Byrnesville, Barnesboro, Northern Cambria, Cambria County, Pennsylvania

The picture here on the left, taken in Byrnesville, is of Edna Francina Byrnes Lantzy and Paul C. Byrnes meeting after not seeing each other in quite a while. Edna pointed out that they were happy to see each other as you can tell by the picture. In this 2003 picture, Edna is about 92 years old and Paul is 83 if my calculations are accurate.

A man by the name of Peters helped Thomas J. Byrnes with construction. Earth for excavation was removed by wheelbarrow and scoop pulled by horses. Much of the information here including most of the writing below is from Edna Francina Byrnes Lantzy my '1st cousin once removed' according to the relationship calculator of the Family Tree Maker software. Click on the pictures for a larger version.

The Hotel had 4 floors. The first floor (basement) had a barroom, drinking room, wine and beer storage, and furnace room. Another drinking room was located on the second floor. Women weren't allowed in the barroom, but were permitted in the back drinking room. Family quarters were on the third floor. Ed and Bill had a room together and Margaret and Emma shared a room. Ella Mae, the baby, occupied a small room adjacent to Margaret and Emma. (Ed, Bill, Ella Mae, Margaret, and Emma are some of the children of Thomas J. Byrnes and Sara Miller Byrnes. Sara Miller Byrnes was a very good and caring mother.)

In the rear there was a frame building called a 'Summer House' where blocks of ice were stored after being cut in the winter. The blocks of ice were cut from the frozen reservoir up the hill behind the Byrnes Hotel. The Hotel had acetylene lights at first and later changed to electricity.

For many years the water supply came from a spring and reservoir on the hills above the Hotel. The spring was destroyed when coal was illegally removed from the area. A well was then dug downhill from the hotel and water was pumped by gasoline engine up to the reservoir. The Hotel had steam heat in radiators on the first two floors and parlor (that was seldom used) on the third floor. No heat on fourth floor. There were many brawls in the barroom and Daddy Byrnes (Thomas J.) was quick to squelch them. Some local taverns would let the men fight it out, but not Daddy Byrnes.

Byrnesville was named after the Byrnes family. Local people traveled by horse and surrey. Coal was moved out of local mines (Allport, Cymbria, and Manion) by rail through Byrnesville and railroad tracks were used by local people as a walkway (carrying lanterns at night) to Barnesboro.

(Editor's note. As a teenager, in the summers we used to walk the railroad tracks to Barnesboro in the dark. In Barnesboro we could buy a slice of pizza for a dime from a house on Philadelphia Avenue near Mt. Carmel Church. The pizza place was just a window on a home on the sidewalk. We would also walk to the firehall in Barnesboro on Friday or maybe Saturday night to attend dances. The guys stood in groups by the wall while the girls walked in an oval shaped path in the middle of the second floor 'hall'.)

Byrnesville stores included Foxalls Candy Store (where kids loafed), Sampsons (Mr. Sampson became blind but still tended the store) and Pete DeFazio's grocery near the railroad crossing. Herman James Byrnes (1881-1911) had the second or third automobile (EMF Touring Car) in Barnesboro; Thomas Barnes had the first car, Bill Byrnes had a 1912 Model-T Ford: his father signed a note for it with banker Jim McClem, the car was originally owned by Dr. Ealy.

There was a dance hall near the hotel that also was used for wedding receptions, etc. Bill Byrnes bought the building and made it into a garage. The garage was later bought and used by Landy (Orlando) Byrnes in his trucking business.