The Tudgay families of Warrior Run, PennsylvaniaThomas Tudgay, 1840-1907 and Isaac Tudgay, 1847-1923Introduction - Extracts from A History of Warrior Run Borough and its People Carved out of Sugar Notch, the Borough of Warrior Run was incorporated on January 25, 1895. Its origins as a community date back to the mid-1860's when the coal mining industry and the railroad companies endeavored to mine, transport and market the region's anthracite coal. Herein lies the history of the land and its people. - The Coal Mining Industry - The coal mining industry was the founding father of the community of Warrior Run. During and after the Civil War, the American industrial revolution took off and coal was its fuel. Coal production boomed in the Valley as anthracite was recognized as a superior fuel for steel mills, factories, railroads, and heating homes. Our pre-war agricultural society gave way to an industrial one. In 1864, the Warrior Run Mining Company was organized, reopening the old Holland and Hillman mine. Wishing to provide only the purest, highest quality coal sorted by size, the company constructed a breaker at the foot of the mountain which opened in 1867. This was a huge tall building in which coal was tumbled down long chutes and open troughs. Breaker boys, mostly between ages 10 and 17, sat astride the chutes, plucking out the slate and sorting out lumps of coal by size. At about the same time, both the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the Nanticoke Branch of the Central Railroad of New Jersey completed their lines through the area, thus making it possible to conveniently mine, transport and market the area's rivers of coal. From this point on coal production overshadowed nearly everything. Workers in large numbers were needed to labor in the mines or railroads, repair shops and machine shops. The local population was not sufficient to fill the demand so skilled Welsh miners were recruited. Other foreigners, mainly Irish who had been jobless and poverty stricken in their homelands, turned to America for relief and relocation. The Warrior Run Mining Company operated these mines until 1869, when they were then leased to A. J. Davis, who operated until about 1919. - Warrior Run Mining Village - The community called Warrior Run Mining Village arose on land owned by the Warrior Run Mining Company. The company purchased nearly all the land around the colliery. This land was once the Rummage farm and then part of the Colonel Hendrick B. Wright tract. Here they built offices and three nice large houses for the mine bosses on what later became known as Boss Town Street (now Lower Beaumont), which was then adjacent to an orchard. The mining company also erected company houses so that employees could walk to work. Many of these were little more than shacks, but they were rented out at a profitable rate. These houses extended to what was then Main Street, now Chestnut and Upper Beaumont Street. Much of this area was an unappealing place to live. Since workers did not own their houses and usually didn't live in them for long, little was maintained. Unruly boys and men, goats, cattle, and hogs ran at large. The houses had no shade trees, fruit trees, shrubbery, gardens or fences. Goats were kept in large numbers, and their destructiveness made it almost impossible to grow anything. The 1880s were a time of prosperity and growth and the village of Warrior Run really began to thrive. More immigrants, mainly Welsh and Irish and Polish, were needed to fill the many available jobs. Many new houses were built while old ones were repaired and reoccupied. The mines prospered so the community prospered. Residents of the early 1880s included the Brislins, Rhyses, Shovlins, Joneses, Williams, Evans, Wagners, Devines, Tudgays, Lloyds, Cyphers, Richards, and Jenkins. By 1885, telephone lines ran everywhere. Railroad Street had Pehle's general and drug store, John Elliot's saloon, John Evans' general store, Plumb's Reading Room and Shadrach Jones' Butcher shop. Orchard Street had Pearson's general store, William Richards' butcher shop, Barney Smith's butcher shop, the Smith Hotel and Rose Sheridan's Hotel, Dr. S. S. Pace's drug store, David Jones' tavern and an early schoolhouse. - The Borough of Warrior Run - On January 25, 1895, the Borough of Warrior Run was thus incorporated. The name Warrior Run had already been in use for many years. Both of the town's railroad stations were named after the Warrior Run Mines. Charles Williams was elected first burgess on February 19th. Elected to council were Thomas Tudgay, John Cyphers, John Elliot, Shadrach Jones, and William Richards, with Nelson Pearson as chairman. Isaac Lewis was elected secretary, John Evans treasurer and Edward T. Edwards as chief of police. Police appointed were Frank Crosky, James B. Brislin and John Shovlin. ?Photographs TUDGAY Theodore, & Catherine; on Beaumont, 1935 TUDGAY, Thomas, 59, laborer, Wales & Jane, 56; Mary, 25, Edith, 22, Isaac, 18, Bennah, 14. On Back (Orchard) Street - 1900. See http://www.pagenweb.org/~luzerne/census.htm |
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Parentage of Isaac and Thomas Tudgay emigrants from Abersychan, South Wales, UK |
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The family of Thomas Tudgay, 1840-1907, born in Somerset, moved to Abersychan, Monmouthshire, South Wales, second son of Isaac and Eliza Tudgay, emigrated to Wilkes Barre, USA, ca 1866 (WB1),
Sources (ex Barbara DeLong) - 1. Mells Bishop's Transcripts, 1839-1842; LDS Microfilm #1526222 |
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The family of Isaac Tudgay, 1847-1923, born in Talywain, Monmouthshire, South Wales, sixth child of Isaac and Eliza Tudgay, emigrated to Wilkes Barre, USA, 1881-2 (WB2)
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Shipping log for Rachael Tudgay and her six children on the S.S. Alaska, December 16, 1881, from Liverpool. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Alaska_(1881)
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Notes (ex Barbara DeLong) Isaac TUDGAY Rachel JONES Sources |
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Sources Census of Warrior Run - 1900 (Source - http://rootsweb.com/~paluzern/census/wr1900.htm) Railroad (Hanover) Street Back (Orchard) Street Census of Warrior Run - 1910 (Source - http://rootsweb.com/~paluzern/census/wr1910.htm) Jones Street Hanover Street THE SHELHAMER GENEALOGY SITE - cemeteries - Mount Zion. http://www.shelventure.com/shelgen/cemeteries7-mtzion.htm Located in Slocum, PA, Mt. Zion E.&R. Union Church of Christ is the resting place for the Myers/Jones family that connects to the Shelhamer's. The family has a whole section of the cemetery, but there are also relatives scattered throughout the rest of the cemetery. The records include Walter Tudgay 1878-1932 & Grace J. Tudgay 1887-1958; also Ruth G Delong née Tudgay 1913-1980; all of WB2C above. (spelt on tombstones as Tudgay, seen by Barbara DeLong, although the web link above has names as Tudgey!) Wilkes Barre Tudgays - into the 20th Century |
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