Mistaken Identity-Spelgatti
Spelgatti is not a real common name. Granted it was real coomon in Solto
Collina, Italy 120 years ago but all of the Spelgattis in the United
States and Canada are part of two branches and they are undoubtedly
related to one another. In America the name is uncommon.
Angela (Guizzetti) Spelgatti was to join her husband, John Bastite in
Idaho. He was a powder man and had worked mines in England and India.
He had a similar job in Idaho. On the train out to Idaho, Angela was
told that her husband had been killed. She was a young mother with five
children. Such a tragedy was devastating. How would she care for her
family.
She proceeded nonetheless. Death was common in the mines in those days.
Miners took care of each other as best they could.
Upon arriving she was greeted by her husband who was not killed after
all. The story was that it was another man bearing the same name!
This story was told to Louie J Guizzetti by either Lewis or Ethel Spelgatti.
No written record of another Spelgatti or that era has been found but
neither has there been much research done to my knowledge.
Louie Guizzetti
The late 19th Century found rural Northern Italy in bad condition.
Living from day to day in poverty became the rule of thumb and contributed
to the mass emigration that occurred around the turn of the century.
Some people made a living with various odd jobs. Luigi Guizzetti, father
of six, gathered chestnuts which were sold and consumed as food. They
are still sold on the streets of Italy, roasted and in bags; consumed
much like peanuts or popcorn in parts of the United States.
Solto Collina is a long hike up the hill from Lake Iseo but hiking or
horseback was the means of transportation on land. On Lake Iseo canoes
were available for various purposes. Luigi had used a canoe in his enterprise
of gathering chestnuts. However accidents do happen---the canoe tipped
and Luigi became drenched. He managed his way home but caught a bad
cold and then pneumonia which led to an early death.
His wife, Carolina (Mazzuchelli) Guizzetti, reportedly sold flowers
and did whatever chores she could to support the family. Two of the
daughters entered the convent, Sisters Luigia and Rosa. The Piziali
family was of great assistance and apparently provided housing at one
time. One of Carolina's sons, Remigio, fell in love with one of the
Piziali girls, Emma.
Emma & Remigio had nine children and they produced many more. This
is the largest branch of the Guizzetti family in America with well over
300 members.
The accident and some details of Carolina's response were related by
Carlo Guizzetti, late of Milano, to Louie J Guizzetti.
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