Italians in Kansas
The story of Pittsburg
Who?
Our immigrant group is the Italians, from Italy.
Where?
Italy is a country in Europe. Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, Kansas.
Why?
They left their homeland because too many people were in their homeland. It was too crowded. The wages were low and the taxes were high. They also wanted better economic opportunities.
They came to Kansas because they hoped to get the mine owners' attention. They wanted better pay and better working conditions.
What?
They found out that Kansas had good land because lots of Italians were moving there. They also found coal mines, farming, and small businesses.
Bernardo Prodotto opened a grocery store. The store sold American food, but also offered products from his home land:
- Italian cheese
- Salami
- and spaghetti
When?
In 1874 the mine opened and people came to Pittsburg because of the mine being opened.