1910 Census and the Riva Family

Coal miners, colorized postcards, 1910


The "13^th Census of the United States -1910 Population" establishes that Giacomo (36) and Josephine Riva (26) were living at 80 Sixth Avenue in South Wilmington, Illinois, Grundy County, Greenfield Township. Living with them are their three young children: John four, Maggie two, and Eurelia one. Eurelia we know from other documents died not too long after this census was taken and Peter would be born the next year. This document also establishes that by 1910 Giacomo was using the Americanized version of his Italian name---James---and his occupation is listed as coal mining.


Josephine Riva with two children, circa 1905 -08

Another family of Riva's was also living South Wilmington on Sixth Avenue: John 26 a coal miner, Minnie his wife 24 and Maggie two. We strongly believe he is related to our family. He could be a brother or cousin to James. I plan to to research him and a second, older John Riva, because they both show up on the Draft Registration Records for 1918, Putman County, Illinois. The older John I'm hoping is James' father. (We know from oral history that his name is Giovanni, Italian for John.) If it can be established that Giovanni did immigrate, the 1918 draft registration will provide us with the first name and home town of James' grandfather, giving us yet another generation back in time. (If anyone reading this knows anything about these two John's please leave a comment.) J.Riva 2008 ©

South Wilmington is located in Grundy County at the bottom of the map. (Click to enlarge.)

Click to enlarge census

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The 1919 Flu Epidemic Takes Josephine

Josephine (Alaria) Riva died on February 2, 1919 after having bronchi pneumonia for six days and influenza for three. Statistically, she was a victim of the Great Flu Epidemic of 1918-1919. But on the human side our 33 year old ancestor left behind a husband and three children, the youngest of which was eight year old Peter. It's estimated that between 20 to 40 million people died of the flu in those two years nation wide and 32 thousand just in the state of Illinois.

Her Death Certificate reveals a few interesting details like the fact that her father's family name is spelled the same way as it was on the 1900 U.S. Federal Census---"Olario"---and that she was buried at the Granville Cemetery in Granville, Illinois. This latter fact is interesting because her oldest son, John, had her marble grave marker in his garage for many years. The family couldn't afford to buy one when she died so decades later Josie's three kids had one made. The stone made at least two trips down to Illinois from Michigan but the cemetery location couldn't be found. From my understanding, it was finally left at a cemetery adjunct to a catholic church but the cemetery keeper didn't have any record of her being there. "But," he said, "They'd find a place for the marker."

Click to enlarge

Town listed on the Death Certificate:

* Standard where Josephine Riva lived Putnam County

* Granville where she was buried
Putnam County

* Spring Valley where she died
Bureau County

This whole area of Illinois was involved heavily in coal mining. Spring Valley alone was over 6,000 people at the turn of the century and it was one huge mining camp. Saint Margaret's Hospital, where Josephine died, was built by seven French sisters to service those miners. J.Riva © 2008

Click to enlarge map above and below.


The pins on the bottom map shows where all the Granville cemeteries are located today.

Granville, IL coal yards and trains on their way to Chicago, circa ?


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