The Paths of the Trade: Italian Stonemasons in the United States

Abstract

This article examines the history of Italian stonecutters from Valle Cervo, an alpine village in Piedmont, Italy. These migrants comprised a wave of temporary emigration to the United States between 1870 and 1915. The migration paths followed by these artisans demonstrates the close connection among their various migrations, settlements and opportunities for employment in the eastern United States. The reconstruction of the histories of individual emigrants, utilizing Italian and American sources, census records, trade-union press and private documents, provides some insight into the experiences of these stonecutters and their social networks.