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Immigration to Scranton, PA

  • 11 July 2020 2:33 PM
    Reply # 9095365 on 9003972
    Sharon

    Regarding manifest of Breslau for  Gyorgy  Topolyancsin traveling with Stanko Kocsan to Scranton via Ellis Island  on Jan 13, 1905

     Peter Toplancsin traveling with Mihaly on ship Werkendam to Ellis Island to Dupont.  Sept. 16, 1893 

    Would any of this help with your research? Did not see your surname with arrivals in Phila or Baltimore.

    My grandparents, the Pohanish's and there families  lived on Drinker St. as well

  • 11 July 2020 1:48 PM
    Reply # 9095287 on 9003972
    Sharon

    Kim,

       A clue as to whether your family was Rusyn might be the religion they practiced. Rusyns were of the Byzantine (Greek) rite when they came to this country. For some that changed after being here.  Do you know the village they came from. If you can find naturalization records that is very helpful for information. You mention knowing the ship they came on. Look over all the entries as , I have found, people  emigrated with others they knew.

  • 11 July 2020 7:31 AM
    Reply # 9094785 on 9003972
    John F Sansky

    My grandparents emigrated to Dunmore, PA around 1910. They lived next to George and Irene Juba. I have not been able to find their port of entry. My grandmother'  was Maria Topolyancsin.  She was born on December 8, 1888 in Uličské Krivé.  This town is between Ulič and Zboj.   Her father was Peter Topolyancsin and her mother was Olena Kacsan. I cannot find my grandfather's  birth or any other records. He told my father he was from Zboj. His USA Military Registration says he was from Tubuji, Austria. I have never heard of this town. I was going to visit Zboj a few years ago but had to have surgery for a cancer. I have not been able to reschedule the trip. Maybe some day.

  • 09 July 2020 12:00 PM
    Reply # 9090902 on 9003972
    Kim Insko

    I believe my great grandparents were Rusyn.  At least I was told my grandmother my great grandfather was.  They kept those things quiet in those days though because of prejudice so we don't have a huge amount of information. I have seen many spellings of the name Hautur or Havtur, we use Havtur as that is how it was spelled on the deed to their house which is likely phonetic.  His first name was Hric which eventually went to Gregory.  He supposedly came to Exeter or Scranton in 1901 on the Pretoria and listed his address as Egypt Pennsylvania with the name Petro Hartchutco (sp?)(scribbled cursive is hard!) I think Petro was someone in the community to reference which clears up a mystery as I can't find any other reference. I have not had much success tracing my great grandfather  from 1901 until 1911 when my grandfather was born.  He worked at the coal mine in Exeter around 1911.  Given people didn't move around much back then I assume he would have lived somewhere in the area.  

  • 07 July 2020 6:08 PM
    Reply # 9087020 on 9003972
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    In general, it's fair to say that most immigrants followed  someone they knew over here.   All it took was one very brave person to start it all.   All immigrants wanted was a place where people would understand them, and they would feel comfortable.   That meant religion, customs, someone who spoke their language.    All it took was one, two or three people, and the next thing you knew , everyone was coming.  At first, they traveled back and forth from europe to america.  They were earning on average, ten times what they could make back home.

    It was all about work.   They went to where the work was.   Why did they leave?   For many reasons undoubtedly, but mostly because there was no way to earn a living where they were.   Starvation was very common.  Land owners were bastards (sorry), even though serfs were emancipated in the 1850s, our people were still indebted to the landowners for many years.   Many men left because they were coming of age for military service.   Some had no more room in the house.

    My Grandparents and Great Uncle immigrated to Dunmore/Scranton.  Michael Dzuba was one of the earlybirds, coming around 1888.  The  remainder came in regularly up until World War One began.  Ship manifests reveal that dozens and dozens of people said they were going to live with Michael.   Actually, they probably didn't live with him, but it's what your friends told you to write and got you to a place you would be comfortable living.

  • 03 July 2020 7:31 PM
    Reply # 9076570 on 9003972
    Sharon

    Checking on many who used Washington St in Scranton as a final destination, I can be more specific. My grandfather and several used 425 S. Washington and a few 410 S. Washington.  I found that in early 1900's this was a retail area. The residence on 425 lived a Jurkovitz.  421 was a hotel. My theory is a group of Rusyns  lived in   that area. St. John's Byzantine church was nearby and I bet a coal mine.  And I am thinking many were my relatives though the names are unfamiliar. Genealogy sure is fascinating.

  • 02 July 2020 8:53 PM
    Reply # 9075157 on 9003972
    sharon Jarrow

    Hi Christine,

        Thanks for all the information in your postings. You are  a wealth of knowledge. I have to double- check the Washington St. address.  I live an hour or so away from Scranton and drove there to see what was there. It was a empty lot along a creek with the road alongside. I met a former funeral director from the area and he didn't know the reason so many noted the address on the record  but thought years back there were businesses there. Maybe with rooms above.  Your posting has raised new questions for me to look into. I know St. John Byzantine church is nearby and up the hill. I know that was the first church my family attended. closed now but how I wish I could look at some of the records. there is a time lapse between immigration to Scranton then moving onto Dunmore.  I haven't been able to find any info till the 1910 Sharon census. 

  • 02 July 2020 4:48 AM
    Reply # 9073467 on 9003972
    Christine in Los Angeles

    A fun thing to do is run an address in Google Earth and see what's there. Sometimes the very building where they went is still standing. Even if it's now a plumber business.

    I don't know specifically the answer to why so many immigrants used the place  mentioned that appears to be a school, but based on some other genealogy experiences, I can guess.

    Sometimes people headed to a boarding house where previous immigrants they knew went such as men from the same village . Board ers were often men who had not yet sent for their wives and children.  Some b oarding houses were family homes where working men slept in one room. It was a start. Often the owner was a widowed woman.

    They might have had someone at that address sending them mail. On the ship they were asked where they were going and having an envelope with an addr ess they could point to with a letter inside suggesting they had a place to stay and a job waiting  was a good thing. Someone at that location, officially or not, could've been helping immigrants, such as an employer, priest, or individual not related but writing as if they were.. .

    In some cities the immigrants went to a location and from there were taken to a job and company housing. Such employers sent representative to the Old Country to find workers.

    But let's say it was a school. Maybe they got there and slept on the floor at night till they got settled. Some churches allowed this, kind of like some churches allow homeless to sleep today. 

    As a suggestion, check the address on the census before and after the immigration date and you may find out what's happening there, who owns it, and also some unexpected relatives.

    I did this year's ago and three of the boarders proved to be my grandmother's half brothers. Two had  her maiden surname a surprise. My grandfather gave the address on the ship but was not there by the next census. These men all came through Ellis but they all  must have pitched in because she came through New York on a 2nd class ticket and skipped Ellis. With a baby in her arms. 

    Congratulations on the purchase of the Munhall church. I'm proud of you all!

  • 04 June 2020 12:30 AM
    Reply # 9013930 on 9003972
    Anonymous

    thank you. I am going to check my lists and see if its mentioned if its North 

    Washington. this is helpful info. Do you have any information as to what might have been on the site before that date?

    Thanks again,

    Sharon

  • 02 June 2020 12:25 AM
    Reply # 9008578 on 9003972
    M. Szamreta

    The school building is 425 North Washington

    http://hinerfeldcommercial.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Historic-Scranton-Downtown-Scranton-Landmark-Buildings-and-Historic-Districts.pdf

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