People from numerous nations overcame differences to establish clarksburg, understanding that new people and ideas enrich their lives and community

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. – I was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in this small West Virginia town in 1956. Growing up, there were clear distinctions between nationalities. The Industrial Revolution and coming of the railroad in the mid 19th Century sparked a tidal wave of immigration from all across Europe, from Ireland and Scotland, to the mainland countries of Belgium and France, to the eastern nations of Poland, Austria-Hungary and Slovakia, to the Mediterranean countries of Italy and Greece, to the Middle Eastern countries of Syria and Lebanon. As a result, a relatively small city in the heart of Appalachia had a much more cosmopolitan feel than one would have ever imagined, a bustling community I enjoyed in the 1960s and early 70s during my formative years – and that continues today.

Clearly, such progress would not have happened without cooperation. And it certainly would not have happened without the immigrants who gave blood, sweat, tears and their lives to power the nation’s steel mills and power plants. Yes, there were divisions; but generally, we benefited from the diversity. To this day, the proud heritage of the Italian families is evident in restaurants, bakeries, churches and family gatherings. The joy, the laughter, the bantering – and oh, the food!

Understandably, I grew up celebrating our town’s diversity, even though I wasn’t really conscious of it then. I am now. It was the “torch bearers” that preserved their own historical and cultural heritages while collaborating with folks from other regions of Europe and the British Isles to build a community that only occurs through determined cooperation, making Clarksburg a tribute to immigrants.

© Michael M. Barrick, 2017.