Contact:

Leo J. Goodsell, Executive Director
Berrien County Historical Association
P.O. Box 261
Berrien Springs, MI 49103
Tele: (269) 471-1202

Fede, Famiglia, e Amici: The Italian Experience in Berrien County 1900-2004
Presented by the Sons of Italy and the Berrien County Historical Association

BERRIEN SPRINGS: The Berrien County Historical Association in partnership with the Sons of Italy will present programs on the Italian experience in Berrien County from 1900 to 2004. The slide programs are free and open to the public. One program will be held at the 1839 Courthouse Museum in Berrien Springs on December 13 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. and another program will be held at the historic Morton House Museum in Benton Harbor on December 19 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. The programs are the culmination of two years research and interviews from area Italian immigrants and descendants of Italian immigrants. This project is funded in part by a $15,000 grant from the Michigan Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Leo Goodsell, executive director of the Berrien County Historical Association said, “We were so fortunate to have such an overwhelming show of support for this project by scholars from around Michigan and members of our community. One of the goals of this project was to increase our knowledge and understanding of one of the various ethnic groups that make up Berrien County’s rich heritage.” The contribution of Italian immigrants to this area resulted in the rich agricultural heritage of the northern Berrien County area. More than 3,000 people in Berrien County claim Italian ancestry. However, much of the Italian influence is largely forgotten today. The Italians congregated in an area of Benton Harbor called “Little Italy” and they owned and operated many farms and businesses in Benton Harbor, Coloma, and Watervliet. Today the former “Little Italy” area encompassed the Morton Hill area and the downtown area stretching from Paw Paw Road and Territorial Road westward in areas now occupied by businesses such as Atlantic Automotive.

Research results, and oral or videotapes area deposited in the archives of the Berrien County Historical Association in Berrien Springs. The information from the oral histories, as well as information obtained from other historical documents and photos, served as the core of a brief publication, Fede, Famiglia, e Amici: The Italian Experience in Berrien County 1900-2004.

The 1839 Courthouse Museum is located at 313 N. Cass Street (old US 31) in Berrien Springs. The Morton House Museum is located at 501 Territorial Road, Benton Harbor. For more information call (269) 471-1202.