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Genealogy
Emigration
The Colorado Mines
Villages of Trentino
Cunevo
Flavon
Trentino Culture
The Iob (Yob) Families
My Ancestors
Trentino History
 

An important resource

I have transcribed listings of some of our ancestors who left their homes in Trentino to come to the United Statees.  They were from the villages of:

Bresimo
Cagno
Campo Tassullo
Cunevo
Dambel 
Dardine
Denno 
Dercolo
Flavon
Mechel
Nanno & Portolo
Pavillo
Rallo
Revo
Romallo
Romeno
Ronzone
Segno
Seio
Sfruz
Sporminore
Spormaggiore
Taio
Tassullo
Termon
Terres
Tuenno
Vervo

Our Ancestors From Trentino Arrive in the United States

 

During the mid to late 1800's, many areas of Trentino experienced sickness, hardship, and severe economic conditions.  In the 1850's, disease struck and wiped out the potato crops.  Disease also struck the mulberry bushes, which were a food source for silkworms.  This, in turn, led to the destruction of the silk worms, which were the heart of a centuries old silk industry.  In 1882 and 1885, Trentino experienced heavy rains which caused flooding and landslides, destroying crops and trees.  As a result, in the late 1800's people from Trentino began seeking a better life elsewhere.  A common departure point was the city of Trento, from which an emigrant was able to travel to the ports of France (Le Havre, Cherbourg) and England (Southhampton).  Since, at this time, Trentino was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, they generally travelled with Austrian passports, which helped them avoid much of the discrimination suffered by Italians.

City of Trento during 1882 flood
source: P.A.T. Archivo Storico


Where They Settled

Colorado coal mines at Trinidad, Hastings, Leadville, Central City, and Silverton. Emigrants bore names such as Iob (Job, Yob), Eccher, Dalpiaz, Menapace, Ruffini, Zadra, Zanon, and many others.

Pennsylvania (Mt. Carmel, Hazleton, Pottsville, Shamokin) -- the anthracite coal mining areas surrounding Hazleton attracted Trentini from Val di Non and Val di Sole.  They bore names such as Aliprandini, Bridi, Chini, Fellin, Iob (Yob), and Menapace.  Many later moved to Vineland, New Jersey.

Kansas (Pittsburg) -- mostly emigrants from Val di Primiero such as Mattivi and Scalet

Michigan (Iron Mountain, Norway, Vulcan)

New York (Solvay) -- especially from the Val Giudicarie villages of Bolgeno, Castello, Prezzo, and Tione.

Ohio (Alliance, Bellaire, Bridgeport, Dennison, Flushing, Lafferty, Lansing).  Many from Val di Non settled here either temporarily or permanently, such as Chini, Menapace, Pancheri, Pedrotti, Visintainer, and Zucal.

Wisconsin -- our ancestors home here working in the iron mines.  However, later strikes and lack of jobs resulted in many settling in Milwaukee.  They originated from village is Val di Non such as Spormaggiore and Cis, bearing names such as Decaminada, Giuliani, Malfatti, Micheli, Noldin, Paternoster, Ravinelli, Recla, Toller, and Zadra.

Wyoming -- emigrants from Val di Non and Valsugana settled at Cambria, Rocksprings, Reliance, and Superior.  After work at the mines became scarse, many of them emigrated to northern Utah (Castle Gate and Ogden), where factory jobs were available.


Databases for Researching Trentino Ancestry

I have transcribed a few records which list information about Trentini emigrants who arrived in the US in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  Perhaps your grandparents are listed here?

Draft registration listings -- during World War I, many men were required to register for the military draft.  This is a listing of some of the men from Trentino  who registered in parts of Colorado, Nevada, and Idaho.

1910 Census listings -- information about specific families that emigrated from Trentino in the late 1800's and early 1900's to work in the areas surrounding the Colorado mines.

1900 Census listings -- information about specific families that emigrated from Trentino in the late 1800's to towns and mines in Las Animas County, Colorado.

Sample census image -- The image linked here is a portion of an actual census page for the year 1900, and shows information about a few emigrants from Trentino living in Las Animas County, Colorado..

 


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Personal research services -- through an association with contacts in Trentino, we can offer assistance in obtaining documents, translations, village photos, and tours of your ancestral village. NEW