ALVERDA ANNOUNCES PUBLICATION OF NEW BOOK

NORTH COAST /DAVENPORT HISTORIAN ALVERDA ORLANDO HAS A NEW BOOK COMING OUT NEXT MONTH. MUCH TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT SHE DID NOT FOLLOW MY SUGGESTION TO TITLE IT: "LIMESTONE COWBOYS." CONGRATULATIONS ALVERDA. PEOPLE ARE ALREADY GATHERING IN SANTA CRUZ TO GET AN ADVANCE COPY. (Photo: "La Nostra Costa" Archives.)



Ivan(O)I wonder if your "Blaggatori" would be interested in a new book coming out on June 2. The name is "LIME KILN LEGACIES"and tells the story of the Lime Industry in Santa Cruz County and the North Coast when Davenport was only a sparkle in the eyes of Italians Respini, Morelli, Fillipini and Moretti. The book signing will be at the Museum of Art and History at the McPherson Center on Front Street from 1-3. There will be refreshments, speeches and a gathering of local historians.

Saturday, June 2 Book signing and reception for: Lime Kiln Legacies: The History of the Lime Industry in Santa Cruz CountyMAH is delighted to announce its latest publication. Please join us for a celebratory occasion with authors Frank A. Perry, Robert W. Piwarzyk, Michael D. Luther, Alverda Orlando, Allan Molho, Sierra L. Perry and Kenneth Jensen. Location: MAH Auditorium, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, cost: free.

"LA STORIA DI ADA" BY GINO CAMPIONI

*********************Photo: Courtesy of Gino Campioni******************



Ivano,

Since you had the effrontery to post photos of me on the Nostra Costa blog along with the one of my handsome father, I thought I would give you this one. I wouldn't intentionally leave out my beautiful mother. Didn't we all have handsome parents, Ivano? No wonder you and your brother turned out so good looking. I don't know why I went this way.

Yesterday I found the above photo in my mother's passport. It is tiny, not much bigger than a postage stamp. From the passport I learned that it was issued 24 February, 1934, just 6 months before my parent's departure from Genova. My mother was just one month expectant at the time of the issuing. Seven months along during the trip.


Maria Ada Berti nei* Campioni, as the passport is signed, was born 13 February, 1896 at Ponte a Moriano near Lucca in Toscana.
She used to jokingly say that she was born one day after Abraham Lincoln. She always thought that being born on the 13th was unlucky, and perhaps she was right. (Personally I don't believe in good or bad luck)

She was the daughter of Giuseppe Berti and Rosa Piegaia. Rosa died of meningitis at a very early age, after having given birth to 9 children, of whom Ada was one of the youngest. Giuseppe and sons Nello and Pietro struggled to keep the family fed. All three were barbers.

Ada had three years of school before she had to get a full time job. Her first effort was with a jute factory, sewing sacks. She worked there for 20 years, and left that employment to enter the "service", which is to say she took a job as a maid. The factory offered her a pension which they paid to her for life. It amounted to a few lire per year. I can remember having an affidavit of existence in life made for her each year and sending it to her brother so he could collect it. It was just enough for her family to buy a bottle of somewhat better than average wine to celebrate Ada's health.

Her next job was in the household of a minor nobleman, the Marchese Bottini. Bottini was a close friend of the famous Giovanni Bosco, known as Padre Don Bosco, a saintly priest who founded orphanages, and whom the Catholic Church canonized some time after his death. There her duties were maintaining upstairs bedrooms, and washing laundry. This was done at the river. Il bucato, (soap) was made with ashes and water mixed in a conca or basin. She carried the linens in a cesta (wicker basket) on her head, using a succapolo or padding to protect the scalp from the heavy basket. The laundry was pounded on rocks using the bucato, rinsed in the waters of the Serchio which flows through Ponte a Moriano, and spread out on rocks to dry before being carried back to the house.

Ada was happy in the service of the Marchese, but that did not last very long, as the old gentleman died, and the household was disbanded.

Her next job was similar, working for a commoner by the name of Carrara. She was not happy there, as she missed the special privileges the Marchese offered, such as having Sundays, evenings, and one weekday off.

Thus, when that rough looking contadino (''Baffi'') from America came along, offering a "life of ease" in California, she reluctantly accepted his offer of marriage. First, however, she insisted on his losing that ugly handlebar moustache. This he resisted doing. Ada came up with a fix for the problem. Knowing that Guglielmo liked to have her brother Nello give him shaves and haircuts, and that he often fell asleep in the barber chair, she ordered her brother to "do something with that horrid moustache". Sure enough, the next occasion in the barber shop, "Baffi" fell asleep in the chair and Nello snipped off half the moustache. This woke him, and on seeing himself in the mirror, he roared, "What have you done? Get rid of the rest of it!" He never wore a moustache again.

The promise of an easy life in America was a great hope for both my parents, but easy it never was. Things started to go wrong on the Atlantic crossing. The first day at sea was heavenly. Passing Gibraltar, the ship began to roll. Ada went to her bunk below, and was sick for the entire four and a half days at sea, plus the week crossing the continent by train. Meanwhile, Baffi, untroubled by motion, enjoyed 2 or 3 dinners, bottles of fine wine, (the camerieri would bring a full bottle whenever they saw an empty one) and usually was the only person in the mess hall. The rest were suffering the same as Ada. Meals were served to all tables, and things not eaten went overboard.

Two months after their arrival in California, their only child was born. Finished with being a servant in Italy, Ada spent her entire life serving her husband, helping him to keep our family of three fed, and serving her child. She never saw her homeland nor her own relatives again.

Some time after the passing of Baffi, while I was doing something in front of the house, I heard a shriek and a sound much like a watermelon falling on concrete. I knew exactly what had happened. Ada had tripped on the concrete stairs at the Dogliotti house next door, and had sustained a concussion. I begged her to come with me to the doctor, but she could not be moved from her house. This may have been the beginning of the slow decline which eventually made her completely helpless. This accident happened sometime in 1966 or so. She eventually had to have nursing home care. She finally left this world in 1974. She is now reunited with Guglielmo in eternal happiness. I only hope I can qualify to be reunited with them too.

*nei - "among the family of"

A VIEW OF THE PAST AT THE SANTA CRUZ LIBRARY

"Clicca" on Photo to Enlarge

THIS IS A REMINDER TO ALL 'BLAGGATORI' OF THE 'LA NOSTRA COSTA' PHOTO DISPLAY AT THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY IN SANTA CRUZ. THE DISPLAY RUNS THROUGH THE MONTH OF MAY.

I REALIZE THAT MANY 'BLAGGA FANS' CAN NOT TRAVEL TO SANTA CRUZ TO VIEW THE DISPLAY. AS THE PHOTO ABOVE (SUBMITTED BY AL AND NORMA WILSON)SHOWS, MARION POKRIOTS , OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY GENEALOGY SOCIETY HAS DONE AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB. THE PHOTOS FROM THE 'LA NOSTRA COSTA' ARCHIVES TELL OF A PAST LIFE 'SU PER LA COSTA' AND BEYOND. AN ADDED NOTE, THE 'OLD RANCERE' IS PLANNING TO MAKE A GUEST APPEARANCE SOMETIME IN MAY TO ADD MORE 'COLOR' TO THE MOSTLY BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS. THE 'BLAGGA' WILL NOTIFY ALL OF DATE AND TIME . IVNO

ASK A DUMB QUESTION.........

******************Photo Courtesy of Gino Campioni*****************

ASK A DUMB QUESTION ABOUT THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND YOU ARE APT TO GET A VERY SPECIFIC ANSWER FROM “LA NOSTRA COSTA” LINGUIST GINO CAMPIONI, WHO IS PICTURED ABOVE AS A YOUNG “BOBBY DELLA COSTA” CIRCA 1950.


Gino.
What is the difference between "della" and "dalla" I noticed that certain songs such "Quel Mazzoline D'Fiori use dalla as in "dalla montagna". Either way you deserve the title “Cavaliere Supremo della (or dalla) Costa. ivn0


About della vs. dalla. Della is "of the" and Dalla is "from the". Molto semplice, no? If it refers to a source which is plural, such as a family, etc. then Degli means "of them" and Dagli means "from them".

Italian in all its simplicity is so much more specific than English. Nouns have gender, i.e. masculine, feminine or neuter. Their spelling indicates that. The adjectives must agree with the nouns. There are a few exceptions. Some nouns which are masculine if singular become neuter when plural. A notable one is the word "lenzuolo" (bed sheet)
It is masculine when singular. When referring to several bed sheets it becomes "lenzuoli", (masculine) but when referring to a pair it becomes "le lenzuola" (neuter)

Where things really get simple is in spelling and pronunciation. I used to ask my mother how to spell something in Italian, and she would tell me that spelling is not even taught. If you know how to pronounce it, you can write it just fine. Not so in English, in which all the vowels can have 3 to 5 different pronunciations depending on the word.

Here's a funny: How do you pronounce GHRETI GHOTI ? It is "FRESH FISH! (GH as in "rough", TI as in "fictitious") That sort of confusion would never happen in Italian. The "O" in "GHOTI" is pronounced like the "O" in "Phoenix".



You ask a simple question and I send you a book.

Ciao Gino

DECORATED WAR TIME 'FIGLIO DELLA COSTA' MIKE DEMOS - REMEMBERED

IN “LA NOSTRA COSTA” , I WRITE EXTENSIVELY OF WW II AND ITS IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED ON THE NORTH COAST OF SANTA CRUZ. MANY ‘FIGLI DELLA COSTA’LIKE JOE GEMIGNANI, JOE BROVIA, FRED DIMEO, FERD MORO,LOUIS ALUFFI,ALVIN GREGORY,ALBIE ROSSI AND ATTILIO DOGLIOTTI, SERVED HONORABLY IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DURING THIS WAR TIME PERIOD. AS THE PHOTO ABOVE AND THE REMEMBRANCE BELOW (PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED IN THE SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL) INDICATE, MIKE DEMOS WAS A MUCH DECORATED WAR TIME ‘FIGLIO DELLA COSTA’. ADIO, MIKE. UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN ACROSS ‘IL ULTIMO PONTE’


************************************************************************************************************************************************


.
Demos, Michael Daniel "Mike"

Major, U.S.A.F., retired,
Took his last flight from this world ""¦into the wild blue yonder" on Thursday, April 12, 2007.

Born and raised in Davenport, the oldest son of Dennis and Anita Marini Demos, he is survived by his wife of 58 years Mary Jane, and children Marilyn Bill Fravel, Dennis, Michael, Debra and Ann Marie Marty Herman, as well as his sister, Dolly Gregory and brother Alvin Demos.
He will be dearly missed by his grandchildren Derek and Travis, Emery, Carly Rose, Katie and Reyna, Odin and Hawkin and Avery.

Some of Mike's happiest days were those spent in service to our country during World War II. He flew the P-51 Mustang for the US Army/Air Force and was overseas for 11/2 years. Mike entered the service January 15, 1942, at Monterey, California and was sent to Sheppard Field. He then received training at Chanute Field, Niagara Falls, New Orleans, Cadet training at Maxwell Field, Ala., Helena, Ark., and lastly Bush Field, Ga., and Harding Field, La. Overseas he was stationed at Mohanbau Field, Assam Valley, India, Tincoksikan, Burma and Hsiam, China. He participated in the Battle of Burma, Mandalay, Rangoon, the Irrawaddy Valley, the railroad sweeps in the Yellow River Valley in China.

Mike's outfit was the 311th Fighter Group, 530th Fighter Squadron, known as the Yellow Scorpions. He flew 117 combat missions in Burma and China and received 14 decorations, including 7 medals, 4 Oak Leaf Clusters and 3 Battle Stars. The Yellow Scorpion Squadron also received 2 Presidential Citations. Mike retired as a Major after 21 years of service.
Mike's family remembers great 'edge" stories about his flying antics:
: He "buzzed" the Davenport cement plant and was reported but not busted; passed through Davenport and "tipped his wings" to Myrtle Garaventa, Postmistress
: He "buzzed" between the women's dormitory buildings at Louisiana State University, missed by radar
: He acrobatted a forward roll in a P-51, something "impossible and unheard of" and was punished by being sent overseas, which was his heart's desire at that time.

Mike spent his working years selling and distributing seed, agricultural aides fertilizer! and sprinkler systems to the farmers up and down the California Coast between Salinas and Pescadero. He was known for his honesty and integrity and was recently heralded as ""¦the best international seller of hybrid brussel sprout seeds." He was once awarded a national top-salesman award by Food Machinery Corporation, but refused to go to New York to accept — he only abided planes that he could fly!
The Demos family will drive Mike's pickup the new red one with the P-51 etched on the rear window up the Coast and scatter his ashes on the Davenport Coast which he loved so much.
The family extends its appreciation to the staff of Dominican Hospital and the Acute Rehab Unit, and the wonderful staff especially Tina! of the Hospice Caring Project. Memorial gifts may be sent to the Hospice Caring Project.
Fly on, Dad!


Published in the Santa Cruz Sentinel on 4/22/2007.

VALENTINA REMEMBERED

On this date, April 23, 1977, my mother Valentina Bressani Comelli, age 64, died after a year long battle with cancer. Her “Journey To And From The North Coast of Santa Cruz” was over. Prior to her death, hard work, perseverance, and above all her unmitigated love for her two sons Giovanni Primo and Ivano Franco, granted her a life long dream; “a better life for John and me and consequently for our two families.”

The photograph above (from the ‘La Nostra Costa’ archives) was taken circa 1952. It shows my mother, Valentina on the right, and her very best friend, Andreina Rodoni in their “Sunday Bests”. My mother would have been 39 years old at the time the photo was taken.

WHEN THE 'OLD' BIRTHDAY ROLLS AROUND

*************************Ivano with Model of Rubber Gun ***************

TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY. AS USUAL, WHEN THE ‘OLD’ BIRTHDAY ROLLS AROUND, I START THINKING OF MY MOTHER. AFTER ALL SHE WAS THE ONE THAT HAD TO DO ALL THE WORK THIS DAY SOME 70 YEARS AGO.

As I thought about her I pulled out some of the family photos. Looking at the photos, I soon realized that most of the people photographed (including my mother) were younger than I am today. As a boy growing up ‘su per la costa’, I can remember thinking, “These people are really old.” This being true, then I must be really old today.

Then again, I can remember an octogenarian friend of mine once commenting as a trim young lass walked by, “Oh to be 70 again”.

I guess the time to strike is now. Sempre Avanti. Ivano

POLETTI FAMILY TREE AND A THANK YOU FROM CORRADO

'CLICCA' UP THERE TO MAKA BIGGA!! I maka da funny, no??

************************************************************************************

THE ABOVE IS IL SCHEMATICO OF THE POLETTI FAMILY TREE AS DONE BY PROFESSOR CORRADO POLETTI. BELOW IS A LETTER OF GRATITUDE FROM THE PROFESSOR TO THE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED HIM IN THIS ENDEAVOR. THE ORIGINAL LETTER IN ITALIANO CAN BE FOUND AT: http://www.polettisfamilytree.blogspot.com/ . MAH SHUA!! THE TRANSLATION BELOW WAS DONE BY SIG. GINO CAMPIONI. THANKS GINO.


"Here are the results to date of my research work of the origins of my family. Thanks for the help of many friends and relatives, through whom I wish to remember:

At Condino, Cousin Paola, Uncle Giuliano and my Cousin Gevan; at Merino my father, Renato; at Maggia in Switzerland, Cousin Elda; in California, friend Ivano Franco Comelli, who thanks to his Blog, has put me in contact with many persons who have aided me in the research (thanks Aldo Penniman, Thelma Gill, Diane Strong, Diane Bianconi, Carol & Don Schwartz, Gino Campioni from Oregon for his precious translations; at New York the Ellis Island Foundation where I began my American inquiry, from Santa Cruz Mr. Doug Martin and Mrs. Gina Merolla (Monumental Cemetery of Santa Cruz), Mrs. Christina Moretta of the San Francisco History Center; in New Zealand, Tony Cairns for his data bank which aided me in the Swiss research.
I take this occasion to thank all these persons and all who wish to join in this effort. Heartfelt thanks to all."

Corrado Poletti"
************************************************************

PEOPLE OF MAGGIA INTERVIEWS - PART II

(Above) Letter from Sophie Poletti Costella to Poletti relative in Italy (1959), courtesy of Corrado Poletti. [Click on letter to view enlarged image.]

-

THIS IS PART II OF THE INTERVIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF MAGGIA. PART II AND PART I BELOW, CAN BE READ SEPARATELY AS THEY PROVIDE SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS OF THE IMMIGRANTS. AGAIN, THE INTERVIEWS WERE SENT TO ME BY PROF. CORRADO POLETTI IN THE ORIGINAL ITALIAN AND WERE TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY SIG. GINO CAMPIONI. PROF. POLETTI HAS HIS OWN BLOGSPOT AT:

WWW.POLETTISFAMILYTREE.BLOGSPOT.COM.

THE PICTURE ABOVE IS OF MY FATHER GERVASIO "BRONCO' COMELLI, DRESSED IN HIS RANCERE OUTFIT; WITH VIRGINIA BROVIA. THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN CIRCA 1937 IN NEW TOWN, A "SUBURB" OF DAVENPORT, 'SU PER LA COSTA'. THE PICTURE - TOP RIGHT, WAS SENT BY PROF. POLETTI. ACCORDING TO THE PROFESSOR, LOUIS POLETTI IS STANDING IN FRONT OF HIS STORE.

In the centuries past the people lived mostly by agriculture and raising of animals. They worked as farmers, but were forced to emigrate anyway because there was no work available. Every patch of soil was worked assiduously, and the farmers pieced together bits of gardens among the great boulders of glacial or flood origins which we find here in Valle Maggia in order to plant something. Hunger was always present and our people lived out their lives even in danger.

In letters of Ticinese emigrants who left for California we have found that to be able to leave for the trip (emigration) they asked their parents for funds. We left at about the age of 18 years. Some emigrants, in their letters, have recounted and explained their lives.
They said that even in California, the life was hard. The people, parents who remained in Ticino waited with anxiety for letters and funds from America. In particular were the wives remaining at home, having to raise their children and busy themselves caring for animals and doing work in the fields.

There are aspects of these letters which are most interesting. Letter no. 390 sent by Felicita Leoni says: "Sad happenings, that is great droughts that are occurring in these our towns are incredible. All are lamenting, all say that if this keeps on, we can do nothing." This phrase indicates that here in Ticino there was no water and this rendered the work even more difficult.

However, this letter (no. 730) is written by a gentleman, whose name is not given, sent to brother Pompeo: "In whatever time you wish to come, you need not do any more than let me know, and I shall forward you the money necessary for the trip, and if you need to keep it for some years, I will ask no interest on it." Herein we note how the emigrants aided those that were still in Ticino to prepare them for the departure.

The trip to California

The emigrants left Valle Maggia for a long and tiring trip. From Valle Maggia, they went to Locarno by stagecoach, took the train for Bellinzona, traveled the Leventine Valley, the tunnel of Gottardo, crossed Switzerland and arrived at Le Havre, France. Once reaching Le Havre, the emigrants embarked toward America. They took about 13 days to make the Atlantic crossing. The thirteenth day they arrived in New York and then by train continued their trip to San Francisco. (California)

The trip from Locarno to San Francisco cost about 400 Fr. in third class and lasted two or three weeks. To the emigrants on the steamship were assigned some cots with straw for bedding and small and prickly blankets. All found themselves in the same compartment. This made the trip uncomfortable and tiring.

At times the trip was stormy, others more tranquil. When there were storms and gales the trip became perilous and the people were gripped with fear: "The sea from that day was most agitated. I believed that it was truly the end of the world." (Letter no. 853, Beniamino Tomasini)

At California

The Ticinese emigrants, on arriving at New York, found great differences: They were impressed by the very wide streets, by very tall buildings, by the perfect order. "Everything was colossal, grandiose city blocks, wide streets in straight lines and very long, great and luxurious trains with every imaginable commodity." (letter no. 730)

At New York they took the train for California. The Ticinese emigrants, immediately debarking, found at their arrival parents, friends, acquaintances with whom they sought hospitality. They were happy but had problems with banks and language: they had to learn English and find jobs at once. Furthermore, they had to adapt to the climate of the place and obtain clothing adequate for the rain.

The life in the "ranches" was most difficult. "When finally the first rains began, the work life became even more heavy, here a weak cow was stuck in mud, another caught in some ditch, another in muck up to her belly and they needed to go with horses to free them from the dangers with ropes and chains." (letter no. 730) Almost all worked in ranches but some remained in cities and worked in restaurants, hotels or stores. In the cities were hotels with names such as: "Hotel Gottardo", "Ticino" and thus they found themselves at once with a sense of home.

Life on the Ranch

The major part of the Ticinese arriving in California went to work in ranches that were large farms. We have read some letters of Ticinese emigrants, in one is written that in their ranch were more than 90 animals, 29 or 30 cows, a large number of chickens, 2 goats, 2 dogs and some horses. The work in the ranches was most time consuming, having to arise very early:"In the morning we must awake at 4 am and must saddle the horse and go round up the cows, then milk them. Having done that we must go cut wood until it is milking time again." Letter no. 226 Venanzi)

They also had to mow hay, cut wood, plow the fields, clean the horses, feed the pigs, and toward evening round up the cows to milk them again. At the end they had to clean the stalls. Not all the Ticinese did these peasant jobs when they emigrated to California: Some worked for travel agencies, others as watchmakers, or worked in stores, some were artisans, bakers, vintners or opened restaurants, trattorie and small hotels.

The Letters

The emigrants of California communicated with parents remaining in Ticino by letter. The letters were written with many spelling errors; but in those times many had only the opportunity of attending the elementary schools and some had no schooling at all. Also in these times we spoke mainly in dialect. In the letters which were sent asking about the health of their parents, they related their own health and living conditions, which animals they had, if they earned well, and the natural disasters happening in California.
"Suddenly I saw a huge flash of light above me, and a thunderbolt landed right on the fork I was holding on my shoulder, smashing it, and even the hat I was wearing was completely burned and I remained safe only by a miracle. I think I was indeed saved by a miracle by Our Madonna of The Graces to whom I pray you to have a painting made by some good artist to put into our church with all the others. I send you $50 to have this painting done, and if perchance more is requested, let me know in your letter." (Letter no. 634, Luigi)
They also would write about how much money they would send to Ticino. They also sent cashiers' checks. Some funds also served to pay the debts for the trip: they had to refund parents that which they had borrowed to go to California. In California we earned more, and there was more work available. The nephew, the son or the parent would always send funds to support the family remaining in Ticino or to have some house built.

We have noted that the letters of the time sent to emigrants and families are written with many errors of spelling and syntax, there are many words in dialect and some in English. However, they are most interesting letters telling of the life that the emigrants from Valle Maggia led in California.

**************************************************************

SUMMARY: PEOPLE OF MAGGIA INTERVIEWS - PART I

THE FOLLOWING INTERVIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF MAGGIA REGARDING THEIR IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES WAS SENT TO ME BY PROFESSOR CORRADO POLETTI. IT WAS TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL ITALIAN BY SIG. GINO CAMPIONI. IN MANY WAYS THE EXPERIENCES OF THESE EARLY IMMIGRANTS WERE VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE FROM OTHER PARTS OF ITALY WHO IMMIGRATED TO 'LA COSTA'.


This morning I read through the entire summary from Corrado. I gather that this is a compilation of questions he or others posed to older family members or acquaintances regarding the emigration from the Ticino of Switzerland to California and various other places.

He (the interviewer) identifies the persons questioned only by their initials. Since there were many identical questions and answers, I only included those that were different or more interesting.

*****************************************************************************

Question: What was your trade?
Answers: 1.Here at home most had no trade. They were mountaineers or peasant farmers or townspeople. My great-grandfather, when he left the first time worked as a waiter on the ship.
2. A baker 3. A mason 4. Manual laborer 5. Stone cutter 6. Woodcutter 7. Chimney sweep 8. Shoemaker 9. Waiter 10. Most of those from Ticino worked on California ranches, great farms raising cattle and horses.

Question: Why did we emigrate?
Answers: 1. There was no work, the people were starving, they were many and there was little land, and so to live we had to leave. Then there was gold discovered in Australia and California. 2. To find alternate means of earning. 3. To join a relative in California
4. To help his mother who had been left a widow with 5 children 6. Because of the poverty in Ticino.

Question: How and when did you leave?
Answers: 1. On foot to Locarno, by train to Le Havre, thence by ship. 2. Most were young, 18-20 years. They left by train, then by ship. 3. We left in Springtime on horseback, then by ship.

Question: How long was the voyage?
Answers: 1. Two to six months 2. Three to four weeks 3. Three days by airplane

Question: How much did the trip cost and how did you procure the funds?
Answers: 1. 375 Francs in third class. Money was furnished by parents or friends, eventually the community, or town elders, in hope they would eventually be repaid. 2. By their own savings. 3. By borrowing from fellow workers. 4. By selling their animals
5. By borrowing from family in America.

Question: How much did they earn?
Answers: 1. They earned very little but also spent very little. 2. My great grandfather earned $1 per day and had to milk 25 cows for that. 3. Not more than we got here. 4. We did extraordinary work to earn enough to help our families. 5. From 15 to 20 time what we earned in Ticino. 6. About $25 per month.

Question: What was done with the money? How much was sent to Ticino? To whom?
Answers: 1. Most tried to save the money, and send some of it to parents or to refund loans. Some spent on homes, or opened savings accounts. 2. More than half was sent home to families.

Question: Who remained in Ticino?
Answers: 1. Mostly the women, babies, and men who had a trade (woodcutters, stone cutters, blacksmiths, foresters, and those who had enough land to work) 2. The old and the rich.

Question: What did the people remaining in Ticino do?
Answers: They continued their usual work and the raising of children, keeping house, etc. In other words, they continued their accustomed lives.

Question: What was the feeling of those who left?
Answers: They did not feel good. There were no conveniences we know now. It took months for letters to be received and then answered, thus all the people suffered from nostalgia, plus many of the places the people went did not treat them well. 2. They were very sad and had a great desire to return. 3. They were sad having to leave loved ones behind, but also scared, not knowing what lay ahead of them.

Question: What did those returning bring back to Valle Maggia?
Answers: 1. Some brought money, others their experiences, knowledge, new jobs, some brought nothing. 2. My father brought a car which later he demolished in a crash with a train. 3. They left a mark on life, learning something new, they saw that the world was bigger than our part. 4. Some brought money with which they rebuilt our town. 5. My father and uncle stayed in California. 6. Some helped restore church buildings and cemeteries. Signs of the emigration of my town are found around the church. (the cemetery of the rich)

A few persons, though, recently immigrated back to Valle Maggia.

Question: Why did our family establish again in Valle Maggia?
Answers: 1. My parents did so because returning from around the world, they sought a nice place in Switzerland, and Valle Maggia was the one they liked best. 2. We settled there because we sought tranquility, less pollution, more space for children. 3. My grandfather did because he found work. 4 To live better 5. The mother moved to Ticino to learn Italian and to work.

A brief story: My father left in 1919 being 19 years old, and having been given the funds by his father. He went to America to be a keeper of cows in various ranches. Then he returned in 1935. He met my mother. He returned to America for 2 more years, then returned here and married and remained here; though his fortune was not yet made. He always earned what little he needed to live.

When he arrived in San Francisco he had only $1 and he thought, "I must try to spend it well'. Then he found a store with some cans of meat and some bread, which he bought. When he opened a can of meat, he discovered that it was not meat, but snuff, as he could not read English, therefore he had to be content with the bread. Then he found an Italian who gave him work on a ranch.

****************************************************************************

POLETTI FAMILY TREE

As some of you ‘Blagga Fans”, might recall, Professor Corrado Poletti of Italy previously requested (via the ‘Blagga’) information regarding his Poletti relatives here in America. Since that time he has done additional work on the “Poletti Family Tree”. Unfortunately, I am unable to reproduce the actual schematic tree itself; however, he has given the 'Blagga' permission to publish his e-mail to me, first in the original Italian and then the English translation as done with perfection by the renowned linguist Gino “D’Baffi” Campioni. Those of you, who wish a copy of the actual “Tree” itself, can contact me via regular e-mail and I will forward it to you. ivno



Caro Signor Ivano,quello che le faccio avere per e-mail è l'albero genealogico della mia famiglia ("Poletti), che sono riuscito fino ad ora a mettere insieme anche grazie alle ricerche sul vostro blog "nostra costa".Tutto é partito da Condino, un paesino in provincia di Trento (oggi Italia) da dove il "Luigiun Poletti" a formato una grande famiglia composta di due gruppi dati da due matrimoni.Del primo matrimonio...una parte della famiglia, dopo essersi trasferita in Svizzera, è emigrata in America e quì ci è rimasta grazie al duro lavoro e anche alla "buona stella" (Luigi Poletti). Sempre di questa parte della famiglia un altro gruppo è rimasto in Svizzera, ma alcuni degli ultimi componenti (Bonetti) sono ora in Nuova Zelanda (New Zealand). E poi arriviamo noi che siamo i discendenti dei figli del secondo matrimonio del "Luigiun" (Poletti Achille etc.) Dalle fasce orrizontali di colore verde si possono capire i legami di parentela che tra di noi più e meno sussistono.In effetti, tutti i figli di Luigi Poletti (detto "Luigiun") sono in parte tra di loro fratellastri, ma pur sempre dello stesso sangue del loro padre.Spererei tanto che Lei Potesse aiutarmi a far pervenire questa copia di Albero genealogico "provvisorio" alla famiglia di Sophia Poletti Costella o a qualche loro intimo amico, perchè possano aiutarmi a completare i tasselli che mancano e magari raccontarmi qualche altra storia.Come vede...la mia speranza è dura a morire....ci riprovo e ...chissà che dio me la mandi buona !!!A presto...Corrado



Dear Mister Ivano,

That which I furnish you by E-mail is my family tree (Poletti), that I have been able to compile up to now, in part thanks to your researches on your blog "nostra costa".

All departed from Condino, a small town in the province of Trento (now part of Italy) from which Luigiun Poletti formed a large family comprising two groups from two marriages.

Of the first marriage...one part of the family, after transferring to Switzerland, emigrated to America and there remained, thanks to the hard work and also the "good star" (Luigi Poletti). Still in this part of the family, another group remained in Switzerland, but a few of the later components (Bonetti) are now in New Zealand. Then we come to us who are the descendants of the sons of the second marriage of "Luigiun" (Poletti, Achille, etc.)

By the horizontal bands of color we can understand the ties of parentage among us that subsist.

In effect, all the sons of Luigi Poletti (nicknamed "Luigiun") are among themselves in part stepbrothers, but all still of the same blood of their father.

I would greatly hope that you might help me by forwarding this "provisional" copy of the family tree to the family of Sophia Poletti Costella or to one of their close friends, that they might help me to complete the missing bits and perhaps relate some other story (about the family) to me.

As you see, my hope is a diehard...I keep trying and...who knows if God might grant my desire.

Soon... Corrado

LNC: Poletti Family Tree fans will be happy to know that Corrado has his own "Blagga" at:
www.polettisfamilytree.blogspot.com

LA NOSTRA COSTA PHOTO DISPLAY

MARION POKRIOTS OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY GENEALOGY SOCIETY IS PROUD TO PRESENT THE "LA NOSTRA COSTA" PHOTO DISPLAY.

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE BOOK AS WELL AS NUMEROUS OTHERS FROM THE AUTHOR'S COLLECTION WILL BE ON DISPLAY

THE DISPLAY IS LOCATED IN THE GENEALOGY SECTION OF THE SANTA CRUZ CITY LIBRARY AND WILL BE SHOWN THROUGH THE MONTH OF APRIL AND POSSIBLY MAY.


THE LIBRARY IS LOCATED AT 224 CHURCH STREET, IN DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ. ADMISSION IS FREE AND ALL ARE WELCOME.