Help with some history (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre: rental, house, neighborhood)

[re8tep]

I live in Australia and I am looking for a kind person with local knowledge to help me with a little bit of family research. My husbands grandparents lived in Jones St Warrior Run PA in 1917 and Beaumont St Peely in 1925. At this point in time I only have a few questions as I need to first establish a house number. G/father died in1925 and G/mother then moved to NZ so in order to find the right family members I need a few simple answers that hopefully can be answered with a visit to Jones St and Beaumont St.
If you are able and willing to help me it would be much appreciated. Thank You MJ

[SteelCityRising]

Hello there, MJ! Well, I'll head down to Warrior Run tomorrow if you'd like with my digital camera and snap a few photos. The town is located about a mile north of Nanticoke and not far south of Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. I've never actually been to Warrior Run, but I've been all around its perimeter. It's a very tiny town with around 900 residents, if that. If you want, I could pull up the county's tax records for those streets, give you the list of names, and then you could see if any of them ring a bell? I'll send you a personal message with them if you'd like.

[re8tep]

Thank you so much. I have just spent 7hrs today looking here and there to try and make some sort of connections but I keep ending up with no results.
When you have a Jones marrying a Jones and they live in Jones St along with all the other Joneses, it can be quite confusing.
I have a photo of the family standing in front of 340 or 342 Jones St. The house was what we call a duplex - 2 separate dwellings but under the one roof. It is 2 storey with verandah out front. The house was there in 1913 and the family was there till at least Feb 1917. My father in law was born there on 31/01/1917
The other address is 432 Beaumont St. The family lived there till early June 1924.
From an article on the History of Warrior Run I would guess the boys may have attended either Washington or Lincoln Building school house.
Their father was secretary of the Welsh Presbyterian Church in Warrior Run and the youngest boy was baptised in the First Welsh Presbyterian Church , Wilkes Barre / Warrior Run. I don't know what this means but father was also an Oddfellow of Askam.
Your help with any information that might help would be so much appreciated. Thank You MJ

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by re8tep

Thank you so much. I have just spent 7hrs today looking here and there to try and make some sort of connections but I keep ending up with no results.
When you have a Jones marrying a Jones and they live in Jones St along with all the other Joneses, it can be quite confusing.
I have a photo of the family standing in front of 340 or 342 Jones St. The house was what we call a duplex - 2 separate dwellings but under the one roof. It is 2 storey with verandah out front. The house was there in 1913 and the family was there till at least Feb 1917. My father in law was born there on 31/01/1917
The other address is 432 Beaumont St. The family lived there till early June 1924.
From an article on the History of Warrior Run I would guess the boys may have attended either Washington or Lincoln Building school house.
Their father was secretary of the Welsh Presbyterian Church in Warrior Run and the youngest boy was baptised in the First Welsh Presbyterian Church , Wilkes Barre / Warrior Run. I don't know what this means but father was also an Oddfellow of Askam.
Your help with any information that might help would be so much appreciated. Thank You MJ

Hello again! If you haven't done so already, check your messages. Also, I don't know what an "Oddfellow" is, but "Askam" is the name of a neighborhood that borders Warrior Run in neighboring Hanover Township, PA. I'd assume that the "Oddfellows of Askam" would be some sort of social club that would meet at a home or business in the tiny, close-knit neighborhood of Askam to either just socialize or work to improve living conditions in the community. I did a search for both of those properties you mentioned. The one at 340-342 Jones Street is apparently a duplex owned by a man who lives a few doors down in a detached, single-family home and rents out both sides of the duplex to others. The one at 432 Beaumont is owned by a woman who lives on Chestnut Street in Warrior Run and also appears to rent out that home to another family (Living in one property and purchasing another one for rental income is popular in this area). As I said in the message I sent to you, there is a "Heather Jones" living on that street today, so she may be a descendant of your husband's grandfather. If you'd like, I could try to find her phone number as well so you can contact her to see if you're a relation.

Other than this, I'm not going to be able to be of too much more help. I'm only 20, so I don't know a whole lot about the history of the Nanticoke area, as I live about 20 minutes away. Best of luck to you, and I'll try to snap a few photos for you tomorrow of Warrior Run!

[WasPA]

Originally Posted by re8tep

When you have a Jones marrying a Jones and they live in Jones St along with all the other Joneses, it can be quite confusing.

This situation gives new meaning to the phrase, "keeping up with the Joneses!"

Interesting reading...best of luck....and thanks for some inadvertent good humor!

[WasPA]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

Hello again! Also, I don't know what an "Oddfellow" is, but "Askam" is the name of a neighborhood that borders Warrior Run in neighboring Hanover Township, PA. I'd assume that the "Oddfellows of Askam" would be some sort of social club that would meet at a home or business in the tiny, close-knit neighborhood of Askam to either just socialize or work to improve living conditions in the community.

Oddfellows was (is?) a nationwide fraternal organization begun in Britain I believe, to create social 'safety net', and later to fundraise to help others, like the Elks, Moose, etc. Once in a while you might run across "Oddfellows Hall" on the facade of an old building just about anywhere....I think Wilkes-Barre has this leftover...somewhere in Central City.

And don't forget to distinguish between Upper Askam and Lower Askam

Somewhere around Askam is an excellent example of 'company housing' from the coal era...brick rowhousing in an arc along the South Cross Valley Expressway on the Dundee side toward WB.....

[barbyq02]

Hello there,
I just saw your inquiry regarding the Jones family of Warrior Run, PA.
There is lots of information about the area and it's history at: www.rootsweb.com~/paluz/patk/WR1.htm (broken link) Also, check out U.S Census records for the years you mentioned.
I no longer live in that area (now in Michigan) but I grew up attending the same Welsh Presb. church that your relatives did.
The homes that we call duplexes are called double blocks in that area. Many were built by the mining companies and rented to the miners and their families.
I have some old pictures from the Welsh Pres. church and I know some Jones family members are listed in it. Do you have any names? If you'd like, I can scan the photos for you.
I believe my fathers family settled in the area about 1880 or so, arriving from Wales.

I hope by this time you have found your family members. I see your post is a year old.

[rubydi]

I can help you with the census records if you'd like. send me a private post. thanks

[re8tep]

barbyq02
Thanks so much for your offer.
I have managed to ascertain that a relative described as being an uncle was not - so now the search is on to find out how he was related. I would welcome any photos, records or items of interest about Warrior Run, Wilkes Barre.
Our Jones family arrived there from Wales in 1888 and from records, we believe some may still have been in the same duplex at 340/342 Jones St are recently as 1979.
Paul Jones, son of David P Jones (our mystery non uncle) who died 26/03/1917 in Warrior Run/ Wilkes Barre, was the first Mayor of Warrior Run. David P was a member of the Dewdrop Band and was involved with the Warrior Run Baseball Club. He also sang in the choir of the Second Welsh Presb. Church. You can email me privately at jonesy@qldnet.com.au Thanks again. MJ

[re8tep]

Hi SWB
Did you ever manage that photo shoot of Warrior Run?
My apologies if you have posted them and I have missed it.
I am now dedicating a day a week to my research but with the beautiful autumn weather we are having it is very difficult to stay indoors. MJ