance for the purpose of eating their suppers and spending the night. About midnight White, awaking from sleep, discovered by the light of the moon that there were several Indians near, who had been drawn in quest of them by the report of the gun in the evening. He saw at a glance the impossibility of escaping by flight and preferring captivity to death he whispered to Petro to lie still lest any movement of his might lead to this result. In a few minutes the Indians sprang on them, and White, raising himself as one lay hold on him aimed a furious blow with his tomahawk, hoping to wound the Indian by whom he wes beset, and then make his escape. Missing his aim he affected to have
    been ignorant of the fact that he was encountered by Indians, professed great joy at meeting with them, and declared that he was then on his way to their towns. They were not deceived by the artifice for although he assumed an air of pleasantness and gaiety calculated to win upon their confidence, yet the woeful countenance and rueful expression of poor Petro convinced them that White's conduct was feigned that he might lull them into inattention and they be enabled to effect an escape. They were both tied for the night and in the morning White being painted red and Petro black, they were forced to proceed to the Indian towns.
    
    When approaching a village the whoop of success brought several to meet them and on their arrival at it they found that every preparation was made for their running the gauntlet, in going through which ceremony both were much bruised. White did not, however remain long in
    captivity. Eluding the Indians' vigilance he took one of their guns and begun his flight homeward. Before he had traveled far he met an Indian on horseback, whom he succeeded in shooting, and mounting the horse from which he fell his return to the Valley was much facilitated.
    
    Petro was never heard of afterwards. The painting of him black had indicated their intention of killing him, and the escape of White probably hastened his doom.
    -----
    [Note: According to widely published family histories, Petro DID survive capture. He was taken to Fort Detroit and turned over to the British. He was released around 1781 and returned home to Hampshire County, VA. The primary source of this information needs to be located and cited.]

15. ↑ Will of Leonard Petro, in Warren, Ohio, United States. Will and Estate Records.

    Surname Given Name Year Type Box Publication Page # Cemetery Name
    PETRO Leonard 1825 OCP 33 #2 W&E OCP, 1803-1859 48
    PETRO John 1830 OCP 47 #8 W&E OCP, 1803-1859 68
    -----
    [Note: this only provides the location of the record as per the Warren County Genealogical Society. Once the record is examined, please replace this citation with a proper citation, including a transcript and repository.]

16. ↑ Patriot A089722 Leonard Petro, in Daughters of the Amercian Revolution
    last accessed 17 Nov 2012.

    PETRO, LEONARD
    Ancestor #: A089722
    Service: VIRGINIA Rank: SCOUT
    Birth: (CIRCA) 1760 HAMPSHIRE CO VIRGINIA
    Death: (ANTE) 6-15-1826 WARREN CO OHIO
    ----- DESCENDANTS -----
    657007 Name Restricted
    707721 Name Restricted
    755937 Name Restricted

17. ↑ Bosworth, Albert S. A history of Randolph County, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time. (Elkins, West Virginia?: A.S. Bosworth?, 1916?)
    368.

    THE PEDRO FAMILY.
    The Pedro Family. The Petro or Pedro family was perhaps the only representative of the Spanish nationality among the pioneers of Randolph. The names of Henry, Leonard and Nicholas Petro appear in the early records of Randolph. Nicholas Pedro was a member of the first grand jury of Randolph. Thomas Ihitcher married Susan, daughter of Henry Petro in 1807. Solomon Collett married Sarah, daughter of Henry Petro in 1815. Leonard Petro was captured by the Indians, while guarding a trail that lead into the Valley, in 1777. He was taken to Ohio and never heard from afterward. Although the name is extinct in Randolph the strain of blood is represented in several prominent families of the county.
    -----
    [Note: Earliest mention found that the Petros were of Spanish origin (not proved).]]

18. ↑ Inhabitants of Tyger's (Tygart's) Valley: Petition, Augusta County, Virginia, 1776/10/15, Legislative Petitions Digital Collection, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. Record number 000047806 - Link.

    [Note: Petros named are Philip Petro and Leonard Petro. For other names, see WeRelate Transcript:Petition - Virginia, Augusta - 1776 0926 Tygart's Valley request for protection ]