LAGO is town in the Province of COSENZA
within the CALABRIA Region of Southern ITALY


Panorama of the town of Lago

Padua, Italy January 2007

The author is Dr. Francesco Gallo, a Medical Doctor, Specialist in Psychiatry who also is a Local History Researcher especially about Lago (Cosenza) Italy, his hometown.
Please send E- mails to angall2@libero.it with any comment or suggestion about this publication.

The LAGO- SALIDA CONNECTION

This booklet wishes to give RECOGNITION to LAGHITAN PIONEERS who were among the first immigrants to settle and help develop SALIDA. They found a semi-unexplored territory within the rugged Rocky Mountains of Chaffee County in Colorado and through their great courage and determination, contributed to making Salida one of the “Dream Towns” of the USA where 6% of its entire population has their ancestry linked to the town of Lago (Cosenza) in Calabria, Italy.

SUMMARY

Preface
List of Laghitan pioneers
Arrival in New York of Laghitans directed to Salida
Topographic analogies between Lago and Salida
Events that favored emigration
Why did they go to Colorado?
How farmers lived in Lago and the Homestead Act
Farming in Salida and comparisons
Others occupations Laghitans held in Salida
Salida a “Dream Town”
Cultural differences and prejudice
Oral interviews of descendants of Laghitan Pioneers of Salida

Domenico Posteraro
Giuseppe De Luca
Pietro Barone
Saverio Ciciarelli
Raffaele Cupelli
Altri pionieri laghitani

Study and research methods and Conclusion

My GRATITUDE goes to those who sent me the BIOGRAPHIES of their PIONEER GRANDPARENTS who emigrated from Lago to become FRONTIERSMEN in the settlement of Salida.

I DEDICATE this research to those who sent me their letters, pictures and E mails and described by phone their grandparents’ biographies.

Preface

Salida today has 5700 people, out of which about 300 (6% of the population) have ancestors born in Lago. This is a very high percentage for a single Italian town especially if we consider that the entire Italian community forms 11% of Salida’s inhabitants. This strong presence of Laghitans is one of the main reasons why I began this project and believe it would be proper to consider them “Twin-Towns”.

After having written two books about the Italian town of Lago in the Province of Cosenza within the Region of Calabria, this new project aims to pay tribute to the pioneer spirit of our fellow townsmen for contributing to making Salida one of the “dream towns” of the U.S.A and the seat of Chaffee County.

I began by contacting some descendants of the 100 Laghitans who emigrated to Salida from 1885 to 1920, and tried to discover their cultural and affective bonds linking them to Lago, the town of origin of their ancestors and thus this study is called “The Salida-Lago Connection”.

Located within the Rocky Mountains of Colorado in the U.S.A., Salida is similar to Lago: a valley sculpted by a river and surrounded by mountains and forests, a sunny climate with an average annual temperature of about 50-70°F.

When these first immigrants lived in Lago, they were often exploited and understandably, upon reaching Salida, were better prepared to face and overcome certain obstacles: long working hours, wheeler-dealers who tried to deceive them, a new language and a new culture. They could not disregard the strong discrimination against Italian-Americans who were considered “Non-Whites”. In fact, in 1896 because of xenophobic sentiments, six Italians were lynched in Wasenburg, a town south-east of Salida, after they were unjustly accused of having killed the owner of a saloon. In spite of this, many arrived, allured by free agricultural fields through the Homestead Act, need for railroad workers by the “D & RGW” Railroad, for miners and smelters. In the new Country they were able to be in direct contact with nature as in Pignanese, a suburb of Lago (the name “Pignanese” comes from “pines” ) where many came from, refusing to settle in the unhealthy, crowded slums of the big cities of the American Atlantic coast where the vast majority of Italians migrated.

Coming to Salida meant uprooting themselves both physically and culturally. Thus, they knew from the very beginning that they had to settle there definitely without planning to return to their hometown. This was an important factor as to why they adjusted to the New World and yet preserved certain Laghitan traditions, such as having a strong family, working hard to better themselves socially and economically, and attending liturgical services (the Church also served as a meeting place for them).

Lastly, I would remind my readers that the fact that when someone is of Italian, Calabrese or Laghitan ancestry, this does not detract from being a true and loyal American since the secret of American greatness is based on the multiculturalism of its society, offering a broader view for understanding and solving various problems.

I encourage these descendants to fully discover their roots by reading about the history, culture and traditions of Calabria, finding out if they have distant relatives in Lago and perhaps by visiting their parents’ or grandparents’ birthplace in order to fill the gap between past and present, and to understand the reasons behind a certain mentality and approach toward life.

LIST of 100 PIONEERS IMMIGRANTS to SALIDA
from 1885 to 1920 from the Italian town of LAGO (Cosenza)

This list was completed after many months of long research. It shows the date of arrival in Salida, the name of the immigrant and name of the relative or friend that sponsored and/or welcomed him in Salida.

• 1885: Domenico Posteraro (brother Bruno in Pennsylvania
  Saverio Posteraro ( brother Bruno in Pennsylvania)
• 1887: Domenica “Mamie” De Luca (husband Domenico Posteraro)
  Bernardino Posteraro (father Domenico Posteraro)
  Maria Posteraro (father Domenico Posteraro)
• 1890: Giuseppe De Luca (brother-in-law Domenico Posteraro)
  Cesare Ciciarelli (went to Minturn, then to Salida)
• 1898: Giuseppe Canonico (brother Pietro)
• 1899: Pietro Barone (brother Angelo)
  Giovanni Molinaro (cousin Giuseppe De Luca)
  Raffaela Muto (husband Giuseppe De Luca)
  Giuseppe Muto (brother-in-law Giuseppe De Luca)
  Tommaso Muto (brother-in-law Giuseppe De Luca)
  Gaetano Sacco (brother-in-law Posteraro in Trinidad)
  Giuseppe Spena
• 1901: Giovanna De Luca
  Pietro Groe
• 1902: Angelo De Luca
• 1904: Angelo Aloe (brother Gervasio)
  Domenico Saverio Aloe (uncle Giuseppe Veltri)
  Nicola De Grazia (cousin Francesco De Grazia)
  Nicolina De Luca (son Giuseppe Scanga)
  Saverio De Luca (brother Giuseppe De Luca)
  Luigi Salvatore Posteraro (uncle Antonio Policicchio)
  Filomena Posteraro e children Francesco e Giuseppe Sacco (husband Gaetano Sacco)
  Pietro Spena ( cousin Giuseppe Spena
• 1905: Angelo Barone (cousin Vincenzo Barone Muto)
  Franceso Barone (cousin Giuseppe Scanga)
  Nicola Ciciarelli
  Giuseppe Cupelli and Nicola Muto (godfather Saverio Muto)
  Domenica Faconetti (brother Domenico)
  Gregorio Piluso
  Vincenzo Barone Runco (resident in USA from 1896 until 1903)
  Carmine Veltri
• 1906: Carmine De Pasquale (yrs 40), wife Rosa Barano (yrs 38) and children Angelo (yrs 3),
  Ventura (yrs 7), Mario (yrs 10) e Letizia (yrs 13) by son Francesco De Pasquale
  Carmine and Angela Mazzotta (father Saverio Mazzotta)
• 1907: Pietro Barone
  Maria Cupelli and son Francesco Muto (husband Nicola Muto)
  Maria De Grazia and children Filippo and Pietro Runco (husband Nicola Runco)
  Saveria Politano (husband Vincenzo Costa)
• 1909: Angelo and Emilio Canonico (father Pasquale)
  Raffaele Cupelli
• 1910: Gabriele Ciciarelli (father Nicola and brother Cesare)
  Antonio and Gaetano Peluso (brother-in-law Angelo De Luca)
  Pasqualina Valle (husband Francesco Ferraro)
• 1911: Calvano Giuseppe (brother Nicola)
  Calvano Orazio (brother Nicola)
  Calvano Raffaele (brother Nicola)
  Coscarella Elisabetta (son Nicola)
  Palermo Angelo
  Spena Antonio
  Veltri Francesco (brother Pasquale at Poncha Springs)
• 1912: Ferdinando Cupelli (father Raffaele)
  Bruno Martillotti (friend Spena)
  Pasqualina Scanga
• 1913: Canonico Angelo (cousin Emilio)
  Coscarella Fedele (cousin Michele Coscarella)
  Coscarella Pasquale (father Michele Coscarella )
  Cupelli Emilio
  Cupelli, Ferdinando (uncle Nicola Muti)
  De Grazia, Carmine (brother Raffaele)
  De Luca Domenica (husband Giuseppe Posteraro)
  Palermo Raffaele (cousin Giuseppe Molinaro)
  Posteraro Bernardino (father Domenico Posteraro)
  Scanga Giuseppe (cousin Gaetano Fusco)
• 1914: Giovanni De Grazia (nephew Pietro Barone)
  Francesco Falsetti (brother-in-law Gaetano Cupelli)
  Rachele (yrs 22), Clementina (yrs 28), Rosina (yrs 41) and Gaetano Posteraro (yrs 38)
  by brother Ferdinando Posteraro 34 yrs old). Their sister Vincenza Posteraro (36 yrs)
  and mother Rosa Runco (70 yrs old) arrived in 1920. They all died in Salida:
  Gaetano in 1925, Ferdinando in 1970, Vincenza in 1958 and Rosa in 1921.
• 1915: Emilio Ciciarelli (father Nicola, brothers Cesare and Gabriele)
• 1920: Bruni Elvira (father Luigi Bruni)
  Calvano Assunta (father Giuseppe Calvano)
  Calvano Clementina (husband Giuseppe Calvano)
  Calvano Carmine (father Giuseppe Calvano)
  Calvano Elisabetta (father Giuseppe Calvano)
  Calvano Gaetano (father Gaspare)
  Coscarella Bruni Maria (husband Luigi Bruni)
  De Luca Francesco (brother Giuseppe)
  Falsetti Maria (uncle Nicola Muto)
  Posteraro Vincenza (brother Ferdinando)
  Runco Rosa (son Ferdinando Posteraro)
• Other Laghitans who arrived in Salida after 1920:
• 1929: Fiore Ciciarelli (father Nicola, brothers Cesare, Gabriele and Emilio)
• 1930: Saverio Ciciarelli (father Nicola, brothers Cesare, Gabriele, Emilio and Fiore)
• 1949: Francesco Ciciarelli (father Saverio)

SHIPS landing in New York with groups of Laghitans having Salida as final destination

S = Single, M = Married, W = Widow (er); t = tons, n = nodes, p= passengers

	Ship CALIFORNIA * August 23,1899 from Naples (2.600 t., 9,5 n., ? p.) names of passengers from Lago	age	civil status	family in Salida welcoming them
	Aloe, Domenico Saverio	14	S	uncle Giuseppe Veltri
	De Luca, Nicolina	70	W	son Giuseppe Scanga
	Posterano, Luigi Salvatore	14	S	uncle Antonio Policicchio
	Spena, Pietro	34	M	cousin Giuseppe Spena
	Ship HESPERIA November 7,1899 from Naples (3050 t., 11 n., 760 p.)
	Barone, Pietro	23	S	brother Angelo Barone
	Cupelli, Francesco	23	S	brothers Raffaele and Luigi
	Molinaro, Giovanni	22	M	cousin Giuseppe De Luca
	Muto, Raffaela	26	M	husband Giuseppe De Luca
	Muto, Tommaso	26	M	brother-in-law Giuseppe De Luca
	Ship HOHENZOLLERN 20.06.1901 from Naples (6700 t., 16 n., 1200 p.)
1.	Groe, Pietro	43	M	?

	Ship  NECKAR April 27,1904 from Naples (9700 t., 14 n., 750 p.)
	De Grazia, Nicola	22	S	cousin Francesco De Grazia
	De Luca, Saverio Gaetano	28	M	brother Giuseppe De Luca
	Posteraro, Filomena	39	M	husband Gaetano Sacco
	Sacco, Francesco	10	S	father Gaetano Sacco
	Sacco, Giuseppe	12	S	father Gaetano Sacco

* The ship “California” was a very slow ship, it took 20 days to reach New York from Naples, Italy. On it, the widow Nicolina De Luca was the oldest Laghitan woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean: she emigrated in 1899 at age 70 to meet her son in Colorado. Once she reached New York, she took the train and travelled for another week to reach Salida! She symbolizes all those emigrants whose great determination, stamina and courage makes them overcame many obstacles.

	Ship “KÖNIG ALBERT“ June 15,1905 from Naples (10,500 t., 15.5 n., 2175 p..)
	Barone, Angelo	15	S	cousin Vincenzo Barone Runco
	Ciciarelli, Nicola	41	M	?
	Cupelli, Giuseppe	23	S	Godfather Saverio Muto
	Muto, Nicola	35	M	Godfather Saverio Muto
	Ship CITTA’ di GENOVA June 7,1906 from Naples (3900 t.,12 n.,1260 p.)
	Barano, Rosa	38	M	son Francesco
	De Pasquale, Angelo	3	S	son Francesco
	De Pasquale, Carmine	40	M	son Francesco
	De Pasquale, Letizia	13	S	brother Francesco
	De Pasquale, Mario	10	S	brother Francesco
	De Pasquale, Ventura	7	S	brother Francesco
	Ship CRETIC September 21, 1906 from Naples (13,000 t.,16 n., 1500 p.)
	Mazzotta, Angela	18	N	Salida (CO): father Saverio
	Mazzotta, Carmine	19	C	Salida (CO): father Saverio
	Ship REPUBLIC November 24,1907 from Naples (15400 t., 16 n., 2200 p )
	Cupelli Maria	35	M	husband Nicola Muto
	De Grazia Maria	35	M	husband Nicola Runco
	Muto Carmine	23	M	brother Vincenzo Muto
	Muto Francesco	5	S	son of Maria Cupelli
	Politano Saveria	27	M	husband Vincenzo Costa
	Runco Filippo	9	S	son of Maria De Grazia
	Runco Pietro	5	S	son of Maria De Grazia
	Ship MOLTKE June 3,1909 from Naples (12,300 t., 16 n., 2100 p.)
	Canonico, Angelo	27	M	father Pasquale
	Canonico, Emilio	15	S	father Pasquale
	Ship CLEVELAND April 21,1911 from Naples (16,900 t., 15 n., 2840 p)
	Palermo, Angelo	22	C	uncle Saverio ( was in Colorado 1905-08)
	Spena, Antonio	40	C	brother Pietro ( was in Colorado 1904-06)

	Ship TAORMINA August 22, 1911 from Naples (8,200 t., 16,5 n., 1430 p.)
	Calvano, Giuseppe (in Salida 1902-10)	37	M	brother Nicola
	Calvano, Orazio	13	C	brother Nicola
	Calvano, Raffaele	15	C	brother Nicola
	Coscarella, Elisabetta	55	W	son Nicola
	Ship MOLTKE August 18, 1913 da Napoli (12.300 t., 16 n., 2100 p.)
	Canonico, Angelo	32	M	cousin Emilio
	Cupelli, Ferdinando	18	S	uncle Nicola Muti
	De Grazia, Carmine	18	S	brother Raffaele
	Palermo, Raffaele	26	M	cousin Giuseppe Molinaro
	Scanga, Giuseppe	17	S	cousin Gaetano Fusco
	Ship AMERICA April 28, 1914 from Naples (8,900 t., 16 n., 2,650 p.)
	De Grazia, Giovanni	39	M	nephew Pietro Barone
	Falsetti, Francesco	25	M	brother-in-law Gaetano Cupelli
	Ship VERONA May 21, 1914 from Naples (8,200 t., 16 n., 2500 p.)
	Posteraro, Rachele	22	S	brother Ferdinando
	Posteraro, Clementina	28	M	brother Ferdinando
	Posteraro, Gaetano	37	M	brother Ferdinando
	Posteraro, Rosina	41	M	brother Ferdinando
	Ship TAORMINA 14.02.1920 from Naples (8,200 t., 16,5 n., 1430 p.)
	Bruni, Elvira	19	S	father Luigi Bruni (709 W. First Ave.)
	Calvano, Assunta	1	N	father Giuseppe Calvano
	Calvano, Carmine	10	S	father Giuseppe Calvano
	Calvano, Clementina	41	M	husband Giuseppe Calvano
	Calvano, Elisabetta	15	M	father Giuseppe Calvano
	Calvano, Gaetano	15	S	father Gaspare
	Coscarella, Bruni Maria	45	M	husband Luigi Bruni (417 W. First Ave.)
	De Luca, Francesco	26	S	brother Giuseppe (71 W. Front St.)
	Falsetti, Maria (709 W. Front St.)	23	M	uncle Nicola Muto
	Ship DUCA d’AOSTA December 22,1920 from Naples (8,000 t., 16 n., 1830 p.)
	Posteraro, Vincenza	42	M	brother Ferdinando
	Runco, Rosa	69	W	son Ferdinando

COMPARISON of SALIDA’S TOPOGRAPHY with that of LAGO
	Salida is a town in the State of Colorado (USA) with 5700 inhabitants, founded in 1880. It is located in a valley at 2000 meters above sea level, sculpted by a river (Arkansas), surrounded by 3 mountain chains ( “Sawatch” to the north-west, “Mosquito” to the north and “Sangre de Cristo” to the south) all over 3000 meters, and for these reasons the place was called “Salida” which in Spanish means “exit” Salida: aerial view 15 km. above sea level T M = Tenderfoot Mountain, A = Arkansas River, HA A= Harriet Alexander Airport, D = D & RGW Railroad, 50 = Route 50 Hwy
“Salida recalls Lago’s topography, a valley formed by a river, surrounded by mountains and forests”
	.Lago is a town in the Province of Cosenza in the Region of Calabria in Southern Italy. It has 3000 inhabitants, is located in a valley 485 meters above sea level, is surrounded by 4 mountains (Mount Cocuzzo 1541 m., Mount Verzi 1000 m., Mount Difesa 880 m., Mount S. Lucerna 1256 m.) and was sculpted by 2 rivers (Eliceto and Acero). Aerial view of LAGO: P = suburb of Pignanese, 278 = Highway 278 to Amantea, E = Eliceto River
Similarity of MOUNT VIRZI of Lago to MOUNT TENDERFOOT of Salida
Mount Virzi: Lago (Cosenza)
Tenderfoot Mountain: Salida (Colorado)

EVENTS in ITALY and in LAGO that encouraged EMIGRATION

POOR ECONOMIC and SANITARY CONDITIONS
During this period, the average life span for males was only 40 years and for females 34-35 years, infant mortality was very high ( 50% died before reaching 5 years of age), illiterate rate was 74% of the total population, many areas were infested with malaria and cholera, many suffered from hunger or malnutrition, and many had died from the influenza epidemic of 1918
HIGH TAXES also on bread
The Italian government was indebted (for example, to pay for the construction of the national rairoad) and attempted to find the necessary finances through heavy taxation. Taxes on personal property damaged businessmen and those on indispensable goods such as wheat, negatively affected the poor.
In 1915, 200 Laghitan citizens manifested against the high prices of bread, wine, oil, clothing and shoes and in 1919, Laghitan citizens looted stores and occupied City Hall as a violent form of protest against the high cost of living
The seriousness of the situation can be understood if we consider that at the time a worker in Lago earned only 10 lire per day and yet the cost in LIRE of 1 kilogram of the following products was: bread 1,6 – rice 2,3 – salty cheese 7 - goat meat 7 – dried cod 7 - pork 12 – coffee 22.
VERY SERIOUS AGRICULTURAL CRISIS in ITALY
A sharp drop of wheat prices was due to importation in Italy of American grain grown in virgin fertile lands and transported at very low cost with new steam boats.
POPULATION GROWTH
From 1881 until 1921 Lago’s population had increased by 50% (from 3631 inhabitants to 5400) and this worsened unemployment and poverty.
URBAN INDUSTRIALIZATION and ASSEMBLY LINE
Farmers became factory workers where assembly line productions did not require particular skills.
EARTHQUAKE
1905: many of Lago’s homes were badly damaged
TRANSPORT to NAPLES FACILITATED
1895: inauguration of the rail line from Naples to Reggio Calabria with local stop in Amantea (about 10 miles from Lago)
1910: inauguration of public transport from Lago to Amantea. The horse carriage was replaced by a motor coach bought with a donation from Luigi De Grazia, a Lago-citizen living in Price (Utah) USA (his uncle Nicola De Grazia had migrated to Salida in 1904)
WORLD WAR I
Many men emigrated to help the family since their older brothers or fathers were busy fighting and were no longer supporting the family. Others left to avoid being drafted by the Italian Army to fight in World War I.

REASONS WHY they EMIGRATED to COLORADO

Between 1885 and 1920, 70 % of the Italian population was employed in agriculture. Why is it then that 90% of our countrymen settled in large American cities such as New York, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles? Why did they accept to live in urban slums instead searching for lands to cultivate? One of the reasons why this occurred was that when Italians arrived, colonizzation of the American frontier had almost finished, many farm lands belonged to railroads and those that remained were less fertile, more peripherally located and were expensive to buy. Another reason was that our countrymen did not possess the capital needed to set up a farm (the little money they had was spent for the trip and each arrived in USA with only $20 to $70 in their wallet).

Besides, true large-scale settlement of rural lands could have been possibile only through the financial and political support of the Italian government. Another factor to consider was that many who embarked for America did so as “passing birds” wishing to remain overseas for only a short period. They desired to save some money, return to Italy to buy a house and farm land and be financially secure. Upon arrival in USA, they considered themselves “temporary” settlers although many actually remained there permanently. They also knew that the racism against Italians, their language and cultural difficulties could be better overcome in cities where large groups of Italians already had organized themselves in cultural associations for mutual help. In cities, while the various “Little Italy” neighborhoods offered protection and support, and gave them the feeling of being at home, they also inhibited Italians to become Americanized, isolating them in ghettoes that protected and preserved their ethnic and linguistic values.

Those who choose to settle semi-unexplored lands where their participation in early land development and building was required, must have had a strong determination, enabling them to overcome many obstacles and risks and a willingness to live in the wilderness. This was the case of Domenico Posteraro and Giuseppe De Luca who arrived when Salida had just been declared a town.

However, Laghitans were also influenced by advertisement which promised easy earnings, free lands, mines rich with gold, silver and lead and many job as railroad workers. It was a place where a hard-working, honest individual could be more appreciated than in the unhealthy overcrowded slums and sweat factories of the big cities of the North Atlantic Coast.

As soon as they disembarked in New York, our “paisans” saw publicity signs which invited them to take a free train to the Western States and meet brokers sent by owners of mines and railroads such