Pictured above: reproductions of the cover page and festival program for the 1976 Youngstown, Ohio Gymanfa Ganu, held in my hometown, which was one of the largest Welsh settlements in the New World.
My Welsh grandmother 'Lottie Lute' (nee Charlotte Williams) constantly spoke about the hymn fests and the Eisteddfodau, and me and my siblings were told we had to go to our musical instrument lessons after school, so that 'one day you will win the Eisteddfod!'
Being 'Welsh' was the catch-all excuse I got, whenever I inquired why our wood-frame house was crammed to the attic with countless books, piano, organ, guitars, accordian, banjo, mandolin, tambourines and drums, and yellowing stacks of hymnals, sheet music, country-western record albums, choir albums, and church bulletins from the 1920s for the Hillman Street Christian church and Oak Hill Baptist (both Welsh congregations).
In our tiny chapel on Warren Avenue, I recited Moore's 'The Night Before Christmas' to thunderous applause as Santa Claus crept in behind my frail 6 year old frame, and afterwards grumpy old Welshmen and even sleepy tenor-voiced Allen Griffiths hugged me and told me I would make a 'fine preacher' some day.
Our churches and chapels picked up where the Eisteddfodau and seasonal Gymanfa Ganu hymn fests left off, and we knew that music and lyric and performance were a part of our distant Welsh ethnic and cultural heritage, even though most of us had never been to Wales.
My ancestors began settling in the Mahoning Valley around Youngstown and Warren Ohio, Hubbard, Niles and Girard, Ohio, and Mercer/Sharon Pennsylvania in early 1860s.
President Lincoln encouraged the Welsh to settle in Ohio and to bring their knowledge of iron-working to assist in the 'Union Cause.
My mother's great-grandfather, William J. Wiliams, was an iron puddler who hailed from 'ole Dow-Lus' (Dowlais) and who probably learned his craft from foundrymen trained in the Merthyr Tydfil works.
This was around the same time Welsh emmigrants were going to Patagonia in South America, and there were stories when I grew up of disgruntled Patagonia settlers moving to join our family's 'gwladfa fach' little colony in Ohio, but I think a lot of this legend might have died with my forebears, before being verified.
What is remarkable is the resilience of the Welsh culture and language in Ohio, even after 100 hundred years of settlement.
My mother attended Welsh language servces, sermons, Christmas programs and events, right up through the late 1950s in Youngstown, in the area around Oak Hill on the South Side.
A lot of folks in America and Canada with Welsh ancestry are digging deep into their pasts to find out more about the courage and culture of their ancestors.
A great way to re-connect is to travel to Wales, and to atend to National Eisteddfod, taking place this coming week.
For those who can't immeidately travel to Wales, local St. David's Society's and Cambrian Groups can help.
And let's not forget the North American Festival of Wales, which is quickly coming up in September 2007.
The Largest Gathering of the Welsh in North America
At Welsh American Family Genealogy, we believe there’s no better ‘Empty Nest’ activity than researching your Welsh family history and creating a legacy for future generations. You don’t have to be rich to leave behind an enduring heritage for your children and heirs.
What’s important is that you use the time wisely. If you would like to simulate your mind each day and stay young through constructive activities, than genealogy might be right for you!
Write to us and tell us your questions. We might not know the exact answer, but think of this as a daily adventure – thousands of other online readers will ‘pick their brains’ to help you!
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Gyda bob hwyl i bawb, MarkClick here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh-American Family Genealogy, on the World Wide Web.
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© 2007 Mark Leslie Woods
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