David Leonard, An Ohio Gunsmith
“The Search for David Leonard”
as told by Ken Leonard
Our journey to locate and collect the uniquely beautiful artifacts, crafted by Ohio gunsmith, David Leonard, holds a special fascination for us. He was an ancestor to us both. His story is but a special chapter in both of our lives.
As a kid growing up in an age where antiques were held in high regard, I had a special interest in collecting old tools. As my collection grew, along with my curiosity, I remembered seeing an old carpenter’s chest in a dusty corner of my parent’s garage. Tucked inside that old chest, owned by my then deceased grandfather, I found an old fishing lure box, which contained small pattern pieces and inlays of some sorts. I eventually came to recognize these pieces as actual patterns, used on David Leonard’s guns. With my curiosity raised and my interest in antiques, the memory of an old longrifle in my grandparent’s dark closet came to mind. The desire to find out about that special longrifle, passed down through our family, and my interest in family history was sparked!
My personal search for my long-ignored family geneology was contagious, if not frantic! My wife, Diane and I began the painstaking journey back in time, looking for clues. Our story takes on an amazing twist and turn at this point. Much to our amazement and subsequent embarrassment, we very quickly learned that not only was David Leonard my great-great grandfather, but a first cousin, four times removed on my wife’s side. (Whatever that means, exactly.) I remember our faces, the moment we realized that David Leonard was the common link between our two familes! Actually, what that has come to mean is that it’s OK to bring home a David Leonard rifle or two, just for the sake of family history!
Our 35-year journey to find the Leonard relics has been both interesting and enlightening. We have attended exclusive estate auctions and visited log houses, with no indoor plumbing. While our phone and travel bills are at times horrendous, we have managed to acquire and collect fifteen Leonard rifles and know the whereabouts of three more. Our journey to locate more Leonard pieces continues.
It is with great pride, however, that we realize - due to our efforts alone, David Leonard, our ancestor, will no longer be just an entry in the early Mahoning County census or merely a footnote in an obscure Ohio longrifle book. David Leonard, the gunsmith, is now a recognized quality craftsman. Knowing that someday our children will share in this pride, brings us great satisfaction and reward.
