Back to Family Story outcomes, S22

by Abby Thompson

I greatly underestimated the challenge of genealogy. I thought that discovering my family history would be simple, yet that was not the case. I found myself asking, how do you comb through documentation after documentation to determine the validity of your ancestors? How do you discover these fascinating stories about an ancestor that you hadn’t known before? I have deep respect for the people who have the dedication and time to uncover their past and can find answer to these questions. While I have not yet uncovered a fascinating story or family scandal, I did focus on where my past and present intersect – in Pittsburgh. 

Both my maternal and paternal families have been in Western Pennsylvania for a few generations, and some lines I have yet to determine just how long have been there. There are two reasons for the increase in residency in the region of Western Pennsylvania in the past and that is the coal mines and the steel mills. 

Coal Mines

In researching my family history, I stumbled upon quite a few draft cards which conveniently provided the occupation of many of my male relatives. As it turns out, majority of my great great grandfathers worked within the coal mines in Western Pennsylvania, specifically at B + S Coal Company and Arcadia Coal Company. These coal mines were located just north of the city of Pittsburgh and opened at the beginning of the twentieth century, which is around the time my maternal ancestors moved to western Pennsylvania. 

Steel Mill and Railroads

For my ancestors living closer to the city, I discovered that rather being involved with the coal mines, they had occupations concerning the steel mills and railroads. One of my great-grandfathers was a conductor and brakeman on the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad. This railroad opened in 1879 and was one of the major railroads on the eastern coast. Some of my other paternal relatives worked at the Aluminum Company of America and Firth Sterling Steel Company, one an aluminum company, and the other a steel company based in Pittsburgh.

As I still reside in Pittsburgh today, it is interesting to learn of where my ancestors have been involved. Knowing everything I know now; I hope to continue my search learning about my ancestors and diving deeper into the lives of my ancestors!  

Sources: 

“The Company Town of Sagamore.” Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Accessed April 28, 2022. https://www.iup.edu/library/departments/archives/coal/mines-and-company-towns/the-company-town-of-sagamore.html.

“Guide to the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Company Records, 1860-199,” University of 

Pittsburgh. https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3AUS-PPiU-ais198223/viewer