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View a map of this person's neighborhood in 1900
In 1900, William O'Shaughnessy, age 38, and his wife Mary, age 32, lived at 169 Avenue C. William and his parents were born in Ireland, while Mary was born in New York to Irish immigrant parents. William worked as a truck driver, and the couple had six children, four of whom were still living: Ellen, 7; John, 4; Annie, 3; and infant Margaret. In 1920, Mary was a widow and renting an apartment in Queens. Her young son Mortimer and daughter Margaret lived with her. Margaret was employed as a bookkeeper. Two male boarders in their early 40s also lived with the O'Shaughnessy's. Today, the building at 169 Avenue C is still a magnet for immigrants. It draws low-income people, with the average rent between $250 and $400 a month. The building's residents include people from Israel, Puerto Rico, and Italy, among others. Kahur Klemath came to New York alone at age 16, and first lived with Columbian and Argentinean friends. He took classes at Brooklyn and Hunter colleges, and today, writes political columns for Spanish newspapers. He is planning on getting his U.S. citizenship. Donald and JoAnne Haynes, and 16-year-old Jessica, their youngest of three children, have lived in this building for a decade. Donald's parents moved here from Virginia in the 1940s, as did many African Americans at that time. |
