Rocky Mountain Italians
by Kay Niemann
is an account of early Italian families coming to Colorado during the great Italian immigration period of 1890-1924. The stories include travel on the Narrow Gauge Railroad, the Ludlow Massacre, the old Durango Courthouse, the history of several buildings and mines, the affect of Prohibition on the Italian American community, and the history of the Durango;s Cristoforo Colombo Italian Lodge. Along with the story of each family is a favorite recipe that will pique culinary interests.
- Published
- 2017
- Category
- History
- Place
- Durango
- Listed at
- $21.53
Publication details from Open Library. The price shown is the last one on record and is historic, not a current offer.
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About this book
Rocky Mountain Italians is a history of early Italian families who came to Colorado during the great Italian immigration period of 1890 to 1924. The catalogue lists 2017 as its year and places it in Durango.
Each family has its own story, and the description names several threads running through them: travel on the Narrow Gauge Railroad, the Ludlow Massacre, the old Durango Courthouse, the history of several buildings and mines, the effect of Prohibition on the Italian American community, and the history of Durango's Cristoforo Colombo Italian Lodge. Every family chapter is paired with a favorite recipe, so the book is part local history and part family cookbook.
The publisher's old store page credits Kay Niemann as the author, and its description calls the book an extension of the author's original story, Salone Italiano, which our library also lists under her name. We could not find a page count or outside review that we could read, so the rest of the page rests on the catalogue record.
Who it is for
This book is for readers of Durango and southwest Colorado history, for descendants of Italian immigrant families who want to see that experience recorded, and for cooks who like a recipe with a family behind it. Historical societies and libraries in the region may find the building and lodge history useful.
Ways to use this book
Writing up your own family's immigration story
Gather names, ports and dates from relatives, then email the Animas Museum with a research question about La Plata County. Ask what photographs or records they can search before you travel.
Cooking from a family recipe
The description says each family chapter has a favorite recipe. Cook one with relatives, and write down who taught you each step so the next generation has it.
Putting local events in context
Read the Ludlow article before the book if the strike is new to you. It gives the 1914 background for a story told through one family.
Go deeper
Rocky Mountain Italians centers on families in Durango from 1890 to 1924. These sources cover that county, the strike the description names and the wider history of Italians in Colorado.
Animas Museum
A local history museum in the 1904 Animas City School building, run by the La Plata County Historical Society, which invites research and photograph questions.
Colorado Encyclopedia: Ludlow Massacre
An article on the 1914 coal miners' strike at Ludlow, which the book's description lists among its threads.
History Colorado: Spotlight on Italians in Colorado
A short piece noting that Italians began settling in Colorado in the late 1850s and describing the CIAPA collection.
Good to know
What years does the book cover?
Does it include recipes?
Is it fiction?
Where was it published?
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