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Pennsylvania coal miners
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dsnyder941



Joined: 02 Jul 2012
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Post Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 11:12 am      Post subject:
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Hi Shellie!
I'm bad with forums and just now saw your reply.. and what's funny is that after I posted that nearly a year ago, I ended up taking a spur of the moment trip from FL up to PA to do some of my own research.

I do have the death certificate (got that last summer) & obituary relating to Edwards death - he was crushed between two cars, if my memory serves me right and I'm attaching a photo of him. LV Coal was Lehigh Valley Coal Company.

One of the highlights of my trip was when I stopped by the GRSNP and they had a huge chunk of coal on display, which of course is what our ancestors mined! They gave me a chunk of it - my own personal souvenir and nod towards my coal mining ancestors.

Since last year I've learned that the PA State Archives holds some employment records for a few of the coal mining companies. I wish I knew this when I was at the archives & desperately need to check them out. It might be the only chance I have of learning where my GGF, Antoni Sznajder, came from.

On a side note - when I was up there, I did a lot of photographing of St. Hedwigs Cemetery, outside of Kingston. The images haven't all made it up onto Find-a-grave yet but if anyone has family there, I can check my image list! Very Happy



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Great Uncle Edward Snyder
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Cheri Vanden Berg
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Joined: 16 Oct 2011
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Post Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 12:32 pm      Post subject:
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dsnyder, is this your great grandfather's naturalization record?


Antoni Sznajder petition for naturalization.jpg
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Last edited by Cheri Vanden Berg on Mon May 06, 2013 12:47 pm; edited 1 time in total
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dsnyder941



Joined: 02 Jul 2012
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Post Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 12:35 pm      Post subject:
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Cheri,
Sadly, nope! I've seen that and boy, do I wish it was that easy, ha! My Antoni never naturalized, there's too many that came over during the 1880s when he arrived to pick him out, although I do have my favorite. His obit doesn't mention where he was from.. besides the coal mining employment records, my only other hope is church records and I've never had any luck with anyone from the church. Crying or Very sad
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Shellie
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Joined: 18 Feb 2009
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Post Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 6:01 pm      Post subject:
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dsnyder - Thank you so much for posting the photo of Edward - I love the details in this photo: the wooden wheel barrow, the collar and tie, his nice shoes....... and the little girl peeking through the fence!!! Do you think she is a relative?

I love when members post photos of their ancestors - it keeps their memory alive!
Thanks again for posting!

Shellie
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dsnyder941



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Post Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 10:20 pm      Post subject:
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Shellie,

I can't believe, of all the times I looked at that photo, that I never noticed the child behind the fence! I'm always looking at Edward, how funny! Depending on when this was taken.. it could be Antoni & Eva's youngest child, Rose, or a grandchild of their first son, Felix. Thanks for pointing that out. Smile

Dorothy
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jkoloj



Joined: 31 Jan 2011
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Location: Plainfield, IL

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Post Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 6:35 pm      Post subject:
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While I was doing some research on the name SZYMUSIAK (with the great help of Cheri) I learned he worked as a miner at the H.C. Frick mine in Mount Pleasant, PA in Westmoreland County, about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. There is an "official" website of Mount Pleasant, with much historical info, including a fascinating "Story of a Miner".
Find it at http://www.mtpleasantboro.com/history.html

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Joe Kolodziej
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tiggerifficm4



Joined: 26 May 2013
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Post Posted: Sun May 26, 2013 9:14 am      Post subject:
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Hi all!

I was so excited to see people researching the area Shenandoah because that is where my Annie Oshuskey(sp?) was born about 1876.

I have hit a brick wall with the name Oshuskey. According to grandmother, who is now passed, Carl/Charles Oshuskey md Johanna Boutz (b 1844-1926) immigrated to US in 1870(according to Johanna's 1920 census) with daughter Rickey(maybe Rebecca) born in Hamburg 1866(note Rickey in 1920 states 1869 now married to FM LLoyd). Another daughter Annie born in Shenandoah about 1876 and son William born about 1880 in Texas.

Earliest record I can locate is 1900 census with Johanna (Hannah) as widow with Annie and William. Rickey md F.M. Lloyd in Texas about 1886. No Carl/Charles records of death or immigration, etc. found.

I have been told by other researchers that the name is likely from Poland even though census reports Germany - I understand the changing geography.

Any ideas greatly appreciated!
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getober



Joined: 19 Aug 2010
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Post Posted: Sun May 26, 2013 10:51 pm      Post subject:
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IT OCCURS TO ME THAT THE LAST NAMES MAY HAVE BEEN SPELLED DIFFERENTLY. Iwould try Bautz, a name I am familiar with and some form of Oshevski or Oschewski..

Good hunting!

Gary Tober
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mlouisehill



Joined: 19 Jun 2013
Replies: 6

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Post Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 9:41 pm      Post subject:
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Hello. So excited to see a discussion here about coal miners! I just joined polishorigins, and I'm hoping it will help me uncover some details:

My great grandparents, Marian Gorzynski (aka: Frank) and his wife Frances (Franziska) Gorzynski (her maiden name may have been Golembiewska) emigrated around 1883, with an infant child named Honorata. They settled first in Nanticoke, PA, where Marian was a coal miner. My grandfather and his elder brother were born in Nanticoke.

I have no idea where in Poland the Gorzynskis came from, but my current research says that many of the earlier miners in Nanticoke came from Upper Silesia. I'd love to find out if that is possible.

I have yet to find any textual evidence that Marian was in the mines, though family lore points to it, and my brother has some of the scrip from the company store. I realize that if I can get my hands on that, it may help me identify the mine he worked in.

Thank you for any help anyone can give!
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Shellie
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Joined: 18 Feb 2009
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Post Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2013 12:48 am      Post subject: Coal mines 1910 book on Google Books
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Here is a link to a digitized book called "Coal Mines 1910" by B.H. Rose. It provides the names of Bituminous mines in several states, including Pennsylvania.

In addition to the names of the mines, there are also many ads for coal mining equipment. These are very interesting and gives us a chance to see some of the equipment our ancestors worked with.

http://books.google.com/books/about/Coal_Mines_1910.html?id=2-gJAAAAIAAJ

I've provided a screen shot of the introduction and the list of states included in the book.



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Shellie
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Post Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 8:27 pm      Post subject:
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Coal Campus USA is a great website with lots of helpful and interesting info. Here is a link to their page of Western PA coalfields:

http://www.coalcampusa.com/westpa/
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Shellie
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Post Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 3:34 pm      Post subject:
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I found a very interesting history of the Connesville Coke and Coal Region and the Pittsburgh seam:
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/pa/pa2800/pa2870/data/pa2870data.pdf
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DaveP



Joined: 11 Apr 2011
Replies: 15
Location: Sacramento, CA

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Post Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 4:36 pm      Post subject:
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Shellie wrote:
I found a very interesting history of the Connesville Coke and Coal Region and the Pittsburgh seam:
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/pa/pa2800/pa2870/data/pa2870data.pdf


Many thanks for this. My grandparents went to the Connelsville area in the early 1900's, immediately after leaving Poland. My father was born in nearby Bentleyville. My grandfather continued working in the area mines until he lost part of a foot in a mining accident

Dave P
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All Polska



Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Replies: 48
Location: Florida, USA

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Post Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 11:39 pm      Post subject:
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Have you been able to find any info on your grandfather's accident? My grandfather lost his leg in a mining accident in SW PA, too. I haven't been able to find anything about it.
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DaveP



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Post Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 12:14 am      Post subject:
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All Polska wrote:
Have you been able to find any info on your grandfather's accident? My grandfather lost his leg in a mining accident in SW PA, too. I haven't been able to find anything about it.


Have you looked here?
http://patheoldminer.rootsweb.ancestry.com/wasindex1.html

Dave Pacek
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