Cintano, Italy is a small village in Northern Italy, in the foothills of the Italian Alps. The Rolando family has lived there for generations. The graphic below shows the map of Cintano in 1791, the highlighted area shows the homes of the Rolando family. If you want to take a virtual trip through Cintano, follow this link on Google maps, it will take you to the approximate area of the old Rolando homes.
The names in this story get a little confusing, everyone in Cintano was named for their parents, uncles, and grandparents, there is very little variation in first names. GiòBattista was an especially favorite name because John the Baptist was a favorite saint in the area. Also, the last names when they appear in Italy are a double name, Zucco-Rolando, and in the United States just Rolando. It is common in the Piedmont area to have double surnames because there are so many members of each family, and they all have similar surnames, in our case it is Zucco. The second surname was added to distinguish one family from another, quite often the second name was based on an occupation or a physical peculiarity. However, I did find the back story of our name in a history of Cintano. Two brothers GiòBattista Zucco and Giuseppe Zucco had a grandfather that was named Rolando, in order to differentiate the families, Giuseppe added Rolando to his surname, Zucco-Rolando. http://cintano.info/1791.htm. So we are from the Rolando branch of the Zucco family.
In Cintano in 1809 Dominick Zucco-Rolando married Caterina Giachetto, they had five children, among them two sons, Guiseppe and Pietro Zucco-Rolando. Guiseppe and Pietro married and had families, and it was several of their children that immigrated to the United States and eventually ended up in Butte.
The only story I knew of our Italian family was that Great-Grandpa Dominick (son of Pietro) had come to Butte after marrying Paterson Murdoc in Scammon, Kansas. He settled in Butte and raised his family. When I went to visit Audrey Rolando, she filled me in on the rest of the story. I took the information and names that Audrey gave me and reconstructed the Rolando families early lives in Butte.
The men in the picture are the Rolando men that came to Butte to work in the mines. From left to right are Cousin Dominick Rolando (son of Guiseppe), Joseph (Great-Grandpa’s brother), James (son of Great-Grandpa Dominick), Great Grandpa Dominick, and John Rolando (Great-Grandpa’s brother). In addition to the Rolando brothers and cousin that came to Butte, one of Dominick’s sisters, Terese and her husband, Anton Chiuminatti also lived in Butte. Most of the family returned to Cintano around the beginning of WWI, except for Dominick, who remained in Butte, and Cousin Dominick, who moved to Lead South Dakota in 1904.
Why did they come to the US, and how did they end up in Butte? The family story is that Dominick first went to Australia to work in the mines, then to Kansas to work in the lead mines, then to Butte. Beginning around 1883 European immigrants started coming to Butte in the thousands, and by 1900 the population of Butte was 34% foreign-born. Many came to Butte and stayed and others came to make money and went home. These Rolando’s must have been very adventurous to leave their home hundreds of years and set out to Butte! I would have loved to meet one of these relatives, but they were all gone before I was born.
Dominick (born 1870) was the first to arrive in Butte. According to the 1900 census, he had immigrated in 1891. I assume that he went to Kansas to work, as he was Naturalized in Kansas in November of 1894, and married in Kansas in December of the same year. I am not sure exactly when they went to Butte, but their first son Pietro was born and died in Meaderville while it was still called Gunderson, in 1896. In 1899, Dominick was the only Rolando living in Butte, at 11 Lexington, in Walkerville. Dominick moved to East Park, first living in an apartment (11 Stoddart Row), and later a two-story house at 1103 East Park. They settled in Butte and had ten children. Dominick was occasionally listed in the directories as working at the Pennsylvania mine. Dominick’s children were Pietro (1896), James (1898), John (1900), Mary Elizabeth (1902), Joseph Fredrick (1905), Agnes (1907), Catherine (1909), Jeanette (1912), Margaret (1914), and Lorraine (1918).
Dominick’s brother Giovanni, or John (born 1875), arrived in the US in 1889. I am not sure where he was working, as he does not show up in Butte until 1900 when the census lists him living with his brother Dominick and Paterson. The 1902 Butte directory has him working as a miner at the Mountain Chief Mine, and in 1903 he was working at the Original Mine. In 1903 and 1904 he lived in boarding houses, and in 1905 he is listed as boarding at 18 Gladstone terrace in Walkerville. This is the home of his sister Teresa and Tony. At this time, brother Joseph also lived with them. John married Dominica Giovando in Butte on September 27, 1907. She had come from Italy in 1900 when she was 16. My grandma knew them as Uncle John and Aunt Minnie, and they had at least two of their children in Butte, Peter (1909) and Mary Isabella (1911). There is no record of the birth of their other two children in Montana, Augusto (1914) and Candida (1917), so I am assuming that they were born after the family returned to Cintano. John died in Cintano in 1918, a victim of the flu pandemic. World War I claimed an estimated 16 million lives, but the influenza epidemic killed an estimated 50 million people. John’s son Peter later returned to the US and settled in South Dakota.
Dominick’s second brother Giuseppe or Joseph was only in Butte from 1903 – 1908. I can only find him listed in the Butte city directory and mostly living with his brother John, or sister Teresa. He is listed on a family tree that was researched in Cintano as being married to Marta Filosso. However, no dates are listed so I can’t find any record of the marriage. I think that Joseph probably only came to Butte to work for a few years, then returned to Cintano. While he was in Butte, he worked at the Original Mine and lived at 104 West Dayly, 2 Blue Wing Avenue, and 18 Gladstone Terrace. His son Peter was born in 1912, so he must have gone back to Cintano at least nine months before that. Joseph’s children were Peter (1912 – 1935), Maria (1914) and Giuseppe (1920).
Cousin Dominick was born in Cintano in 1879 to Giuseppe Zucco-Rolando and his third wife Maria Bona Lisa. In 1899 he married Margaret Chiano, he first appears in Butte 1900. He was naturalized in Butte, and his papers are in the Butte Archives, book 1 page 114. If anyone gets a chance to go to the archives, they can send me a copy! I can’t find him listed in the city directories at all, but he possibly lived at 11 East Line Alley in 1902 with John. Cousin Dominick was only in Butte for three years. In November of 1903, he murdered Dennis Holland. Cousin Dominick had just picked up his pay from the Mountain Con mine totaling $35 (nearly $1000 today) when Holland and his friend John Sullivan attacked Cousin Dominick and attempted to rob him. Cousin Dominick killed Holland and severely wounded Sullivan with his knife. He was acquitted of murder charges in February of 1904 and moved to South Dakota where his wife joined him and raised his family. His children were Lara-Ann (1908), Marie (1911), John (1913), Bam (1915), Waldimir (1917), and Valentino (1920). His son John returned to Butte and married one of Great-Grandfather Dominick’s daughter, Lorraine.
Dominick’s sister Teresa is not in the picture above. I have a suspicion that Teresa and her husband Tony Chiuminatto were the first to Butte. My grandma Mary knew them as Aunt Jean and Uncle Tony. Teresa and Tony married in 1891 in Cintano, and on October 19, 1891, Tony immigrated to the United States. I am not sure where he went, or when Teresa joined him, but he shows up on the 1900 census living in Butte, but Teresa is not listed. He is then recorded in 1902 and 1903 as a miner working at the Moonlight Mine, and residing on Leatherwood, and 104 Dayly (I believe this is a boarding house). In 1905 Tony was working at the Original Mine, and living at 18 Gladstone Terrace, at this time Teresa is with him. I believe that the house at 18 Gladstone Terrace was Tony and Teresa’s home, and occasionally one of her brothers lived with them. My brother Bill, Debbie, and I took a drive through Walkerville last summer and located the house. I didn’t have my camera, so I couldn’t get a photo, but it is still there, and someone is living in it. They lived in the house until at least 1910. I do know that Teresa and Tony went back to Cintnao, Tony is listed as a witness on John’s death certificate in 1919. They did not have any biological children but adopted Giovanni Guidetti. The child was born in 1909, and I am not sure if he was adopted in Butte (no records) or Cintano.
These Rolando’s were all a part of a strong Italian community, they worked in the mines that supplied 30% of the world’s copper, and contributed greatly to the economy and culture of Butte.
The picture of the Rolando men is an iphone picture of a photocopy that Audrey has in her files. It was among my Grandma Mary Rolando Rule’s pictures. If any family member has the original photo, please send me a good quality scan of it and I will share it with others.
Below is the original timeline that I developed to write this story.
Rolando Family from Cintano to Butte
Information is taken from the Butte City Directories, 1900 and 1910 Census, and birth and marriage records from Butte and Cintano, Italy
Dominick b. July 3, 1870
- 1891 Arrived according to 1900 census. Was said to have come from Australia
- Lived in Cherokee, Kansas
- Naturalized in Kansas (November)
- 1894 Married Paterson Murdoc in Kansas December 24
- Moved to Gunderson (Meaderville)
- 1896 Baby Pietro
- 1898 Baby James Roy
- 1899 resided 11 Lexington, Walkerville (only Rolando listed)
- 1900 Baby John Edward
- Brother John lived with Dominick and Paterson in 1900 (census)
- 1901 1109 E Park (inquest on the death of baby John)
- 1902 Baby Mary Elizabeth
- 1902 11 East Line Alley (with John) — maybe this is cousin Dominick
- 1903 miner at the Pennsylvania Mine and lived at 1103 E. Park
- 1904 same
- 1905 same
- 1905 Baby Joseph Fredrick
- 1907 Baby Agnes
- 1909 Baby Catherine
- 1912 Baby Jeanette Viola
- 1914 Baby Margaret Dorine
- 1918 Baby Lorraine Helen
Giovanni or John (brother) b. 1875, d. 1919 Uncle John and Aunt Minnie
- 1889 Arrived in the US
- 1900 Census Living with brother Dominick
- 1902 miner Mountain Chief Mine, no residence
- 1903 miner Original Mine. Boards 104 W Dayly, Walkerville
- 1904 miner Boards 2 Blue Wing Ave, Walkerville
- 1905 miner Original Mine. Boards 18 Gladstone Terrace
- 1907 September 27 Married Dominca (Minnie) Giovando in Butte
- 1908 Carman, Original Mine, reside 1512 1st, Walkerville
- 1909 Baby Peter (Butte, I have certificate)
- 1910 Census John, Dominica, Peter, 18 Gladstone Terrace, Walkerville
- 1911 Baby Mary Isabella Rolando Zucco (Butte, I have certificate)
- 1914 Baby Augusto (Cintano?)
- 1917 Baby Candida (Cintano?)
- Died in 1919 in the worldwide flu epidemic in Cintano
Giuseppe or Joseph (brother)
- 1903 miner. Boards 104 W Dayly, Walkerville
- 1904 miner Original Mine Boards 2 Blue Wing Ave, Walkerville
- 1905 miner Original Mine Boards 18 Gladstone Terrace, Walkerville
- 1908 Carman, boards 18 Gladstone Terrace, Walkerville
- Married Marta Filosso according to the sheet from Audrey
- 1912 Baby Pietro
- 1914 Baby Maria
- 1920 Baby Giuseppe
Dominick (cousin) b. 1879
- 1899 married Margaret Chiano
- 1900 came to the US
- 1902 Naturalization Butte, book 1 page 114
- 1903 November Murder
- 1904 February cleared of murder charges
- 1904 moved to South Dakota
Theresa (sister) Aunt Jean and Uncle Tony
- 1891 Married Anton H Chiuminatti, Cintano
- 1891 Oct 19 Tony to the US, according to 1900 census
- 1900 Census Tony but no Teresa (married 7 yrs)
- 1902 miner, Moonlight Mine, reside Leatherwood, McQueen
- 1903 miner residence 104 W Dayly, Walkerville
- 1905 miner Original Mine, resides 18 Gladstone Terrace
- 1907 same
- 1908 same
- 1909 (21 August) both listed as a witness on the marriage of Joseph Zucco-China and Maria Zucco-China (widowed)
- 1910 Census both 18 Gladston