In compiling information for this web-site, a sincere and honest effort has been made to present the information in an accurate and professional manner. As with all works of this magnitude, you will be certain to find items that are incorrect. These mistakes occur for many reasons, and I apologize to you for any mistakes that were made. Because of my inability to guarantee complete accuracy, I suggest that you personally verified the information pertinent to your needs.
I am asking those who view this web-site to submit photographs of their immigrant relatives. Any photograph sent to me will be posted on this web-site without credit.
I think the IMMIGRANT GENERATION of Americans is America’s GREATEST GENERATION. Immigrants left their homeland to find a better place to live and to raise their families. In the end, they created a greater America. My maternal grand-parents were born in Italy and settled in Painesville Township. They are my Greatest Americans.
Italian Immigration
Four and a half million Italians immigrated to the United States between 1876 and 1924. Some Italians sought permanent employment in the United States. Others were migratory laborers, returning periodically to Italy. About one in five Italian immigrants permanently returned to Italy. Italians first settled in Painesville about 1890. By 1900, there were over 40 Italians living in Painesville. The Italians living in Painesville Village were employed as laborers working for the railroad. Most of the Italians living in Painesville Township were employed as laborers working for the Storrs and Harrison Nursery Company.
1895 America
Grover Cleveland is President of the United States. Independence Day was 119 years ago. In 121 years, it will be 2016. The United States is in a serious economic depression cause by railroad overbuilding. Painesville, Ohio, is a village located 30 miles east of Cleveland, in northeast Ohio. Painesville has a population of about 5,000 people. It is the cross-road of two railroad systems and is the home of The Storrs and Harrison Company, the largest nursery in the world. A vast migration of European poor is underway. At first, these immigrants settled on the east coast of the United States. Gradually, they made their way to the large cities of the Midwest. Cities like Cleveland, Ohio, and Buffalo, New York, had significant populations of Italian nationals by 1895.