The Italian roots of West Virginia’s state food

Giuseppe Argiro’s Pepperoni Roll Revolution in Fairmont

By 1910, over 17,000 Italians dug coal in West Virginia mines.

They came from poor towns in Sicily and Calabria, lured by coal firms after the failed 1894 strike sent American miners away. These men took the worst jobs with pick and shovel while others ran the machines.

Still, they set records – like Carmine Pelligrino who mined 66 tons in one day. Then came Giuseppe Argiro from Calabria.

In 1927, he put pepperoni inside bread dough at his Fairmont bakery. The result?

A perfect one-handed meal for hungry miners that soon became West Virginia’s signature food. The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine brings this rich history to life today.

Southern Italians Flocked to West Virginia’s Coal Country

By 1910, over 17,000 Italians lived in West Virginia, making up 30 percent of the state’s foreign-born residents. Most came from Campania, Calabria, and Sicily, looking for better jobs than they had back home.

Many Sicilians left the struggling sulfur mines in their homeland.

Calabrians, especially those from San Giovanni in Fiore, built strong Italian communities throughout West Virginia’s coalfields, bringing their customs to Appalachia.

Coal Companies Sent Agents to New York to Recruit Workers

Coal companies started actively recruiting Italians through New York labor agencies in the 1890s. They stepped up hiring Italians after American miners left for union jobs following the failed 1894 coal strike.

Labor agents targeted southern Italians, who often came from farming backgrounds but needed work.

Companies liked these immigrants because they accepted tougher conditions and lower pay than American-born miners, helping keep costs down.

Pick and Shovel Work Fell to the Newcomers

Most Italian immigrants worked as pick-and-shovel miners, doing the hardest and most dangerous jobs in the mines.

American-born and northern European miners usually got to run the machines and earned better pay for less backbreaking work. Italians faced clear job discrimination and housing limits in company towns.

They often lived in the worst sections of mining communities and worked in the most dangerous parts of the mines.

Carmine "Sixty-Six" Pelligrino Broke Coal Production Records

Italian miners built reputations for great work ethic, slowly gaining economic ground despite starting at the bottom. Hand-tool coal production records ended up held only by Italian miners.

The most famous was Carmine Pelligrino, who mined 66 tons of coal in a single 24-hour period in 1924. This amazing feat earned him the nickname “Sixty-Six” among fellow miners.

Little Italys Sprouted in Company Towns

Italians created close communities in coal towns where they kept their cultural traditions alive.

They formed mutual aid groups to help each other during hard times and built churches that followed familiar religious practices from the old country.

Many families planted community gardens to grow vegetables they couldn’t find in company stores. These areas became known as “Little Italys” throughout West Virginia coal regions.

Joseph Argiro Traded His Mining Lamp for a Baker’s Apron

Giuseppe “Joseph” Argiro came from Calabria and first worked in the coal mines near Clarksburg. He saw how miners struggled to eat proper meals during long shifts underground.

Argiro noticed his coworkers eating bread and pepperoni sticks separately while working, a clumsy process in the dark mine tunnels.

With baking skills likely learned in Italy, Argiro saw a chance to fix a common problem while finding safer work.

A Bakery Opens in Fairmont as the Roaring Twenties End

Argiro opened Country Club Bakery in Fairmont in 1927, just before the Great Depression hit businesses across America.

He left dangerous mining to use his baking skills, setting up shop in a town with many Italian miners. The bakery started by selling traditional Italian breads and pastries familiar to immigrants.

Argiro kept his ties to local miners, understanding their daily challenges better than most business owners.

A Simple Idea Combines Two Lunchbox Staples

Argiro solved miners’ mealtime problems by baking pepperoni directly inside bread dough, creating what we now know as the pepperoni roll.

His idea came from watching miners awkwardly juggle separate pieces of bread and meat during short breaks.

The pepperoni’s spicy oils soaked into the surrounding bread as it baked, adding flavor and keeping the bread moist. The first versions had simple pepperoni sticks with no cheese or sauce.

One-Handed Meals Made Mining Life a Little Easier

The pepperoni roll proved perfect for miners because they could eat it with one hand while drinking water with the other. The compact snack needed no refrigeration and stayed mostly protected from coal dust.

Miners could quickly eat and get back to work during paid shifts.

The high-calorie combo provided needed energy for the physically demanding labor of coal mining, making it both practical and filling.

Word Spread About the Perfect Miner’s Lunch

The pepperoni roll quickly caught on with miners from all backgrounds, not just Italians. Other bakeries around West Virginia followed Argiro’s lead, creating their own versions of the popular snack.

The food spread beyond mining communities to become part of broader West Virginia culture.

Variations began to appear, with some bakeries adding cheese, using different types of meat, or changing the bread recipe, though purists still prefer Argiro’s original simple design.

West Virginia’s Unofficial State Food Has Italian Roots

The pepperoni roll became West Virginia’s most closely associated food, a lasting symbol of the Italian immigrant influence on Appalachian culture.

Country Club Bakery still operates today, using Argiro’s original recipe from nearly a century ago.

In 2013, lawmakers proposed making the pepperoni roll the official state food of West Virginia, though the measure didn’t pass.

This humble snack, born from the practical needs of immigrant coal miners, remains a beloved part of West Virginia’s cultural identity and a testament to how necessity breeds invention.

Visiting Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, West Virginia

The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine at 513 Ewart Ave tells the story of Italian miners who created West Virginia’s famous pepperoni roll. You’ll pay $22 for adults ($16 seniors, $12.50 kids) to explore the underground mine, coal camp, youth museum and mountain homestead. The 35-minute underground tour uses a “man car” holding 35 people.

Open April through November, 10am-5pm daily.

Their fall festival features authentic pepperoni rolls and special exhibits about Giuseppe Argiro’s invention.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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