| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | Freedom Civic Association |
| Title: | Freedom Civic Association Records |
| Dates: | 1917-1992 |
| Extent: | 1.95 linear feet (4 containers) |
| Abstract: | The Freedom Civic Association, also known as Societa Gildonese of Cleveland, Ohio, was founded on May 15, 1917. Guiseppe Perrotti and others established the Society as a fraternal, social, and patriotic association for the benefit of fellow immigrants from the town of Gildone, Italy. The organization offered the Gildone immigrants health and death benefits, taught them English, and helped with employment. Originally meeting at Alta House in Cleveland's "Little Italy", the organization later moved to the Collinwood area. In recent years, the Society met at the Allegro Club until it disbanded in 1992. The collection consists of bound ledger books which record membership lists, minutes, financial information, and secretary's books. The remainder consists of loose materials including bylaws, constitutions, correspondence, membership lists, and financial information. |
| MS Number | MS 4771 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
The Freedom Civic Association, also known as Societa Gildonese of Cleveland, Ohio, was founded on May 15, 1917. Guiseppe Perrotti and others established the Society for the benefit of their fellow immigrants from Gildone, Italy. Incorporated by the state of Ohio in August 1917, the society was organized as a fraternal, social, and patriotic association. The organization offered the Gildone immigrants health and death benefits, taught them English, and helped with employment. Originally centered at Alta House in "Little Italy," the organization later moved to Collinwood as the Italian American community moved out and acculturated. Recently, the society met regularly at the Allegro Club until it disbanded in 1992.
The Freedom Civic Association Records, 1917-1992, consist primarily of bound ledger books which record membership lists, minutes, financial information and secretary's books. The remainder is loose materials consisting of bylaws and constitutions, correspondence, membership lists, and financial information.
This collection is of value to researchers studying the history of early 20th century Italian immigration to the United States and to Cleveland, Ohio. It is also useful to the study of social services and "Americanization" programs provided by immigrant benevolent and fraternal societies and to researchers interested in the local Cleveland, Ohio, Italian-American community. Membership, death, and cemetery lists are useful for genealogical purposes.
A microfilm edition has been produced primarily for purposes of preservation. However, no restrictions have been placed on the use of this microfilm for research purposes, and individual frames may be reproduced to facilitate scholarly research. However, neither whole reels nor significant portions thereof may be duplicated without the written permission of the Western Reserve Historical Society.
Further, the reader is cautioned that under the Copyright Law (Title 17, United States Code) copyright to unpublished manuscripts descends to the heirs of the author, unless the author ceded his or her rights elsewhere. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permission from the owner(s) of copyright before publishing any materials contained on this film.
The property rights to the Freedom Civic Association reside with the Western Reserve Historical Society, which also has custody of the master camera negative to this microfilm edition.
Separated MaterialAll photographs have been removed to the print and photograph collection.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4771 Freedom Civic Association Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Frank Longo, 1996
Processed by Marilyn Lelli and Deborah R. Shell in 1998. Microfilmed by Bernard Watford in 1998.
Freedom Civic Association Records 1917-1992 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Articles of Incorporation, (original housed in Container 4, Folder 44) 1917 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Anniversary dinner, program and attendance lists 1987 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Attendance, meetings, bound volume, including financial accounts and dues information 1930-1933 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Attendance, meetings, bound volume, including financial accounts and dues information 1933-1935 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Cemetery and death lists 1958-1991 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Committee reports, bound volume, including some minutes and notes 1931-1957 | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Committee reports 1935 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Constitution and bylaws 1948 1974 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Correspondence, miscellaneous 1934 1941-1992 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Correspondence, president's office 1982-1990 | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Death records, bound volume 1923-1987 | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Financial records, account book 1922-1930 | |||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Financial records, account book, dues 1923-1926 | |||||||||
| 1 | 14 | Financial records, account book, dues 1926-1930 | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Financial records, account book, dues 1930-1940 | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Financial records, account book 1935-1942 | |||||||||
| 1 | 17 | Financial records, notes and reports 1940-1991 | |||||||||
| 1 | 18 | Financial records, bound volume, dues and financial reports (original housed in Container 4, Folder 45) 1943-1951 | |||||||||
| 1 | 19 | Financial records, bound volume, dues and financial reports (original housed in Container 4, Folder 46) 1952-1988 | |||||||||
| 1 | 20 | Financial records, account notebook 1967-1968 | |||||||||
| 1 | 21 | Financial records, president's financial notebook 1975-1981 | |||||||||
| 1 | 22 | Membership, bound volume 1934-1947 | |||||||||
| 1 | 23 | Membership, bound volume ca. 1935-1938 | |||||||||
| 1 | 24 | Membership, loose materials removed from Folder 23 1988 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 25 | Membership, bound volume 1955-1959 | |||||||||
| 1 | 26 | Membership, loose materials, including membership lists 1958-1992 | |||||||||
| 1 | 27 | Minutes, bound volume 1918-1920 | |||||||||
| 1 | 28 | Minutes, bound volume 1920-1923 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 29 | Minutes, bound volume 1923-1926 | |||||||||
| 2 | 30 | Minutes, bound volume 1926-1928 | |||||||||
| 2 | 31 | Minutes, bound volume 1928-1934 | |||||||||
| 2 | 32 | Minutes, bound volume 1935-1946 | |||||||||
| 2 | 33 | Minutes, bound volume 1938-1984 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 3 | 34 | Minutes, bound volume 1946-1962 | |||||||||
| 3 | 35 | Minutes, bound volume 1963-1991 | |||||||||
| 3 | 36 | Minutes, loose materials removed from Folder 35 1964-1990 undated | |||||||||
| 3 | 37 | Minutes, bound volume, including constitutional bylaws undated | |||||||||
| 3 | 38 | Minutes, loose materials removed from Folder 37 undated | |||||||||
| 3 | 39 | Newspaper clippings 1959-1988 | |||||||||
| 3 | 40 | Oddments 1974-1988 undated | |||||||||
| 3 | 40 | Photographs, group portraits, unidentified 1957 undated | |||||||||
| 3 | 40 | Photographs, ICA Hall, view undated | |||||||||
| 3 | 41 | Picnic committee, minutes, bound volume 1927-1928 1944 | |||||||||
| 3 | 42 | Picnic committee, minutes, bound volume 1928-1929 | |||||||||
| 3 | 43 | Sick members, bound volume (original housed in Container 4, Folder 47) 1928-1987 | |||||||||