O'Brien Census Page

-Under Construction-

(Soon all available O'Brien U.S. Census documents will be right here.)

-1870-

Here is a look at the family of our great-grandparents Patrick and Mary O'Brien up in the Keweenaw Peninsula a few years after their arrival in The Copper Country from Boston in the early-to-mid 1860s (we haven't ascertained the exact year yet, but estimate that it was between 1862 and 1865).  Interestingly, a 10-year-old girl -- Margaret Green -- is listed as part of the O'Brien household, but we're not sure who she is.  We speculate that she was a niece, the daughter of a brother of Mary, whose maiden name was Green, but we know virtually nothing about her extended Irish family. Since Margaret was 24 years younger than Mary, it's doubtful that she's a sister...but you never know.  In those days, families were huge, often consisting of 10 children and up, spread out over many years.  Grandpa M.E., the youngest child of the family, had not yet been born as of this census, nor had his siblings Jim and Annie (Auntie).

At this point, Patrick must have been employed by the Phoenix Mining Company, one of the earliest copper extraction operations in the Keweenaw (and ultimately among the least successful). We know for certain that son Patrick Jr., later the legendary attorney and circuit judge of The Copper Country, was born here in 1868, as was the above-mentioned brother Jim in November 1870, just a few months after this census was taken. Other names on this document that may be somehow connected to the O'Briens/Greens as cousins, in-laws, or close friends include O'Neil, Sullivan, Harrington, and Shea.  

-1880-

-1900-

By 1900, great-grandpa Patrick J. had been dead for nearly 10 years, and Mary O'Brien is listed as head (of family).  Son Patrick H., 32, has returned home to open his law firm in Laurium after practicing several years in Superior, Wisconsin, bringing his wife, Bessie, with him.  All the rest of the children remain at home from the oldest, Timothy, a laborer, to Michael, who at 22 has already embarked on his insurance career.  Sadly, brother Jim remains a copper miner, despite the tragic fate of his father and brother Daniel, both of whom died in mining accidents.  Anna (Auntie) is a school teacher.  

The O'Brien residence (which still stands) is at 2006 Calumet, and their neighborhood is a polyglot combination of Poles, English, Finns, Norwegians, Swedes, Austrians, and even an Australian -- not to mention a goodly number of Irish.  Although the quality of this census image is poor, it still yields an enormous amount of important detail about the O'Briens at the turn of the century.

-1910-  

-1920-

-1930-

-1940-