During the
mid-1800s, Smithland, Kentucky was a virtual melting pot of people born in
foreign countries. The local population included people from Ireland, Germany, Italy,
France, Switzerland, Isle of Guernsey, Nova Scotia and other countries.
In December
1847, John B. Signaigo came to the United States from Genoa in the Kingdom of
Sardinia and settled in Smithland.[1] He first appears on the 1848 Livingston
County tax list with 1 white male 21+ and one store valued at $400. 1850 Livingston County census shows the
Signaigo family living in Smithland and John B. Signaigo's occupation was given
as grocer.[2] Living with the family was James Zanone, who was also from Genoa and a grocer.
Signaigo
leased part of lot #19 at the corner of Level and Water (Riverfront)
Streets for his store. In August there was a tremendous storm which uprooted
trees and sank steamboats Dover and Caldonia at the wharf in Paducah.
Considerable damage was also done to the Patterson House in Smithland.[3] As a
result of the storm, the building housing Signaigo's grocery was partially
destroyed. Samuel W. Patterson, who
owned the property, agreed to lease the lot to Signaigo for 10 years if
Signaigo would erect a 2-story frame house and use and occupy the property
himself. [4]
Shortly
after settling in Smithland, Santinos, infant son of John B. and Frances
Signaigo died and the next year, in 1849, their infant daughter, Mary, also
died. Both are buried in Smithland Cemetery. They had at least three more
children, all born in Smithland. They were Frank A., Elizabeth and Mary.
Santinos Signaigo
Infant son of J.B. & F.
died 30 Apr 1848
Mary Signaigo
Infant daughter of J.B. & F.
died 14 July 1849
The Signaigo
family last appears on the 1870 Livingston County census before moving to St.
Louis, Missouri. It was there that John B. died in 1873[1] and
Frances died in 1894.[2] They,
along with their children, Frank A. Signaigo, Elizabeth Signaigo Collins, and
Mary Signaigo, are all buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis.
[1]
Livingston Circuit Court Order Book M:504,
26 May 1849, Intention to become a citizen, John Signaigo.
[2] 1850
Livingston County census, Roll M432_210, p. 383B, Ancestry.com.
[3]
"Storm on Saturday - Steamers Sunk," Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, Tennessee), Tues.,
19 August 1851, p. 1, Newspapers.com.
[4] Livingston County Deed Book 1:470, Samuel W.
Patterson to John B. Signaigo, 26 August 1851.
[5] Find A Grave Memorial #47212531, (https://findagrave.com),
accessed 28 Nov 2018. John Baptiste Signaigo.
[6] Find A Grave Memorial #47212514,
(https://findagrave.com), accessed 28 Nov 2018, Frances Weyer Signaigo.
Published 13 Dec 2018, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment