Alaria's and Copper Mining - 1907

The Quincy Mining Company, Hancock, Michigan




We knew from oral history that the Alaria family at some point in time had moved from the Illinois coal mining communities to Michigan where they worked in the copper mines. But it took finding a passenger listing for my great-grandfather "Pietro Allaria" to pinpoint the exact location in Michigan and to establish that the move took place some time in between 1900 and 1907.

The 1907 passenger list for the French ship, the LaTouraine, lists Pietro as a "non immigrant alien" returning to his home at Box 19, Hancock, Michigan. Traveling with him is his sister's son and daughter-in-law (Maria and Massimo Allaria) and another niece, Angela Giulio. Two other passengers are of interest, one being Francesco Milano who was going to join her brother Giuseppe at Box 19, Hancock, Michigan. The other passenger of interest was Domenica Rogis-?oila who was going to join her husband, Giovanni, at Box 306 Hancock. That makes at least six people on the ship who appear to be traveling together. Pietro also named his place of birth as San Giorgio Canavese, Italy.

This document also establishes that Pietro had at least one sister living back in Italy because he named her as his nearest relative in the country he just left and she was living in the same place that he listed as his birth home---San Giorgio Canavese in Torino Province, Piedmont Region. (This is the same province and region as where the Riva side of the family comes from.) J. Riva © 2008



Medieval Castle at San Giorgio Canavese


Side one of the passenger list, click to enlarge.



Side two of the list.



Reference:
New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Name: Pietro Allaria
Search Ship Database: View the La Touraine in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Departure: Havre
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Italy
Line: 7
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_1015
Birth Location: Italy
Birth Location Other: s giorgio
Page Number: 182

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Alaria Family - 1900 U.S. Census

The 1900 United States Federal Census records reveal a lot of information about fourteen year old Josephine Alaria and her parents, Petre and Aurelia Alaria. One thing we learn from this document is that Josie was born in France in December of 1885 and she immigrated to America as a baby in her mother's arms the following year. Her father, however, immigrated to America in 1885, the year before his wife and first born child, Josie, came over. It's a good guess to imagine that Aurelia was pregnant in 1885 and unable to travel so he went on ahead to get settled so his wife could join him after the baby was born. It should be noted here that despite the fact that Josie was born in France we know from documents and oral history that her parents were from the same northern mountainous Piedmont Region in Italy as the Riva family. (Five years after this census was taken, Josephine marries Giacomo Riva.)

At the time of this census the Alaria family was living in Grundy County, Illinois, in Felix Township. Within Felix Township were the villages of Carbon Hill, Coal City and Diamond. In addition to Josie, the census shows five other children in the family: Romellio, John, Joseph, Rosa, and Peter who ranged in ages from "11 or 12" to four years old.

Below is the exact information found on the 1900 census including all the misspellings. Don't let the misspelling of Alaria or Aurelia throw you. On a 1920 census the spelling for Romellio and Rosa are different as well. The Alaria name has changed over the years as often happened with immigrant families either through clerical errors or Americanization of the names. Several of the earlier documents found show our Alaria ancestors it with two L's. I will note here that I remember my great-uncles and aunt---John, Joe, Rose and Peter---from my childhood days so at some point they had moved up to Kent County, Michigan. © J. Riva 2008

1900 United States Federal Census
about Petre Olerio
Name: Petre Olerio
Home in 1900: Felix, Grundy, Illinois
Age: 39
Occupation: Coal miner
Birth Date: Nov 1860
Birthplace: Italy
Race: White
Ethnicity: American
Immigration Year: 1885
Relationship to head-of-house: Head
Father's Birthplace: Italy
Mother's Birthplace: Italy

Spouse's Name: Orelia
Marriage Year: 1884
Marital Status: Married
Years Married: 16
Residence : Carbon Hill, Coal City, Diamond Parts of Villages, Grundy, Illinois
Occupation: View Image
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Petre Olerio 39 head, born in Italy, year of imm. 1885
Orelia Olerio 38 wife, born in Italy, year of imm. 1886
Josie Olerio 14 daughter, born in France on Dec. 1885, year of imm. 1886
John Olerio 10 son, born in ILL
Joseph Olerio 8 son, born in ILL
Rosa Olerio 6 daughter, born in ILL
Peter Olerio 4 son, born in ILL
Romellio Olerio 11.12 son, born in ILL

You can click on this census image and it will enlarge the handwriting for easy reading.



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