Seeking Gallup’s Italian Heritage
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Gallup businessman Joe Di Gregoria and local historian/writer John Lewis Taylor are collecting information on the history of Italian immigrants and their descendants. The purpose of this project is to document the contributions of the Italian ethnic group to the development of the Gallup region. Gallup began in 1881, and the first immigrants from Italy arrived very soon thereafter. Persons interested in this endeavor are asked to share information such as family stories, images, and documents. Great care will be taken with these items and they will be returned in a timely manner. Researchers plan to obtain oral histories through interviews. Focus areas are, Industries: coal mining, construction, stone cutting, mason and quarrying, bricklaying, brick making, and railroad work; Retail Business such as: grocery stores, shoe shops, tailor shops, trading posts, Indian jewelry shops, restaurants, hotels, motels, and boarding houses; Entertainment Business including: saloons, bars, pool halls, theaters (both stage and film); and
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Service Business such as: mortuaries and medical and dental clinics. Other areas of interest are: Education: to include pupil life, teachers, administrators, schools and colleges attended; Arts: music, painting, performing arts, etc; and Community Life: religion, fraternal organizations, labor unions, library, and political organizations. Areas of special interest are the California Supermarkets and the grocery business in Gallup, relations between other ethnic groups including Native Americans and the Italian population of Gallup, Italian-Americans who held political office, and the military service of Italians from Gallup. Persons interested in helping with this project are to contact, John Lewis Taylor, 2001 McDevitt Place, Gallup, NM 87301. Phone: 505-863-3770, e-mail: jltaylor87301@gmail.com.
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May 2020
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