In 1929, a group of Italian immigrants who had settled in the city of Washington formed a chapter of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), a fraternal association with headquarters in Pittsburgh. The group decided upon the name “Alpine Star,” a reference to the colorful mountain flower. The purpose of Alpine Star Lodge No. 9 – like most Italian fraternal groups of that era – was to help immigrants navigate the challenges of building lives in America and to forge a stronger connection with each other.

Italians who came to the city and many other locations during the period of mass immigration, from 1880 to 1930, often faced prejudice and discrimination. Most immigrant families were poor, without a safety net in times of crisis. The purpose of the Alpine Lodge was to address basic needs – to put food on the table of those in need, even to pay for burials when families could not afford to do so.