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One of the first Petura families to arrive in America from Bohemia
came in 1857 and settled in Racine, Wisconsin.
This was just a quarter century after the first Americans of European ancestry began
setting near the mouth of the Root River where it empties into Lake Michigan. This area of
southeast Wisconsin became Racine,
one of the state's port cities.
In 1874, a second Petura family arrived in Racine and
settled in nearby Caledonia, by then popular for immigrants from Bohemia, today a part of
the Czech Republic.
Here are Petura genealogy
resources and genealogy information for Bohemia and the Czech Republic as well as
resources about the Czech culture in the early days of Racine and the city's history.
GO TO: Wisconsin | Petura Surname | Czech Genealogy
| Racine | Maps
Czechs to Racine & Wisconsin
[ Top ]
| Czech Pioneers in
Wisconsin: in 1860, 1870 and 1880, Wisconsin led America in Czech
immigrants. Milwaukee, Manitowoc and Racine were key urban locations. North of Racine is
Caledonia, then a key Czech agricultural community. Many individuals and origins mentioned
including Frantisek Korizek who published the first Czech
newspaper in America, later called Slavie. Also pioneer farmer Josef Mikulecky
from Sloupnice who came in 1851. Czechs in Wisconsin: they
settled along Lake Michigan from Racine to Manitowoc and inland in places such as Champion
Valley in Vernon County where an annual Czech celebration is held. |
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Great
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Czechs in Racine
Area: north of Racine
between Five Mile and Seven Mile roads was a farming area called Caledonia, later Tabor,
known as Czech Bethlehem. See map.
By 1850 there were Czech schools here, and this Bohemian Schoolhouse, as pictured,
was built there in 1888.
Racine
History Timeline: mentions the Charles
(Karel) Jonas house built in 1880 for a leading Bohemian-American. Jonas was
editor of the Bohemian newspaper Slavie, created a Bohemian-English dictionary,
was a Wisconsin and U.S. politician and diplomat, and is remembered with a statue [No. 80] located today
at Douglas Avenue and High Street in north Racine. Order a book about Charles
Jonas.
| Czechs
in America: a chronology starting in the 1600s and including Moravian
Brethren, 1735; first Czech settlement in Texas, 1847; the first important
Czech settlement in the USA, in Wisconsin, 1848; the merger of the first two Czech
newspapers into Slavie, published in Racine; and much more. |
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MAJOR
CZECH BOOK
History
of Czechs
in America
by Jan
Habenicht and
Miroslav Koudelka |
Czech
Settlements & Communities in US including Wisconsin, and the story of
early township of Caledonia
with Lamberton, Tabor, more.
Petura Surname [
Top ]
Petura
Surname: Novak is the most frequent surname in the Czech Republic while
Petura is rare. A 2004 study found just 17 individuals with the last name Petura and 31
individuals named Petura with an accent mark on the letter t.
Petura
Immigrant Origins: those arriving in New York listed Popowetz, Bohemia or
Hungary as their place of origin. See other family
facts.
Petura Individuals in Racine [ Top ]
| Joseph Petura,
38, and his family arrived Castle Garden, N.Y., on August 8, 1857, having sailed
from Bremen and Southhampton on the ship Argo. With him were wife Catha.,
33, and son
John, 9. All three gave their last residence as Popowetz, a town in eastern Bohemia. Joseph was born in 1819. The book History
of Czechs in America mentions the arrival of Joseph Petura and his
family in Racine on August 14, 1856 [p. 304]. He was born in Vinary
while his son was born in Popovec
[Popowetz] on December 25, 1846, this volume states. Both of these villages are near Vysoke Myto in
the Pardubice
region of Bohemia. While the book says that this Joseph Petura died Nov. 11, 1900, his
obituary says he died on Nov. 11, 1890. |
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They Came in
Ships: Finding
Your Immigrant
Ancestor's
Arrival Record
|
Petura
Remembered: Anthony Klobasa wrote in memoirs of leaving Bohemia in
1855, traveling to Racine; the challenges of farm life; and his school days. "I
still remember the names of some of my schoolmates at that time.... Frank Buresh, Elias,
Gregor, Mikulecky, Stransky, Castek, M. Zika..., Nechuta, Morbacher, Petura, etc.,"
he wrote. This was surely John Petura, son of Joseph and Katherine Petura who came in
1857. This John was later known as John L. Petura.
| John
L. Petura was recorded as born December 25, 1847, in Bohemia and married
Katrina Petura in Racine in 1876. John
L. Petura arrived in Racine at age 10 in 1857, had businesses in Racine and
land in Caledonia to the north in Racine County, traveled to Europe in 1873, married
Katrina in 1876, and served as town clerk and supervisor for Caledonia. He appears in
Caledonia Township biographical
sketches published in History of Racine and
Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin, 1879. |
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Brief History of the
Czech Lands to 2004
|
In the 1860 Census in Caledonia, the first Petura family was
recorded as Joseph Betorua, 36, and family Catharine, 35, and John, 13. Listen to the Czech alphabet
to see why that surname misspelling occurred.
In the 1870 Census in Caledonia, the first Petura family was
recorded as Joseph Petrua, farmer, 57, Catherine, 46, Jno. (John), farmer, 23, and Vencil,
6, a son born in Wisconsin. Both Joseph and John owned farms.
| Czech
Immigration Passenger Lists, Vol. VIII, part of a series by Leo Baca,
shows the arrival in Baltimore from Bremen on May 23, 1874 on the ship Braunschweig
of Wenzl Petura, 57, an economist [?], Elizabeth Petura, 54, and sons Johann, 29, and
Josef, 25, all born in Bohemia. This Wenzel Petura was born in 1817. This Petura family settled in Racine County, Wisconsin, as confirmed
by Joseph's naturalization papers. This is the second Petura family to come from an area
in Bohemia just west of Vysoke Myto.
|
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Czech
immigration
passenger lists by Leo Baca
[1995 but volume not noted |
1876 Racine City & County Directory shows
in Caledonia:
· Joseph
Beshek leasing 1/4 acre in Section 20 from J. Petura
· John
Michner leasing 1/4 acre in Section 20 from J. Petura
· Joseph
Petura, farmer, owned 100 acres and Vencil
Petura, farmer,
owned 40 acres, both in Section 21, both served by the Tabor Post
Office, both Range 23, and both recorded as B for Bohemian.
1876
Racine City & County Directory shows a John Petura working as a clerk for
M. M. Secor and Co., a trunk
manufacturer, and boarding at the northwest corner of Milwaukee and West
streets.
| 1880 Census for Caledonia,
Racine County, Wisconsin, had the following Petura families: |
· Joseph
Petura Household
with Joseph, 61, farming, and
wife Katherine, 56, born in Bohemia, and son Wensel, 16, at home, born in Wisconsin, and
Macak Thomas, farm laborer. |
|
· Joseph Petura Household
with Joseph, 31, farming, and Mary, 28, born in Bohemia; daughters Mary, 2, and Agness, 9
months, born in Wisconsin, and Joseph's mother Alberta, 61, born in Bohemia |
· John
L. Petura Household
with John. L Petura, 34, no occupation listed, and wife Katherine, 24, keeps house,
both born in Bohemia. [He is the son of the elder Joseph Petura]. |
|
· John
Petura Household with
John Petura, 35, keeps a saloon, born in Bohemia, his wife Anna, 20, keeps house, born in
Wisconsin to parents born in Prussia, and their daughter Helen, born in Wisconsin. |
NOTE
1: Joseph Petura, 61, and John L.
Petura, were father and son. Joseph Petura, 31, and John Petura, 35, were brothers. The
John L. Petura and John Petura households were recorded In the 1880 Census
as adjacent to each other.
NOTE 2: When the second Petura family came in 1874, the husband and wife were
recorded on the ship's passenger list as Wenzel and Elizabeth -- but their Czech
names were Vaclav and Alzbeta. That explains the Alberta Petura listed in 1880 in Joseph
Petura's household, the census taker's error in trying to understand Alzbeta. |
Joseph
and Marie Petura with dates, places of birth and death, with sources, and
daughter Agnes
with links to details of her two marriages, first to Frank
Korbel and then to Joseph
W. Mikulecky.
Frank
J. Petura was born October 29, 1881, the son of Joseph and Mary Petura and
brother to Mary and Agnes. See F. J. Petura
story.
John
and Anna Petura, showing her maiden name as Anna Clope, daughter of Peter
Clope (Kloep, Cloep), a manufacturer born in Prussia, and Helen Stratisky
born in Bohemia. More on Peter
Cloep.
Joseph
Albin Petura was born March 2, 1888, in Racine to parents Wencel Petura and Annie Cernoherky (Cernohorsky). Wencel and Annie had 8 children -- see 1900
Census below.
Czech societies in Racine included Slovanska Lipa
[1861] and Sokol [1871]. They merged to form Narodni Jednota. John L. Petura and John
Petura belonged to the first and last of these societies, their obituaries stated.
1890-1891
Farmers & Land Owners Directory: owning land in the Caledonia area,
served by the Tabor Post Office, were Joseph Petura Sr. [80 acres, sections 20-21], Joseph
Petura Jr. [40 acres section 21] and John L. Petura [9.5 acres section 18]. The
designations Sr. and Jr. meant the older and younger Joseph, not father and son.
| 1900 Census for
Racine County shows the following four Petura families enumerated in Caledonia, shown on page 5B
and page
10A: |
· John [ L. ] Petura,
53, (born 12/1846), farmer, wife Katie Petura, 43, married 24 years, and niece Louisa M.
Petura, 9, born in Bohemia. Page 5B in
Dwelling 96 |
· John Petura, 54,
born in Bohemia,
and wife Annie, 39, Wisconsin native, married 20 years, daughters Libbie and Helen. Page 5B in
Dwelling 120 |
· Joseph Petura, 51,
and his wife Mary, 48, wed 25 for years, both born in Bohemia, with daughter Agnes, 20,
and son Frank, 17, both Wisconsin natives. Page 10A in
Dwelling 221 |
| · Wencel Petura,
35, a Wisconsin native, wife Annie, 33, born in Bohemia, and 7 children: Joseph A., Libbie
K., Katie A., John, Wencel, and Caroline; and Wencel's mother Katherine who came from
Bohemia in 1856 and had 3 children, 2 living (Note: John L. and Wencel). Page 10A in
Dwelling 214, seven away from Joseph and Mary. |
| · Frank Pishny,
30, with Mary A. nee Petura, 21, and their young sons Reuben and Edgar, also in the 1900
Census. Mary was the oldest child of Joseph and Mary Petura, above. Page 12A
in Dwelling 228. |
Frank J. (Joseph)
Petura -- son of Josph and Mary Petura -- earned a bachelor's degree in
engineering at the University of Wisconsin in 1904. While at Madison he:
· was a founder of Alpha
Chi Sigma chemistry fraternity, which he
helped name and incorporate and served as a national officer (see
photos
as collegians and later in life [behind log-in]
· completed a bachelor's thesis
on high tension alternating current
discharges, with co-author William Bradford
· was a UW instructor during 1904-1906
for a salary of $720 and
expenses of $25.16 and during 1906-1908
at a salary of $100,
having served as an instructor of electrical
engineering
1908
Directory of Leading Farmers of Racine and Kenosha Counties included -- in
Caledonia -- J. Petura, Section 19, and Wencil Petura, Section 21, both served by the
Racine Post Office.
1908
Plat Map for Caledonia. See the W. [Wencil] Petura farm to the southeast of
Tabor, just above the 21 between the Robotka and Korbel farms. Just south of the Korbel
farm is the Pishney farm, and then a bit further south is the J. [Joseph] Petura farm just
west of the Pffeiffer farm.
1910
Banking Report showed J. L. Petura of Racine as having $400.00 in a bank or
trust company in Wisconsin, and the same in 1912
Joseph
Petura, 1888-1972, Racine County, Wisconsin [SSDI]
Libby
Petura, 1891-1974, Racine County, Wisconsin [SSDI]
Wencle
Petura, 1896-1971, Racine County, Wisconsin [SSDI]
| Bohemian
National Cemetary near Racine has Petura burials including husband and wife
Josef and Marie Petura. |
· John
L. Petura, 1846-1930
· Josef
Petura, 1849-1928
· Katerina
Petura, 1856-19?? |
· Libby
K Petura, 1891-1974
· Marie
Petura, 1847-1905
· Wencle
J. Petura, 1896-1971 |
| · Agnes
Korbel Mikulesky (see gravestone) was born Agnes
Petura, one of two daughters of Joseph and Marie. She first married Frank
Korbel who died at age 29. She then married Joseph W. Mickulecky. See children
of both marriages. NOTE: Katerina, wife of Jan
Mikulecky of Mentour, was a witness at the 1846 baptism of John L. Petura in
Mravin, Bohemia, both towns just west of Vysoke Myto in today's Czech Republic. The Jan
Mikulecky and Joseph Petura families came to America on the ship Argo from Bremen
to New York, both arriving August 8, 1857. |
Also see Mikulecky
individuals in the 1876 Caledonia, Racine County Directory. More Mikulecky
names in Calendonia and Racine history.
F.
J. Petura in 1949: vice president of Electric Advisers Inc., "on the
buying end" of Cities Service since 1915. See a detailed look at the life story of
Frank Joseph Petura, son of Joseph and
Marie Petura.
Petura
Obituaries: newspaper name and date for Frank Ensign Petura, 2001; Ronald W.
Petura, 2003; and others
Petura
Obituaries: source for obituaries for Joseph Petura, 1890, and John Petura,
1920
Petura
individuals in Czech Republic telephone directory, 2007, one in Pardubice
region, one in south Moravia, one in Moravian-Silesian region
Other Petura Individuals [
Top ]
| Bessie
Petura, 1903-1987, Wisconsin to California [SSDI] Frank
Petura, 1902-1985, Wisconsin to California [SSDI]
Marie
Petura, 1907-1994, Vermont to Indiana [SSDI]
Maudeen
Petura, 1927-1992, California [SSDI]
Paul
Petura, 1943-1974, North Dakota [SSDI]
Robert
Petura, 1927-1976, Wisconsin to California [SSDI]
Ronald
Petura, 1931-2003, Wisconsin to Texas.
[SSDI] More on Ronald
Petura |
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Richard Carlton Petura
married Virginia H. Chute, May 30, 1940.
Richard
Petura. Aug. 10, 1917-Aug. 14, 1999, New Jersey to North Carolina [SSDI]
Richard C. Petura Jr. m. Barbara Ann Bradley -- meet the WDW Editors
John
Chute Petura m. Susan Oaks McRae [see page 16]
Frank
Petura, Nov. 10, 1913-June 27, 2001, New York to New Jersey to New Mexico
[SSDI], and his Albuquerque Journal obituary
Vivian
Petura, July 26, 1915-February 9, 2006, North Carolina to New Jersey to New
Mexico [SSDI] and Albuquerque Journal obituary. Vivian
Petura raced cars in 1955.
Paul
Petura married Emma
Heimark. Their children were Carol
Petura (spouse Bert Maudie), Marilyn Petura, Ronald Petura, Richard Petura, Paul Petura
and Ruby Virginia Petura. These are Petura individuals in the Ralston
- Ludwig Family Tree.
Frank
and Lois Petura share a Page family line in Canada, Wisconsin, North Dakota
Antoni Petura of Galacia arrived in Quebec
in May 1910 on the ship Prinz Oskar. Galicia, once part of Austria, is now divided between
Poland and Ukraine. {Page gone].
Theodore Petura,
born in Macedonia, appeared in Clay Township, Morgan County, Indiana, in the 1910 Census.
Jack Frederick
"Uncle Jack" Petura, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
| John
and Marie Petura with children Franka, Hannah, Michael, Nastia, Penlenka,
Rosa and Zoska, Dauphin District, Manitoba, Canada, 1901 Census. All immigrants from
Austria in 1902 except two youngest daughters born in Manitoba. See
more. Mayk
Petura, Graham, Ontario, 1911 Census.
Paul and
Varsana Petura, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 1911 Census, both immigrants from
Austria, he in 1904, she in 1911. |
Pitura/Petura
Blog with details
for the
Family Gathering 2007
Winnipeg, Manitoba,
Canada.
Pitura Family Portal
Password
required |
Czech Genealogy Resources [
Top ]
| Bohemia:
also Böhmen, Cechy or Bohême, now part of the Czech Republic, with 1882 map Bohemia
Genealogy: a bibliography of resources
Emigration
from Eastern Bohemia to the USA in the 19th century with map of key cities
that people left and map
with statistics on legal, illegal
emigration.
Czech
emigrants: listing of selected emigrants
Czech
Genealogy Research: Bohemia, Moravia and the Czech Republic, many resources
Czech
Census for 1857, 1869, 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910 &
1921 and Czech Archives offer
insights on finding ancestral records in the Czech Republic, including regional archives
shown on a map.
Petura family records are in the Zamrsk Archives that
serves Eastern Czech Republic.
Czech Parish
Records, focusing on Eastern Bohemia
Researching
Czechs in America: article with helpful background, suggested resources
Czech
Genealogy and Heraldry Society in Prague, in Czech and English
Czeching Out Our Ancestors: review
postings by people seeking Czech ancestors, and an A to Z surname index of
past postings
Czech Mail
List on RootsWeb with many resources including Czech
surnames
Origin of
Czech Surnames: of the estimated 40,000 Czech surnames, some are
frequent, many are rare.
Czech
and Slovak Surnames: origins explained
Rod & Clan -
Czech genealogy: search for Czech surnames, post yours, more. Has a
Petura reference.
Czech
Genealogy Forum: post your queries, search previous queries
Cyndi's List
Czech Resources:
Czech
& Slovak Genealogy: organizations in America and helpful links
Czech Republic:
history, contemporary scene, and a look at Czech culture, its arts and traditions
Racine Genealogy & History [
Top ]
Racine
Heritage Research with instructions for ordering research, documents
Racine
Genealogy Forum: post, read queries
Racine
Local HIstory Page: with census records, biographies, obituaries, surnames,
historic photos such as Racine
1850 and Racine
1860, and more
Racine
County Newspapers: list of early papers published in Bohemian, English and
German. The Library of Congress has 18 microfilm reels of the famous Bohemian newspaper Slavie.
SEE ALSO:
Genealogy and history resources for Wisconsin
and Milwaukee.
Genealogy
Products [ Top ]
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Shop for family history and genealogy books, family tree software and other
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A Thousand Years of Czech Culture: Riches from the National
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Finding Your
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Genealogy Resources: links to many of the most helpful
online resources for family history research
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