Slovenian Club in Claridge is marking 100th anniversary
By Craig Smith, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
"If a man got killed, they just replaced him. But if they killed a mule, the guy (responsible) knew he'd get fired. It cost
The club, rebuilt after being destroyed by fire in 1988, is marking its 100th anniversary this month.
Chartered in
These clubs offered hard-working miners a respite from the dark, dank mines, said
"Life was very hard for the miners, they needed some sort of relief," he said.
The clubs became much more than just a social hall.
"The saloon keepers often became matchmakers and bankers, lending the men money," Gobetz said. "They became leaders in the community."
Many clubs sprang up in ethnic communities in conjunction with fraternal organizations that offered benefits the immigrant workers couldn't get elsewhere.
"It meant a lot to somebody who was sick or disabled. ... Commercial life insurance companies just did not cover immigrants at that time," said Joseph Evanish, president of the
"You got
At their peak, there were more than 90 Slovenian clubs across the country, Gobetz said. Some have closed but more than half survive.
Many of
"Some have dropped the clubs because of liquor liabilities," said
The bowling alleys at the
In nearby Export, Italian immigrants who worked in the coal mines headed for the
"Dues was
The club, which has a 1,600-member limit, celebrated its 80th birthday in August.
Despite sweeping cultural changes over the past four decades, some rules from the club's early days remain. While women can join, they can't attend meetings or vote, Stover said.
Ethnic clubs often gave the locals a watering hole they could share with celebrities.
In
"Most of the older guys are passing away," said
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