Condeluci Hill: One Families Journey

After a wonderful holiday and start of a new decade, I am excited about an upcoming lecture I will be doing for the McKees Rocks Historical Society. This group of volunteers are committed to preserving the history of our hometown and keeping a legacy for what has come before us.

On Tuesday, January 21, I will be looking at the history of “Condeluci Hill” in our section of “Norwood” in McKees Rocks. People who know my work, know my pride for our family hill, settled by my grandfather, dad, and uncles back in 1944, but the story starts well before then, and is much more than just the Condeluci family.

Back at the turn of the 19th century, thousands of immigrants made their way to the United States by way of Ellis Island seeking a better life. Often these families found relatives who came before them and often helped the newcomer assimilate into the new American culture. These relatives served as gatekeepers in a new world, and family was an essential ingredient for acceptance and security.

Our session for the Historical Society will acknowledge this essential ingredient of family, but in the end, the development of friendships beyond the family were the stuff of community. Sociologists call these connections “Social Capital,” and they are at the core of successful communities.

So, if you can, join us on 1/21 at Rocky’s Restaurant to hear not just about the Condeluci family, but to learn more about the community importance of social capital.