GUGNINA (KUJNINA) AND VUCANOVICH

 

By Adam S. Eterovich

 

Nikola Gugnina from Dalmatia was a real Nevada pioneer.  He was a member of the Slavonic Illyric Society of San Francisco, California and had a coffee saloon at Mission and Stewart in 1859.  He ventured into Nevada with his fellow Croatians and was in Clifton, Nevada probably seeking silver.  He was a shareholder in the Adriatic Gold and SIlvermining Company in 1863 and had $3000 invested in the Bajazet Mining Company in 1864. (1)

Nikola was civic minded and belonged the the Hyman Engine Company #1 at Hamilton, Nevada in 1870. (2)  He was naturalized as a citizen in 1870 and voted in 1870.  At a later date he belonged to the Virginia City, Nevada Fire Engine Company #1.

 

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From 1865 to approximately 1885 he owned saloons, fruits, billiard saloons, chop houses, and liquor businesses in Shermantown, Hamilton, and Virginia City.  His Monitor Saloon in Virginia City took up most of his time except for the silver boom in White Pine County where he opened one business in Shermantown and a chop house in Hamilton with Mitchell Vucanovich.

Nikola appeared out he San Francisco Census of 1860 with a Mexican wife, Lola.  In 1870 at Shermantown, Nevada the Federal Census lists him with a wife named Joan from Austria with one son born in Nevada.  The 1880 Federal Census at Virginia City states he had four children born in Nevada named Kate, Lola, Nicholas, and Mary.

Peter and Luka Gugnina were also in Nevada during the 1870’s.  Peter was a silver miner, barkeeper, and saloon owner.  He was an American citizen.

 

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Mitchell Vucanovich was in business in San Francisco at 20 1st Street with a restaurant in 1859.  He was a Director of the Slavonic Illyric Society of San Francisco in 1860 and 1863.  He ventured into Nevada in 1864 with his fellow Slavonians and was at Virginia City.  He was a native of Herzegovina and listed on the 1875 and 1880 Census as from Turkey.  In 1870 he reported as Austrian.  At various times he used the name of V. Mitchell.  He purchased from Marco Medina a provision business in Hamilton in 1869.

Mitchell owned the San Francisco Market at Virginia City in 1873 located on 11 So. C Street.  In 1880 he operated a saloon in Virginia City.  He was a shareholder in he Bajazet Silvermining Company with $5100 in shares.

 

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A young man named Chris Vucanovich was entered at Santa Clara College as a student in 1870.  He was 12 years old and listed as from Dalmatia on the Federal Census.  He went to Nevada after his schooling and worked as a clerk fro Mitchell Vucanovich in Virginia City and John Ivankovich at Carson City in 1878.  He was a merchant in 1880 and reported on the Federal Census as an Austrian.

Peter Vucanovich was also a well known businessman at Virginia City during the 1870’s with Fish, Vegetable, and Fruit Businesses at 100 So. C Street.   He was later in the fruit business in San Francisco with George Beleney and John Ivankovich.  He was an American citizen and married Elena Joly.

A Martin Vucanovich, born in California had a fruit business at Hamilton in 1870.  Another Michael Vucanovich, age 27, was a merchant in Carson City in 1880. (3)

 

1.  Alta California, July 4, 1863.

2.  Inland Empire, October 9, 1870.

3.  U.S. Census of Population, Nevada, 1870 and 1880.