COMMEMORATION
THE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE POLISH SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA 1863 -1963 CENTENNIAL PROGRAM
OF THE
POLISH SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA
CELEBRATED ON JDL Y 6, 1963
MARK HOPKINS HOTEL CALIFORNIA & MASON SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. JOHN F. KENNEDY The President of the United States o G _ BRO WN ~httL' ~f ([ SACRAMENTO I am proud to serve on the Honorary Committee for the lOOth anniversary of the Polish Society of California. We are a nation of many peoples, many traditions and many cultures. And I believe one of our great strengths is the pride with which we recognize our own national and ethnic origins. This, above all else, is the reason why America has a richness of culture, a deep rooting with the past, which unite as a nation even as they honor and respect the differences among us. The Polish Americans of California, descendants of a people for whom freedom was a creed, not merely a word, have made many vital contributions to our state and our country. As Governor, I extend to your society the best wishes of California's more than 17 million citizens. EDMU ND G. BROWN Governor of California IrIousr 1&rsolutton ~o. 423 §rnatr 1Rrl101utton No. 185 By Assemblyman Phillip Burton: By Senator McAteer: Commemorating the One-hundredth Anniversary Of the Polish Society of Califonz;a Relative to the 100th Anniversary of the Polish Society of California WHEREAS, One hundred years ago, Polish patriots who, after the unsuccessful January uprising of 1863, emigrated to the United States WHEREAS, The Polish Society of California, which was formed in 1863 of America, organized the Polish Society of California with Captain by a group of Polish patriots who had emigrated to California, is cele Bielawski as their leader and first President; and brating its 1 OOth Anniversary this year; and WHEREAS, In 1880 this group joined the newly organized Polish National Alliance in an effort to create a united Polish organization WHEREAS, The event will be commemorated at a special program to be of national significance, to work more effectively in the cause of libera held in San Francisco on July 6,1963; and tion and freedom of their ensla ved homeland, and also to extend fraternal help to Poles and Americans of Polish descent in all fields of government, WHEREAS, The Polish Society of California, which is a part of the politics, and humanitarian activities; and Polish National Alliance, the largest Polish-American fraternal organi WHEREAS, From these pioneering beginnings the Polish National zation in the United States, has, during its existence, done outstanding Alliance has become the largest Polish American fraternal organization in the United States today, with a membership of over 370,000 and work in furthering the cause of liberty and freedom in Poland and in assets of over $115,000,000; and extending important and useful social services to Poles and Polish-Ameri WHEREAS, In celebration of the centennial anniversary of the cans in California; now, thereforre, be it organization of the Polish Society of California, a banquet and program has been planned to be held on July 6,1963 in San Francisco; and R esolved by the Senate of the State California, That the Members of the WHEREAS, At that time homage will be paid to the many achieve Senate wish by this resolution to convey their congratulations to the ments and cultural contributions of the Polish Americans in the Western Polish Society of California, on the 100th Anniversary of the society States of the United States; now, therefore, be it and to commend the society, its members, and officers for the outstanding Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the work they have done; and be it further members take this opportunity to extend their sincere and hearty congratulations to the Polish Society of California on its 100th Anni Resolvved, That the Secretary of the Senate is hereby directed to transmit versary and to its many members throughout the State; and be it further suitably prepared copies of this resolution to Victor F. Stachura, the Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly is directed to transmit a suitably prepared copy of this resolution to the Polish President of the Executive Committee of the Polish Society of California. Society of California. Resolution read and unanimously adopted on motion of Senator Resolution read, and referred by the Speaker pro Tempore to the McAteer. Committee on Rules. GEORGE CHRISTOPHI'. S JoN '-IANCIICO ,rnrlamattnn POLISH NATIONAL ALLIANCE LARGEST AND MOST PROGRESSIVE FRATERNAL SOCIETY WllE.REAS, The Polish National Alliance, as the largest fraternal society of Americans of Polish descent, OF AMERICANS OF POLISH DESCENT is celebrating the lO'Jth Anniversary of the Poliah Colony in California on July 5th, 1963· and ' Extends WHEREAS, Polish-American people in San Francisoo alw~s Greetings and Best Wishes have been an outstanding asset to the cO;;mlunlty, and their diligence, patriotism and deep moral and religious convictions are admired throughout to our City; and GROUP 7 P.N.A. \oll!EREaS, Strong bonds of friendship have alw~s existed between the Polish and Acerican peoples, and those of Polish descent living in our nation and On the Occasion of its 100th Anniversary our City today are keeping alive the deep Polish devotion to liberty which communist oppressors have tried to suppress in the Polish homeland: New Certificates of Insurance Alliance College in Cambridge Springs, Pa. NOli, THEREFORE, I, George Christopher, MBJ"or of the City and County of San franCisco, do hereby congratulate the Polish Colony of California on its lOOth Publications - Zgoda - Polish Daily Zgoda Anniversary in our State, and I proclaim Frid~, July 5th, 1963 , to be "POLISH COLONY looth Libraries - Schools - Sports ANNlVERSA.RY DAY" in San francisco, and I wish the members of this Colony continued success and happiness as citizens devoted to the heritage of HOME OFFICE: 1514-20 W. Division St., Chicago 22, Illinois freedom we enjoy. IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set OFFICERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS rrry hand 8Dd MUSed the seal of the City and County of San Francisco to EDWARD P. KOZMOR BLANCHE HELKOWSKA be affixvd this tenth day of June, Cell so,' CA TH. ZIEMBA-DIENES nineteen hundred and sixty-three. W. L DWORAKOWSKI BONAVENTURE MIGALA Vice· Censor CAROLIN E SPISAK CHARLES ROZMAREK MICHAEL L. HOLODNIK P"esid ellt JOHN J ZIEMBA FRANCES DYMEK IRENE WA.LLACE V ice-President FR ANK M. PROCHOT ADOLPH K. P ACHUCKI V icl'-Prl' fidl'lIl HENRY J SPINDOR JOSEPH F. FOSZCZ EDW ARD S GEMB ARA Gelleral Secretary DR. ANTHONY SAMPOLINSKI JOHN ULATOWSKI High M edical Examiner T reasurer 9 8 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE POLISH SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA In our st:ne capital, above one of the impress ive buildings, these w ords are inscribed: "BRING ME MEN TO MATCH MY MOUNT AINS." How aptly these words challenge Californians to action and great achievement. The Polish Society of California, as one of the pioneer groups in the development of California, took up this challenge, and its members, through the one-hundred years of its existence, contributed greatly to the intellectual, political, economical, humanitarian, and cul tural development of our great State of California. Uppermost in the minds of the first Polish settlers who came to Cali fornia, as well as those who followed, was the liberation of Poland. They organized the Polish Society of California, always ready to help morally an.d materially their oppressed homeland. The idea of liberty was their guiding light in the search for human rights and dignity. Keeping this idea in mind, these seekers of human liberty started a new life in a free land, building a better tomorrow for themselves and their fellow men. Although not many of them accumulated great wealth, they did succeed, through generations, in passing on the love of liberty and freedom. Today, over one-hundred years since the first members of our Society settled in California, the Polish colony is well known as a guardian of those high ideals and personal freedoms so greatly cherished in our time, when the right to liberty and freedom is often ignored or utterly denied. \'Ve are fortunate we live in the United States of America, the land of the free, where we can enjoy the fruits of the labors of those men and women who came before us with the faith and inspiration to match our mountains. They faced the challenge with courage and integrity, never losing faith that men are born to be free. Space does not permit me to enumerate the many contributions which were made by members of our Society in the developmnt of our State. I am sure we can continue to follow in the pioneering spirit of our forefathers tow~rd new developments and unconquered fields of human endeavors. The future growth of the Polish Society of California is assured with the Constant growth of California and the many Polish Americans who are coming to the West. Let us honor the past and 1001;< to the future with courage and anticipation. VICTOR F. STACHURA, President Victor F. Stachura, President Polish SocietJI of California Polish SOCiety of California HONORARY CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE Hon. EDMUND G. BROWN, Governor of California HOllorary C/aairmall The Most Reverend JOSEPH McGUCKEN Arcbbisbop of San Frallcisco Han. GEORGE CHRISTOPHER Ma)lor of Sail FrClllcis co Mr. and Mrs. Stanislaus A. Blonski Professor Arthur P. Coleman Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Godlewski Felix Gottlicher Stefan Kaminski Edward Kozmor Professor \'l/ aclaw Lednicki EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Bottom row, from left to right: Mary Saluk, Wanda Pomykalska, Victoria Witkowska, Victor Professor George Lenczowski F. Stachura, Ann3 Nowakowska, Roman Nowakowski, Irene A . Stachura, Ingrid Kukula. Standing: Wilhelm A. Wolny, Fr ank Biernat, Kazimierz Porebski, Albina Isaeff, Leo Isaeff, Professor Jadwiga Maurer Nancy Isaeff, Kazimi8rz Nowicki, A leksandra Now icka, Antoni Witkowsk i, Ted James Kukula, Teofi l Kot, Kazimierz Pomykalski. Professor Jerzy Neyman Dr. Casimir Niec EXECUTIVE CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE Estelle Nieder VICTOR F. STACHURA Jozefa Nikbsiewicz Cbainnan Michal K. Pawlikowski Frank Biernat Wanda Pomykalska Dr. Kazimierz Pomykalski, M.D. Albina Isaeff Kazimierz Porebski Leo Isaeff Maria Saluk Maciej Radziwill Frank Jasinski John Smelski Karol Rozmarek Ted James Kukula, Esq. Irene A. Stachura Reverend Francis \\'1ajda Ingrid Kukula Victor Wielgosz Victoria Witkowska Boleslaw Wojcik Teofil Kat Anna N owakowska Bolesbw Wojtycki Antoni Witkowski Rom'1n Nowakowski \'V ilhelm Wolny Bronislaw A. Zaremba Aleksa ndr? N owicka Alicj1 Wolny Kazir:;ie rz N owicki T :ldeus? Zagorewicz 12 J \ NATIONAL HYMN OF POLAND "BOZE COS POLSKE" ... this hymn became the National Hymn of Poland after the uprising of 1830 its sin ging was not permitted by the con querors. . later lyri cs entitled "Serd eczna Matko" were substituted for the sa me mel ody ' IS a relig iolls song.. it too was forbidden . the \vords in Polish for Boze Cos Polske go as follows : Boze C os Polsk e przez tak liczne wieki. O taczal blaskiem potegi i chwaly, Cos ja oslanial tarcz:! Swej opicki O d nieszczesc ktore przygnebic ja mialy. * Przed Twe oltarze zanosim blaganie; Ojczyzne, wolnosc rac? nam wrocic Panie * repeat ENGLISH VERSION OF "BOZE COS POLSKE" God, who held Poland for so many ages, In Your protection, glory, and great power, Who gave Your wisdom to her bards and sages, And gave Your own shield as her rightful dower. * Before Your altars, we in supplication Our Lady of Czestochowa Kneeling, implore You, free our land Queen of Poland and nation. repeat -(T. Bmstowicz ill W eekly "Czas") 14 I 5 FIRST POLES IN AMERICA A POLISH - AMERICAN CHRONOLOGY I (iOS Arrival of the first Poles in Ameri ca . l608 Pies es tablish first factory in America, at Jamestown, Va. 1619 Poles win fir st reco rded strike in America n history. Will right to vote for and sit in Virginia House of Burgesses. 1643 First mention of a Pole in New Amsterdam (New York). 1777 Kosciuszko fortifi es Saratoga, the turning point of the American Re\'oluti nary 'Xf ar. 1 n';) PuLtski dies leading cavalry at the battle of Savannah. 18O,U-IS.')1 First Polish Revolution against Russ ia s uppr e s~ ed with great severity. Beginning of first major political immigration to America. I H34 First Polish book published in the U nited States. 1834 The "Polish Committee" founded First Polish Soci ety organized in the United States. 1846 Insurrect ion in Galicia. Suppression of the Free City of Cracow. Second major political immigration to America. 1851 Panna Maria, Texas, founded. First all-Polish Community founded in America. 1854 First Poli sh Parish founded in the U nited States, at Panna Maria, Texas. I So I Outbreak of the American Civil War. Generals Krzyzanowski , Karge and Scheopf on Union Side. 1863 The Polish Society of California was founded in San Francisco by Rudolf Korwin Piotrowski and Kazimierz Bielawski. 1863-1865 Second Polish Revolution against Russia suppressed with great severity THIS BRONZE PLAQUE was unveiled by the Polish Falcons of America on A new wave of political exiles reaches America. Sept. 29, 195 7, saluting the 350th annive rsary of the aniva l of the fir st Poles to 1863 Echo z Polski, first Polish newspaper in America founded. America. 1868 First Polish parochial school founded, in Milwaukee. ACCORDING TO our noted Polish American historian, Mieczyslaw Haiman, the "Poles" that arri ved were expert craftsmen, engaged by the Virginia Company to instruct 1873 Polish Roman Catholic Union founded, first Polish fraternal organization 111 and es tablish the manufacture of g lass, pitch, tar and wood products. The exact number America. of this group is not known, but " they were not more than a handful" wrote Haiman 1874 Arrival of the Felician Sisters, first order of Polish nuns to arrives in the in 1939 United States. WORLD WAR II brought so many Poles to Eng land that among them were many 1877 Arri\:\1 of Helena Modjcska, one of America's g reatest Shakespearean actresses. men of letters. It was their research through the English archi ves that uncovered the actual names of the fi ve Poles that arrived and to quote from Arthur L. Waldo's 1880 Polish National Alliance of the United States of North America was founded. excellent monograph titled "The First Poles in America" published by the Polish 1885 Sts. Cyril :\nd Methodius Seminary founded at Orchard Lake, Michigan. First Falcons of Ameri ca in 19 57, we have a description of who they were : Polish American in stitution of higher learning established in the United States. MICHAL LOWICKI of London, originally a Polish nobleman, industly and busi- 1890 Beginning of mass economic migrations from Poland. ness organizer, leader of the group. 1891 Arrival of Paderewski in America. ZBIGNIEW ST AFANSKI of Wloclawek, glass production specialist 1918 Wilson's Fourteen Points call for an independent Poland. 1918 John C. Klecza, first Pole el ected to national office, takes seat In House of JAN MAT A of Krakow, a prominent soap producer. Represen tati ves. ST ANISLA W SADOWSKI of Radom, lumber clapboard production organizer. 1944 Formation of Polish American Congress. JAN BOGDAN of Kolomyja, pitch and tar, and ship-building expert Captain 19')5 Edmund Muskie of Maine, first Polish American to be elected Governor of an John Smith, one of the colonizers of Virginia, had personally met Bogdan in Poland American state. during his sojourn there in 1603. 1958 Edmund Muskie, first Polish American to sit in the United States Senate. 16 17 AN APPEAL FOR POLAND THOMAS CAMPBELL ( 1777- 1844) Published 111 Bnffalo I7l 1831 LINES ON POLAND And have I li\'ed to see thee s\vord in hand "When Poland was overcome, the fifth power in Christendom was trodden upon. Uprise again, immortal Poli sh Land I - Whose flag brings more than chivalry to mind, There are circumstances of unmitigated wrong, of pecul iar aggravation, that must be And leaves the tri-co lor in shadl: behind; - A theme for uninspired li ps too strong; added to the picture. The crime of Po land was too much liberty; her independent existence, That swell s my heart beyond the power of song; - in the vicinity of those who had reared their thrones on arbitrary will, was not to be M ajestic men, whose deeds have dazzled faith, Ah! yet your fa ith's suspense arrests my breath; endured. Fellow-citizens, neither the ancient institutions, nor the ancient practices of W hilst, envying bosoms bared to shot and steel, I fee l the more that fru itless ly 1 fee l. Poland have been understood There 'Nas wanting but a single aggravating circumstance Poles I with what in dignation I endure T h' half pitying servil e mouths that ca ll you poor: to render the partition of the fine country more odious, and, unhappily, this too is to Poor! is it England mocks you with her grief, T hat hates, but dares not chide, th' Imperial Thief? be enumerated among its sufferings. When Poland was subdued, by far the larger France with her soul beneath a Bourbon's thrall, portion of her territory became subject to a people less adva nced in civilization than And Germany that has no soul at all, - States, quaili ng at the g iant overgrown, her own citizens Against the injustice of their lot, and the further accumulation of W hom dauntless Poland grapples with alone? N o, ye are rich in fame e'en whil st ye bleed : their manifold wrongs, the Poles have risen before God and man We have put W e cannot aid you - 1I.'e are poor indeed I the case of Poland simply before you . Her cause is so obviously just as to require no But if there should be none to aid you, Poles, aid from the embellishments of language, or to need any laboured appeal to your Ye']] but to prouder pitch wind up your so uls, Above example, pity, praise, or blame, charities . We should be false to our origin, our principles, and that mild religion To sow and reap a boundless fi eld of Fame. Ask aid no more from N ations that forget in which we are nurtured, could we hesitate between Poland and her enemies . Your championship - old Europe's mighty debt. Though Poland ( Lazarus like ) has burst the gloom, Come then, people of America, to the relief of this much injured and gal lent people. She rises not a beggar from the tomb: In Fortune's frown, on Danger's giddiest brink, Your aid will be offered to those w ho are w illing to work out their own redemption; Despair and Poland's n:une must never link. who have already shown themselves worthy of their ancient fame in twenty fields and All ills have bounds - plague, whirlwind, fire , and fiood: E'en power can spill but bounded sums of blood. who will never yield until resistance shall have been carried to extremity." States caring not what Freedom's price may be, May late or soon, but must at last be fr ee; JAMES FENIMORE COOPER For body killing tyrants cannot kill The public soul - the hereditary \vill That downward as from sire to son it goes, By shifting bosoms more intensely glows; Its heir-loom is the heart, and slaughter'd men From BUFFALO JOURNAL AND GENERAL ADVERTISER, September 7th, 1 B31 Fight fiercer in their orphans o'er again. Poland recasts - thoug h rich in heroes old, - Whell a PoliJh IIp riJing agaiJist RHJJitl broke Ollt ill 1830, !a1lteJ Fenimore Cooper H er men in more and more heroic mould: Her eagle-ensign best among mankind became the {hail'll/tl Jl of till AJJlericaJi Commillee to aid the CCllfJe. III thiJ capacity he Becomes, and types her eag le strength of mind: wrote the app eal. to the AmericCl II people, excerptJ of which are reprinted above. H er praise upon my faltering lips express: Resume it, younger bards, and nobler lyres I 18 19 THE ATTITUDE OF CIVIL WAR AMERICA ,lski gave A meri ca ns du rin g th eir own revo lu and scanty :r('ounts of new troubles in Ru ssian tion . It was hcn," il " dividl'nded by poetry and Poland. They noted that ri oters, moved to a TO THE POLISH INSURRECTION OF 1863 fic ti on ex to ll ing tl~ e suffe ring Po les, such as frenzy by the enactment of a mass conscription T homas Ca mbell 's "The P ltasures of H ope" to remove poten ti al supporters of a consp iracy w ith its oft-quoted line: "And Freedom fo c independence from its most potential urban shrieked when Kosciusz ko fel l," and Jane centers, entered Russian military billets on the INTRODlTcnON While the Ameri ca n Union was torn in two Porter's novel T b"ddells of lI' -a r J(/UI. which nig ht of January 22nd and killed many troops. and the thresho ld of the agoni zing yea r of its was partl y inspired by the life of Kosciuszko. The accounts termed the event ,. a second St. The y~ar 1R I'>.' marks ;\ turning point in Civi l W ar, that part of di smembered Poland l'I[u ch was drawn from the legacy at the time Barth lomew's massacre" and ended w ith the the hi<;torr of two ." rlat nati ons. In Europe which had fallen under the rul e: of Ru ssia of the Pol ish November Insurrection of 18 _, 0 text of a speech which CZ:Jf Al exander made it \\ 'Os thl y~.'tr ('If Po land's Janudfj' Insur began to make another futil e armc:d bid for and 1 8 ~ 1 when a virtual wave of Polollo /,!?ilia to hi s oflicers on the St. Petersburg parade rection. an ~vlnt that Tll arks th" cnd of the independence. At a fir st historical glance, it inundated Jac ksonian America: when hardl y a ground in hich he forg iving ly stated: "Even older rnl"ontic f"r()~LTm for the rc'storation of would seem hig hly improbable that the widely day went by without so me sympathetl c men in the presence of these atrocities I w ill not the partitioned State and the beginning of separated and totally unrelated historical tragi ti on of Pol and in newspaper editori als; w hen accu se the Po li sh Nation." Few of the journals the period of "organic wo rk", In America, dies, which were enacted on diffe rent stages of banners fo r the Polish insurgent's were dedi printeJ the tex t of the January 22nd Manifes to l S(,3 wa3 the y~;\r in which the tide' of th e the world theatre, could have had any dra cated in Boston. Po l ish dances were taught of the Po lish N ati onal Government whid] Ci vil \" ,Ir turned; tht: yea r of the Em,ln<: ipation It matic connecti ons w ith each other. would in New York dancing schno ls, a pl ethora of (;1 11,, <1 the peopl e to arms. promised the peas Prnci am:lt ion and vf tlr l battles of Chancd lo r even seem more doubtful that in their time of amateur verse w ith Po li sh themes fund its ants of Poland (who were not freed by th" vill e. Vicksburg and Chickamauga and Gettys gravest cri sis America ns would have given the way into print and public protest meetings erf Emancipation) freedom and land, and burg. a lien Polish struggle a second thought. How and co ll ecti ons were undertaken throughout the which recogni zed "all sons of Poland. withllut ever, such was certainl y not to be the case. The: The January Insurrection has recei n,d a co untry. regard to religious belief or birth, statu s or co lumns of contemporary American journals, gr"at deal of attention from the historians of origin, free citi zens of the nation. " Although artlides in contemporary American reviews and the last hundred years. As a part of its On the other horn of the d il emma, how the America n press utilized a few \1(/est Euro periodicals, notes and dispatches located in program commemorating the centennial of this c:'·er. there were more immed iate and more pean journals as sources for these first ac tliplomatic archi ves, personal correspontlence momentous event, the Jozef Pil sudski Institute practical factors. There was a growth of co rdi counts, most of th em gave credit to the officia l which passed between prominent contemporaq ' will continue this tradition by publishing its ality between the United States and Russia / 011 1'1/(/1 de St. Pe/e,-bollrg and translated the lig ures. and items in other media of contempor namesake's observati ons on the Insurrecti on. which was given a g reat impetus during the unfortunate appelati on "a second St. Bartholo ary expressi on all reveal that the American The Ameri ca n Civil \Xfar has been the subject Crimean War when the archvillain of the mew massacre" directly from the JOIlI'll"1. Civil War and the Polish January Insurrection of still greater and more intensive historical Pol ish November Insurrection was cast by the had several interesting points of actual and scrutiny. Unfortunately, till now, no historian American press in the heroic rol e of underdog As more detail s carne in via Eng li sh and psycholoJ;ica l coincidence which were to g ive has presented a complete account of the part lig hting a ainst "the unspl'akable I\[oslem French press the Ameri can editors were able them a definite historical nexus. And there is Pol es and Polish Americans played in the Turk" and against an Eng land and France to conculde that Po land was in a revolutionary sllfficient material in these sources from which course of our War Bet"'ten the States. And whose well -w is hes were hardly with the grow state. Those in the North hopefully speculated can be woven the p lot of a most fascinating ing American Republic. Several Protestant with the ~xc c:pti o n of Arthur and Marion that the revolution would so occupy the story; a story with an unfortunate beginning, a 'oleman's pioneering study on T he Polish cl ergymen began to identifl' the Russ ian Ortho British and French cabinets that it would pathetic donouement, and a sad conclusion. I IlSIIneClioll of 1863 il1 the Light of New dox re ligion w ith Protestantism and in the d ivert the attentions of the powers from the Y ork Editori," 0 pillioll, no work has been In theme, the story of the Po lish Insurrectioo process almost in va riably identified Poland with Civil \Xfar and forstall any possible interVention published in which the relationship between in Ci vil War America is the story of a moral Ca th o li c i ~ m whose spread into the United on the sid e of the Confederacy, In this respect, the January Insurrection and the American dilemma which co nfronted the Ameri ca n mind. St,ltes by waves of German and Irish immi the event was co nsidered propitious. But the Civil War has been considered either in part, In plot, it is the story of the attempts which g rants thel' morbidly dreaded. Immig rants in sympathy of the same editors for the Polish as did the Col emans, or in its entirety as th e we: re matle to resolve that dikmma and to J;e nera l and ex il es in particular began to be struggle per se co ntained .1 very noti ceable viewed w ith suspicion as the xenophobic subject d<:linitely des(: rves, Dr. ]. Wieczerzak is jll stify the resol utions. On one horn of the admixture of caution, \V hil.: the standard " Know Nothing" movement gained headway th erefore to be commended for undertaking the dilemma was a combination of sev<:ra l fa<:tors phrases " poor Poland." " unhappy Poland" and among the nati ve-born. Finally, the emancipa stutly of the latter problem and the Pilslldski inherent rn the American makeup and a " poor oppressed Poland " ere frequently em tion of the Russ ian serfs in 18(, 1 by the Institut<: is to be co ngratulated for its initiative strong "sentimental legacy" of peculiar Ameri · pl oyed, there were also eapressions of rtgret " Czar Liberator" Al exander /I gave American in bringing the foll owing abstract of hi s re ca n s)'Illpathy for Poland. Foremost among fur the Poles impetuousness, doubt as to the abo litionist liberals a Russ ian idol. and the search to the ;rttention of the general reading the traditional factors was an almost patho ou tcome of th (;' ir struggle and, most oft en, neWS of llutbreaks of disturba nces in \Xfarsaw publ ic. Polish studies would indeed be g reatly ligical abhorrence of all forms of monarchy in expressions of confi dence that the " Czar Liber prelusive to actual insurrecti on was eclipse 1 by enhanced by the publ ication of his completed the Old Worl d coupled with a sincere if ator wo uld aga in manifest his liberality. the sun of Alexander's g lory and even greeted work -- and there could be, perhaps, no occasionally distorted admiration for those Southern editors alm ost immediately noted with some misgivings in the American press betkr way in which to commemorate the movements in the Old \Xforld which took up the embiva lence manifested by their co unter for deterring from that glory. centennial of the In surrection than by the arms against monarchies, exerci sed the same parts above the Mason-Dixon Line and dia.L: publica tion of hi s analysis of this unknown "right of revolution" which was written into Al ongsid e the glowing editorials on Abra nosed its ca uses correc tl y, and with added sa r ,lspect of that momentous yenr. th ~ Ameri ca n D ec laration of Independence. and ham Linco ln's Emancipation Proc lamation and casm_ Typica l was an editorial in the Pd"rs declared themsel ves to be republican . frontline reports of military inacti vity and burg. Virginia Drl ily Ex /JI' <'JS of April 2,lth Pm/. EU f, me K usiel,'u'icz scattered skirmishes w hich Northern journals wh ich commented that had the Polish Insur The "sentilllt'ntal legacy" for Poland was printed ea rly in 1863, there were also brief rection broken out two-and-a-half yea rs pre- ST. J OHN'S UNIVERSITY built upon the ai d which Kosciusko and Pul- 20 21 v ious ly. every nurthern rost ru lllwoul d have interfere' ncc built around Georgt.: \X/ ashing ton 's sympathy in t)UI" trou bl es . Sin ce th e out it "I so levL' lI ed critici '; Il' .tt the l11ildn e" of tht: th undered with p laudits to the gall ant Poles, Farewell Add ress find th t: j\[onroe Doctrine, hreak of the: reb.:! I ion Ru ss ia has been the protest notes which European govt:rnment> and every victory which they wou ld have and w ith the mo re immed iate precedent of th onl y European pOwe r whi ch has mani· sent to St, Pdersburg. There were ev<: n criti achieved OYe r the Russian fo rces woul d have U nion's stiff refusa l of Napoleon ITI's offer fested a reall y friendly feeling in o ur cisms of the irregular tacti cs employed hy the awakened the most g ratifyi ng emotions in the of med iation in the C ivil 'J(/ ar, regard, It wou ld therefore, not onl y be insurgents, The Net(' Y ork T illles fo r example, in its ed ito rial of October II th , indicated that popu lar bosom of Yankeedom, " But it saw two H isto rians have proper ly suppo rted Seward's ung rateful, but unw ise, of us to lend our th e g ueril la w'll' ei'are of the in surgents wa s an " potential reasons" w hi ch prevented the ci ti· acti on, H owever, few have gone a step further sanction to a proceeding which - w ithout do in g the Poles any good - woul d be indication of weakness and la k of popular ,eOl'Y of the Nort h from "speaking in favor of to its hand ling by Cassius Marce llus Clay, the certain to destroy the cordial relations suppo rt. and in strong contrast to the dignified the revolutionists on the V istula," T Ilt" first Anglophobic, Catholopho bi c and Polonopho bic which at present ex ist between the two wa rfare ca rried out by the A meri can revolution_ was that the Ru ss ian Emperor happened to be j'vl inister to St. Petersburg w ho had just re " hi g h in favo r at 'J(/ as hington" and that, in countri es. ists and by the Poles th emse lves In their turned to his post after a brief but un successful N ovember Insurrectitln , fact, A lexander was the only friend Lincoln stint at p lay ing genera l. In sty le w hich was Publ ic reSponse to the appeal was extremely had among the crowned heads of Europe, be· worthy of the appelation " noisy jackass" given weak in the East and strong on Iy in San The psychologica ll)' and tactica ll y well·timed ca use his government, like Lincoln's, was a hi m by h is coll egues of the dip lomatic corps, Francisco w hich was far removed from the arriva l of Ru ss ian warships in N ew York " pure despotism ," The second w as that the Cl ay appended a lengthy note: of enclosure war fronts (of the $ 16,000 co ll ectd by the and San Francisco in the fall of the yt:a r Yankees co uld not spea k out their real thoug hts to a COP)' nf the reply hi ch was fo rward ed to Polish Central (ommittee and its seven sub tipped the bal ance of pro· Russian feeling in on the Poli sh Insurrection beca use the people Russ ian Foreign M ini ster Gortcbakov io w hich the Union to its ex treme, The Wa\'e of Ru s sid iary Polish COlllmittees. (lver half came of the South were " engaged in identica ll y the he ex pressed his persona l gratilicati on, G ortch sophi li " which fl ooded American minds as the from the Golden Gate City. Response was same s rt of struggle for separation from akov, in his turn rep li ed w ith a note of thanks naval visit ors wert win ed and dint:d almost strongest among immigrants who had had a hateful U nion, " w hich contained comments to the effect that completely drow ned all sympathy fo r th" Polish revolutionar\' ti es with the Poles in th~ 1840's, In the d iplo matic arena, Union emissaries Seward's action had strengthened " the bonds struggle, Amid the wishful thinking and wish In the exce ptiooal case of the Irish i mmi~rant s , in va ri ous European capita ls a lso took cogni of m u ttl ~li sy mpathy" w hich un ited Russia ful hoping that tht: vessels had arriVt:'d to ,'n overwhdOling n:sp() nse was stimulated by lant'e l>f the p ossibl e forestalling effects of and the Unio n, Cl ay then took the initiative in fi g ht alo ng5ide the American navy if tht.: a letter fmOl \\/ illiam Smith O 'Brit:n, their the insurrec ti on on British and French inter a ll owing the three docu ments f ull publication 'J(' "st<: rn Pow<::r s resorted to a last minute inter natiooalist leader. after his visit of the scenes vention ; also carried some sympathetic com in official czarist jo urna ls, moving far beyond vention or if Confederates attacked Northern (If in surrection and his distant relatives in ments on the Poli sh struggle ; also sa\\' its the bounds of diplomatic propriety and adding cities w ith Eng lish-built arms, which neVe r Lithuania, But immig rants, and especiall y the f utility, and also considered ti,e factor of Siavophil ic propaganda aimed against the did arrive, some of the ve ry editors who had numerous I ri sh immigrants whose rank on the American-Russian amity , From St. Peters burg, Pol es, To pour salt on Poli sh wounds, he applauded Seward's refusa l of the Fren h in vi soc ial ladder was only slig htly higher than charge de affa irs ad interim Bayard Taylor co mmented in a d ispatch to eward dated tation to the demarche ad vocated a forlllal that of the new ly freed N egroes, wen: not reported to Secretary of State Seward that the June 17th that "our interests and my sympa Ru sso-American alli ance and an end to isola the best suppo rters to have in an America sti ll Poles were rash and foolish fo r depending on thies are on the side of Russia - liberal tion I In the hi g h pitch of hysteria, the in the throes of xenopho bia, in tercission in their struggle by an indifferent Russia - against reacti onHy, Catholic and Januaqf In surrection was equated with the France and Eng land, and , in a flo urish of despotic Poland I" The N orthern press continued to rationalize Southern rebellion. Even the more level pessimism, concluded: " History teaches us The theme of Ameri can-Russian amity came and wave- r in regard to Poland. At times, it headed journalists advised the Po les to throw no truer lesson than that there is no resur to the fore in a third area; the area of gave noti ce to catalytic events which m oved in their lot with Alexander and cOllnt on rection for a nation once dead." And Confed Ame ri can public activity. U nderscored in the the bala nce of opinion in favor of the Poles, his mercy rather than on the duplicity of era te agents advised their Sec retary of State, fi rst appea l to Ame ri cans fo r a id and sy mpathy Fo r exa mple, w hen Russia and Prussia signed the Eng li sh and the in decisiveness of Napole:on Judah Ben jamin, that the insurrecti on com by the Central Polish Commitee in New the noto ri o us Alvensleben Convention easing Ill. plete ly di J11m end hopes fo r the recognition of York were the words: " Equal rights to a ll the apprehension and return of escaped insur o uthern editors took the offensive, Tht.:y their government by the Euro pean powers, and fo rg iveness to our enell1i<:s," Northern gents, some comments were levell ed against made capitol of the Union's intimacy with jo urnals printed the: appeal but gave it scant Towards the middle of the year, the: Polish A lex ander fo r allow ing it. W hen the lirst the autocratic Russian reg ime and drew odio us editorial attenti on, The few that d id co mment questi c n was d rawn into the arena of active sto ri es of atrocities committed by cza rist parallels between A lexander 11 and " Abrah:lIn on it, also call ed their readers' attention to diplomacy anJ the Un ited States almost with offi cials against the Poles were published a I." But their editori ali zing evoked little posi the amity and to Alexander' s mag nanimit)" The it, French Foreig n Minister Drouyn de L'Huys. few jo urna ls were stirred up w ith editoria l ire, tive: sym pathy fo r Poland, In the end, the)' Nell' Y ork H, r,rfd, the jo urnal w ith the in a mOve: wh ich as probably mo re t,1(tical than Yet others, such as th e fl edging N 1/1 Y()J'h reasoned that their struggle was much mM" l ar ,~ es t circu lati on in the U nion, bluntly advised a ltruisti c. in vited the U nion to entc: r into a TimeJ, dismissed them as British and French im portant and ri g hto us than that of the its readers on April 29th that aid to tlw d e/ll"rcbe, ,\ mild appea l-protest. on beha lf of propaganda not unlike the all eged propaganda Poles and thei r su ffering was inestimably much insurgents in the form of monl'tary contribu· the in surgent Po les, Alluding to the: deepening concern ing atrocities committed by Benjamin worse, American-Russian friendship. he duly noted in tions would be against " the national senti· " Beast" Butler and o ther Union generals in hi s invitation that the "good relat ions which ment." and "silly" in view of past experience occupied areas of the So uth , \\/ hen a serious By 1864, w here there was no chance of ex ist between the government of th t, United w ith the d ivc: rsion of revolutionary funds from spl it developed in Polish insurrgent ranks, European intervention in either the Civil States and the Co urt of Ru ss ia ca nno t but g ive their orig in al objects, But in its conclusion , it th re was several editorial rev iews of Pol and's War o r the Po li sh J anuary Insurrecti on, and called attention to another Il1Clti \'e fo r res trai nt : g reater weight to cou nsds presented In a past political shortcomings with conclusions when Union armies mounted a decisi\'e of friendly form," On Mal' 11th, Seward dis \\i e are ou rselves in such critica l ci rcum· that the Poles were in ca pa ble of self-rule, fensive aga inst the So uthern rebels, N o rthern patched a note of fe:fu sa l. The: not", was doubly stances that we cannot afford to convert honica ll y, w hile the Union press decried the opini on began to take a decidedly pro-Po li sh turn , Atrocity stories were g iven co nsiderable consi, tent with the Amdican tradition of non- into enemies those who have shown US Poles' dependence on European interce$sion, 22 23 :-.pau: in the neWs columns and the (,:'XCt".s $t:S P"I is h c'a"" and r.:ruting somt" of the d istor of "Hangman" Muraviev and other infamous ti ons whi ch hac! bel'n pri nted throughout 1863 czarist offi cers in Poland were si ng ing ly con in the Un ion press, Kalu ssowski gave vent to a demned - in many an editorial colu mn. In complaint that in their determination not to some of the journ als there were even expres offend the czarist regime, American p ublishers sions of American naivete in expecting Rus had actuall y den ied Pol ish ex i.les access tn sian aid against intervention as well as a print in their jou rn als anu peri od ica ls. Mrs. rea li za ti on that the vessels had, in fac t, lII artha \X/ alk er Cook, the CentinE' nta l Month anchored in the safet)' of American harbors Iys ' eel itor, a translator of the poetry of after being ordered tn move out of Baltic Zyg munt Krasinski and other reats of Pol ish ports where they might have been bottl ed up I iterature, stood out as the sole exception . in the event of a wa r nver Poland. Gut even as Ameri cans were pondering over the articles and g ivi ng th e Polish January Yet thl:re were arE:clS where the momentum Insurrection a second, d ispassionate considera of the previous yea r's Rus," philia had not tiun, cza ri st authoriteies were hunting uOw n spent itself. Audiences thronged to l isten to and execut ing its remaining leaders and speed I c ((ur ~" on Ru ss ia by the returned Bal'a rd- int( its end. Cassius M arcellus bad the last 1", ,,: ,,, anJ hea rd him condemn the Poles word. O n November 14th, be sent Seward ~ fo r' their own su frerin gs . Cassiu s Marcellus copy of a brochure issued by British Am Cl ay continued to attack "Catho li c reactionary bassador to St. Petersburg, Lord Napier, in Poland" and two emi nent Protestant cl ergy wbich the latter expressed satisfaction that men, Joshua Leavitt and Charles Boynton, h is coun try' s ca binet did not reso rt to force who hau been rabid abol itionists and admirers on belu lf 'o f the Pies; that the ministers did of t he "Cza r Liberator" put the attacks in to not permit the ir '" reso lutions" to be- 10 · print; the fo rmer in an articl e in the N ew fI ut nced by the spectacl e of pa rti al ancl Elisialid Magdzill l? anu Y ale R. el,iew, the transistory w il es. '" Clay congrat ul ated Lord latter in a book impress ively entitled Ell glish N apier for hi s "wise co unsel" and fi nall y ,md P" elleb Nelltrality IIlId Ib e Allglo-P" meb concluded: "the co urse pursued by the United / IIIic/IIce ill T bier Relatio lls 10 the Uniled States, in reference to thi s deli ca te question, Sitting, left to right: Irene A. Stachura, Anna Nowakowska, A le ksandra Nowicka. Standing: Slaies and R. IIssicl . A Pol ish seaman, A lexander w il l stand fully justifi ed in history." Having Victor F. Stachura, Roman Nowakowski, Wilhelm A . Wolny. lvlilewsk i, who had deserted from one of the presented onl y some of the facts and a few visiting Russian vessels and had joined the of the deta il s in outline of this course, we U ni ted States Arnl)', was apprehended as his leave the reader to draw his own c nciusions POLISH SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA regim ent moved to the front l ines and turned as to whether Clay's statement bore ju sti fi ca over fo r execution. (The apprehension was tion. ca rried out by none other than "Beast" Butl er Officers and members of the Polish Society of California extend their In the end it should be mentioned - the hi mself. ) A ll of this disoll usioned and em most cordial welcome to the participants of The Centennial Celebration. fact that the A meri can Plenipotintiary M inister bittered Poli sh ex il es whose sympathies 11 aci in Paris - D ayton - striki ng ly su m med up consistently been w ith the U ni on . Some even OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY the conn ecti on between these two events when approached the government of the dying he inform E' d Secretary of State Seward on VICTOR F. STACHURA, President Confed eracy and offered to rec ruit a " Po li sh Februaq , 23, 1863 - that the Po li sh Insur Leg ion'" for its army. ANNA NOW AKOWSKA, Vice Presidellt rection has overshadowed America n p robl ems, beca use it directl y involved the interests of ROMAN NOWAKOWSKI, ViC(' Preside/If Finally. 1864 saw the belated publication in many crowned heads of European States. T he VICTOR L. WIELGOSZ, Fillallcial Secrffary the COlilillelllcz/ M Olllbl), of two articles writ E uropean Powers now engageJ in the Polish ten in defense of the ·insurrection . T be fir st, IRENE A. STACHURA, Recordillg Secretary question. can no longer pay attention to Amer publi shed in tbe February issue and entitle I lca , ALEKSANDRA NOWICKA, TreaslIrer '"Nos Amis les Cosaques I " was written by W ithout entering into deta ils it should M ichad Heil prin, a member of a prominent JOHN FREY, Sergeant-at-anrls nevertheless be stressed that the Polish Insur Jewis h rabbinica l family, who was secretary of GABRIEL T. MAJ, Standard-bearer rection of 1863 undoubtedly played an indirect the Washing ton D.C. Polish Committee. The role in the destinies of the United States dur BOLESLA W WOJTYCKI, Librariall other article appea red in the August issue in g the Civil \'(/ar. It eli mi nated the threat unJer the apt title: "T ardy Truths." Its of a British and Fre nch intervention in favor AUDIT COMMITTEE author H enryk K alussowski, was the official I)' of the Confederacy and tbus - contributed to appointed delegate of the Pol ish N ational ROMAN NOWAKOWSKI, Chairlllall the victory and preservation of the Union. G overnment to the United States. In add ition JOHN SMELSKI to g iving a point-by-point presentation of the - Dr. J . W. \Xfieczerzak BRONISLA W A BRZUZA IRENE PINEIRO 24 POLISH SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA 1863-1963 I "Remember the past, preserve the serenity of your spirit and repeat The history of the Polish people's settlement in San Francisco and California is closely related to the November Uprising of 18 30- 31 .in Poland. As a result of this the song of our fathers: for Poland Uprising many Poles emigr:lted to the United States and to thi s area. will not perish as long as we live" One of the first settlers was Major Stanislaw Pongowski, a former ai de- de-camp Joachim Lelewel to General Wincenty Kransinski. Major Pongowski left Poland after the November Uprising; he spent some time traveling around the world and then came to California (1 7 86-1861) in 1843. Little is known about his stay in California except that it was brief, for a short time later he moved to Chile, where he became a prominent citizen. Polish Historian ( An address to Polish Youth - 1884 ) Another early California pionee r was Wojciech Pulaski (sometimes spelled Pol- 1asky) . Pulaski came to California in 1846 and subsequently M arcus Pulaski founded the town of Pollasky on the River San Joaquin in Fresno County_ H e is also credited with establishing the first rai lroad between Fresno and Frian t. The Southern Pacific Railroad line joining Fresno, Clovis and Fri :lI1t is still known as the Pollasky RO:ld. One of the most well known Polish pioneers is Dr. Feliks Pawel W ierzbicki who arrived in California with Colonel J. D . Stevenson's regiment from New York in 1847. Dr. W ierzbiclci was the author of the fir st English book printed west of the Rockies; Crilit omia (IS il i .. alld as il M a), be. or A Gllide 10 Ihe Gold Regioll . The first edition of this book :cppeared in San Francisco on September 30, 1849. It was pnnted in the shop of Washington Bartl ett, a future mayor of San Fr. ancisco. The book was bound in a paperback and sewn together with ordinary thread It was sixty pages long at first printing but in 1849 two more chapters were added making the slmnd edition seventy- ix pages. Dr. Wierzbi ck i is also known for his articles on the history of medicine which have been published in The Calit omia Slcll e / o1lJ'l7 Cll ot M ediciJl e. The first of these articles appeared under the title of Essay on the History of Medicine, (vol. 1, 1856, p. 147). 26 27 Dr. Wierzbicki died on D<:ccmber 26, 1860, at the age of forty-h\'e. He was buried in the Laurel Hill Cemetery. About ten years ago, through the efforts of the Polish American Cihzen's Club, San Fran cisco, hi s g ra ve was moved to the cemetary at the Presidio of Sa n Francisco, T he g reatest number of Poles com In g into California was recorded during the Gold Rush period. Aleksander Zakrzewski, an office r of the Polish Army of 1 31, is one of the men who settled in California during th:lt period, Z akrzewski drew up the first plan of the City of San Francisco in 1849, The map is entitled; Official M ap of San Francisco, completed from the fie ld notes of the official re-survey made by W m, M, Ed dy, C. E. surveyor of the town of San Francisco, Drawn by Alexander Z akr zewski , ex-Polish Officer, 1849 The map is now in the keeping of Oregon City, Clackamas County, Oregon, Another man who came to San Francisco at the time is Rudolf Piotrowski , Pi otrow ski founded the Polish Committee in 1863, the first Polish organization in the area, In 1853, Kazimierz Bi elawski, a former captain of the Austrian Army, settled In San Francisco, Captain Bielawski was one of the principal organizers, leaders, Jnd the first president of the Polish Society of California, He worked for the United States Land Office for 45 years and was generally recognized as the most informed person in his field , In commemoration of his services a mountain near Los G atos in Santa Clara County was g iven his name, Mt. Bielawski, Bielawski di ed in San Francisco on M arch 3, 1905 and was buried in Cypress Lawn M emorial Park, Colma (lot 69, di Y, 3, sec. C) A monument was l)laced on hi s g ra\'e in 1937 through the efforts of the Polish Society of California, Helena Modrzejewska (Modjeska) menhons Bielawski in her memoirs; "He was thoroughly honest; I it would have been easy for him to have accumulated a large fortune, but he was unusually scrup ulous and never exploited for his own gain the possibilities which his go\ernment position gave him, " (Memoirs and Impressions of Helena Modjeska, New York, 1910, pp 305-308), 2S Kazimierz Bielawski, First President of the Polish Society of California Other Poles, equally prominent, who settled in San Francisco were: Wincenty Lutnicki, Dr. Jan Strenzel, Franciszek Wujeiccho\vski, Aleksander Bednawski, Julian W. Andrzejowski, Captain Theuphilus Lessen, General Wlodzimierz Krzyzanowski (a hero of thc American Civil War for whom a monument was erected in Arlington National Cemetery, in Washing ton, D.C.) , Dr. Pawlicki, an insurrectionist of 1863, Dr. Teclaw, Krystyna Narbutowna, and many others. Another Polish name which deserves mention is Stanislaw (Stanislaus). "Besides the river, there are mountair:s, a peak (Alpine County), a town (Tuolomne County), and a county which bear the name of Stanislaus. They were so named after Stanislau~, or Estanislao, an Indian of the \'V'alla-Walla tribe, who led uprisings against Mexican authorities in the first half of this century" (Miecislaus Haiman Polish pioneers of California. Chicago, III., Polish R. C. Union of America, 1940, p. 37). Father F. Bolek in his work, Selliemell/J eJ/ablirhl:ri by p(}le .! Ij! the United StateJ, convinces us by docum ~ ntation that the name is definitely of Polish origin. (Pol.rki Przeglad Karto graficzny - Polish Cartographic Review - no. 32, 1930, p. 2). II The first social organization in San Francisco was the Polish Committee whose initi.ll undertaking was the collection of funds to support the struggle for Polish indepcndt.:nce on the cOiltine:1t. Thcy were able to collect what in those days was a subst;U1tial sum, S~,OOO . The mOot active members of this Committee in 1863 were: Rudolf Korwin Piotrowski, C. Meyer, Julian W. Andrzejewski, Dr. J L Czapkay (a Hungarian closely identiJlcd with the Polish cause) and Kazimierz Bielawski. 29 Bielawski acted as chairman of the Comm ittee and Andrzej ewski its secretary. In May, 1864, C. M eyer was nomi nated as Political Agent in Cali forn ia by the Polish Insur rection ist N ati on al Government. T hi s action aroused the enthusias m of the Polish community and gave them the incen ti\'e to contin ue working for the Polish cause. The Committee later changed its name to T he Polish Society of California. In 1880 the Society joined the Poli sh N ational Alliance of the U nited States and received the designation of G roup four. T his was subsequently changed to its present desi gnation of Group seven. In 1894 the Society was reorgan ized and a f raternal insurance plan for members was introduced which is still in effect today. At thi s same time a new organization as created in San Francisco called, "Towarz ystwo Bratniej Pomocy - Zjednoczenie Rzymsko-Katolickie ( Benevolent Society of the Polish Roman Catholic Union)" under the name of St. Stani slaus whi ch is still very active today. Both g roups were very acti\'e; they raised funds which they deposited in the loca l banks an d when Poland gained its independence the money was invested in Pol ish gQ\'ernment bonds. Also, the Polish Society of Cali fo rnia established a Polish li brary which today numbers over 3,000 volumes. The members of the colony were fairl y close kn it g roups, especially the politica l exiles. We get some insight into the li" es of these pioneers through the works of H enryk Sienkiewicz and H elena Modrzejewska. An example is Sienkiewicz 'S ''' Pltlrel m ellt of ilfaripoJa" who, isobted in the wilderness, nourished a yearning for his homeland by reading his uncle's Bible so as "not to forget hi s lang uage." In her memoirs H elena .Modrzejewska reca ll s that when she came to San Francisco in 1876 to settl e on a farm with Henryk Sienki ewicz, Sy pniewski ,1I1d PaprockI, she wa ' met Dr a group of local Poles . At the head of the g roup was Captain Rudolf Korwin Piotrowski and with him Captain K. Bielawski , Dr. Pawlicki, Ceneral Wlod zimierz Krzyzanowski , Homin, Bednawski, and Captain T heophilus LC''';l1 . This g roul-' helped her get on the American stage In California and intl'O duce the Po li sh name to the American public. The period prior to W orld \'Qar I brought consolidation and further org'lIlizational growth of the Polish community in Sa il l"ranci sco . An "Eag le" ; Atrie" as well as a "Polish Society" in Oakland came into bung. A courageous, dediCl tcd Polish priest, Father Jan L'.lf1t )' Rosmus raised se\cral thousand dollars for a parISh church. Following hi s 11remature death the money was used for the purchase of a Po li sh H ome in San Francisco. III The most active workers in the Polish Organizations after World War I were Stanislaw A. BJonski, Pawel Brzl1za, Felix Gottlicher, H enryk Piatkiewicz, Lucya n Markiewicz , F. Potasz, Florian and Josefa NikJasiewicz. Later Michael Maslach, Kat arz)'na Pi ch, Albina Isaeff, and Victor Wielgosz arrived. After Poland obtained its independence the Polish community in San Francisco collected fu nds which they sen t to the " Old Country. " This was a way of helping the country of their origin. The year 1926 was a turning point in the life of the Poli sh organizations in San Franci sco. The Polish community established its own "Home" at 3040 Twenty- 30 DIRECTORS OF THE POLISH CLUB Sa n Francisco, Sept 12, 1926 Bottom row, f ro m left to right: Franciszek Po tasz , Adolf Strzelecki, Otto G. Kuklinski, attorney at law, Le on Kowa lkowski, Katarzyna Pich, Pawel Brzuza, Josefa Niklasiew icz, Jan Luczynski. Seco nd row: Jan Klich, Felix Gottlicher, Dyczynski. Third row: Teofil Kat, Stanisla w Blonski, Fel ix Ma jeranowski. second Street. \'\I ith the home as its foca l point the Polish community was very active. Under the direc tion of M rs. Jozefa N ik lasiewicz, J Literary- D rama Society was organ ized which presented theatrical production on its own stage and arranged for fol k dances and the ce lebrations of the national holidays . Pageants were organized and there was cooperati on with other national g roups. T he Poli sh community took an act ive role in the construct ion and the open ing ceremonies of Sa n Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. It was under the actin guidance of Dr. Ralph Modjeski that lDost of the plans for that out:;t an din ,~ structure were drawn, for he was app ointed Ch:li rman of the Board of Consulting Eng ineers for the projec tion of the bridge. Articles with Polish themes were frequently seen in the papers. Receptions wert gIven fo r prominent Polish artists who came to California. No Polish artist of note failed to visit San Francisco. Among these artists were: H elena Modrzejews ka, H enryk Wieniawski, Henryk Sienkiewcz, Ignacy J Paderewski, as well as , Josef Slenczynski, a distinguished violinist-c Imposer, only to mention a few. Close cooperation has existed behveen the Poli sh Republic's Consul-General 10 San Francisco and the local Polish community ever since the opening of the Consulate. The Consul-General was a frequent g uest in the Polish Club. In recognition of the services rendered for the Polish cause, four dedica ted ci\'ic workers, and members of the Polish National Alliance were decorated with the Silver Cross of Merit. This a,vard was given to K atarzy na Pich, Jozefa N ikl asiewicz, Stanislaw Blonski and Felix Gottli cher under a decree issued by the Poli sh President on December 17, 1938. With the establishment of the AmtrlCln-Puli,h Citi Ll' I1' s Club Inc. in 1934, Polish participation in the field of politics increased. Under the direction of well known and popular Stanley \' The Polish community took an acti \'e part in nati onal defense during the ,econd World W ar. Poles joined the armed forces in the United States while Pol and became the fi rst nation to resist German aggression which threMened to dominate t~e entire world. Poland resisted heroically, despite the hardest sufferings, and fought in the first ranks of the Allied Nations. ever faithful to her old motto : FOR YOUR FREEDOM AND OURS. IV The post-war yeo. rs changed the structure of the local Po li sh community. There was a mass influx of immigrants from among the Po li sh ex il es in En g land, Germany, and Austria. A number of Polish in te lligentsia settled in San Franci sco, as well as, in the Bay Area. Polish professor have become members of the faculty of the Uni\ersi ty of California in Berkeley. among them are: the world f:u n ous Slavi st Professor Waclaw Lednicki, formerly professor at the Jagiell oni an University in Cracow and of the University of Brusse ls; Professor Jerzy Lenczowski , professor of Po li tica l Science, Ch~ir man of the Committee on Middle Eastern Studies ; Professor JadwigJ Maurer ,l nd Professor Czes law Milosz of the Department of Slavic Lang uages and Literatures; Professor Jerzy Neyman, Director of Sta ti stical Research, who was [' ecentl), nominated to the United States National Academy of ciences; Professor Antoni K. Oppenheim. professor of Aeronautical Sciences ; and Professor Alfred T arski, the internationally known mathematician. Lecturer in Slav ic languages and literatures Michael K. Pawlik owsk i has recently retired from the Uni ve rsity of California The director of the On the eve of the loath .1Ilni \ c: rsary of this organization, it is litting to present 1 Chapter, W,lS organized at: the suggestion :!Ild encouragement of Re\'. D r. Jan .l\1yrda, li st of its members as of M arch 1864. T hi s li st is a p:lft of the report included ir. professor ,It St. M:lry"s College in Morag:!, C:!liforni:1. The principal foun ders and leade r ~ of thi s () I);anization were, :1mon " others, ROIl1:!n Filipkiewicz, Stebn Makohin, Bo lesla w's Rt/c/JI/I/ki (Accoun ts), Title II, p. 126, M an uscripts, Rapperswyl Library, A dam Skoczowski, Prof. Witold Swomkowski , W bdys Jaw Izdebski, Jan an d Jad\viga nr. 424, v . Wagner, Wald emar Kulesza, K azimierz Porebski (present cha.irman ), Dr. K az imierz Niec, Tadeusz Butler, Wojciech W inkler and S. D yszynski. NAME PLACE OF RESIDENCE ORIGIN There are eleven Polish priests in the San Francisco area who conduct church s(' r\ices in the Polish language. One of the most prominent priests since World \'(far II Andrze jowski, Julian W . San Fran isco K ing dom of Poland is Father Funcis Wajda, chaplain at Mary's Help Hospital, who is always present at Bielawski, Casimir San Francisco Galicia the traditional Polish Easter Blessings and other important national holidays. Bojarski, W ladyslaw San Francisco Kingdom of Poland M any newcomers to San Franci sco after W orld War II have taken leadership Betkowski, Piotr San Francisco G r. D uchy of Poznan positions in the Polish National Alliance movement. Among them we find Leon Czaykowski, Leon San Francisco K in gdom of Poland Blaszak, tireless and devoted leader of the P.N .A., Boleslaw Woj tycki, long-term Czaykowsk i, W incenty San Francisco G r. Duchy of Poznan member and P.N.A. leader from M a sachusetts, T. A. Zagorewicz , Wilhelm A. W olny, Cohn , D r. M . S:l n Fr:lnciseo K in gdom of Polan d Victor and Irene Stachura, K azimierz and Aleksandra N owicki, and John Smelski . Dobrzy nski , G ust San Francisco Kingdom of Poland Under the leadership of Leon Blasza k a new P.N .A. group was formed in 195 9 by Ei senberg San Francisco Gali cia Polish Americans in Sacramento. Another P .N.A. group was org ani zed through the Freedberg, M. San Francisco G r. Duchy of Poznan personal efforts of Wilhelm W olny and Walter Rylka in 1962 in Santa Clara, C liforni a Friedlander San Franc isco G r. Duchy of Poznan The P.N. A. g roups organize Polish language schools, theatrical and social circl es, Pnlish Fox, H. B. S:lI1 FI- ancisco King dom of Poland dance groups, and participate in commun ity activities. Gerbic, Charles San Francisco Gali cia Greenberg, M. San Francisco Ki ngdom of Poland Two young AmeriClils of Poli sh descent holding responsible leadership positions H after, Ch. B. San Francisco G r. Duchy of Poznan in the P.N.A., and other community organi zations are Ted James Kukula, attorney at "Kruszewski , Antoni Sa n h -a nci sco Kingdom of P oland law, president of the Polish Ameril.ln Cong ress, San Francisco Chapter, and Leo A. Kutner, Adolph S'l11 Fr:lncisco Kingdom of Poland Isaeff , insurance broker, president of the United Nationalities in San Francisco. Kiezman, .T ozef San Francisco Galicia The United Po li sh societies of San Francisco, comp rising sever:ll Polish organi za Li pman, J ozef Sa n Francisco Gali cia tions in Sa n Francisco, having their headquarters in the Polish H ome at 3040- 22nd Luniewski, Ernst L. San Francisco Kingdom of Poland Street, San Francisco, are very ably administered by the president, K azimierz Nowicki, Louis, Moses San Francisco Kingdom of Poland and officers Frank Biernat, Teofil Kot, Joseph F. Noga and Roman Nowakowski . The Levy, M. B. San Francisco Kingdom of Poland Polish U n ited Societies sponsor a Poli sh Colony Bulleti n under the editorship of Frank Levy, Alexander S:ln Francisco Kingdom of Poland Jas inski and Leo Isaeff . Lewinson, S. San Fr:lncisco Kingdom of Poland Liberski, N . P. Marysvi lle Gr. Duchy of Poznan v Meyer, C. San Francisco Kingdom of P oland Mesz, M. San Francisco Kingdom of Poland In summary, the Poli sh Society of Californ ia , Group 7 of the Polish Nati onal Mendk\\'icz, Ludwik San Francisco Kingdom of Poland Alliance, was formed in July 1863 as the Poli sh Committee. From its inception, the Mendk\\ ic 7., Mikolay San francisco Kingdom of Poland p urpose of thi s organi zation was to g ive ass istance to its homeland which was so M :lyer S,[n Fwneisco Kingdom of Poland des perately fighting for its independence . T he successors of the founders of the Group 7, M arks San Franciscu Kingdom of Poland Rudolf Korwin Piotrowski and K az imierz Biela\v ski, continue to ca rry out the foun ders' M ich elsen , M . San Franci sco K ingdom of Poland ideology W h enever Poland needed help in the d ifficu lt struggle prior to its li beration, Neumann, J ozef S:lll Francisco Gr. Dllchy of Poznan during the initial stages of its independence and the diffi cult period of the German N euman, Salomon S,ln Fran ci sco Kingdom of Poland occupati on at the time of WoridWar II, as well as after the so-called liberation in 1945, Piotrowski, Rudolph K. San Franci sco Kingdom of Poland Poles joined logether in the ranks of the Polish Society of California in order to carry Prng , Marten San Francisco Kingdom of Poland help to the Old Country, the land of their fathers. Palecki , Jazef San Francisco Kingdom of Poland 34 35 PlI1czowski San Fr.lncisC0 Gr. Duchy of Poznan The Polish Society's generosity was rewarded. Its dreams of a free Poland \vere Philips, A . San Francisco Kingdom of Poland realized. Poland obtained its independence in 1918; however, the Society's assistance Rotten berg . A brJ.h am San Fr:l11 cisco Kingdom of Poland has not ce:l sed . Whenever it learn of the mother country's needs it is alw ays ready Ito Rosentl1J.l, Joseph San Francisco Kingdom of Poland help. Numerous cit:ltions by Polish authorities J.ttest to its assistance. Strentzel, Jan, Dr. Martinez K ingdom of Poland Strentzel, H enryk M artinez K ingdom of Poland During W orld W ar II when the Old Country was again overrun by armies of the Siukwitz, Wladyslaw San Francisco Kingdom of Poland enem )'. the Society members aided exiles who came to California. After the war, Schloss, M. San Francisco Ki ngdom of Poland when the U ni ted States opened its borders to so· called displaced persons, there was Schoenberg San Francisco K.in ,dom of Poland no withholding of help from the Society. Space does not permit enumeration of all Usicki , Jan San Francisco Kingdom of Poland donors, but to name a few,Me and Mrs. Michal Pich, Mrs. Aibina Isaeff, Mr. and W olfson, Jozef San Francisco Kingdom of Poland M rs. Roman N ow akowski (cooperating cl osely with the National C atholic Welfare W eintraub San Francisco Kingdom of Poland Conference) , Me. and Mrs. Jozef Schneider, Mr. and Mrs. Florian N iklasiewicz, Mrs. Z awadzki San Francisco Kingdom of Poland Jozefa Hunter, W iktor W ielgosz, Jan G nott, and many others. These Poles helped newcomers in becoming oriented and obtaining the necessities of life. SUPPORTING FRIENDS: \ The r'_l()(J of the Polish ')lJcicly in the histor), of California is commendable. It A Ii ski S'1I1 Francisco G erman merits blst wishes for another 100 yc:trs of actiyities in the tradition of 'the founders of A~on . Simon San Francisco French Bee r, Julius San Francisco French the Societ), who did not spare their l·fforts to speak and fight for liberty, justice and Cza pka)" J. L , D r. San Francisco Hungarian democracy. Cahn, David San Francisco French Lazard, Elie San Francisco Prench A partial li st of the president of the Polish Society In CalifornIa, ~ lS well as DalIelbach, S M . San rrancisco French currentl), active members follows : Engels San Francisco G erman Jelinek, Albert S.ln Franci sc.) Czech Bielawski , Kazimierz - 1863 . . W alsh, Maurice S:ln Francisco Irish Brzuza, Pawel - 19 14 Molitor, N . P San Francisco Hungarian Plincz, K arol J., Dr. - Jan-April 1915 G reenw ich Dock S,1n Francisco unknown W esl, Alex San Francisco Prench Tomaszewski, Ludwik - April 1915-1921 Brzuza, Pawel - 1922·1928 Z mudowicz, A. - 1929 As Illa), be observed from the ahove li st of memhus and friends, the Polish Gottlicher, Felix - 1930-1931 Committee numbered 50 actiye members in less than a year after its inception. It must N iklasiewicz, Florian - 1932-1935 be assumed that this is a complete list for that period. According to a contemporary Markiewicz, Lucjan - 1936-1937 repo rt and according to the manuscripts in the Rapperswyl Library, all of the members Kuklinski, Otto - 1938 subscribed to a Polish periodical Erha z Polrki (Polish Echoes) published in New York Markiewicz, Lucjan - 1939·1942 which contained accounts of Polish community acti vities in San Francisco. The San Pich, Katarzyna (Mrs.) - 1943·April 1952 Francisco reporter at that time W ,L~ Julian W. Andrzejewski. (Deceased in Office) Polish Committee was concentratinO" its efforts on raising funds for the support Sawicki, Wlad),slaw - A pril 1952·1953 of the Polish strugg le for independence and was organizing manifestations in which Schneider, Emilia (Mrs.) - 19 54·1955 representati ves of other national g roups in sy mpathy with the Polish movement took part. Wojtycki , Boles law - 1956 When in 1880 the Polish Society of California affiliated with the nationwide Zwiazek Blaszak, Leon - 19 57 N arodowy Polski (Polish National Alliance ) , it became a part of a powerful national Wojt)'cki, Boleslaw - 1958-1961 g roup with thousands of members. Stachura, Victor F. - 1962-present 37 -INDEX- Members of the Polish National Alliance, Group 7, as of the lOOth Anniversary Date: ADULT DIVISION Banami, Ida Krystofiak, Ted Ruzecki , W alter Bialoszewski, Vincenty Kukula, Ted James Saliker, Janina Boen ling, Stefania Jobo, Dolores A. Sermak, Daniel Bogacz, Catherine Jobo, John J. Schneider, Emily Bogacz, John Lenartowicz, Alice Schneider, John Jr. Brooks, Joseph Lento, Francine Smelski , Joho Brzuza, Bronislawa Len to, Stell a Smelski, Stefania Cc~ n a uska s, Eva Lesniewicz, Jim S. Sm iala, Anna Cesnauskas, Juzapas Lewandowski , Sigmund Smith, Ladis Chesn iak, Bronislawa Lipski, Micholaj Stachura, Irene Chwistek, H elen Lukas, Helen Stachura, Victor F. Czerwinski , Kazimierz M aj, Gabriel Stefanska, Bron islawa Downarowicz , John M askie, Estella Sus, Michal Drozd, Ludwig Miller, Arthur Szybalski, Anna Ferencz, J erzy Millcr, W ladyslawa SzybaJ ski , Antoni Fi scher ( Wielgosz ), Virginia Mostowski. Ludwig Tomczak, Helena Fry, John Mro%cwsb, Lottic Toczek. Stanley Dr. Ga la, Lucjan Nawojski , Bettie Valerga, Mike D. Gnott, John Niklasiewicz, Florian W aldman, Zofia Gottlicher, Fel ix Niklasiewicz. Jozefa W asak, Ches ter Grocho,,:,.ki . M arian N owakowski, Anna Wasak, Zofia Haloski, Michal Nowakowski, Roman W ielgosz, Rosalie Hunter, Josephine Nowicki, A lexand ra Wiclgosz, Rosemarie Hunter, Rohcrt J. N owicki, Kazi mierz Wielgosz, Victor Isaeff, A I bina Ostrowski, Andrzej W ielondek, Piotr Isaeff. Lco A. Ostrowski, Katarzrm. Wojtycki , Bolcslaw JagieJO\\icz. Wladyslaw Ozdowski, Rnc h J. W olny, Alicja Jasinska, Maria Panek, Thomas J r. W olny, Wilhelm Kaczmaruk, John Plonska, E\'a W ozniak, WJadyslawa Karczcwska. Martha Rac iborski , Stanislawa W rona, Stanley KUl'inska. Maria Riley, Theresa Zakszewska, Rosalie 38 JUVENILE DIVISION Annis, Linda Isaeff, Alma L Nowicki, Theresa K. Cook, Kennth D . Jacobs, Kathl een Olkiewicz, Mark A. Cook, Gary K. Jasi nski, Henry Olkiewicz, Rita K. Fry, Edward J. Jasi nski, Floyd J. Owsiewski, N ancy Fry, Randy M . Lenlltowicz, Christi ne Rudkosk.)" Michal Gala. Andrew R. Moss, Cathy J. Sikora, Michal Handford, Laura Miller, Lynn Toczek, Andrzej R. Handford, Randy N esterowicz. Sandra \'\fiatrowski , Sharon A. Handford, Sandra Nowicki , Maria E. Zak, William S. PAID UP POLICIES Belzak, Dorothy Cook, Susan Plonski, Wladyslaw Belzak, Stanley Fisher, Victoria Tomczak, Zygmunt Bogacz, Katarzyna H. Mrozewski, Francis Wielgosz, Rosalie S. Brysiewi cz, Marion A. Nawojski , Jan J JI. Wojtycki, W aldemar Today we ca n look back wi th pride at the pas t 100 years of organ ized Polish community life in San Francisco. We can be proud of the contributions that our· com munity has made: to our adopted city an d to California, ,tnd we are confident that many more will be made in the future. The outstanding work performed by these organizations tn furthering the cause of liberty, democracy and freedom here and in their troubled homeland has made. an immeasurable contribution to the enrichment of American culture and heritage. The Polish people and their societi es are proud to take their place in this heritage along with every other nation in the world. 39 History of the Polish National Alliance The Polish N ational Alli ance of the United States of N orth AmeriCl is chartered under the laws of the State of Illinois. It was incorporated and began busin ess in 1880 and has now completed 83 years of successful operations. It has g rown to be one of the oldest and bes t known Fraternal organi zati ons in the world. It is the largest Fraternal Organization fo r Americans of Polish Descent. The Organi zation's operations extend throughcut 34 States and the District of Columbia. It maintains 1,511 subordin ate lodges and fi nances are subjec t to supervision by the State Insurance Departments of these Stltes and regular examinations are made. All investments must be made in accordance with strict laws gove rning the investment of insurance funds. The Organi za tion admits lS Members men and women between the ages of 16 and 60 of good moral character \vho are by birth, extraction, consl nguinity, or affi nity, Polish, and all Slavic nationalities may affi li l te with the Alli ance. It also maintain s 1 Juvenile D epartment to which are admitted ch il d ren from bi rth to age 16. The Allian ce co nducts many special ilcti yiti es. Its Juvenil e D epartment is making an acti ve effort to build a g reat resen'e of youth, preparing them for future loyal M embers, not only in the Alli l !1Ce, but l lso of the U nited States of America. It mai ntain s the A lli ance College in Ca mbridge Springs, a four-year, full y accredited co educational college, where Members may obtain a co ll ege education at nominal cost. It has organized and conducts evening classes throughout the country for its Members. librari es, where all the latest books may be had by Members without cost, have also been estahlished. Educational loans are g ranted for members and their children, enabling them to obtain an education in any of the unive rsities they may choose. Alliance College Founded and Endowed by the Polish National Alliance The Polish N ational Alliance founded and maintains the ALliance College, a four yea r co·educational institution, and the Alliance Technical Institute in Cambridge Springs, Pennsy lvan ia. FUllY ACCREDITED - B)' the Middle States Associations of Colleges and Sec ondary Schools. BROAD CURRICUlA - Li beral Arts and Sci ence Prog rams offer thoroll,l;h preparati on fo r advanced work in profess ional schools. ADEQU ATE FACULTY - A fac ulty member to ever} eig ht students. Faculty members have been train ed at Harva rd, Yale, Columbia, Michi ga n, Wi' Lllnsin, Tohn Hopkins, Western Reserve, and the U ni\'ersities of Pr agu~ , Warsaw, Krakow, London and the Sorbonne. MODERN BUILDINGS - Modern quarters for classes, administration, library, dining hall and dormintory. SMAll COLLEGE ATMOSPHERE on all IDEAL CAMPUS - Sm all cl as ses, ind i vidual attention, helpful personal relationships and ad eq uate physical facili ties set in the 180 acre landscapped and wooded campus. Alliance College, an American cradJe of the Polish heritage:, is an institution of learning, a center of culture, character building, and training of future politiul, business and professional leaders. 43 Leo McCarthy Of San Fran cisco Congratulates The Polish Society of California On its lOOth Anniversary POLISH NATIONAL ALLIANCE Group 7 SALUTES BOLESLAW WOJTYCKI in appreciation for the performance of long term organi zational and administrative work in the P.N.A. movement. Boleslaw Wojtycki was born on February 2, 1892, in Bialystok, Poland. After the comple tion of the Real School in 1912, he em igrated to the United States of America from his enslaved homeland in search of freedom and liberty. He settled in the City of l orenz, Mass., and in 19 17 joined the Polish National Alliance, Group 1114, Council 98. In a short time he adv anced to the position of Recording Secretary and subsequently became one of the main P.N .A. organizers in this area. In 1953, after years of exp", rience in P.N .A. movement, he came to San Fr ancisco and joined Group 7. His devotion to the organization and knowledge of o rganizational work was soon recognized, and he was elected as the p res ident of Group 7. He served in this capacity for 5 years, helping to stimulate activities and growth of the P.N.A. in the Bay Area. Officers and members of Group 7 congratulate you on a job well done 44 "\X'hether one traces his Americanism three centuries to the Mayflower, or three years to the steerage, is not half so important as whether his Americanism of today is real and genuine. No matter on what various crafts we came here we are all now in the same boat." - Calvin Coolidge Best wishes to the Polish Society of California on this Centennial Celebration. TED JAMES KUKULA President of the Polish American Congress Counsel for the United Polish Societies 625 Market Street San Francisco, California Phone: EXbrook 7-1745 45 POLISH NATIONAL ALLIANCE Group 7 HO NO R S c:f!'1on -..-Ajjociatej STANISLAUS ANT HONY BLONSKI tn 'l[Jpreciation for hi s tireless and devoted work in h is social and patriotic ac ti vities. Congratulate ~ Stanislaus A. Blonski was born on April 26, 1882, in Warsaw, Poland. Educated in Warsaw and Moscow, he spent almost twen ty years in Siberia and Outer Mongoli a working in various capacities for Russian and American telegraph and telephone com THE POLISH pan ies. He ca me with his family to San Francisco in 1923 and became a citizen of the Un ited States in 1929 . Already in 1914 he organized and served as vice president of the Reli ef Committee for the Victims of War in Poland, and he was an hon. representative of the Polish government in Urga and Uliasutai, Outer Mongolia, from 1919 to 1921. In 1939, prior to the outbreak of the W.W. II, he was decorated with Silver Cross of Merit for ser vices in the struggle for Poland's independence. SOCIETY Tireless in his work S.A. Blonski spent many months of research and reestab lished the identity of Mt. Bielawski near Los Gatos, Santa Clara County, and located graves of Capt. Bielawski and his wife. He is a charter member of the Polish Hall in San Francisco, past president of Polish Hall and of the United Polish Societies of Polish War Relief; first vice president of the Polish American Congress Inc., California State District and chairman of San OF CALIFORNIA Francisco Division, 1944-1946, and an active member of the Polish Society of California, Group 7 P.N.A., since 1923. Officers and members of the Group 7 salute you for your outstanding service to the Polish community in San Francisco and your devotion to the pioneering work in Cali fo rnia. ON ITS 100 Annivel Congratulations and Best Wishes , I to the LEO A. ISAEFF, Senior Broker POLISH SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA INSURANCE FOR HOME AND BUSINE~ On its Insurance Representative for the Polish National AI CENTENNIAL Life Insurance - Mortgage In surance - Educational from Kazimierz and Aleksandra Nowicki 519 Californic San Francisco With D aughters Phone: DOugl Marysia ("Dzidzia") and l'erenia 46 47 The United Polish Societies of San Francisco (DYREKTORIAT DOMU POl SKIE 0) 3040 - 22nd Street, San Francisco mpliments of . . . Phone VA 4-9777 MAGNIFICENCE OF THE MONUMENT JOSEPH SCHNEIDER Founders of the POLISH HOME in 1926, narnely P. Brzuza, L. Kowalkowski, J. Klich, O. G. Kuklinski, T. Kat, F. Gottlicher, J. N ikla siewicz, W. Waniorek, J. Luczynski, S. Blonski, F. Mayeryanowski, F. EMIL Y SCHNEIDER Potasz, K. Pich, M. Dye, A. Strzelecki - a handful of whom are still Past President of P.N.A. Group 7 alive - are joining the present administration of POLISH HOME in expressing their heartiest congratulations to your esteemed organization on the attainment of this milestone in its illustrious career. We hope your m em bers w ill continue the realization of its most worthy and useful JOHN SCHNEIDER aspirations and act ivit ies for the welfare of our " Polonia," for the glory Member of P.N.A. Group 7 of ou r adopted U .S.A. and for the restorat ion and freedom of our enslaved Poland. Officers: KAZIMIERZ NOWICKI T EO FIL KOT :t Wishes to the P),(JJidell t I\ I!(o J' ciill g Su retar ), FRANK BIERNAT JO SEPH F. NOGA Vice President T r/!{/.fII J' 1!r POLISH SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA Delegates: on its Wladyslawa Miller Dymitri Antonchuk lOOth ANNIVERSARY Roman Nowakowski Sophie Biernat Mary Saluch Jan Gal Leontyna Smiarowska Al bina Isaeff from the Monika Uminowicz Leo Isaeff Victor Wielgosz F rancis Jasinski :HNEIDER'S SOUND SERVICE Wojciech Winkler Bernard Katschen Ted James Kukula TELEPHONE JU 5 -2853 Hall is available for meetings, pflrtie .r (/lid ,dl other (Ic ti'l'itie.r, , Rdtes are tier)' reaso/7a ble. JAN KOROBI, M({)laK eJ' ill rl?J ide Jl cl! 48 49 Organized i ll 190) Fraternal Greetings BEST WISHES FOR THE NEXT 100 YEAR~ from from "POLISH LIBRARY", Group 700 of the Polish National Alliance Los Angeles, California ANTHONY DEMITROWICZ ...... Prejidellt HELEN FURGAL...... P il1al1cial Secretary POLISH AMERICAN CONGRESS, INC. WAN DA BLAZECKA ...... vict' Presidelll KAROL WOLSZA ...... T reasurer K WrOLOSZYNSKT...... vict' Presidelll B. A. ZAREMBA ...... -. ... . Recording Secretary 1312 West Third Street, Los Angeles 17, California BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Anthony D emitrowicz. Mrs. M. Bukowska. Mrs. Julia Jacks, M rs . Wanda Bl azecb , .I;rs. M ~ ria Olew ic z. ~[r s . Teresa D emitrowicz. Eddie Bl azecki Izydor Brudzinski ...... President Helen Rozembach ...... Final1cial Secreta! MEETINGS: Maria Mroz ...... y ice PreJident John Marosz ...... Tr eaJlIrt Eve ry , rd Su nday of the month. at 2: ) 0 p.m. at th e "POLISH AUDITORIUM" . Kaz imierz Maj ewski ...... y ice President M. Urbanska ...... R ecordil1g Secretar 1\4,> 4 Crensh~\\' Blvd .. Los Angel es 43. California Jerzy Radwan ...... vire P"l'sir!ell( B. A. Z aremba...... Exemtille Secre/ar Congratulations BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jerzy Radwan, Chair mall - Jack Bryll, M Haras imowicz, F. Kadziel, M. KolodJ POLISH SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA S. Kazmierski, Mrs. Martha Ronk, John Skawinski, Miss Alicja Szuman. ON YOUR HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY Meetings every 4th Sunday of the month, at 3:30 p.m., at " POLONIA HALL," 1312 W est 3rd Street, Los Angeles 17, California from GROUP 156 OF TH E PO LI SH NATIONAL ALLIANCE TACOMA, WASHINGTON Best Wishes to the Polish Society of California ON YOUR lOOth BIRTHDAY JEDNODNIOWKA from MARIE CURRIE SKLODOWSKA - LODGE 3118 CALIFORNIA NEWS Fon/al/a . Califom;f/ PETER SWINSINSKI, Pre.ridel/t W ALTER MADEJ, Fillallr;al Serretary MARY MADEJ, Vite Pre. it/ell / FRANK G ZIK, Treas1Irer JOH N JUCHA, Vice Pre.ridf!llt ADAM WONSOWICZ, Rero rdill, 51!( . Activities of Polish Colony in California And Arizona Best Wishes on Your Centennial Celebration B. A . ZAREMBA, PUBLISHER Telephone TOpaz 2-7309 POL ISH NATIONAL A LLI ANCE, COUNCI L 73 LOS ANGE LES, CALIFORNIA Mailing address: 6481 East Fl orence Avenue, Bell Gardens, California EDWARD WROBE L...... President S. HOLODNIK ...... General Secretary Subscriptions: $3.00 per year (12 issues) M . BUKOWSKI...... Vice President JOHN MAROSZ ...... Treasurer M . KOLODY ...... Vice President E. M . NIEDER ...... Commissioner, Dist. 16 60 61 POLISH-AMERICAN CONGRESS, INC. 3040 - 22nd Street, San Francisco, California Extends Its Heartiest Congratulations On the lOOth Annivel'sary of the POLISH SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA OFFICERS: TED JAMES KUKULA, Presidellt TEOFIL KOT, Vice Pl'fsidcl7t WILHELM \'<70 LN Y, Secrrtary FRANCIS JASINSKI, Treasn yu DR. KAZIMIERZ POMYKALSKI, Cbail'JIlall of the Executive Board 62