The story and lore behind Avoca's name is fascinating
Published: October 13, 2009
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It was 121 years ago last Saturday, Oct. 10, 1888, that the "Mud Run Disaster" occurred. The disaster was the result of a horrible train wreck where two passenger trains collided at Mud Run, a small station between Penn Haven and White Haven, resulting in the death of 62 people, 31 of whom were from Pleasant Valley, a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania, which is now known as Avoca.
The passengers were among those who had participated in a parade and celebration in Hazleton, sponsored by the Catholic Total Abstinence Union of the Diocese of Scranton in honor of the Rev. Theobold Matthew, the apostle of the temperance movement. Many of the local dead were young members of St. Mary's Cadets, a junior temperance society of that time. The youths were from the town called Pleasant Valley.
Which brings me to the reason for today's column. I received a letter recently from my friend, Joe Hannon, former mayor of Avoca. In his letter, Joe gave a scholarly account of how Avoca got its name.
Joe explained that the name "Avoca," as is popularly believed, is a Gaelic word for "Vale of Tears." This incorrect perception understandably gave rise to the supposed movement to change the name from "Pleasant Valley" to "Avoca" in recognition of the Mud Run Disaster. According to former Mayor Hannon's research, the idea of the name change from Pleasant Valley to Avoca had nothing to do with the Mud Run Disaster.
Joe tells us that the town's name change was effected by a commission appointed by the Luzerne County Court. Based on the awareness that there too many counties named Pleasant Valley in the United States which was causing much confusion in the U.S. Postal Service, considering there were no postal zip codes in those days. Joe said an attorney John R. Reap told him that his grandfather Reap and the Rev. Augustine P. Conniff's grandfather from Plains were members of the court appointed commission which handled the name change.
In preparation of the Borough's Centennial Celebration in 1971, documentation was found which was dated prior to Oct. 10, 1888, and contained the name "Avoca," Joe said.
Regarding the "Vale of Tears" theory, Joe said the word "Avoca" does not mean that. Avoca is the name of a village in County Wicklow, Ireland, located about 30 miles from the city of Dublin.
Joe says that he learned that the word "Avoca" is actually derived from a Greek word, "Obaca," which means "gold producing area." Joe was told that there are 11 communities in the United States and one in Australia named Avoca. These communities are all located in mining ore and mineral producing areas. This supports the contention that all the other Avocas throughout the United States would not be named as such because of local disasters.
So it might be correctly accepted that Avoca Borough does not mean "Vale of Tears" and therefore it could not have been named as such in tribute to the victims of the Mud Run Disaster." More correctly, however, the name actually given before the disaster is suitable for a community in the heart of the anthracite coal mining industry.
My compliments to my friend Joe Hannon for his timely research in this matter. Joe was a good mayor of Avoca and he is still a good citizen and a good friend.
"The boy who, when asked how many legs his calf would have if he called its tail a leg, replied, 'five,' to which the prompt response was made that calling the tail a leg would not make it one." Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865).