Looking into the Pittsburgh O'Briens

 

US City Directories. Pittsburgh. 1880.

As I prepare for a DNA coaching session late next week, I'm "doing the genealogy" and digging further into a available sources on the mystery O'Brien branch in Pittsburgh. In the page above from the US City Directory for Pittsburgh in 1880, James O'Brien is listed as a railroad section boss, living at 29th and Jane, which matches the listing for him and family in the 1880 US Census.

Working backward, James also appears at the same address in the 1877 and 1878 City Directories for Pittsburgh, working for "PV & CRR". This was the Pennsylvania, Virginia and Charleston Railroad. The family does not appear in the 1876 directory, and that makes sense if the marriage record for James' daughter Maggie O'Brien is correct. She listed her place of birth as Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in March 1876.

Allegheny County, PA. Marriage Records.

Another child of James O'Brien listed Luzerne County as his birth place on his marriage record. Below is a clipping showing the marriage record for Michael J. O'Brien, who listed his birth date as 28 November 1869. I am hoping this will help locate the family in the 1870 US Census in the area.

Allegheny County, PA. Marriage Records.

The oldest son, Dennis John O'Brien, listed his birth place as "Wales" on his marriage record. He did list an address, 477 Preble Avenue in Pittsburgh, which was very helpful in locating the family in the Pittsburgh City Directory for later years.

Allegheny County, PA. Marriage Records.

My next step is to try to verify the Luzerne County connection, and see if the family appears in the 1870 US Census.

Google Maps.