The Melting Pot of Thomas

The Melting Pot of Thomas. Thomas, West Virginia. , Immigration and Ethnic Diversity , After the railroad and coal industries began operation, Thomas made a rapid transformation from isolated mountain town to small cosmopolitan city. The Davis Coal and Coke Company recruited workers from all over the world, and those workers in turn encouraged friends and family members to seek a better life in Thomas., Rocco D. Benedetto was instrumental in bringing many Italian families to Thomas. Benedetto was born in Pratola Peligna, Italy in 1864 and immigrated to the United STates in 1892. Like many immigrant laborers, he had to leave his wife and family behind in Italy. He started in the coal mines, working his way up from laborer to yard boss to coke inspector. His wife was finally able to join him in America in 1900. With his savings, Benedetto built two brick buildings and began publishing La Sentinella del West Virginia, an Italian newspaper with a statewide circulation of 3500. He also undertook a steamship ticket brokerage venture and visited Italy to recruit workers for the Davis Coal and Coke Company arranging their travel to America., It is estimated that as many as 18 nationalities were represented in Thomas including Italian, Russian, Lithuanian, Polish, Austrian, Irish and Swiss. The Davis Coal and Coke Company employed interpreters including Wladyslaw Dackiewicz from Poland, who spoke 8 languages. At its peak in the 1920s, Thomas had a population of over 2000 that included families such as DeCicco, DiBacco, DePollo, DiMaio, Dilettoso, Gennanonti, Grecco, Massi, Monda, Pinto, Quattro, Udovich, Gatto, Santangelo, Schilansky, Rubenstein, Geisberger and many others., The balconies on the Benedetto Building (No. 4) and other structures, inviting storefronts and shared common areas reflect the vibrant European street life that the immigrants could not help but bring with them. Though a sense of pride in family heritage persists in Thomas to this day, the residents of this city have always embraced their identity as Americans, as evidenced in the annual Fourth of July celebrations. Parades and festivities for Independence Day have been held in THomas since at least 1908. This holiday is marked by the many family and class reunions which draw far flung former residents back for the celebration.