Family & Community

The Italian immigrants to the Mother Lode established their own cultural communities  wherever they settled. They had their own "Little Italy" communities such as at Jackson Gate and at Clinton in Amador County. To this day, Jackson Gate is the site of several Italian family restaurants and Clinton Road, is lined with Italian Ranches.

The Italian pioneers celebrated their pride in their Italian heritage by building "Bocce" courts, holding Columbus Day  celebrations, and forming mutual benefit organizations.

There are a number of Italian organizations serving the Italians, in the Mother Lode. The Gold Country Italian American Club in  Grass Valley plays bocce at the courts it has built in the local public park and the Italian Benevolent Society in Amador, organized in 1881, holds an annual "Italian Festa" at the " Italian  Society Park " at Sutter Hill. The Society is 118, years old and made up of descendents of the early Italian immigrants to the Mother Lode.

Angelo Noce, an Italian immigrant to Clinton in 1858, is credited as the "Father of Columbus Day" in the United States for obtaining  recognition of Columbus Day as a legal holiday by thirtyfive states. Native son, Andrew Caminetti, born in Jackson Gate in 1854 of Italian immigrant parents, was the first native-born California elected to the United States Congress.