Asturian-American Migration Forum

I am researching the history of the Spanish immigrant community in Donora, Washington County, Pennsylvania.

I am interested in anyone who has family history that ties to this community. I am also interested in any extant photographs/artifacts documenting the Spanish community there.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Ciotola

Hi, Nicolas,

There is at least one photo in the photo albums of a soccer team from Donora. You may also want to email (using the link beneath their messages) everyone who mentioned Donora in the forum. You'll have to do a search on "Donora." I know that the Spaniards in WV were well-connected with the Donora Spaniards and went to Donora for picnics.

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Hola Nicolas,

Hay como mínimo una foto en el álbum de fotos de un equipo de futbol de Donora. Sería una buena idea escribir un correo (usar el enlace abajo de sus mensajes) a todos que escribieron mensajes sobre Donora en el foro. Hay que buscar en "Donora". Sé que los españoles en WV eran muy bien relacionado con los españoles de Donora y que iban a Donora para unas romerías.

My name is Sonia Garcia Mandzok and I was born and raised in Donora, Pa. We had a thriving Spanish community there. Most of the Asturianos were from Aviles, Arnao, Piedras Blances, Salinas. We had a beautiful Spanish Club (where I had my wedding reception) and a cohesive community. My dad, Manuel (Patas) Garcia, was born in Arnao and also lived in Piedras Blancas with his Grandmother, (his parents died when he was a child) Generosa. He and my uncle Jose Maria Garcia went to live with their sister, Paulina (Lola) Garcia in Cherryvale, KS. He also lived in the St. Louis/East St. Louis area before going to Donora. Many of the Spaniards in Donora also came from Cherryvale and the St. Louis area. They followed the Zinc. Most of the Spaniards living in Donora lived between 10th Street and 15th Street, which put them within walking distance of the Zinc Works where they worked and close to the Spanish Club. Every summer we had a hugh picnic at Palmer Park, which drew Spaniards from Langaloth (sp?), West Va and Canton, Oh. There were a couple of Spanish owned markets, although they were small. We had our own chorizo maker, too. Many of the Spaniards had nicknames like my Father. Some of which I remember was Pork Chops, Calabaza, Punk, Millionario. Periquin, Comunisto, Chucha. Surnames in the community were Garcia, Campa, Muniz, Menendez, Medina, Gonzalez, Martinez, Alonzo, Tunon, Fernandez, Augustin, Diaz. Some of the names were Anglosized, such as mine, Garcia. It was pronounced Garsha, Martinez was Martin-ez, like the first name Martin with ez tacked on the end. My Dad spoke a lot of Asturiano or Bable. A lot of words that I thought were Spanish were not; instead they were Asturiano or Bable. Unfortunately, Donora's Spanish community is now very small. Most of the younger ones left because of the economic hard times and a lot of the older ones went back to Spain to live. I miss it.

Welcome, Sonia! Thanks for a wonderful post. Is the Spanish Club still active?

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¡Bienvenidos, Sonia! Gracias para un mensaje fantastico. Todavía está activo el Club/Asociación español?

The Spanish Club is still open, but I don't know how active it is. But I'll find out when I go to Donora this August. I believe I have some pictures hidden deep in some boxes somewhere. I'll see if I can find them and post them.

Does anyone out there recognize any of those nicknames or did they have relatives in Donora?

I had a cousin in Donora his name was Joe Tomargo. He has a son Joe JR, who still live's there

Ron,

That name is not familiar to me, but I left Donora in 1962. Was the family there before '62? Were you related to any of the Gonzalez families in Donora? I remember a Richard "Manzanas" (known as Apples to the non-Spanish in town) Gonzalez, and I believe he lives somewhere in Florida now.

The only family I have in Donora are the Tomargo's. Yes he was in Donora from about the early 50, to the time he passed away in 2002. He was owner of Mon Valley Pepsi Cola Comp .

Sonia,

Many, many thanks for your post about growing up in Donora. I have been working off and on for while trying to track my mother's family, and since they lived many years in Donora, your information was very helpful.

We may be related. My mother's maiden name was Puente, and her mother's maiden name was Fructuosa Garcia Rodriguez. Grandma Fructuosa's father's name was Antonio Garcia y Campa. Two of my uncles and one aunt were born in Spain and came over in 1906. Another aunt and uncle were born in St. Louis, and then my mother was born in Depue, Illionois before the family moved to Donora, probably about 1912. I tracked down the 1910 Census from Depue, and it lists the household (noted as zinc company housing) with all the Puentes, but is also notes a Joe Garcia, identified as a nephew. I know Garcia is a pretty common name, but who could it be a relation of yours? I do not know if Joe moved on to Denora with the rest of them, at the time of the census he was 20 years old.

As you noted in your post, they followed the zinc mills, there was one in each of those cities. According to what my mother told us as kids, my grandfather Manuel Puente was a leader in the Spanish community, and my grandmother was a midwife. Most of the family eventually moved to Canton, Ohio, in the late 30s and 40s, but one uncle, Seferino Puente (called Sef), stayed on, and my cousin Frank Puente went through school there. Frank tells me that one of his friends, who I think was a Campa, still runs a restaurant in Donora. If any of these names ring a bell, let me know. Again, thanks for the information on Donora.

David Puente Wagner

David,

I wish I could say that we are related, but I don't think so. I would so dearly love to find lost relatives of mine. My uncle Joe (as far as I know) never lived in Donora, he lived in Detroit and had a barber shop there. He died when I was about ten yrs old. I have two cousins there that we have lost track of: JoAnn Garcia and Cathleen Garcia, who are probably married now. But I do know Jerry Campa who owns the restaurant in Donora. I now a number of Campa's from Donora, most of whom have moved to Ohio and one, Judy Campa, (can't remember her married name) lives in Northern California last I heard. I remember the name Seferina (don't remember the last name however); he lived on the outskirts of Donora. You wrote about DePue, Ill. I found an old letter to my Father from a Joe Lopez in DePue. In this letter he mentions a Pedro Manriquez and Ramona Vega, Jose "Ambas" Vega. My Father apparently was famous for his "chicken fighting skills". According to the letter, he fought chickens in Cherryville and in Oklamhoma and my Father, "ranked above anyone when it came to condition and handling". This may be more info than you care to know however. It's just that maybe someone reading these posts will recognize names and we can all share info. I know I had relatives in St Louis/E St Louis but that was so many years ago. If you would like to find out more about any Campas from Donora, let me know and I'll see if I can help at all.

Sonia,
Let me add one more Donora name that came to mind. A very close family friend was Cirillo Rodriguez. He retired in the 1950s, moved back to Piedras Blancas in Asturias, and opened a small grocery store, getting his US Social Security.
David

David,

Thinking of the old Spaniards in Donora has triggered more memories. Regarding Sef, he lived at Palmer Park where we used to have our Spanish picnics in the summer. He had a Pinto horse and I remember once my Father let me ride it. But that's all I remember about him. My Dad had a close friend that was named "Wild Bill" Rodriguez. Could he have been related to Cirillo? I also remember a Gabino Rodriguez, Frank Rodriguez and a Aurora Rodriguez. But the name Cirillo doesn't ring a bell. Almost all of the Spaniards had nicknames. I wonder how some of them came by them.

Hi,

I have been reading these posts with great interest.

I had an uncle who settled in Donora his name was Jose Garcia and he had a son Raymond. Uncle Joe died many years ago but,Raymond, as far as I know, still lives there.

Nicknames...

I can only speak for my family....I had an Uncle in Moundsville who we called Cuesta because as I understand it there was a mountain/hill behind his house.

My Family (Garcia/Alonso) were called Figales because of a Fig Tree that was on my Grandfather's property in Spain. This name was also used to explain the "hot temper" we were all supposed to have.

Barbara

Before anyone corrects me...

I don't really write Spanish....

I checked a translation website and it seems that Cuesta and Figales mean something different.

I don't know why...but these were the things told to me when I was a child...I guess somewhere along the line Cuesta and Figales became what they were. My families translation I guess...

Barbara

Translation software has its faults. You can sometimes obtain very funny results by using it to translate from one language to another and then back again.

As I understand it, cuesta refers to the slope of a hill in in castellano, and has much the same meaning in asturianu. Figal (plural figales) is a fig tree in asturianu, and would be higuera in castellano. The fruit of the fig tree is figu (asturianu) or higo (castellano). Figu/figal (sometimes figar) are analogous to pera/peral (pear/pear tree or pear orchard). Figu can also be used as a reference to the female genitalia.

I think your original understanding of the names is correct, but I welcome corrections from any of our native speakers of castellano and asturianu.