Over ten years of careful research by descendant L. Rich, with input contributed by other family members, stands behind the James Quinn biography. Using mining parlance, of which we think our ancestor James might approve, you may have just 'hit the mother lode' of information concerning James. Sláinte Mhath!
Please be sure to click "Photos" to view more than a dozen historic images included within James Quinn's Find A Grave memorial. Names within the following biography appearing in blue colored font are hyperlinked so you may click on them and be transported to the Find A Grave Memorial of that individual.
A Biography of James Quinn, written by L. Rich, Latrobe, PA:
James Quinn was a son of Henry Quinn. His father Henry QUINN was born October 1829, and baptized 13 October 1829, in Newry, Counties Down and Armagh, Northern Ireland and Jane LOUGHRAN (variant: LAUGHRAN) Clarke Quinn b: circa 1825, Townland: Meenascallagh, Civil Parish: Kildress, (near Cookstown & Dunnamore), County: Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
His mother Jane LOUGHRAN's first husband was Peter CLARKE, whom she married in Maryland 18 May 1841, witnesses: Michael McDonald & Mary Cox. In 1851, Jane was widowed by her 1st husband, Peter CLARKE who died near Parkton Station in a train derailment while working as a Railroad Fireman for the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad. His father Henry QUINN was employed as an Engineer for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
James Quinn was baptized 15 August 1853, He was the namesake of his paternal grandfather James QUIN, who was a poulterer. The 1853 baptism of James QUINN was by Father Michael Slattery, who around 1849-1850 started work on constructing early St. Michael's Catholic Church, Frostburg, Allegany County, MD. Because there were several Catholics working in Westernport MD & then Piedmont, Hampshire, VA and since St. Peter's Church at Westernport wasn't yet constructed, according to the parish history online, area faithful would meet in a schoolhouse in the parish then known as St. Peter in Chains in Bloomington MD. St. Peter's Westernport construction began circa 1857. To serve the spiritual and sacramental needs for the employees of the local mines and the Baltimore and Ohio RR, Father Slattery would act as a roving priest by coming on horseback from Frostburg to Westernport area where he would conduct baptisms of several infants at once. He'd then ride back to Frostburg. James Quinn 's baptism was one of many that day by Father Slattery. Sponsors were Alisha 'Bohin' and John 'Bohin'. The handwritten baptismal record of James Quinn is included within photos on this Find a Grave memorial.
According to the 1860 census, James Quinn was attending school and living with his parents in what prior to the Civil War was then known as Piedmont Twp., Hampshire County, VA.
Siblings & Half-Siblings of James Quinn include:
1) Sarah Ellen Quinn Adams born: 22 Sep 1855, baptized 1 Nov 1855 in Westernport, Allegany Co. MD by roving priest Michael Slattery who travelled from Frostburg, MD to do several baptisms that day in Westernport. Source: RC Archdiocese of Baltimore, MD-- Parish Registers -- Frostburg. Note: her baptism record is the more accurate DOB than what appears on her headstone as 1858.
2) Catherine A QUINN Stanton
3) Josephine QUINN b: 20 May 1860, Piedmont, Hampshire County, VA (now Piedmont, Mineral, WV)- died: ? We do not know what became of Josephine who was only 6 months old when her mother Jane died of Consumption.
Half Siblings of James QUINN from his mother Jane's first marriage to Peter CLARKE:
4) John Alexander CLARKE, eldest son of Peter & Jane CLARKE. b: 14 Feb 1842. Baptism: 27 Feb 1842. Sponsors, Leonides McLeer & Ellen McCusker.
Source: Archdiocese of Baltimore, Baptisms: St. Patrick's, Cumberland, MD. We do not know what became of John Alexander CLARKE; he does not appear in the 1860 census with his siblings and if he lived past childhood, by 1860 he would have been 18 old enough to be working and living outside the home. We presently do not know when he died nor his final resting place.
5)Michael Thomas Clark: baptized 17 May 1845, MD, USA, Son of Peter and Jane LOUGHRAN CLARKE. Sponsors: Michael LAUGHRAN & Mary CLARKE -- BLO Pg. 140. Source: Western Maryland Catholics: 1819 - 1851. See also: Michael T. CLARK, b: 1845 MD, in 1880 census is married and living in Hoffman's Hollow, MD, then living in Iowa in 1885. (Some LAUGHRANS seemingly also went West). 1900: Michael Clark b: May 1844, MD is living in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska, USA, 1910: Michael & Wife Mary returns to Allegany Co., MD. Then Michael died in 1918, buried at St. Michael's Cemetery, Frostburg, Allegany Co., MD.
5) James Loughran Phillip Clark b: 2 May 1847, baptized 11 May 1847 at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Hickory, Harford, MD. Sponsors: his uncle Stephen LOUGHRAN / LAUGHRIN & Bridget LOUGHRAN / LAUGHRIN. d: 11 Dec 1916.
6) Mary Jane CLARKE Britt Scarry b:26 Jan 1849, baptized 4 Feb 1849 at St. Ignatius Catholic, Hickory, Harford, MD. Sponsors: Andrew Clarke & Mrs. Flood. (1st Husband= William H. BRITT, married in Allegany Co. Maryland; Marriage Date: 7 June 1871. 2nd Husband = Patrick F. SCARRY whom she married in Connellsville PA in 1877).
One month after the 1860 US Federal Census is enumerated, James Quinn's mother Johana "Jane" LOUGHRAN Clarke Quin dies on 11 November 1860 at the age of 36. Cause of death was "Consumption." Her burial mass was held at the parish at which her first husband Peter CLARKE's funeral mass was held -- at Basilica of Assumption, Baltimore, MD. James Quinn was only 7 years old when his mother died.
Half Siblings of James QUINN from his father Henry Quinn's 1872 second marriage to Hannah C. Dolan. Of those for which we know their final resting place, their Find a Grave memorials are hyperlinked and may be accessed by clicking blue font names below:
7) Mary A. QUINN
8) Thomas A. QUINN, b: abt 1878, Ohio, USA, d: ? AT present time, we are not aware of when Thomas A. Quinn died, if he survived past childhood, nor his final resting place.
9)Francis E. QUINN
First Marriage of James Quinn, Children Born of that Union, and Death of First Wife Jane Moore:
Circa 1877, James marries his first wife Jane Moore who was born in Fayette County, PA. Circa 1885, Jane Moore dies. Jane Moore and James Quinn had the following children: Henry "Harry" P. Quinn (24 Oct 1878 - 17 November 1926), James Quinn (b: April 1880 -d: circa 1891), and John James Quinn who died from injuries sustained while working in a coal mine and was buried at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Fayette County, PA (b: 16 Mar 1882 - d: 14 Jul 1949), Please see: John J. Quinn
Thanks to a first page newspaper article dated 22 February 1890 published in The Latrobe Advance, we know James Quinn was employed as the Yard Boss at the Whitney Mine, located in Unity Township, Westmoreland County, PA. This article describes the injury sustained to his hand when it was caught in some machinery.
Second Marriage
In 1891, at the age of 37, the widower James QUINN marries Ida Samantha "Annie" AUKERMAN/ACKERMAN (b: March 20, 1873, Westmoreland County, PA, daughter of Harvey ACKERMAN and Eliza HUGHES) in Uniontown, Fayette County, PA. Children were: Sarah E. QUINN (1891-1961), Joseph Aloyisus QUINN (1895-1970), Anthony QUINN (1897-1918), Mary Jane QUINN (1900-1977), Daniel J. QUINN (1901-1966) Cecelia A. QUINN (1903-1982), Paul James QUINN (1906-1975),Francis P. QUINN (1908-1972), Hugh QUINN (ca. 1911-1914), Alice QUINN (ca. 1912-1913), Katheryn QUINN (1913-1914), and Anastasia QUINN (1916-1917).
Most Dangerous of All Mining Occupations -- Quinn & Campbell are Ohio Sinkers:
By the year 1903, James Quinn and Daniel Edward Campbell were in "Warnick" (sic - probably Warwick), Ohio. The Latrobe Bulletin, Latrobe, PA, 06 May 1903, Pg. 1. Headline was: "Four Monster Shafts" with sub-headline "Latrobe Men Are Sinking Them in Ohio." In that article, the contractors were erroneously identified as James Irwin and David Campbell. This was likely a handwriting to typeset transcription error which was corrected in the next day's newspaper. "In giving the account of the sinking of the shafts at Warnick (sic), Ohio, The Bulletin should have given the names of the contractors as Jas. Quinn and Daniel Campbell." The Latrobe Bulletin, Thur., 7 May 1903.
According to Wikipedia:
Shaft mining or shaft sinking is excavating a vertical or near-vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom. Historically mine shaft sinking has been among the most dangerous of all the mining occupations and the preserve of mining contractors called sinkers. Source cited: A Glossary of Mining Terms used in mid 1800's.
Frequently Making 1905 News:
Our ancestor James Quinn was a busy man based on mentions of him and his business partners in the Latrobe Bulletin going out of town as part of their contracting business. 1905 was a particularly eventful year for James:
1) In March of 1905, James spends three weeks at Presbyterian Hospital at Philadelphia to consult eye specialists, in reference to his failing eyesight; and, The Latrobe Bulletin reported Quinn will recover his sight.
2) In June of 1905, Quinn and one of his contracting business partners, Daniel Campbell, were elected as delegates to a temperance convention.
3) In July of 1905, Quinn, Campbell, and Reed go to Ohio to get their plant, in order to sink the shaft opening to Lawrence Mine, outside of what was then considered Derry Township, but is now within City of Latrobe.
If those weren't enough events for James and the Quinn family during 1905, seemingly, there was never a dull moment at the Quinn household:
4) In August of 1905, (22 Aug and 23 Aug), according to two articles in The Latrobe Bulletin, a Third Ward neighbor of the Quinn family, a Miss Anna Anderson, was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct because allegedly Miss Anderson harassed Mrs. James Quinn and "had called her all kinds of names and had raised a general disturbance." Esquire Shank, the judge who heard the case, fined Miss Anderson one dollar for the charge of disorderly conduct and also required her to pay about $14 in court costs. $1.00 fine + $14.00 for court costs in 1905 was no small sum; according to the inflation calculator of U.S. Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 26 Aug. 2018: "$15 in 1905 is equivalent in purchasing power to $429.56 in 2018." Additionally, according to The Latrobe Bulletin: "The 'Squire threw in a timely lecture on the advantages of attending to one's own business, just for good measure." Presently, we are uncertain about what specifically precipitated this alleged disturbance; in August of 1905, Mrs. James Quinn would have been considered 'in a delicate condition' as her 7th child, a son named Paul James Quinn, was born in February of 1906. (To view the 1905 newspaper articles about the neighbor's arrest and court findings, please visit the Find A Grave Memorial of Ida Samantha Aukerman Quinn).
In 1905, one can only hope the Quinn family enjoyed a peaceful and restorative Thanksgiving and Christmas season since the first part of the year was repeatedly deemed newsworthy.
The Temperance Convention & James Quinn:
According to The Latrobe Bulletin, Page 1, published 12 June 1905, Daniel Edward Campbell (1842-1913) and James Quinn (1853-1927) are elected as delegates from the Holy Family Branch of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union (CTAU), to the Scottdale, PA convention held 13 June 1905. Holy Family Roman Catholic Church located on Ligonier Street, in Latrobe, PA, was the parish of both the Campbell family, who resided on Weldon Street and the Quinn family, who resided on Jefferson Street. CTAU was a Catholic Temperance group which began in Ireland under Father Matthew, whose message to crowds of people who came to hear his speeches was widely received during his travels. He began public speaking about temperance in Ireland and asking members to make a lifetime pledge to completely abstain from drinking alcohol. Father Matthew then came to the United States to promote temperance and Catholic Total Abstinence Unions and the Knights of Father Matthew groups formed. One may see abbreviations of CTAU of KFM or LAKFM (Ladies Auxilliary Knights of Father Matthew) on headstones at cemeteries indicating the deceased was a member of these groups. At the US Library of Congress, digitized images are available on line (stereo view photo cards) which show the parades and speakers during a Wilkes Barre, PA Catholic Total Abstinence Union Convention. These Wilkes Barre CTAU photos provide insight to present day readers of what Daniel E. Campbell and James Quinn experienced as chapter elected delegates in attendance at the 1905 Connellsville CTAU convention.
Real Estate -- The Latrobe, PA Quinn Family Homes:
The first Latrobe home owned by James QUINN was located on Jefferson Street within what was then known as the third ward; this home still stands. Included in this find a grave memorial is a 2014 present day photo of the Jefferson St. house taken at dusk. In the photo, the house was decorated for the Christmas holiday; it was taken by L. Rich, is copyrighted by L. Rich, and is published here by L. Rich with permission of the home's present occupant.
The second Quinn family home was located at 106 Howard Street; a street which if it still existed today, would fall within the city of Latrobe boundaries. The city of Latrobe no longer has a Howard Street on its maps, Howard Street was consumed by Kennametal as shown in the photographs within this Find A Grave Memorial. The Howard Street upon which the Quinn family worked and lived, is not to be confused with the nearby Howard Street within Unity Township, which also bears a present day Latrobe, PA zip code of 15650. That Unity Township area at the start of the 20th century had been farmland, which during the 1950s - 1960s was developed into a tract of houses. Based on period lithography showing the Quinn's Howard St. house during the early 20th century, it appeared to be a stately, two story, white dwelling with a massive, black roof. The black roof rises to a singular central apex which presumably encompasses an attic. Based on its dimensions, it appears to have been a full, walk-up attic. The attic has one windowed dormers on each of the four sides of the structure.
Within the collection of L. Rich's Quinn family archive, is an early Latrobe photo postcard showing the second Quinn house. The Latrobe Historical Society has in its collection, an early aerial photo showing the roofline of the second Quinn house and also, a circa 1970s Kennametal era aerial photo showing the Quinn house roofline incorporated into the manufacturing plant.
The Deadly Perils of Coal Mine Contracting:
One of the positive aspects of being a coal mine contractor is it teaches the contractor though hands on experience, the myriad of details involved in developing a mine from creation to production. The contractor sees what has gone wrong at mines operated by others, learns from mistakes made by others, and tries to avoid them from the start at the next opportunity. Working at building and repairing mines throughout Westmoreland county, neighboring counties, and neighboring states including Ohio, likely gave James Quinn quite an intensive education.
Make no mistake, the type of mine development and restoration work in which Quinn's contracting firm was engaged was no walk in the park. One moment of inattention could get a man maimed for life. A spark from an open flame could ignite a volatile gas; and as an Irishman might say: 'Get a man blown to smidiríní!' One could be conscientiously aware of one's surrondings, something goes awry, and this costs the contractor his life.
On 2 March 1906, one of Quinn's employees went to work and lost his life. He was a 27 year old son of James and Hanna Elizabeth Carnahan, of Youngstown, Westmoreland County, PA. His name was George W. Carnahan. George had only five month's prior, lost his twin brother David to death. The Latrobe Bulletin detailed what happened when George fell 150 feet to his death when re-timbering the shaft at Penn Manor Coal Company, in Manor, PA. George was unmarried at the time of his death. His poor mother was left to grieve the loss of her husband in 1904, and the tragic loss of her two twin sons in 1905 and 1906. To view the newspaper article, and if you feel moved to respectfully and thoughtfully lay virtual flowers in remembrance of George at his Find A Grave Memorial, please visit: George W. Carnahan (1878-1906)
The Contracting Business Led to Coal Mines Owned and Operated by my Ancestor James Quinn:
Between sometime after 1890 through at least 1906, James Quinn is working as a contractor. The contracting firm was known as: Quinn, Campbell, & Reed. They were doing specialty contracting for the coal mine operators such as shoring up timber trusses in mines, building tipples, etc. The principals of Quinn, Campbell, and Reed were:
1) James Quinn
2) Daniel Edward Campbell (1842-1913)
3) Paul Reed (a surveyor)
It appears that Quinn, Campbell, & Reed worked for other coal mines as a contractor who helped in the opening of mines owned by other individuals at Baggaley, Hostetter, and Whitney; these mines are specifically stated in the 1927 obituary of James Quinn. In 1905, with the acquisition of mineral rights to 18 acres of land outside of Latrobe, near Loyalhanna, owned by Michael James Hines Sr. (1858-1923) it appears that Quinn is transitioning from independent contractor who was previously sinking the shaft and developing coal mines owned by other operators and venturing into the realm of operating his own coal mine. Instead of drawing a paycheck at someone else's mine, James and his partners begin controlling their own coal mines.
The first mine owned by Quinn was located in Cambria County, PA. According to Dept. of Mines reports and trade publications, it had limited production and was sold soon after Quinn acquired it.
According to the Page 1 newspaper article published 10 July 1905 in the Latrobe Bulletin, Quinn and Campbell open up a new coal field near Loyalhanna, in Derry Township, Westmoreland County, just east and not far outside of the current day city of Latrobe, which appears to have been the mine called "Lawrence," on 18 acres of land owned by Michael J. Hines(1858-1923) Lawrence Mine was next to the mine owned by Loyalhanna Coal and Coke and was the neighboring property of the Loyalhanna mine owned by Mr. Saxman.
in 1907 with startup capital of $21,000.00, James forms his own corporation. The purpose of the corporation was the mining of bituminous coal, the manufacture of coke, and the sale of both to residential and commercial customers.
Quinn's business had approximately 15-20 employees; many were family members. At the mines of James Quinn, they mined coal by hand with pick axe and shovel, hauled by mule, and sold/delivered coal to its residential and commercial heating customers. It was incorporated as "The Latrobe-Cresson Coal Co." and locally known as "Hines, Quinn, and Johnson, Dealers of Coal." Quinn's coal mines would have been considered a small business which primarily provided for family. As compared to the larger production mines in the area which employed hundreds of workers, the Quinn family mines did not have company houses, did not have scrip, and did not have a company store.
Westmoreland County Coal Strike of 1910 -- Quinn Signs United Mineworkers Union Agreement:
Quinn's Lawrence Mine was in production when every coal mine operator and every coal miner was profoundly affected by the violent Westmoreland County Coal Strike of 1910-1911. This strike halted production at virtually all of the coal mines of Westmoreland County. Some miners were killed and families of striking miners were thrown out of their coal company owned homes. Historical accounts lead me to believe that some of my striking coal miner Slovak and Italian ancestors who worked for the larger production mines possibly spent the winter in tents. During this strike, some area mine owners allegedly fenced in immigrant replacement miners, hired armed guards, and wouldn't allow the miners to leave company property.
Quinn's Mine in US Congressional Testimony, Washington, D.C.
During the Westmoreland County Coal Strike of 1910, James Quinn did something exceptional. Unlike other area coal operators who were steadfastly opposed to unionization, James Quinn signed an agreement with the United Mine Workers. His company was specifically mentioned during testimony before the U.S. Congress as being one of only 2 coal mines within the entire coal basin who signed the United Mine Workers Agreement. For full transcript, please see: Congressional Series Set, Congressional Edition, Volume 6279, Page 51, Published 1912; under: "The only other operator in the Latrobe Basin that signed an agreement with the union was the firm of Hines, Quinn, and Johnson, which employed about 20 miners." [Note: bold used for emphasis by Quinn descendant & author L. Rich].
According to The Coal Trade Journal, Vol. 42, page 221 published March 15, 1911, the bituminous coal production of Latrobe Cresson Coal for the year 1910 was 18,310 tons. As a comparison, for that same year, production at much larger production mines like Jamison Coal & Coke of Greensburg was 2,412,966 tons and Saxman's Latrobe Connellsville Coal & Coke was 638,900 tons.
The third Quinn coal mine, "Island Mine," was located on just under 6 acres of land situated in what then was known as West Latrobe. This parcel used to be an actual island, but part of the Loyalhanna creek was filled in such that the area no longer formed an island. It was in proximity to where the present day Lloyd Avenue bridge crosses the Loyalhanna creek, near the intersection of Chambers St. and Lloyd Avenue. The mine shaft opening to Island Mine was located on what previously was called "Grant's Island" which later was known as Chambers' Island.
In addition to the three mines previously mentioned, James Quinn circa 1910-1920s also acquired mining rights to coal beneath Unity Cemetery, located near Latrobe. According to newspaper clippings, this 4th Quinn coal mine was located somewhere near the entrance to the cemetery and within proximity to the church.
The History of Quinn's Island Mine:
This island and the parcel of land adjoining it was owned by the Chambers family. On an 1867 map of the Latrobe, one can see where the Chambers family had a grist mill. The 1867 map confirms that Grant's Island used to indeed be an actual island; it was surrounded on all sides by the waters of the Loyalhanna Creek.
At some point, one of the owners filled in a channel between the island and the parcel of land adjoining it on its westerly side. After the filling in of this channel; technically, this parcel of land was no longer an island. A more accurate description of it would have been peninsula (rather than island). For some reason, the name "Island" seemed to resonate with the locals since this parcel of land was described as an island all the way up until the 1940s.
Descriptions in early Westmoreland County Deed books, specifically Deed Book 121, Pgs. 205-210, for the 23 December 1882 transfer from John Lloyd to Latrobe Coal Company, page 207 stated: "...to the place of beginning containing 6 acres and one hundred and forty one and fifty seven one hundreths (141.57) perches." A later deed transfer described the parcel as "5.9.5 acres."
In 1901, a coal mine located here was known as: "Chambers' Island Mine." According to deed research, this property was owned by Alexander L. Chambers, who then transferred it to his sister Leonora Chambers Pepperday on 30 May 1913 (Deed Book 570, Pg. 623).
According to an item published in the coal trade industry periodical known The Black Diamond, Vol. 27, Page 457, published in 1901:
"Latrobe, Pa. is to have a new coal mine to be operated under the management of E.L. Brindle, A.S. Kepple, William Dale, L.H. Kepple, and Charles Lohr. The shaft will be sunk on what is known as Chamber's Island, to the nine foot vein of coal. The shaft will be but forty feet deep. The coal was discovered when the excavation was made for the abutment for the new railroad bridge, the hole being sunk through the coal."
Howard Pepperday conveys deed to Latrobe Cresson Coal (Island Mine)
In 1920, Howard Pepperday conveys the deed to The Latrobe Cresson Coal Company. Sometime circa 1920s, Latrobe Cresson Coal Company erects the tipple pictured in the black and white photograph included in this memorial. At some point, a very large, white, two story, house was constructed on this parcel of land. This house became the second Quinn family residence.
On 20 June 1941, when the widow Ida AUKERMAN Quinn conveyed the deed to her son-in-law Harry Cohen (husband of Ceceilia Quinn), Pg. 468 in Deed Book 1094 described this house as: "Having thereon erected a two story cement block dwelling house..."
Quinn's Howard Street Property, Site of Island Mine & 2nd Quinn Family Residence, Sold to McKenna Family. Becomes Kennametal's First Latrobe Plant
In 2013, during a visit to the Latrobe Historical Society, L. Rich was talking with the late Mr. Dennis S. Yamber Sr. (1932-2017) about the 2nd Quinn House and Island Mine property. Mr. Yamber grew up in the same 6th ward neighborhood during the time period when Kennametal acquired the 2nd Quinn House and Island Mine property from Harry Cohen. When Dennis was discussing his memories with L. Rich, he described the Quinn house as: "...very well-built; it was a huge white house with a big yard." He recalled that when the McKenna family purchased it from Harry Cohen, Kennametal integrated Quinn's house right into the Kennametal plant. Dennis said: "They didn't tear it down; they built right around it."
An aerial photo from the collection of the Latrobe Historical society shows the roofline of the Quinn house being visibly apparent within the Kennametal plant. The deed transferring the second Quinn house and the former Island mine to Philip M. McKenna is found in Deed Book #1105, Pages 530-531.
Quinn's second Latrobe house and the tipple to his Island Mine no longer exist; nor does the street formerly known as Howard Street. The yard of James Quinn's Howard Street residence jutted into a rounded point which was bounded by the Loyalhanna creek. Quinn's yard eventually became the paved employee parking lot for the first Kennametal manufacturing plant. Presently, large blue buildings of a beverage manufacturer comprise most of acreage at this site.
At some point during the 1920s, the coal at Island Mine is exhausted. It seems at this point in time, Quinn who is advanced in years, enters into the street paving business with the Campbell family.
According to the Latrobe Bulletin, Page 1, Published 28 June 1927, James Quinn was a charter member of the Latrobe Knights of Columbus who attained the fourth degree in the order. He was the father of 15 children. He died at home and at the time of his death, he was employed by Leo Campbell.
She Was There... Marcella CINNIBULK Quinn Hart's Recollection of What Really Happened That Night
Some family members dispute the accuracy of The Latrobe Bulletin's page 1 newspaper article and say Quinn's final embrace was greatly embellished by the newspaper. The late Marcella Cinnibulk Quinn, daughter in law of James Quinn, was visiting with her mother in law, Ida and was at the Howard Street house on the night of Jame's death. In the 1990s, Marcella told her granddaughter Deb:
That's not what happened. Pap Pap died in his sleep. I was visiting with Ida downstairs in the kitchen and it was about bedtime and James said: "Well you hens have fun down here. It's getting late, I'm headed up. Goodnight." Marcella recalled that every night, James had a habit of opening the upstairs bedroom window, lighting a cigarette, smoking the cigarette, and then going to bed. And on the night of his death according to Marcella, James did exactly the same as he did every night. James went upstairs, opened the bedroom window himself, smoked his nightly cigarette, and James went to sleep. Marcella said later that night, when Ida went upstairs, she discovered James had died in his sleep. According to Marcella, there was no dramatic final premonition nor final embrace like what was described in The Latrobe Bulletin.
In 1927, little did the family realize, what they were soon to face after the passing of James Quinn. The Quinn family didn't have an easy path to start with. In 1914 their 5 youngest children got so sick that three of them died at the Jefferson St. residence (and all five of their illnesses were covered in multiple newspaper articles). Paul and Francis survived; Hugh, Kathryn, and Alice did not. Anastasia dies in 1917. It seems something happened to Anthony requiring his foot to be amputated as evidenced in his circa 1918 photograph on crutches. Also in 1918, the entire Quinn family wound up with Spanish Influenza at the temporary hospital set up at Holy Family School, and that is where Anthony dies. WWI veteran Joseph Aloysius Quinn comes home from war to a home where his four youngest siblings and his brother Anthony were laid to rest at St. Mary's Cemetery. Coming home from after having witnessed the horrors of war is hard enough, imagine coming home and having a substantial portion of your family now dead and gone. Then, James Quinn's eldest son Harry Paul dies one year before him. No parent wants to bury their child before them, and in 1926, the now aged James Quinn is saying a final goodbye to his first born son.
In 1927, when the Quinn family patriarch James Quinn died, hard times were only just beginning. Prohibition was already happening, the Great Depression began in 1929, people couldn't find work, and banks failed. In Latrobe, times were very hard; employment and food were scarce. Even if one was growing vegetables in the backyard, late at night, there were people in more desperate straits who might raid one's garden.
It is conceivable that purchasing headstones to mark the final resting places of Quinn family members buried at the family plot might have been something our family intended to get done when times got better; unfortunately, declining circumstances seem to possibly have prevented that from happening.
After James Quinn's passing, some relatives had their farms taken away through sheriff's sale. Some of Quinn's adult children left the area since opportunities were no longer available here. Some children of James Quinn carried on by conscientiously raising their own stable families while managing to keep working. Others, seemingly were sent into a tailspin. On more than one occasion, certain Quinn family members landed themselves into quite serious trouble.
The 1850s words of Pittsburgh, PA songwriter Stephen Collins Foster, in his song "Hard Times Come Again No More," seem fitting. After the death of James Quinn, hard times had come to linger for decades about the Quinn family's door. Only this time, our patriarch James Quinn, the man who during his lifetime seemed to know how to fix just about everything, could fix things no more.
Biography by L. Rich, Latrobe, Sept. 4, 2015 with major additions of photos and text in September 2018 and January 2020.
Researcher Note on cemetery plot:
Upon initial inquiry, Holy Family Church had no recorded plot # for James Quinn. Death Certificate and pg. 1 Latrobe Bulletin newspaper article state Funeral Mass at Holy Family, Interment: St. Mary's. Stader's funeral home records were lost in a fire. What appears to be a family plot was observed at Lot 58, Section AA, with a stone inscribed "QUINN." In front of that area, is a headstone for James Quinn's daughter Mary Jane (which the church said was position#6) and church records indicate Anthony Quinn was buried in 1918 at Lot 58, section AA, position 1. In 2021 after consulting with a local funeral home, Jason Brinker at Lopatich Brinker funeral home provided helpful maps and an additional inquiry was made with Holy Family Church. We believe four adult Quinn family members were interred at 1 of 2 seemingly adjoining Quinn family lots. In the first part of Quinn lot, we believe in Position 1 is Anthony Quinn. Position 2, Henry Quinn, Position 3, James Quinn, and Position 4: Ida Samantha Aukerman Quinn. It seems that Mary Jane Is interred at an adjoining lot with her son. We believe the infant and toddler Quinns were buried in the children/infants section midway down the hill and no markers remain.
Please be sure to click "Photos" to view more than a dozen historic images included within James Quinn's Find A Grave memorial. Names within the following biography appearing in blue colored font are hyperlinked so you may click on them and be transported to the Find A Grave Memorial of that individual.
A Biography of James Quinn, written by L. Rich, Latrobe, PA:
James Quinn was a son of Henry Quinn. His father Henry QUINN was born October 1829, and baptized 13 October 1829, in Newry, Counties Down and Armagh, Northern Ireland and Jane LOUGHRAN (variant: LAUGHRAN) Clarke Quinn b: circa 1825, Townland: Meenascallagh, Civil Parish: Kildress, (near Cookstown & Dunnamore), County: Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
His mother Jane LOUGHRAN's first husband was Peter CLARKE, whom she married in Maryland 18 May 1841, witnesses: Michael McDonald & Mary Cox. In 1851, Jane was widowed by her 1st husband, Peter CLARKE who died near Parkton Station in a train derailment while working as a Railroad Fireman for the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad. His father Henry QUINN was employed as an Engineer for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
James Quinn was baptized 15 August 1853, He was the namesake of his paternal grandfather James QUIN, who was a poulterer. The 1853 baptism of James QUINN was by Father Michael Slattery, who around 1849-1850 started work on constructing early St. Michael's Catholic Church, Frostburg, Allegany County, MD. Because there were several Catholics working in Westernport MD & then Piedmont, Hampshire, VA and since St. Peter's Church at Westernport wasn't yet constructed, according to the parish history online, area faithful would meet in a schoolhouse in the parish then known as St. Peter in Chains in Bloomington MD. St. Peter's Westernport construction began circa 1857. To serve the spiritual and sacramental needs for the employees of the local mines and the Baltimore and Ohio RR, Father Slattery would act as a roving priest by coming on horseback from Frostburg to Westernport area where he would conduct baptisms of several infants at once. He'd then ride back to Frostburg. James Quinn 's baptism was one of many that day by Father Slattery. Sponsors were Alisha 'Bohin' and John 'Bohin'. The handwritten baptismal record of James Quinn is included within photos on this Find a Grave memorial.
According to the 1860 census, James Quinn was attending school and living with his parents in what prior to the Civil War was then known as Piedmont Twp., Hampshire County, VA.
Siblings & Half-Siblings of James Quinn include:
1) Sarah Ellen Quinn Adams born: 22 Sep 1855, baptized 1 Nov 1855 in Westernport, Allegany Co. MD by roving priest Michael Slattery who travelled from Frostburg, MD to do several baptisms that day in Westernport. Source: RC Archdiocese of Baltimore, MD-- Parish Registers -- Frostburg. Note: her baptism record is the more accurate DOB than what appears on her headstone as 1858.
2) Catherine A QUINN Stanton
3) Josephine QUINN b: 20 May 1860, Piedmont, Hampshire County, VA (now Piedmont, Mineral, WV)- died: ? We do not know what became of Josephine who was only 6 months old when her mother Jane died of Consumption.
Half Siblings of James QUINN from his mother Jane's first marriage to Peter CLARKE:
4) John Alexander CLARKE, eldest son of Peter & Jane CLARKE. b: 14 Feb 1842. Baptism: 27 Feb 1842. Sponsors, Leonides McLeer & Ellen McCusker.
Source: Archdiocese of Baltimore, Baptisms: St. Patrick's, Cumberland, MD. We do not know what became of John Alexander CLARKE; he does not appear in the 1860 census with his siblings and if he lived past childhood, by 1860 he would have been 18 old enough to be working and living outside the home. We presently do not know when he died nor his final resting place.
5)Michael Thomas Clark: baptized 17 May 1845, MD, USA, Son of Peter and Jane LOUGHRAN CLARKE. Sponsors: Michael LAUGHRAN & Mary CLARKE -- BLO Pg. 140. Source: Western Maryland Catholics: 1819 - 1851. See also: Michael T. CLARK, b: 1845 MD, in 1880 census is married and living in Hoffman's Hollow, MD, then living in Iowa in 1885. (Some LAUGHRANS seemingly also went West). 1900: Michael Clark b: May 1844, MD is living in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska, USA, 1910: Michael & Wife Mary returns to Allegany Co., MD. Then Michael died in 1918, buried at St. Michael's Cemetery, Frostburg, Allegany Co., MD.
5) James Loughran Phillip Clark b: 2 May 1847, baptized 11 May 1847 at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Hickory, Harford, MD. Sponsors: his uncle Stephen LOUGHRAN / LAUGHRIN & Bridget LOUGHRAN / LAUGHRIN. d: 11 Dec 1916.
6) Mary Jane CLARKE Britt Scarry b:26 Jan 1849, baptized 4 Feb 1849 at St. Ignatius Catholic, Hickory, Harford, MD. Sponsors: Andrew Clarke & Mrs. Flood. (1st Husband= William H. BRITT, married in Allegany Co. Maryland; Marriage Date: 7 June 1871. 2nd Husband = Patrick F. SCARRY whom she married in Connellsville PA in 1877).
One month after the 1860 US Federal Census is enumerated, James Quinn's mother Johana "Jane" LOUGHRAN Clarke Quin dies on 11 November 1860 at the age of 36. Cause of death was "Consumption." Her burial mass was held at the parish at which her first husband Peter CLARKE's funeral mass was held -- at Basilica of Assumption, Baltimore, MD. James Quinn was only 7 years old when his mother died.
Half Siblings of James QUINN from his father Henry Quinn's 1872 second marriage to Hannah C. Dolan. Of those for which we know their final resting place, their Find a Grave memorials are hyperlinked and may be accessed by clicking blue font names below:
7) Mary A. QUINN
8) Thomas A. QUINN, b: abt 1878, Ohio, USA, d: ? AT present time, we are not aware of when Thomas A. Quinn died, if he survived past childhood, nor his final resting place.
9)Francis E. QUINN
First Marriage of James Quinn, Children Born of that Union, and Death of First Wife Jane Moore:
Circa 1877, James marries his first wife Jane Moore who was born in Fayette County, PA. Circa 1885, Jane Moore dies. Jane Moore and James Quinn had the following children: Henry "Harry" P. Quinn (24 Oct 1878 - 17 November 1926), James Quinn (b: April 1880 -d: circa 1891), and John James Quinn who died from injuries sustained while working in a coal mine and was buried at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Fayette County, PA (b: 16 Mar 1882 - d: 14 Jul 1949), Please see: John J. Quinn
Thanks to a first page newspaper article dated 22 February 1890 published in The Latrobe Advance, we know James Quinn was employed as the Yard Boss at the Whitney Mine, located in Unity Township, Westmoreland County, PA. This article describes the injury sustained to his hand when it was caught in some machinery.
Second Marriage
In 1891, at the age of 37, the widower James QUINN marries Ida Samantha "Annie" AUKERMAN/ACKERMAN (b: March 20, 1873, Westmoreland County, PA, daughter of Harvey ACKERMAN and Eliza HUGHES) in Uniontown, Fayette County, PA. Children were: Sarah E. QUINN (1891-1961), Joseph Aloyisus QUINN (1895-1970), Anthony QUINN (1897-1918), Mary Jane QUINN (1900-1977), Daniel J. QUINN (1901-1966) Cecelia A. QUINN (1903-1982), Paul James QUINN (1906-1975),Francis P. QUINN (1908-1972), Hugh QUINN (ca. 1911-1914), Alice QUINN (ca. 1912-1913), Katheryn QUINN (1913-1914), and Anastasia QUINN (1916-1917).
Most Dangerous of All Mining Occupations -- Quinn & Campbell are Ohio Sinkers:
By the year 1903, James Quinn and Daniel Edward Campbell were in "Warnick" (sic - probably Warwick), Ohio. The Latrobe Bulletin, Latrobe, PA, 06 May 1903, Pg. 1. Headline was: "Four Monster Shafts" with sub-headline "Latrobe Men Are Sinking Them in Ohio." In that article, the contractors were erroneously identified as James Irwin and David Campbell. This was likely a handwriting to typeset transcription error which was corrected in the next day's newspaper. "In giving the account of the sinking of the shafts at Warnick (sic), Ohio, The Bulletin should have given the names of the contractors as Jas. Quinn and Daniel Campbell." The Latrobe Bulletin, Thur., 7 May 1903.
According to Wikipedia:
Shaft mining or shaft sinking is excavating a vertical or near-vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom. Historically mine shaft sinking has been among the most dangerous of all the mining occupations and the preserve of mining contractors called sinkers. Source cited: A Glossary of Mining Terms used in mid 1800's.
Frequently Making 1905 News:
Our ancestor James Quinn was a busy man based on mentions of him and his business partners in the Latrobe Bulletin going out of town as part of their contracting business. 1905 was a particularly eventful year for James:
1) In March of 1905, James spends three weeks at Presbyterian Hospital at Philadelphia to consult eye specialists, in reference to his failing eyesight; and, The Latrobe Bulletin reported Quinn will recover his sight.
2) In June of 1905, Quinn and one of his contracting business partners, Daniel Campbell, were elected as delegates to a temperance convention.
3) In July of 1905, Quinn, Campbell, and Reed go to Ohio to get their plant, in order to sink the shaft opening to Lawrence Mine, outside of what was then considered Derry Township, but is now within City of Latrobe.
If those weren't enough events for James and the Quinn family during 1905, seemingly, there was never a dull moment at the Quinn household:
4) In August of 1905, (22 Aug and 23 Aug), according to two articles in The Latrobe Bulletin, a Third Ward neighbor of the Quinn family, a Miss Anna Anderson, was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct because allegedly Miss Anderson harassed Mrs. James Quinn and "had called her all kinds of names and had raised a general disturbance." Esquire Shank, the judge who heard the case, fined Miss Anderson one dollar for the charge of disorderly conduct and also required her to pay about $14 in court costs. $1.00 fine + $14.00 for court costs in 1905 was no small sum; according to the inflation calculator of U.S. Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 26 Aug. 2018: "$15 in 1905 is equivalent in purchasing power to $429.56 in 2018." Additionally, according to The Latrobe Bulletin: "The 'Squire threw in a timely lecture on the advantages of attending to one's own business, just for good measure." Presently, we are uncertain about what specifically precipitated this alleged disturbance; in August of 1905, Mrs. James Quinn would have been considered 'in a delicate condition' as her 7th child, a son named Paul James Quinn, was born in February of 1906. (To view the 1905 newspaper articles about the neighbor's arrest and court findings, please visit the Find A Grave Memorial of Ida Samantha Aukerman Quinn).
In 1905, one can only hope the Quinn family enjoyed a peaceful and restorative Thanksgiving and Christmas season since the first part of the year was repeatedly deemed newsworthy.
The Temperance Convention & James Quinn:
According to The Latrobe Bulletin, Page 1, published 12 June 1905, Daniel Edward Campbell (1842-1913) and James Quinn (1853-1927) are elected as delegates from the Holy Family Branch of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union (CTAU), to the Scottdale, PA convention held 13 June 1905. Holy Family Roman Catholic Church located on Ligonier Street, in Latrobe, PA, was the parish of both the Campbell family, who resided on Weldon Street and the Quinn family, who resided on Jefferson Street. CTAU was a Catholic Temperance group which began in Ireland under Father Matthew, whose message to crowds of people who came to hear his speeches was widely received during his travels. He began public speaking about temperance in Ireland and asking members to make a lifetime pledge to completely abstain from drinking alcohol. Father Matthew then came to the United States to promote temperance and Catholic Total Abstinence Unions and the Knights of Father Matthew groups formed. One may see abbreviations of CTAU of KFM or LAKFM (Ladies Auxilliary Knights of Father Matthew) on headstones at cemeteries indicating the deceased was a member of these groups. At the US Library of Congress, digitized images are available on line (stereo view photo cards) which show the parades and speakers during a Wilkes Barre, PA Catholic Total Abstinence Union Convention. These Wilkes Barre CTAU photos provide insight to present day readers of what Daniel E. Campbell and James Quinn experienced as chapter elected delegates in attendance at the 1905 Connellsville CTAU convention.
Real Estate -- The Latrobe, PA Quinn Family Homes:
The first Latrobe home owned by James QUINN was located on Jefferson Street within what was then known as the third ward; this home still stands. Included in this find a grave memorial is a 2014 present day photo of the Jefferson St. house taken at dusk. In the photo, the house was decorated for the Christmas holiday; it was taken by L. Rich, is copyrighted by L. Rich, and is published here by L. Rich with permission of the home's present occupant.
The second Quinn family home was located at 106 Howard Street; a street which if it still existed today, would fall within the city of Latrobe boundaries. The city of Latrobe no longer has a Howard Street on its maps, Howard Street was consumed by Kennametal as shown in the photographs within this Find A Grave Memorial. The Howard Street upon which the Quinn family worked and lived, is not to be confused with the nearby Howard Street within Unity Township, which also bears a present day Latrobe, PA zip code of 15650. That Unity Township area at the start of the 20th century had been farmland, which during the 1950s - 1960s was developed into a tract of houses. Based on period lithography showing the Quinn's Howard St. house during the early 20th century, it appeared to be a stately, two story, white dwelling with a massive, black roof. The black roof rises to a singular central apex which presumably encompasses an attic. Based on its dimensions, it appears to have been a full, walk-up attic. The attic has one windowed dormers on each of the four sides of the structure.
Within the collection of L. Rich's Quinn family archive, is an early Latrobe photo postcard showing the second Quinn house. The Latrobe Historical Society has in its collection, an early aerial photo showing the roofline of the second Quinn house and also, a circa 1970s Kennametal era aerial photo showing the Quinn house roofline incorporated into the manufacturing plant.
The Deadly Perils of Coal Mine Contracting:
One of the positive aspects of being a coal mine contractor is it teaches the contractor though hands on experience, the myriad of details involved in developing a mine from creation to production. The contractor sees what has gone wrong at mines operated by others, learns from mistakes made by others, and tries to avoid them from the start at the next opportunity. Working at building and repairing mines throughout Westmoreland county, neighboring counties, and neighboring states including Ohio, likely gave James Quinn quite an intensive education.
Make no mistake, the type of mine development and restoration work in which Quinn's contracting firm was engaged was no walk in the park. One moment of inattention could get a man maimed for life. A spark from an open flame could ignite a volatile gas; and as an Irishman might say: 'Get a man blown to smidiríní!' One could be conscientiously aware of one's surrondings, something goes awry, and this costs the contractor his life.
On 2 March 1906, one of Quinn's employees went to work and lost his life. He was a 27 year old son of James and Hanna Elizabeth Carnahan, of Youngstown, Westmoreland County, PA. His name was George W. Carnahan. George had only five month's prior, lost his twin brother David to death. The Latrobe Bulletin detailed what happened when George fell 150 feet to his death when re-timbering the shaft at Penn Manor Coal Company, in Manor, PA. George was unmarried at the time of his death. His poor mother was left to grieve the loss of her husband in 1904, and the tragic loss of her two twin sons in 1905 and 1906. To view the newspaper article, and if you feel moved to respectfully and thoughtfully lay virtual flowers in remembrance of George at his Find A Grave Memorial, please visit: George W. Carnahan (1878-1906)
The Contracting Business Led to Coal Mines Owned and Operated by my Ancestor James Quinn:
Between sometime after 1890 through at least 1906, James Quinn is working as a contractor. The contracting firm was known as: Quinn, Campbell, & Reed. They were doing specialty contracting for the coal mine operators such as shoring up timber trusses in mines, building tipples, etc. The principals of Quinn, Campbell, and Reed were:
1) James Quinn
2) Daniel Edward Campbell (1842-1913)
3) Paul Reed (a surveyor)
It appears that Quinn, Campbell, & Reed worked for other coal mines as a contractor who helped in the opening of mines owned by other individuals at Baggaley, Hostetter, and Whitney; these mines are specifically stated in the 1927 obituary of James Quinn. In 1905, with the acquisition of mineral rights to 18 acres of land outside of Latrobe, near Loyalhanna, owned by Michael James Hines Sr. (1858-1923) it appears that Quinn is transitioning from independent contractor who was previously sinking the shaft and developing coal mines owned by other operators and venturing into the realm of operating his own coal mine. Instead of drawing a paycheck at someone else's mine, James and his partners begin controlling their own coal mines.
The first mine owned by Quinn was located in Cambria County, PA. According to Dept. of Mines reports and trade publications, it had limited production and was sold soon after Quinn acquired it.
According to the Page 1 newspaper article published 10 July 1905 in the Latrobe Bulletin, Quinn and Campbell open up a new coal field near Loyalhanna, in Derry Township, Westmoreland County, just east and not far outside of the current day city of Latrobe, which appears to have been the mine called "Lawrence," on 18 acres of land owned by Michael J. Hines(1858-1923) Lawrence Mine was next to the mine owned by Loyalhanna Coal and Coke and was the neighboring property of the Loyalhanna mine owned by Mr. Saxman.
in 1907 with startup capital of $21,000.00, James forms his own corporation. The purpose of the corporation was the mining of bituminous coal, the manufacture of coke, and the sale of both to residential and commercial customers.
Quinn's business had approximately 15-20 employees; many were family members. At the mines of James Quinn, they mined coal by hand with pick axe and shovel, hauled by mule, and sold/delivered coal to its residential and commercial heating customers. It was incorporated as "The Latrobe-Cresson Coal Co." and locally known as "Hines, Quinn, and Johnson, Dealers of Coal." Quinn's coal mines would have been considered a small business which primarily provided for family. As compared to the larger production mines in the area which employed hundreds of workers, the Quinn family mines did not have company houses, did not have scrip, and did not have a company store.
Westmoreland County Coal Strike of 1910 -- Quinn Signs United Mineworkers Union Agreement:
Quinn's Lawrence Mine was in production when every coal mine operator and every coal miner was profoundly affected by the violent Westmoreland County Coal Strike of 1910-1911. This strike halted production at virtually all of the coal mines of Westmoreland County. Some miners were killed and families of striking miners were thrown out of their coal company owned homes. Historical accounts lead me to believe that some of my striking coal miner Slovak and Italian ancestors who worked for the larger production mines possibly spent the winter in tents. During this strike, some area mine owners allegedly fenced in immigrant replacement miners, hired armed guards, and wouldn't allow the miners to leave company property.
Quinn's Mine in US Congressional Testimony, Washington, D.C.
During the Westmoreland County Coal Strike of 1910, James Quinn did something exceptional. Unlike other area coal operators who were steadfastly opposed to unionization, James Quinn signed an agreement with the United Mine Workers. His company was specifically mentioned during testimony before the U.S. Congress as being one of only 2 coal mines within the entire coal basin who signed the United Mine Workers Agreement. For full transcript, please see: Congressional Series Set, Congressional Edition, Volume 6279, Page 51, Published 1912; under: "The only other operator in the Latrobe Basin that signed an agreement with the union was the firm of Hines, Quinn, and Johnson, which employed about 20 miners." [Note: bold used for emphasis by Quinn descendant & author L. Rich].
According to The Coal Trade Journal, Vol. 42, page 221 published March 15, 1911, the bituminous coal production of Latrobe Cresson Coal for the year 1910 was 18,310 tons. As a comparison, for that same year, production at much larger production mines like Jamison Coal & Coke of Greensburg was 2,412,966 tons and Saxman's Latrobe Connellsville Coal & Coke was 638,900 tons.
The third Quinn coal mine, "Island Mine," was located on just under 6 acres of land situated in what then was known as West Latrobe. This parcel used to be an actual island, but part of the Loyalhanna creek was filled in such that the area no longer formed an island. It was in proximity to where the present day Lloyd Avenue bridge crosses the Loyalhanna creek, near the intersection of Chambers St. and Lloyd Avenue. The mine shaft opening to Island Mine was located on what previously was called "Grant's Island" which later was known as Chambers' Island.
In addition to the three mines previously mentioned, James Quinn circa 1910-1920s also acquired mining rights to coal beneath Unity Cemetery, located near Latrobe. According to newspaper clippings, this 4th Quinn coal mine was located somewhere near the entrance to the cemetery and within proximity to the church.
The History of Quinn's Island Mine:
This island and the parcel of land adjoining it was owned by the Chambers family. On an 1867 map of the Latrobe, one can see where the Chambers family had a grist mill. The 1867 map confirms that Grant's Island used to indeed be an actual island; it was surrounded on all sides by the waters of the Loyalhanna Creek.
At some point, one of the owners filled in a channel between the island and the parcel of land adjoining it on its westerly side. After the filling in of this channel; technically, this parcel of land was no longer an island. A more accurate description of it would have been peninsula (rather than island). For some reason, the name "Island" seemed to resonate with the locals since this parcel of land was described as an island all the way up until the 1940s.
Descriptions in early Westmoreland County Deed books, specifically Deed Book 121, Pgs. 205-210, for the 23 December 1882 transfer from John Lloyd to Latrobe Coal Company, page 207 stated: "...to the place of beginning containing 6 acres and one hundred and forty one and fifty seven one hundreths (141.57) perches." A later deed transfer described the parcel as "5.9.5 acres."
In 1901, a coal mine located here was known as: "Chambers' Island Mine." According to deed research, this property was owned by Alexander L. Chambers, who then transferred it to his sister Leonora Chambers Pepperday on 30 May 1913 (Deed Book 570, Pg. 623).
According to an item published in the coal trade industry periodical known The Black Diamond, Vol. 27, Page 457, published in 1901:
"Latrobe, Pa. is to have a new coal mine to be operated under the management of E.L. Brindle, A.S. Kepple, William Dale, L.H. Kepple, and Charles Lohr. The shaft will be sunk on what is known as Chamber's Island, to the nine foot vein of coal. The shaft will be but forty feet deep. The coal was discovered when the excavation was made for the abutment for the new railroad bridge, the hole being sunk through the coal."
Howard Pepperday conveys deed to Latrobe Cresson Coal (Island Mine)
In 1920, Howard Pepperday conveys the deed to The Latrobe Cresson Coal Company. Sometime circa 1920s, Latrobe Cresson Coal Company erects the tipple pictured in the black and white photograph included in this memorial. At some point, a very large, white, two story, house was constructed on this parcel of land. This house became the second Quinn family residence.
On 20 June 1941, when the widow Ida AUKERMAN Quinn conveyed the deed to her son-in-law Harry Cohen (husband of Ceceilia Quinn), Pg. 468 in Deed Book 1094 described this house as: "Having thereon erected a two story cement block dwelling house..."
Quinn's Howard Street Property, Site of Island Mine & 2nd Quinn Family Residence, Sold to McKenna Family. Becomes Kennametal's First Latrobe Plant
In 2013, during a visit to the Latrobe Historical Society, L. Rich was talking with the late Mr. Dennis S. Yamber Sr. (1932-2017) about the 2nd Quinn House and Island Mine property. Mr. Yamber grew up in the same 6th ward neighborhood during the time period when Kennametal acquired the 2nd Quinn House and Island Mine property from Harry Cohen. When Dennis was discussing his memories with L. Rich, he described the Quinn house as: "...very well-built; it was a huge white house with a big yard." He recalled that when the McKenna family purchased it from Harry Cohen, Kennametal integrated Quinn's house right into the Kennametal plant. Dennis said: "They didn't tear it down; they built right around it."
An aerial photo from the collection of the Latrobe Historical society shows the roofline of the Quinn house being visibly apparent within the Kennametal plant. The deed transferring the second Quinn house and the former Island mine to Philip M. McKenna is found in Deed Book #1105, Pages 530-531.
Quinn's second Latrobe house and the tipple to his Island Mine no longer exist; nor does the street formerly known as Howard Street. The yard of James Quinn's Howard Street residence jutted into a rounded point which was bounded by the Loyalhanna creek. Quinn's yard eventually became the paved employee parking lot for the first Kennametal manufacturing plant. Presently, large blue buildings of a beverage manufacturer comprise most of acreage at this site.
At some point during the 1920s, the coal at Island Mine is exhausted. It seems at this point in time, Quinn who is advanced in years, enters into the street paving business with the Campbell family.
According to the Latrobe Bulletin, Page 1, Published 28 June 1927, James Quinn was a charter member of the Latrobe Knights of Columbus who attained the fourth degree in the order. He was the father of 15 children. He died at home and at the time of his death, he was employed by Leo Campbell.
She Was There... Marcella CINNIBULK Quinn Hart's Recollection of What Really Happened That Night
Some family members dispute the accuracy of The Latrobe Bulletin's page 1 newspaper article and say Quinn's final embrace was greatly embellished by the newspaper. The late Marcella Cinnibulk Quinn, daughter in law of James Quinn, was visiting with her mother in law, Ida and was at the Howard Street house on the night of Jame's death. In the 1990s, Marcella told her granddaughter Deb:
That's not what happened. Pap Pap died in his sleep. I was visiting with Ida downstairs in the kitchen and it was about bedtime and James said: "Well you hens have fun down here. It's getting late, I'm headed up. Goodnight." Marcella recalled that every night, James had a habit of opening the upstairs bedroom window, lighting a cigarette, smoking the cigarette, and then going to bed. And on the night of his death according to Marcella, James did exactly the same as he did every night. James went upstairs, opened the bedroom window himself, smoked his nightly cigarette, and James went to sleep. Marcella said later that night, when Ida went upstairs, she discovered James had died in his sleep. According to Marcella, there was no dramatic final premonition nor final embrace like what was described in The Latrobe Bulletin.
In 1927, little did the family realize, what they were soon to face after the passing of James Quinn. The Quinn family didn't have an easy path to start with. In 1914 their 5 youngest children got so sick that three of them died at the Jefferson St. residence (and all five of their illnesses were covered in multiple newspaper articles). Paul and Francis survived; Hugh, Kathryn, and Alice did not. Anastasia dies in 1917. It seems something happened to Anthony requiring his foot to be amputated as evidenced in his circa 1918 photograph on crutches. Also in 1918, the entire Quinn family wound up with Spanish Influenza at the temporary hospital set up at Holy Family School, and that is where Anthony dies. WWI veteran Joseph Aloysius Quinn comes home from war to a home where his four youngest siblings and his brother Anthony were laid to rest at St. Mary's Cemetery. Coming home from after having witnessed the horrors of war is hard enough, imagine coming home and having a substantial portion of your family now dead and gone. Then, James Quinn's eldest son Harry Paul dies one year before him. No parent wants to bury their child before them, and in 1926, the now aged James Quinn is saying a final goodbye to his first born son.
In 1927, when the Quinn family patriarch James Quinn died, hard times were only just beginning. Prohibition was already happening, the Great Depression began in 1929, people couldn't find work, and banks failed. In Latrobe, times were very hard; employment and food were scarce. Even if one was growing vegetables in the backyard, late at night, there were people in more desperate straits who might raid one's garden.
It is conceivable that purchasing headstones to mark the final resting places of Quinn family members buried at the family plot might have been something our family intended to get done when times got better; unfortunately, declining circumstances seem to possibly have prevented that from happening.
After James Quinn's passing, some relatives had their farms taken away through sheriff's sale. Some of Quinn's adult children left the area since opportunities were no longer available here. Some children of James Quinn carried on by conscientiously raising their own stable families while managing to keep working. Others, seemingly were sent into a tailspin. On more than one occasion, certain Quinn family members landed themselves into quite serious trouble.
The 1850s words of Pittsburgh, PA songwriter Stephen Collins Foster, in his song "Hard Times Come Again No More," seem fitting. After the death of James Quinn, hard times had come to linger for decades about the Quinn family's door. Only this time, our patriarch James Quinn, the man who during his lifetime seemed to know how to fix just about everything, could fix things no more.
Biography by L. Rich, Latrobe, Sept. 4, 2015 with major additions of photos and text in September 2018 and January 2020.
Researcher Note on cemetery plot:
Upon initial inquiry, Holy Family Church had no recorded plot # for James Quinn. Death Certificate and pg. 1 Latrobe Bulletin newspaper article state Funeral Mass at Holy Family, Interment: St. Mary's. Stader's funeral home records were lost in a fire. What appears to be a family plot was observed at Lot 58, Section AA, with a stone inscribed "QUINN." In front of that area, is a headstone for James Quinn's daughter Mary Jane (which the church said was position#6) and church records indicate Anthony Quinn was buried in 1918 at Lot 58, section AA, position 1. In 2021 after consulting with a local funeral home, Jason Brinker at Lopatich Brinker funeral home provided helpful maps and an additional inquiry was made with Holy Family Church. We believe four adult Quinn family members were interred at 1 of 2 seemingly adjoining Quinn family lots. In the first part of Quinn lot, we believe in Position 1 is Anthony Quinn. Position 2, Henry Quinn, Position 3, James Quinn, and Position 4: Ida Samantha Aukerman Quinn. It seems that Mary Jane Is interred at an adjoining lot with her son. We believe the infant and toddler Quinns were buried in the children/infants section midway down the hill and no markers remain.
Over ten years of careful research by descendant L. Rich, with input contributed by other family members, stands behind the James Quinn biography. Using mining parlance, of which we think our ancestor James might approve, you may have just 'hit the mother lode' of information concerning James. Sláinte Mhath!
Please be sure to click "Photos" to view more than a dozen historic images included within James Quinn's Find A Grave memorial. Names within the following biography appearing in blue colored font are hyperlinked so you may click on them and be transported to the Find A Grave Memorial of that individual.
A Biography of James Quinn, written by L. Rich, Latrobe, PA:
James Quinn was a son of Henry Quinn. His father Henry QUINN was born October 1829, and baptized 13 October 1829, in Newry, Counties Down and Armagh, Northern Ireland and Jane LOUGHRAN (variant: LAUGHRAN) Clarke Quinn b: circa 1825, Townland: Meenascallagh, Civil Parish: Kildress, (near Cookstown & Dunnamore), County: Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
His mother Jane LOUGHRAN's first husband was Peter CLARKE, whom she married in Maryland 18 May 1841, witnesses: Michael McDonald & Mary Cox. In 1851, Jane was widowed by her 1st husband, Peter CLARKE who died near Parkton Station in a train derailment while working as a Railroad Fireman for the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad. His father Henry QUINN was employed as an Engineer for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
James Quinn was baptized 15 August 1853, He was the namesake of his paternal grandfather James QUIN, who was a poulterer. The 1853 baptism of James QUINN was by Father Michael Slattery, who around 1849-1850 started work on constructing early St. Michael's Catholic Church, Frostburg, Allegany County, MD. Because there were several Catholics working in Westernport MD & then Piedmont, Hampshire, VA and since St. Peter's Church at Westernport wasn't yet constructed, according to the parish history online, area faithful would meet in a schoolhouse in the parish then known as St. Peter in Chains in Bloomington MD. St. Peter's Westernport construction began circa 1857. To serve the spiritual and sacramental needs for the employees of the local mines and the Baltimore and Ohio RR, Father Slattery would act as a roving priest by coming on horseback from Frostburg to Westernport area where he would conduct baptisms of several infants at once. He'd then ride back to Frostburg. James Quinn 's baptism was one of many that day by Father Slattery. Sponsors were Alisha 'Bohin' and John 'Bohin'. The handwritten baptismal record of James Quinn is included within photos on this Find a Grave memorial.
According to the 1860 census, James Quinn was attending school and living with his parents in what prior to the Civil War was then known as Piedmont Twp., Hampshire County, VA.
Siblings & Half-Siblings of James Quinn include:
1) Sarah Ellen Quinn Adams born: 22 Sep 1855, baptized 1 Nov 1855 in Westernport, Allegany Co. MD by roving priest Michael Slattery who travelled from Frostburg, MD to do several baptisms that day in Westernport. Source: RC Archdiocese of Baltimore, MD-- Parish Registers -- Frostburg. Note: her baptism record is the more accurate DOB than what appears on her headstone as 1858.
2) Catherine A QUINN Stanton
3) Josephine QUINN b: 20 May 1860, Piedmont, Hampshire County, VA (now Piedmont, Mineral, WV)- died: ? We do not know what became of Josephine who was only 6 months old when her mother Jane died of Consumption.
Half Siblings of James QUINN from his mother Jane's first marriage to Peter CLARKE:
4) John Alexander CLARKE, eldest son of Peter & Jane CLARKE. b: 14 Feb 1842. Baptism: 27 Feb 1842. Sponsors, Leonides McLeer & Ellen McCusker.
Source: Archdiocese of Baltimore, Baptisms: St. Patrick's, Cumberland, MD. We do not know what became of John Alexander CLARKE; he does not appear in the 1860 census with his siblings and if he lived past childhood, by 1860 he would have been 18 old enough to be working and living outside the home. We presently do not know when he died nor his final resting place.
5)Michael Thomas Clark: baptized 17 May 1845, MD, USA, Son of Peter and Jane LOUGHRAN CLARKE. Sponsors: Michael LAUGHRAN & Mary CLARKE -- BLO Pg. 140. Source: Western Maryland Catholics: 1819 - 1851. See also: Michael T. CLARK, b: 1845 MD, in 1880 census is married and living in Hoffman's Hollow, MD, then living in Iowa in 1885. (Some LAUGHRANS seemingly also went West). 1900: Michael Clark b: May 1844, MD is living in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska, USA, 1910: Michael & Wife Mary returns to Allegany Co., MD. Then Michael died in 1918, buried at St. Michael's Cemetery, Frostburg, Allegany Co., MD.
5) James Loughran Phillip Clark b: 2 May 1847, baptized 11 May 1847 at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Hickory, Harford, MD. Sponsors: his uncle Stephen LOUGHRAN / LAUGHRIN & Bridget LOUGHRAN / LAUGHRIN. d: 11 Dec 1916.
6) Mary Jane CLARKE Britt Scarry b:26 Jan 1849, baptized 4 Feb 1849 at St. Ignatius Catholic, Hickory, Harford, MD. Sponsors: Andrew Clarke & Mrs. Flood. (1st Husband= William H. BRITT, married in Allegany Co. Maryland; Marriage Date: 7 June 1871. 2nd Husband = Patrick F. SCARRY whom she married in Connellsville PA in 1877).
One month after the 1860 US Federal Census is enumerated, James Quinn's mother Johana "Jane" LOUGHRAN Clarke Quin dies on 11 November 1860 at the age of 36. Cause of death was "Consumption." Her burial mass was held at the parish at which her first husband Peter CLARKE's funeral mass was held -- at Basilica of Assumption, Baltimore, MD. James Quinn was only 7 years old when his mother died.
Half Siblings of James QUINN from his father Henry Quinn's 1872 second marriage to Hannah C. Dolan. Of those for which we know their final resting place, their Find a Grave memorials are hyperlinked and may be accessed by clicking blue font names below:
7) Mary A. QUINN
8) Thomas A. QUINN, b: abt 1878, Ohio, USA, d: ? AT present time, we are not aware of when Thomas A. Quinn died, if he survived past childhood, nor his final resting place.
9)Francis E. QUINN
First Marriage of James Quinn, Children Born of that Union, and Death of First Wife Jane Moore:
Circa 1877, James marries his first wife Jane Moore who was born in Fayette County, PA. Circa 1885, Jane Moore dies. Jane Moore and James Quinn had the following children: Henry "Harry" P. Quinn (24 Oct 1878 - 17 November 1926), James Quinn (b: April 1880 -d: circa 1891), and John James Quinn who died from injuries sustained while working in a coal mine and was buried at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Fayette County, PA (b: 16 Mar 1882 - d: 14 Jul 1949), Please see: John J. Quinn
Thanks to a first page newspaper article dated 22 February 1890 published in The Latrobe Advance, we know James Quinn was employed as the Yard Boss at the Whitney Mine, located in Unity Township, Westmoreland County, PA. This article describes the injury sustained to his hand when it was caught in some machinery.
Second Marriage
In 1891, at the age of 37, the widower James QUINN marries Ida Samantha "Annie" AUKERMAN/ACKERMAN (b: March 20, 1873, Westmoreland County, PA, daughter of Harvey ACKERMAN and Eliza HUGHES) in Uniontown, Fayette County, PA. Children were: Sarah E. QUINN (1891-1961), Joseph Aloyisus QUINN (1895-1970), Anthony QUINN (1897-1918), Mary Jane QUINN (1900-1977), Daniel J. QUINN (1901-1966) Cecelia A. QUINN (1903-1982), Paul James QUINN (1906-1975),Francis P. QUINN (1908-1972), Hugh QUINN (ca. 1911-1914), Alice QUINN (ca. 1912-1913), Katheryn QUINN (1913-1914), and Anastasia QUINN (1916-1917).
Most Dangerous of All Mining Occupations -- Quinn & Campbell are Ohio Sinkers:
By the year 1903, James Quinn and Daniel Edward Campbell were in "Warnick" (sic - probably Warwick), Ohio. The Latrobe Bulletin, Latrobe, PA, 06 May 1903, Pg. 1. Headline was: "Four Monster Shafts" with sub-headline "Latrobe Men Are Sinking Them in Ohio." In that article, the contractors were erroneously identified as James Irwin and David Campbell. This was likely a handwriting to typeset transcription error which was corrected in the next day's newspaper. "In giving the account of the sinking of the shafts at Warnick (sic), Ohio, The Bulletin should have given the names of the contractors as Jas. Quinn and Daniel Campbell." The Latrobe Bulletin, Thur., 7 May 1903.
According to Wikipedia:
Shaft mining or shaft sinking is excavating a vertical or near-vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom. Historically mine shaft sinking has been among the most dangerous of all the mining occupations and the preserve of mining contractors called sinkers. Source cited: A Glossary of Mining Terms used in mid 1800's.
Frequently Making 1905 News:
Our ancestor James Quinn was a busy man based on mentions of him and his business partners in the Latrobe Bulletin going out of town as part of their contracting business. 1905 was a particularly eventful year for James:
1) In March of 1905, James spends three weeks at Presbyterian Hospital at Philadelphia to consult eye specialists, in reference to his failing eyesight; and, The Latrobe Bulletin reported Quinn will recover his sight.
2) In June of 1905, Quinn and one of his contracting business partners, Daniel Campbell, were elected as delegates to a temperance convention.
3) In July of 1905, Quinn, Campbell, and Reed go to Ohio to get their plant, in order to sink the shaft opening to Lawrence Mine, outside of what was then considered Derry Township, but is now within City of Latrobe.
If those weren't enough events for James and the Quinn family during 1905, seemingly, there was never a dull moment at the Quinn household:
4) In August of 1905, (22 Aug and 23 Aug), according to two articles in The Latrobe Bulletin, a Third Ward neighbor of the Quinn family, a Miss Anna Anderson, was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct because allegedly Miss Anderson harassed Mrs. James Quinn and "had called her all kinds of names and had raised a general disturbance." Esquire Shank, the judge who heard the case, fined Miss Anderson one dollar for the charge of disorderly conduct and also required her to pay about $14 in court costs. $1.00 fine + $14.00 for court costs in 1905 was no small sum; according to the inflation calculator of U.S. Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 26 Aug. 2018: "$15 in 1905 is equivalent in purchasing power to $429.56 in 2018." Additionally, according to The Latrobe Bulletin: "The 'Squire threw in a timely lecture on the advantages of attending to one's own business, just for good measure." Presently, we are uncertain about what specifically precipitated this alleged disturbance; in August of 1905, Mrs. James Quinn would have been considered 'in a delicate condition' as her 7th child, a son named Paul James Quinn, was born in February of 1906. (To view the 1905 newspaper articles about the neighbor's arrest and court findings, please visit the Find A Grave Memorial of Ida Samantha Aukerman Quinn).
In 1905, one can only hope the Quinn family enjoyed a peaceful and restorative Thanksgiving and Christmas season since the first part of the year was repeatedly deemed newsworthy.
The Temperance Convention & James Quinn:
According to The Latrobe Bulletin, Page 1, published 12 June 1905, Daniel Edward Campbell (1842-1913) and James Quinn (1853-1927) are elected as delegates from the Holy Family Branch of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union (CTAU), to the Scottdale, PA convention held 13 June 1905. Holy Family Roman Catholic Church located on Ligonier Street, in Latrobe, PA, was the parish of both the Campbell family, who resided on Weldon Street and the Quinn family, who resided on Jefferson Street. CTAU was a Catholic Temperance group which began in Ireland under Father Matthew, whose message to crowds of people who came to hear his speeches was widely received during his travels. He began public speaking about temperance in Ireland and asking members to make a lifetime pledge to completely abstain from drinking alcohol. Father Matthew then came to the United States to promote temperance and Catholic Total Abstinence Unions and the Knights of Father Matthew groups formed. One may see abbreviations of CTAU of KFM or LAKFM (Ladies Auxilliary Knights of Father Matthew) on headstones at cemeteries indicating the deceased was a member of these groups. At the US Library of Congress, digitized images are available on line (stereo view photo cards) which show the parades and speakers during a Wilkes Barre, PA Catholic Total Abstinence Union Convention. These Wilkes Barre CTAU photos provide insight to present day readers of what Daniel E. Campbell and James Quinn experienced as chapter elected delegates in attendance at the 1905 Connellsville CTAU convention.
Real Estate -- The Latrobe, PA Quinn Family Homes:
The first Latrobe home owned by James QUINN was located on Jefferson Street within what was then known as the third ward; this home still stands. Included in this find a grave memorial is a 2014 present day photo of the Jefferson St. house taken at dusk. In the photo, the house was decorated for the Christmas holiday; it was taken by L. Rich, is copyrighted by L. Rich, and is published here by L. Rich with permission of the home's present occupant.
The second Quinn family home was located at 106 Howard Street; a street which if it still existed today, would fall within the city of Latrobe boundaries. The city of Latrobe no longer has a Howard Street on its maps, Howard Street was consumed by Kennametal as shown in the photographs within this Find A Grave Memorial. The Howard Street upon which the Quinn family worked and lived, is not to be confused with the nearby Howard Street within Unity Township, which also bears a present day Latrobe, PA zip code of 15650. That Unity Township area at the start of the 20th century had been farmland, which during the 1950s - 1960s was developed into a tract of houses. Based on period lithography showing the Quinn's Howard St. house during the early 20th century, it appeared to be a stately, two story, white dwelling with a massive, black roof. The black roof rises to a singular central apex which presumably encompasses an attic. Based on its dimensions, it appears to have been a full, walk-up attic. The attic has one windowed dormers on each of the four sides of the structure.
Within the collection of L. Rich's Quinn family archive, is an early Latrobe photo postcard showing the second Quinn house. The Latrobe Historical Society has in its collection, an early aerial photo showing the roofline of the second Quinn house and also, a circa 1970s Kennametal era aerial photo showing the Quinn house roofline incorporated into the manufacturing plant.
The Deadly Perils of Coal Mine Contracting:
One of the positive aspects of being a coal mine contractor is it teaches the contractor though hands on experience, the myriad of details involved in developing a mine from creation to production. The contractor sees what has gone wrong at mines operated by others, learns from mistakes made by others, and tries to avoid them from the start at the next opportunity. Working at building and repairing mines throughout Westmoreland county, neighboring counties, and neighboring states including Ohio, likely gave James Quinn quite an intensive education.
Make no mistake, the type of mine development and restoration work in which Quinn's contracting firm was engaged was no walk in the park. One moment of inattention could get a man maimed for life. A spark from an open flame could ignite a volatile gas; and as an Irishman might say: 'Get a man blown to smidiríní!' One could be conscientiously aware of one's surrondings, something goes awry, and this costs the contractor his life.
On 2 March 1906, one of Quinn's employees went to work and lost his life. He was a 27 year old son of James and Hanna Elizabeth Carnahan, of Youngstown, Westmoreland County, PA. His name was George W. Carnahan. George had only five month's prior, lost his twin brother David to death. The Latrobe Bulletin detailed what happened when George fell 150 feet to his death when re-timbering the shaft at Penn Manor Coal Company, in Manor, PA. George was unmarried at the time of his death. His poor mother was left to grieve the loss of her husband in 1904, and the tragic loss of her two twin sons in 1905 and 1906. To view the newspaper article, and if you feel moved to respectfully and thoughtfully lay virtual flowers in remembrance of George at his Find A Grave Memorial, please visit: George W. Carnahan (1878-1906)
The Contracting Business Led to Coal Mines Owned and Operated by my Ancestor James Quinn:
Between sometime after 1890 through at least 1906, James Quinn is working as a contractor. The contracting firm was known as: Quinn, Campbell, & Reed. They were doing specialty contracting for the coal mine operators such as shoring up timber trusses in mines, building tipples, etc. The principals of Quinn, Campbell, and Reed were:
1) James Quinn
2) Daniel Edward Campbell (1842-1913)
3) Paul Reed (a surveyor)
It appears that Quinn, Campbell, & Reed worked for other coal mines as a contractor who helped in the opening of mines owned by other individuals at Baggaley, Hostetter, and Whitney; these mines are specifically stated in the 1927 obituary of James Quinn. In 1905, with the acquisition of mineral rights to 18 acres of land outside of Latrobe, near Loyalhanna, owned by Michael James Hines Sr. (1858-1923) it appears that Quinn is transitioning from independent contractor who was previously sinking the shaft and developing coal mines owned by other operators and venturing into the realm of operating his own coal mine. Instead of drawing a paycheck at someone else's mine, James and his partners begin controlling their own coal mines.
The first mine owned by Quinn was located in Cambria County, PA. According to Dept. of Mines reports and trade publications, it had limited production and was sold soon after Quinn acquired it.
According to the Page 1 newspaper article published 10 July 1905 in the Latrobe Bulletin, Quinn and Campbell open up a new coal field near Loyalhanna, in Derry Township, Westmoreland County, just east and not far outside of the current day city of Latrobe, which appears to have been the mine called "Lawrence," on 18 acres of land owned by Michael J. Hines(1858-1923) Lawrence Mine was next to the mine owned by Loyalhanna Coal and Coke and was the neighboring property of the Loyalhanna mine owned by Mr. Saxman.
in 1907 with startup capital of $21,000.00, James forms his own corporation. The purpose of the corporation was the mining of bituminous coal, the manufacture of coke, and the sale of both to residential and commercial customers.
Quinn's business had approximately 15-20 employees; many were family members. At the mines of James Quinn, they mined coal by hand with pick axe and shovel, hauled by mule, and sold/delivered coal to its residential and commercial heating customers. It was incorporated as "The Latrobe-Cresson Coal Co." and locally known as "Hines, Quinn, and Johnson, Dealers of Coal." Quinn's coal mines would have been considered a small business which primarily provided for family. As compared to the larger production mines in the area which employed hundreds of workers, the Quinn family mines did not have company houses, did not have scrip, and did not have a company store.
Westmoreland County Coal Strike of 1910 -- Quinn Signs United Mineworkers Union Agreement:
Quinn's Lawrence Mine was in production when every coal mine operator and every coal miner was profoundly affected by the violent Westmoreland County Coal Strike of 1910-1911. This strike halted production at virtually all of the coal mines of Westmoreland County. Some miners were killed and families of striking miners were thrown out of their coal company owned homes. Historical accounts lead me to believe that some of my striking coal miner Slovak and Italian ancestors who worked for the larger production mines possibly spent the winter in tents. During this strike, some area mine owners allegedly fenced in immigrant replacement miners, hired armed guards, and wouldn't allow the miners to leave company property.
Quinn's Mine in US Congressional Testimony, Washington, D.C.
During the Westmoreland County Coal Strike of 1910, James Quinn did something exceptional. Unlike other area coal operators who were steadfastly opposed to unionization, James Quinn signed an agreement with the United Mine Workers. His company was specifically mentioned during testimony before the U.S. Congress as being one of only 2 coal mines within the entire coal basin who signed the United Mine Workers Agreement. For full transcript, please see: Congressional Series Set, Congressional Edition, Volume 6279, Page 51, Published 1912; under: "The only other operator in the Latrobe Basin that signed an agreement with the union was the firm of Hines, Quinn, and Johnson, which employed about 20 miners." [Note: bold used for emphasis by Quinn descendant & author L. Rich].
According to The Coal Trade Journal, Vol. 42, page 221 published March 15, 1911, the bituminous coal production of Latrobe Cresson Coal for the year 1910 was 18,310 tons. As a comparison, for that same year, production at much larger production mines like Jamison Coal & Coke of Greensburg was 2,412,966 tons and Saxman's Latrobe Connellsville Coal & Coke was 638,900 tons.
The third Quinn coal mine, "Island Mine," was located on just under 6 acres of land situated in what then was known as West Latrobe. This parcel used to be an actual island, but part of the Loyalhanna creek was filled in such that the area no longer formed an island. It was in proximity to where the present day Lloyd Avenue bridge crosses the Loyalhanna creek, near the intersection of Chambers St. and Lloyd Avenue. The mine shaft opening to Island Mine was located on what previously was called "Grant's Island" which later was known as Chambers' Island.
In addition to the three mines previously mentioned, James Quinn circa 1910-1920s also acquired mining rights to coal beneath Unity Cemetery, located near Latrobe. According to newspaper clippings, this 4th Quinn coal mine was located somewhere near the entrance to the cemetery and within proximity to the church.
The History of Quinn's Island Mine:
This island and the parcel of land adjoining it was owned by the Chambers family. On an 1867 map of the Latrobe, one can see where the Chambers family had a grist mill. The 1867 map confirms that Grant's Island used to indeed be an actual island; it was surrounded on all sides by the waters of the Loyalhanna Creek.
At some point, one of the owners filled in a channel between the island and the parcel of land adjoining it on its westerly side. After the filling in of this channel; technically, this parcel of land was no longer an island. A more accurate description of it would have been peninsula (rather than island). For some reason, the name "Island" seemed to resonate with the locals since this parcel of land was described as an island all the way up until the 1940s.
Descriptions in early Westmoreland County Deed books, specifically Deed Book 121, Pgs. 205-210, for the 23 December 1882 transfer from John Lloyd to Latrobe Coal Company, page 207 stated: "...to the place of beginning containing 6 acres and one hundred and forty one and fifty seven one hundreths (141.57) perches." A later deed transfer described the parcel as "5.9.5 acres."
In 1901, a coal mine located here was known as: "Chambers' Island Mine." According to deed research, this property was owned by Alexander L. Chambers, who then transferred it to his sister Leonora Chambers Pepperday on 30 May 1913 (Deed Book 570, Pg. 623).
According to an item published in the coal trade industry periodical known The Black Diamond, Vol. 27, Page 457, published in 1901:
"Latrobe, Pa. is to have a new coal mine to be operated under the management of E.L. Brindle, A.S. Kepple, William Dale, L.H. Kepple, and Charles Lohr. The shaft will be sunk on what is known as Chamber's Island, to the nine foot vein of coal. The shaft will be but forty feet deep. The coal was discovered when the excavation was made for the abutment for the new railroad bridge, the hole being sunk through the coal."
Howard Pepperday conveys deed to Latrobe Cresson Coal (Island Mine)
In 1920, Howard Pepperday conveys the deed to The Latrobe Cresson Coal Company. Sometime circa 1920s, Latrobe Cresson Coal Company erects the tipple pictured in the black and white photograph included in this memorial. At some point, a very large, white, two story, house was constructed on this parcel of land. This house became the second Quinn family residence.
On 20 June 1941, when the widow Ida AUKERMAN Quinn conveyed the deed to her son-in-law Harry Cohen (husband of Ceceilia Quinn), Pg. 468 in Deed Book 1094 described this house as: "Having thereon erected a two story cement block dwelling house..."
Quinn's Howard Street Property, Site of Island Mine & 2nd Quinn Family Residence, Sold to McKenna Family. Becomes Kennametal's First Latrobe Plant
In 2013, during a visit to the Latrobe Historical Society, L. Rich was talking with the late Mr. Dennis S. Yamber Sr. (1932-2017) about the 2nd Quinn House and Island Mine property. Mr. Yamber grew up in the same 6th ward neighborhood during the time period when Kennametal acquired the 2nd Quinn House and Island Mine property from Harry Cohen. When Dennis was discussing his memories with L. Rich, he described the Quinn house as: "...very well-built; it was a huge white house with a big yard." He recalled that when the McKenna family purchased it from Harry Cohen, Kennametal integrated Quinn's house right into the Kennametal plant. Dennis said: "They didn't tear it down; they built right around it."
An aerial photo from the collection of the Latrobe Historical society shows the roofline of the Quinn house being visibly apparent within the Kennametal plant. The deed transferring the second Quinn house and the former Island mine to Philip M. McKenna is found in Deed Book #1105, Pages 530-531.
Quinn's second Latrobe house and the tipple to his Island Mine no longer exist; nor does the street formerly known as Howard Street. The yard of James Quinn's Howard Street residence jutted into a rounded point which was bounded by the Loyalhanna creek. Quinn's yard eventually became the paved employee parking lot for the first Kennametal manufacturing plant. Presently, large blue buildings of a beverage manufacturer comprise most of acreage at this site.
At some point during the 1920s, the coal at Island Mine is exhausted. It seems at this point in time, Quinn who is advanced in years, enters into the street paving business with the Campbell family.
According to the Latrobe Bulletin, Page 1, Published 28 June 1927, James Quinn was a charter member of the Latrobe Knights of Columbus who attained the fourth degree in the order. He was the father of 15 children. He died at home and at the time of his death, he was employed by Leo Campbell.
She Was There... Marcella CINNIBULK Quinn Hart's Recollection of What Really Happened That Night
Some family members dispute the accuracy of The Latrobe Bulletin's page 1 newspaper article and say Quinn's final embrace was greatly embellished by the newspaper. The late Marcella Cinnibulk Quinn, daughter in law of James Quinn, was visiting with her mother in law, Ida and was at the Howard Street house on the night of Jame's death. In the 1990s, Marcella told her granddaughter Deb:
That's not what happened. Pap Pap died in his sleep. I was visiting with Ida downstairs in the kitchen and it was about bedtime and James said: "Well you hens have fun down here. It's getting late, I'm headed up. Goodnight." Marcella recalled that every night, James had a habit of opening the upstairs bedroom window, lighting a cigarette, smoking the cigarette, and then going to bed. And on the night of his death according to Marcella, James did exactly the same as he did every night. James went upstairs, opened the bedroom window himself, smoked his nightly cigarette, and James went to sleep. Marcella said later that night, when Ida went upstairs, she discovered James had died in his sleep. According to Marcella, there was no dramatic final premonition nor final embrace like what was described in The Latrobe Bulletin.
In 1927, little did the family realize, what they were soon to face after the passing of James Quinn. The Quinn family didn't have an easy path to start with. In 1914 their 5 youngest children got so sick that three of them died at the Jefferson St. residence (and all five of their illnesses were covered in multiple newspaper articles). Paul and Francis survived; Hugh, Kathryn, and Alice did not. Anastasia dies in 1917. It seems something happened to Anthony requiring his foot to be amputated as evidenced in his circa 1918 photograph on crutches. Also in 1918, the entire Quinn family wound up with Spanish Influenza at the temporary hospital set up at Holy Family School, and that is where Anthony dies. WWI veteran Joseph Aloysius Quinn comes home from war to a home where his four youngest siblings and his brother Anthony were laid to rest at St. Mary's Cemetery. Coming home from after having witnessed the horrors of war is hard enough, imagine coming home and having a substantial portion of your family now dead and gone. Then, James Quinn's eldest son Harry Paul dies one year before him. No parent wants to bury their child before them, and in 1926, the now aged James Quinn is saying a final goodbye to his first born son.
In 1927, when the Quinn family patriarch James Quinn died, hard times were only just beginning. Prohibition was already happening, the Great Depression began in 1929, people couldn't find work, and banks failed. In Latrobe, times were very hard; employment and food were scarce. Even if one was growing vegetables in the backyard, late at night, there were people in more desperate straits who might raid one's garden.
It is conceivable that purchasing headstones to mark the final resting places of Quinn family members buried at the family plot might have been something our family intended to get done when times got better; unfortunately, declining circumstances seem to possibly have prevented that from happening.
After James Quinn's passing, some relatives had their farms taken away through sheriff's sale. Some of Quinn's adult children left the area since opportunities were no longer available here. Some children of James Quinn carried on by conscientiously raising their own stable families while managing to keep working. Others, seemingly were sent into a tailspin. On more than one occasion, certain Quinn family members landed themselves into quite serious trouble.
The 1850s words of Pittsburgh, PA songwriter Stephen Collins Foster, in his song "Hard Times Come Again No More," seem fitting. After the death of James Quinn, hard times had come to linger for decades about the Quinn family's door. Only this time, our patriarch James Quinn, the man who during his lifetime seemed to know how to fix just about everything, could fix things no more.
Biography by L. Rich, Latrobe, Sept. 4, 2015 with major additions of photos and text in September 2018 and January 2020.
Researcher Note on cemetery plot:
Upon initial inquiry, Holy Family Church had no recorded plot # for James Quinn. Death Certificate and pg. 1 Latrobe Bulletin newspaper article state Funeral Mass at Holy Family, Interment: St. Mary's. Stader's funeral home records were lost in a fire. What appears to be a family plot was observed at Lot 58, Section AA, with a stone inscribed "QUINN." In front of that area, is a headstone for James Quinn's daughter Mary Jane (which the church said was position#6) and church records indicate Anthony Quinn was buried in 1918 at Lot 58, section AA, position 1. In 2021 after consulting with a local funeral home, Jason Brinker at Lopatich Brinker funeral home provided helpful maps and an additional inquiry was made with Holy Family Church. We believe four adult Quinn family members were interred at 1 of 2 seemingly adjoining Quinn family lots. In the first part of Quinn lot, we believe in Position 1 is Anthony Quinn. Position 2, Henry Quinn, Position 3, James Quinn, and Position 4: Ida Samantha Aukerman Quinn. It seems that Mary Jane Is interred at an adjoining lot with her son. We believe the infant and toddler Quinns were buried in the children/infants section midway down the hill and no markers remain.
Please be sure to click "Photos" to view more than a dozen historic images included within James Quinn's Find A Grave memorial. Names within the following biography appearing in blue colored font are hyperlinked so you may click on them and be transported to the Find A Grave Memorial of that individual.
A Biography of James Quinn, written by L. Rich, Latrobe, PA:
James Quinn was a son of Henry Quinn. His father Henry QUINN was born October 1829, and baptized 13 October 1829, in Newry, Counties Down and Armagh, Northern Ireland and Jane LOUGHRAN (variant: LAUGHRAN) Clarke Quinn b: circa 1825, Townland: Meenascallagh, Civil Parish: Kildress, (near Cookstown & Dunnamore), County: Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
His mother Jane LOUGHRAN's first husband was Peter CLARKE, whom she married in Maryland 18 May 1841, witnesses: Michael McDonald & Mary Cox. In 1851, Jane was widowed by her 1st husband, Peter CLARKE who died near Parkton Station in a train derailment while working as a Railroad Fireman for the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad. His father Henry QUINN was employed as an Engineer for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
James Quinn was baptized 15 August 1853, He was the namesake of his paternal grandfather James QUIN, who was a poulterer. The 1853 baptism of James QUINN was by Father Michael Slattery, who around 1849-1850 started work on constructing early St. Michael's Catholic Church, Frostburg, Allegany County, MD. Because there were several Catholics working in Westernport MD & then Piedmont, Hampshire, VA and since St. Peter's Church at Westernport wasn't yet constructed, according to the parish history online, area faithful would meet in a schoolhouse in the parish then known as St. Peter in Chains in Bloomington MD. St. Peter's Westernport construction began circa 1857. To serve the spiritual and sacramental needs for the employees of the local mines and the Baltimore and Ohio RR, Father Slattery would act as a roving priest by coming on horseback from Frostburg to Westernport area where he would conduct baptisms of several infants at once. He'd then ride back to Frostburg. James Quinn 's baptism was one of many that day by Father Slattery. Sponsors were Alisha 'Bohin' and John 'Bohin'. The handwritten baptismal record of James Quinn is included within photos on this Find a Grave memorial.
According to the 1860 census, James Quinn was attending school and living with his parents in what prior to the Civil War was then known as Piedmont Twp., Hampshire County, VA.
Siblings & Half-Siblings of James Quinn include:
1) Sarah Ellen Quinn Adams born: 22 Sep 1855, baptized 1 Nov 1855 in Westernport, Allegany Co. MD by roving priest Michael Slattery who travelled from Frostburg, MD to do several baptisms that day in Westernport. Source: RC Archdiocese of Baltimore, MD-- Parish Registers -- Frostburg. Note: her baptism record is the more accurate DOB than what appears on her headstone as 1858.
2) Catherine A QUINN Stanton
3) Josephine QUINN b: 20 May 1860, Piedmont, Hampshire County, VA (now Piedmont, Mineral, WV)- died: ? We do not know what became of Josephine who was only 6 months old when her mother Jane died of Consumption.
Half Siblings of James QUINN from his mother Jane's first marriage to Peter CLARKE:
4) John Alexander CLARKE, eldest son of Peter & Jane CLARKE. b: 14 Feb 1842. Baptism: 27 Feb 1842. Sponsors, Leonides McLeer & Ellen McCusker.
Source: Archdiocese of Baltimore, Baptisms: St. Patrick's, Cumberland, MD. We do not know what became of John Alexander CLARKE; he does not appear in the 1860 census with his siblings and if he lived past childhood, by 1860 he would have been 18 old enough to be working and living outside the home. We presently do not know when he died nor his final resting place.
5)Michael Thomas Clark: baptized 17 May 1845, MD, USA, Son of Peter and Jane LOUGHRAN CLARKE. Sponsors: Michael LAUGHRAN & Mary CLARKE -- BLO Pg. 140. Source: Western Maryland Catholics: 1819 - 1851. See also: Michael T. CLARK, b: 1845 MD, in 1880 census is married and living in Hoffman's Hollow, MD, then living in Iowa in 1885. (Some LAUGHRANS seemingly also went West). 1900: Michael Clark b: May 1844, MD is living in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska, USA, 1910: Michael & Wife Mary returns to Allegany Co., MD. Then Michael died in 1918, buried at St. Michael's Cemetery, Frostburg, Allegany Co., MD.
5) James Loughran Phillip Clark b: 2 May 1847, baptized 11 May 1847 at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Hickory, Harford, MD. Sponsors: his uncle Stephen LOUGHRAN / LAUGHRIN & Bridget LOUGHRAN / LAUGHRIN. d: 11 Dec 1916.
6) Mary Jane CLARKE Britt Scarry b:26 Jan 1849, baptized 4 Feb 1849 at St. Ignatius Catholic, Hickory, Harford, MD. Sponsors: Andrew Clarke & Mrs. Flood. (1st Husband= William H. BRITT, married in Allegany Co. Maryland; Marriage Date: 7 June 1871. 2nd Husband = Patrick F. SCARRY whom she married in Connellsville PA in 1877).
One month after the 1860 US Federal Census is enumerated, James Quinn's mother Johana "Jane" LOUGHRAN Clarke Quin dies on 11 November 1860 at the age of 36. Cause of death was "Consumption." Her burial mass was held at the parish at which her first husband Peter CLARKE's funeral mass was held -- at Basilica of Assumption, Baltimore, MD. James Quinn was only 7 years old when his mother died.
Half Siblings of James QUINN from his father Henry Quinn's 1872 second marriage to Hannah C. Dolan. Of those for which we know their final resting place, their Find a Grave memorials are hyperlinked and may be accessed by clicking blue font names below:
7) Mary A. QUINN
8) Thomas A. QUINN, b: abt 1878, Ohio, USA, d: ? AT present time, we are not aware of when Thomas A. Quinn died, if he survived past childhood, nor his final resting place.
9)Francis E. QUINN
First Marriage of James Quinn, Children Born of that Union, and Death of First Wife Jane Moore:
Circa 1877, James marries his first wife Jane Moore who was born in Fayette County, PA. Circa 1885, Jane Moore dies. Jane Moore and James Quinn had the following children: Henry "Harry" P. Quinn (24 Oct 1878 - 17 November 1926), James Quinn (b: April 1880 -d: circa 1891), and John James Quinn who died from injuries sustained while working in a coal mine and was buried at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Fayette County, PA (b: 16 Mar 1882 - d: 14 Jul 1949), Please see: John J. Quinn
Thanks to a first page newspaper article dated 22 February 1890 published in The Latrobe Advance, we know James Quinn was employed as the Yard Boss at the Whitney Mine, located in Unity Township, Westmoreland County, PA. This article describes the injury sustained to his hand when it was caught in some machinery.
Second Marriage
In 1891, at the age of 37, the widower James QUINN marries Ida Samantha "Annie" AUKERMAN/ACKERMAN (b: March 20, 1873, Westmoreland County, PA, daughter of Harvey ACKERMAN and Eliza HUGHES) in Uniontown, Fayette County, PA. Children were: Sarah E. QUINN (1891-1961), Joseph Aloyisus QUINN (1895-1970), Anthony QUINN (1897-1918), Mary Jane QUINN (1900-1977), Daniel J. QUINN (1901-1966) Cecelia A. QUINN (1903-1982), Paul James QUINN (1906-1975),Francis P. QUINN (1908-1972), Hugh QUINN (ca. 1911-1914), Alice QUINN (ca. 1912-1913), Katheryn QUINN (1913-1914), and Anastasia QUINN (1916-1917).
Most Dangerous of All Mining Occupations -- Quinn & Campbell are Ohio Sinkers:
By the year 1903, James Quinn and Daniel Edward Campbell were in "Warnick" (sic - probably Warwick), Ohio. The Latrobe Bulletin, Latrobe, PA, 06 May 1903, Pg. 1. Headline was: "Four Monster Shafts" with sub-headline "Latrobe Men Are Sinking Them in Ohio." In that article, the contractors were erroneously identified as James Irwin and David Campbell. This was likely a handwriting to typeset transcription error which was corrected in the next day's newspaper. "In giving the account of the sinking of the shafts at Warnick (sic), Ohio, The Bulletin should have given the names of the contractors as Jas. Quinn and Daniel Campbell." The Latrobe Bulletin, Thur., 7 May 1903.
According to Wikipedia:
Shaft mining or shaft sinking is excavating a vertical or near-vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom. Historically mine shaft sinking has been among the most dangerous of all the mining occupations and the preserve of mining contractors called sinkers. Source cited: A Glossary of Mining Terms used in mid 1800's.
Frequently Making 1905 News:
Our ancestor James Quinn was a busy man based on mentions of him and his business partners in the Latrobe Bulletin going out of town as part of their contracting business. 1905 was a particularly eventful year for James:
1) In March of 1905, James spends three weeks at Presbyterian Hospital at Philadelphia to consult eye specialists, in reference to his failing eyesight; and, The Latrobe Bulletin reported Quinn will recover his sight.
2) In June of 1905, Quinn and one of his contracting business partners, Daniel Campbell, were elected as delegates to a temperance convention.
3) In July of 1905, Quinn, Campbell, and Reed go to Ohio to get their plant, in order to sink the shaft opening to Lawrence Mine, outside of what was then considered Derry Township, but is now within City of Latrobe.
If those weren't enough events for James and the Quinn family during 1905, seemingly, there was never a dull moment at the Quinn household:
4) In August of 1905, (22 Aug and 23 Aug), according to two articles in The Latrobe Bulletin, a Third Ward neighbor of the Quinn family, a Miss Anna Anderson, was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct because allegedly Miss Anderson harassed Mrs. James Quinn and "had called her all kinds of names and had raised a general disturbance." Esquire Shank, the judge who heard the case, fined Miss Anderson one dollar for the charge of disorderly conduct and also required her to pay about $14 in court costs. $1.00 fine + $14.00 for court costs in 1905 was no small sum; according to the inflation calculator of U.S. Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 26 Aug. 2018: "$15 in 1905 is equivalent in purchasing power to $429.56 in 2018." Additionally, according to The Latrobe Bulletin: "The 'Squire threw in a timely lecture on the advantages of attending to one's own business, just for good measure." Presently, we are uncertain about what specifically precipitated this alleged disturbance; in August of 1905, Mrs. James Quinn would have been considered 'in a delicate condition' as her 7th child, a son named Paul James Quinn, was born in February of 1906. (To view the 1905 newspaper articles about the neighbor's arrest and court findings, please visit the Find A Grave Memorial of Ida Samantha Aukerman Quinn).
In 1905, one can only hope the Quinn family enjoyed a peaceful and restorative Thanksgiving and Christmas season since the first part of the year was repeatedly deemed newsworthy.
The Temperance Convention & James Quinn:
According to The Latrobe Bulletin, Page 1, published 12 June 1905, Daniel Edward Campbell (1842-1913) and James Quinn (1853-1927) are elected as delegates from the Holy Family Branch of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union (CTAU), to the Scottdale, PA convention held 13 June 1905. Holy Family Roman Catholic Church located on Ligonier Street, in Latrobe, PA, was the parish of both the Campbell family, who resided on Weldon Street and the Quinn family, who resided on Jefferson Street. CTAU was a Catholic Temperance group which began in Ireland under Father Matthew, whose message to crowds of people who came to hear his speeches was widely received during his travels. He began public speaking about temperance in Ireland and asking members to make a lifetime pledge to completely abstain from drinking alcohol. Father Matthew then came to the United States to promote temperance and Catholic Total Abstinence Unions and the Knights of Father Matthew groups formed. One may see abbreviations of CTAU of KFM or LAKFM (Ladies Auxilliary Knights of Father Matthew) on headstones at cemeteries indicating the deceased was a member of these groups. At the US Library of Congress, digitized images are available on line (stereo view photo cards) which show the parades and speakers during a Wilkes Barre, PA Catholic Total Abstinence Union Convention. These Wilkes Barre CTAU photos provide insight to present day readers of what Daniel E. Campbell and James Quinn experienced as chapter elected delegates in attendance at the 1905 Connellsville CTAU convention.
Real Estate -- The Latrobe, PA Quinn Family Homes:
The first Latrobe home owned by James QUINN was located on Jefferson Street within what was then known as the third ward; this home still stands. Included in this find a grave memorial is a 2014 present day photo of the Jefferson St. house taken at dusk. In the photo, the house was decorated for the Christmas holiday; it was taken by L. Rich, is copyrighted by L. Rich, and is published here by L. Rich with permission of the home's present occupant.
The second Quinn family home was located at 106 Howard Street; a street which if it still existed today, would fall within the city of Latrobe boundaries. The city of Latrobe no longer has a Howard Street on its maps, Howard Street was consumed by Kennametal as shown in the photographs within this Find A Grave Memorial. The Howard Street upon which the Quinn family worked and lived, is not to be confused with the nearby Howard Street within Unity Township, which also bears a present day Latrobe, PA zip code of 15650. That Unity Township area at the start of the 20th century had been farmland, which during the 1950s - 1960s was developed into a tract of houses. Based on period lithography showing the Quinn's Howard St. house during the early 20th century, it appeared to be a stately, two story, white dwelling with a massive, black roof. The black roof rises to a singular central apex which presumably encompasses an attic. Based on its dimensions, it appears to have been a full, walk-up attic. The attic has one windowed dormers on each of the four sides of the structure.
Within the collection of L. Rich's Quinn family archive, is an early Latrobe photo postcard showing the second Quinn house. The Latrobe Historical Society has in its collection, an early aerial photo showing the roofline of the second Quinn house and also, a circa 1970s Kennametal era aerial photo showing the Quinn house roofline incorporated into the manufacturing plant.
The Deadly Perils of Coal Mine Contracting:
One of the positive aspects of being a coal mine contractor is it teaches the contractor though hands on experience, the myriad of details involved in developing a mine from creation to production. The contractor sees what has gone wrong at mines operated by others, learns from mistakes made by others, and tries to avoid them from the start at the next opportunity. Working at building and repairing mines throughout Westmoreland county, neighboring counties, and neighboring states including Ohio, likely gave James Quinn quite an intensive education.
Make no mistake, the type of mine development and restoration work in which Quinn's contracting firm was engaged was no walk in the park. One moment of inattention could get a man maimed for life. A spark from an open flame could ignite a volatile gas; and as an Irishman might say: 'Get a man blown to smidiríní!' One could be conscientiously aware of one's surrondings, something goes awry, and this costs the contractor his life.
On 2 March 1906, one of Quinn's employees went to work and lost his life. He was a 27 year old son of James and Hanna Elizabeth Carnahan, of Youngstown, Westmoreland County, PA. His name was George W. Carnahan. George had only five month's prior, lost his twin brother David to death. The Latrobe Bulletin detailed what happened when George fell 150 feet to his death when re-timbering the shaft at Penn Manor Coal Company, in Manor, PA. George was unmarried at the time of his death. His poor mother was left to grieve the loss of her husband in 1904, and the tragic loss of her two twin sons in 1905 and 1906. To view the newspaper article, and if you feel moved to respectfully and thoughtfully lay virtual flowers in remembrance of George at his Find A Grave Memorial, please visit: George W. Carnahan (1878-1906)
The Contracting Business Led to Coal Mines Owned and Operated by my Ancestor James Quinn:
Between sometime after 1890 through at least 1906, James Quinn is working as a contractor. The contracting firm was known as: Quinn, Campbell, & Reed. They were doing specialty contracting for the coal mine operators such as shoring up timber trusses in mines, building tipples, etc. The principals of Quinn, Campbell, and Reed were:
1) James Quinn
2) Daniel Edward Campbell (1842-1913)
3) Paul Reed (a surveyor)
It appears that Quinn, Campbell, & Reed worked for other coal mines as a contractor who helped in the opening of mines owned by other individuals at Baggaley, Hostetter, and Whitney; these mines are specifically stated in the 1927 obituary of James Quinn. In 1905, with the acquisition of mineral rights to 18 acres of land outside of Latrobe, near Loyalhanna, owned by Michael James Hines Sr. (1858-1923) it appears that Quinn is transitioning from independent contractor who was previously sinking the shaft and developing coal mines owned by other operators and venturing into the realm of operating his own coal mine. Instead of drawing a paycheck at someone else's mine, James and his partners begin controlling their own coal mines.
The first mine owned by Quinn was located in Cambria County, PA. According to Dept. of Mines reports and trade publications, it had limited production and was sold soon after Quinn acquired it.
According to the Page 1 newspaper article published 10 July 1905 in the Latrobe Bulletin, Quinn and Campbell open up a new coal field near Loyalhanna, in Derry Township, Westmoreland County, just east and not far outside of the current day city of Latrobe, which appears to have been the mine called "Lawrence," on 18 acres of land owned by Michael J. Hines(1858-1923) Lawrence Mine was next to the mine owned by Loyalhanna Coal and Coke and was the neighboring property of the Loyalhanna mine owned by Mr. Saxman.
in 1907 with startup capital of $21,000.00, James forms his own corporation. The purpose of the corporation was the mining of bituminous coal, the manufacture of coke, and the sale of both to residential and commercial customers.
Quinn's business had approximately 15-20 employees; many were family members. At the mines of James Quinn, they mined coal by hand with pick axe and shovel, hauled by mule, and sold/delivered coal to its residential and commercial heating customers. It was incorporated as "The Latrobe-Cresson Coal Co." and locally known as "Hines, Quinn, and Johnson, Dealers of Coal." Quinn's coal mines would have been considered a small business which primarily provided for family. As compared to the larger production mines in the area which employed hundreds of workers, the Quinn family mines did not have company houses, did not have scrip, and did not have a company store.
Westmoreland County Coal Strike of 1910 -- Quinn Signs United Mineworkers Union Agreement:
Quinn's Lawrence Mine was in production when every coal mine operator and every coal miner was profoundly affected by the violent Westmoreland County Coal Strike of 1910-1911. This strike halted production at virtually all of the coal mines of Westmoreland County. Some miners were killed and families of striking miners were thrown out of their coal company owned homes. Historical accounts lead me to believe that some of my striking coal miner Slovak and Italian ancestors who worked for the larger production mines possibly spent the winter in tents. During this strike, some area mine owners allegedly fenced in immigrant replacement miners, hired armed guards, and wouldn't allow the miners to leave company property.
Quinn's Mine in US Congressional Testimony, Washington, D.C.
During the Westmoreland County Coal Strike of 1910, James Quinn did something exceptional. Unlike other area coal operators who were steadfastly opposed to unionization, James Quinn signed an agreement with the United Mine Workers. His company was specifically mentioned during testimony before the U.S. Congress as being one of only 2 coal mines within the entire coal basin who signed the United Mine Workers Agreement. For full transcript, please see: Congressional Series Set, Congressional Edition, Volume 6279, Page 51, Published 1912; under: "The only other operator in the Latrobe Basin that signed an agreement with the union was the firm of Hines, Quinn, and Johnson, which employed about 20 miners." [Note: bold used for emphasis by Quinn descendant & author L. Rich].
According to The Coal Trade Journal, Vol. 42, page 221 published March 15, 1911, the bituminous coal production of Latrobe Cresson Coal for the year 1910 was 18,310 tons. As a comparison, for that same year, production at much larger production mines like Jamison Coal & Coke of Greensburg was 2,412,966 tons and Saxman's Latrobe Connellsville Coal & Coke was 638,900 tons.
The third Quinn coal mine, "Island Mine," was located on just under 6 acres of land situated in what then was known as West Latrobe. This parcel used to be an actual island, but part of the Loyalhanna creek was filled in such that the area no longer formed an island. It was in proximity to where the present day Lloyd Avenue bridge crosses the Loyalhanna creek, near the intersection of Chambers St. and Lloyd Avenue. The mine shaft opening to Island Mine was located on what previously was called "Grant's Island" which later was known as Chambers' Island.
In addition to the three mines previously mentioned, James Quinn circa 1910-1920s also acquired mining rights to coal beneath Unity Cemetery, located near Latrobe. According to newspaper clippings, this 4th Quinn coal mine was located somewhere near the entrance to the cemetery and within proximity to the church.
The History of Quinn's Island Mine:
This island and the parcel of land adjoining it was owned by the Chambers family. On an 1867 map of the Latrobe, one can see where the Chambers family had a grist mill. The 1867 map confirms that Grant's Island used to indeed be an actual island; it was surrounded on all sides by the waters of the Loyalhanna Creek.
At some point, one of the owners filled in a channel between the island and the parcel of land adjoining it on its westerly side. After the filling in of this channel; technically, this parcel of land was no longer an island. A more accurate description of it would have been peninsula (rather than island). For some reason, the name "Island" seemed to resonate with the locals since this parcel of land was described as an island all the way up until the 1940s.
Descriptions in early Westmoreland County Deed books, specifically Deed Book 121, Pgs. 205-210, for the 23 December 1882 transfer from John Lloyd to Latrobe Coal Company, page 207 stated: "...to the place of beginning containing 6 acres and one hundred and forty one and fifty seven one hundreths (141.57) perches." A later deed transfer described the parcel as "5.9.5 acres."
In 1901, a coal mine located here was known as: "Chambers' Island Mine." According to deed research, this property was owned by Alexander L. Chambers, who then transferred it to his sister Leonora Chambers Pepperday on 30 May 1913 (Deed Book 570, Pg. 623).
According to an item published in the coal trade industry periodical known The Black Diamond, Vol. 27, Page 457, published in 1901:
"Latrobe, Pa. is to have a new coal mine to be operated under the management of E.L. Brindle, A.S. Kepple, William Dale, L.H. Kepple, and Charles Lohr. The shaft will be sunk on what is known as Chamber's Island, to the nine foot vein of coal. The shaft will be but forty feet deep. The coal was discovered when the excavation was made for the abutment for the new railroad bridge, the hole being sunk through the coal."
Howard Pepperday conveys deed to Latrobe Cresson Coal (Island Mine)
In 1920, Howard Pepperday conveys the deed to The Latrobe Cresson Coal Company. Sometime circa 1920s, Latrobe Cresson Coal Company erects the tipple pictured in the black and white photograph included in this memorial. At some point, a very large, white, two story, house was constructed on this parcel of land. This house became the second Quinn family residence.
On 20 June 1941, when the widow Ida AUKERMAN Quinn conveyed the deed to her son-in-law Harry Cohen (husband of Ceceilia Quinn), Pg. 468 in Deed Book 1094 described this house as: "Having thereon erected a two story cement block dwelling house..."
Quinn's Howard Street Property, Site of Island Mine & 2nd Quinn Family Residence, Sold to McKenna Family. Becomes Kennametal's First Latrobe Plant
In 2013, during a visit to the Latrobe Historical Society, L. Rich was talking with the late Mr. Dennis S. Yamber Sr. (1932-2017) about the 2nd Quinn House and Island Mine property. Mr. Yamber grew up in the same 6th ward neighborhood during the time period when Kennametal acquired the 2nd Quinn House and Island Mine property from Harry Cohen. When Dennis was discussing his memories with L. Rich, he described the Quinn house as: "...very well-built; it was a huge white house with a big yard." He recalled that when the McKenna family purchased it from Harry Cohen, Kennametal integrated Quinn's house right into the Kennametal plant. Dennis said: "They didn't tear it down; they built right around it."
An aerial photo from the collection of the Latrobe Historical society shows the roofline of the Quinn house being visibly apparent within the Kennametal plant. The deed transferring the second Quinn house and the former Island mine to Philip M. McKenna is found in Deed Book #1105, Pages 530-531.
Quinn's second Latrobe house and the tipple to his Island Mine no longer exist; nor does the street formerly known as Howard Street. The yard of James Quinn's Howard Street residence jutted into a rounded point which was bounded by the Loyalhanna creek. Quinn's yard eventually became the paved employee parking lot for the first Kennametal manufacturing plant. Presently, large blue buildings of a beverage manufacturer comprise most of acreage at this site.
At some point during the 1920s, the coal at Island Mine is exhausted. It seems at this point in time, Quinn who is advanced in years, enters into the street paving business with the Campbell family.
According to the Latrobe Bulletin, Page 1, Published 28 June 1927, James Quinn was a charter member of the Latrobe Knights of Columbus who attained the fourth degree in the order. He was the father of 15 children. He died at home and at the time of his death, he was employed by Leo Campbell.
She Was There... Marcella CINNIBULK Quinn Hart's Recollection of What Really Happened That Night
Some family members dispute the accuracy of The Latrobe Bulletin's page 1 newspaper article and say Quinn's final embrace was greatly embellished by the newspaper. The late Marcella Cinnibulk Quinn, daughter in law of James Quinn, was visiting with her mother in law, Ida and was at the Howard Street house on the night of Jame's death. In the 1990s, Marcella told her granddaughter Deb:
That's not what happened. Pap Pap died in his sleep. I was visiting with Ida downstairs in the kitchen and it was about bedtime and James said: "Well you hens have fun down here. It's getting late, I'm headed up. Goodnight." Marcella recalled that every night, James had a habit of opening the upstairs bedroom window, lighting a cigarette, smoking the cigarette, and then going to bed. And on the night of his death according to Marcella, James did exactly the same as he did every night. James went upstairs, opened the bedroom window himself, smoked his nightly cigarette, and James went to sleep. Marcella said later that night, when Ida went upstairs, she discovered James had died in his sleep. According to Marcella, there was no dramatic final premonition nor final embrace like what was described in The Latrobe Bulletin.
In 1927, little did the family realize, what they were soon to face after the passing of James Quinn. The Quinn family didn't have an easy path to start with. In 1914 their 5 youngest children got so sick that three of them died at the Jefferson St. residence (and all five of their illnesses were covered in multiple newspaper articles). Paul and Francis survived; Hugh, Kathryn, and Alice did not. Anastasia dies in 1917. It seems something happened to Anthony requiring his foot to be amputated as evidenced in his circa 1918 photograph on crutches. Also in 1918, the entire Quinn family wound up with Spanish Influenza at the temporary hospital set up at Holy Family School, and that is where Anthony dies. WWI veteran Joseph Aloysius Quinn comes home from war to a home where his four youngest siblings and his brother Anthony were laid to rest at St. Mary's Cemetery. Coming home from after having witnessed the horrors of war is hard enough, imagine coming home and having a substantial portion of your family now dead and gone. Then, James Quinn's eldest son Harry Paul dies one year before him. No parent wants to bury their child before them, and in 1926, the now aged James Quinn is saying a final goodbye to his first born son.
In 1927, when the Quinn family patriarch James Quinn died, hard times were only just beginning. Prohibition was already happening, the Great Depression began in 1929, people couldn't find work, and banks failed. In Latrobe, times were very hard; employment and food were scarce. Even if one was growing vegetables in the backyard, late at night, there were people in more desperate straits who might raid one's garden.
It is conceivable that purchasing headstones to mark the final resting places of Quinn family members buried at the family plot might have been something our family intended to get done when times got better; unfortunately, declining circumstances seem to possibly have prevented that from happening.
After James Quinn's passing, some relatives had their farms taken away through sheriff's sale. Some of Quinn's adult children left the area since opportunities were no longer available here. Some children of James Quinn carried on by conscientiously raising their own stable families while managing to keep working. Others, seemingly were sent into a tailspin. On more than one occasion, certain Quinn family members landed themselves into quite serious trouble.
The 1850s words of Pittsburgh, PA songwriter Stephen Collins Foster, in his song "Hard Times Come Again No More," seem fitting. After the death of James Quinn, hard times had come to linger for decades about the Quinn family's door. Only this time, our patriarch James Quinn, the man who during his lifetime seemed to know how to fix just about everything, could fix things no more.
Biography by L. Rich, Latrobe, Sept. 4, 2015 with major additions of photos and text in September 2018 and January 2020.
Researcher Note on cemetery plot:
Upon initial inquiry, Holy Family Church had no recorded plot # for James Quinn. Death Certificate and pg. 1 Latrobe Bulletin newspaper article state Funeral Mass at Holy Family, Interment: St. Mary's. Stader's funeral home records were lost in a fire. What appears to be a family plot was observed at Lot 58, Section AA, with a stone inscribed "QUINN." In front of that area, is a headstone for James Quinn's daughter Mary Jane (which the church said was position#6) and church records indicate Anthony Quinn was buried in 1918 at Lot 58, section AA, position 1. In 2021 after consulting with a local funeral home, Jason Brinker at Lopatich Brinker funeral home provided helpful maps and an additional inquiry was made with Holy Family Church. We believe four adult Quinn family members were interred at 1 of 2 seemingly adjoining Quinn family lots. In the first part of Quinn lot, we believe in Position 1 is Anthony Quinn. Position 2, Henry Quinn, Position 3, James Quinn, and Position 4: Ida Samantha Aukerman Quinn. It seems that Mary Jane Is interred at an adjoining lot with her son. We believe the infant and toddler Quinns were buried in the children/infants section midway down the hill and no markers remain.
Family Members
Siblings
Half Siblings
Children
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Henry Paul "Harry" Quinn
1878–1926
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John James Quinn
1882–1949
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Sarah Elizabeth Quinn Busch
1891–1961
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Joseph Aloyisus Quinn
1895–1970
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Anthony E Quinn
1897–1918
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Mary Jane Quinn Barkley
1899–1977
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Daniel James Quinn
1901–1966
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Cecelia Ann Quinn Cohen
1903–1982
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Paul James Quinn
1906–1975
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Francis Patrick Quinn
1908–1972
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Hugh Quinn
1911–1914
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Alice Quinn
1912–1913
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Katheryn Quinn
1913–1914
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Anastasia Quinn
1916–1917
