Tracing the Footsteps of Our Ancestors — Part 4

The Costa siblings: John, August, Louisa, Tony, and NickThe children of Antone Costa and Anna Bacigalupi, who survived infancy, became well-known throughout the North Yuba region. Nick Costa, the oldest son, sent for his wife, Maria Raffa, from Chiavari (it was quite commonplace in those days for the Italian men that settled in California to either return to Italy for a bride or pay to send for one; oftentimes these marriages were arranged ahead of time). John Costa married Margaret Campbell. John owned many businesses in Downieville along with many mines in the area, including the Excelsior and Monte Cristo mines, and was arguably one of the most successful men to have lived in Sierra County. His descendants include the Folsom family of Downieville. Louisa Costa married Joseph Pianezzi, an immigrant from Bognanco, Italy (more information on the Pianezzi family later on in this series). August Costa married Marie Saul, and Tony Costa married Jennette Black. Tony’s descendants still live and/or own property in Downieville to this day, too!

Now, I will move on to the Lavezzola family, another Italian clan with descendants still living in Sierra County. The patriarch and matriarch of this family were Michele Lavezzola (1835-1896) and his wife Maria (1848-1939). In an interview with Michele’s son Antone “Tony” Lavezzola conducted in 1951 by Melvin and Marcella Ponta, Tony stated his father “came from Genoa, Italy, to Downieville, California in 1867. He looked for a ranch near here, found some ground (known now as the Lavezzola Ranch), and purchased it. He stayed a year and then went back to Genoa to bring his wife over here. They came to Virginia City and from there to Downieville on mule back over the various trails. Mrs. Lavezzola stayed at another ranch for a time and then moved to the Lavezzola Ranch in 1869.” However, I came across records that clarified many things about the Lavezzola family and records that differ from what is stated above.

First, it had always been believed by the Lavezzola descendants that the family originated in the city of Genoa, but recently, I discovered the birth and marriage records of Michele Lavezzola and his wife that trace the family’s roots to the small town of San Colombano Certenoli in Liguria, which is rather close to Chiavari. Also, the family surname was originally spelled “Lavezzolo” and appears this way in the Italian records and early Sierra County records. Exactly when and why the surname changed in California to Lavezzola, I do not know.

Another interesting revelation that I discovered: the surname of Michele’s wife Maria was also Lavezzolo! Records in California show Maria’s maiden name as Brizzolari, but her birth and marriage records in San Colombano Certenoli show that Brizzolari was the maiden name of her mother! From my research, it appears Michele and Maria Lavezzola were distant cousins. I have found many instances of marriages within the same families in the small towns of Northern Italy.

Also, census records show Michele Lavezzola living in Sierra County years before his supposed arrival date, stated by his son Tony, of 1867. Also, Michele was not the only Lavezzola/Lavezzolo to settle in Sierra County early in its history.

In An Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen, and Sierra Counties, published by Farriss and Smith in 1882, it is written, “In 1851 John Lavezzolo settled on Charcoal flat, but removed to his present place [in Sierra City] in the fall of 1852, his ranch below having been jumped during the year” and a few years later he “had resumed mining on Charcoal ranch, and also had a potato ranch east of Scott’s hotel, where he raised fine tuberous specimens.” I have not been able to confirm the relationship between John Lavezzola of Charcoal Flat/Sierra City and Michele Lavezzola of the Lavezzola Ranch. It is likely the men were brothers (or that John was the brother of Michele’s wife Maria) since the following newspaper clipping from The Sierra County Tribune, dated February 19, 1886, specifically states John was the uncle of Michele’s son Frank:

“A Fatal Accident - Frank Lavezzola, son of Michele Lavezzola, met with a sudden death at this place last Saturday morning. He went down to his uncle John’s No. 4 arrastra, near the Sierra Buttes mill. While there alone, he slipped from a plank into the arrastra, a distance of eight or ten feet. His head struck on something when he fell, cutting an ugly gash, and this blow is supposed to have killed him. His uncle, with whom he had been living, shortly afterward found the body… The deceased was 14 years and 9 months of age, and was a bright and well disciplined boy.”

I will further describe the several branches of the Lavezzola family in Part 5, coming next week!