Introduction
Italian immigration to the Ashtabula area was primarily in search of work. Italians came to work the low-skill, labor intensive jobs. Soon however a community began to grow as Italian families began to settle in town. As the Ashtabula community grew the institutions of family run businesses, fraternal organizations, and the Catholic Church, helped the Italian immigrants form a new Italian American identity. Originally saloons and stores were the social and cultural nexus point of the Italian workers in the area. Eventually, fraternal groups such as the Order Sons of Italy would take over this role and provide social events and resources for the community, and in 1903 the Italian parish of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was constructed. This Catholic Church would become the epicenter of the Italian community in Ashtabula. Not only would it provide social services and a spiritual home for the Italians but also it would serve as a major unifying force in the community.
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel: the "epicenter of the Italian community" located at the corner of Columbus and Sibley. This church unified and and became an important part of Italian identity in Ashtabula.
Fraternal Societies: Order Sons of Italy in America had two lodges in Ashtabula, one in the Columbus community, one in the West Ave community. Christopher Columbus Society, Knights of Columbus, and Catholic Daughters of America.
Italian Run Businesses: Three types of businesses I cover which are saloons, stores, and craftsmen shops.
This presentation is going to do three things. First I will touch briefly on the methodologies for my research and historiographical debates. Second I am going to give some historical context into Ashtabula and Italian migration at the time. Finally I will talk about Italian owned and run businesses in Ashtabula during from 1888-1922 and how these were important to the Italian community.
Methodology
In this project I worked a lot with the United States Federal Census from 1900, 1910, and 1920. I particularly was using the census to track the population of Italian immigrants settling in the Ashtabula area during the 20 year period. I also used the census and city directories to figure out about Italian employment in Ashtabula. The third major piece to my research were the three over-the-phone oral interviews that I conducted with three current residents and Italian Americans in the Ashtabula area. The first was Ralph Varckette, who's grandfather came over first for work. and then later his grandmother and mother came over. Rita Timonere who came over when she was very young in the early 1950s. And Finally Tom Timonere who's grandparents on each side came over. By interviewing these three individuals. I was able to gather and piece together a better understanding of the Italian community in Ashtabula.
Historiography
Rudolph J. Vecoli and Humbert Nelli and Virginia Yans-McLaughlin: Old World versus New World influences
Josef Barton, Samuel Baily, Donna Gabaccia: Comparative Studies
Donna Gabaccia, Ilaria Sera, Lawrence Baldassaro, Simone Cinotte: Identity formation