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| Chronicler: Interviewer: Location: Date: |
Andrés "Andrew"
Erquiaga Joseba Chertudi Boise, Idaho 19 August 1975 |
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Andrés was born in the
Erquisa (or Erquiaga) baserri in Ispaster, Bizkaia. His mother passed
away when he was very young, leaving his father to care for the 13 children,
of which Andrés was the youngest.
His older brothers and sisters helped to raise Andrés.
When he was old enough to stand on his own, they were sad to learn of his
decision to leave for America. Andrés embarked in La Havre and arrived in New York almost 12 days later. He remembers being terribly seasick the entire time, but a traveling companion cared for him. After a long trip, Andrés arrived in Shoshone, Idaho, where he met his older brother, José, who had been working in the United States for many years. The two brothers were 18 years apart, and had never met, but José helped him get to his sisters' home in Boise. Andrés went to work for Andrew
Little's Highland Sheep Company, where he stayed for 7-8 years. After
herding sheep, he worked in a mine in northern Idaho and helped build
railroads around Burns, Oregon. |
| Read the interview summary |
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Andrés and his brother, Tomás (c. 1921) | |
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Basque Museum & Cultural Center, Boise, Idaho USA All rights reserved. Webpage designed by Lisa Corcostegui, Center for Basque Studies, Reno, Nevada USA |
