History of the Angels Parish, Green Bay, WI

History of the Angels Parish, Green Bay, WI. Golden Jubilee 1898-1948, p. 7- 51 CAP at Orchard Lake. POLISH IMMIGRATION TO GREEN BAY Up to the year 1840, Green Bay had been predominantly populated by French and English residents. From that year, however, large groups of other nationalities from Europe began to arrive. They were the Irish, the Germans, the Belgians and the Hollanders. The Poles did not come to Green Bay in any large numbers until after the Civil War although some Polish families made a brief stop here earlier. The first Polish immigrants arrived here by sailboat in July, 1856, and numbered six families. They were the families of Jacob Werechowski, Michael Kozyczkowski, Adam Klesmit, Joseph Szufler, Joseph Daczyk and John Zynda. But their stay in Green Bay lasted only a few days. They left Green Bay for Stevens Point, probably by stage-coach or on foot, and made the near one hundred mile trip over rough roads in one week. Near Stevens Point, they formed the nu- cleus of the first Polish settlement in Wisconsin at Polonia. First Poles Reside in Green Bay in 1864 Because St. Mary of the Angels parish was originally established for the Poles of Green Bay, it is fitting to devote more space to their settlement and growth in this city. The first Poles to reside permanently in Green Bay came here in 1864. In 1868, they were visited by a certain Father Szulak, a Polish Jesuit missionary. Traditionally, a larger arrival of Polish immigrants at Green Bay is said to have occurred around 1870. They came from Western Poland, then under German occupation, from such regions as Cassubia, Pomerania (Pomorze) and Posen (Poznan). Compulsory military service, oppression of the common people by the rulers in Europe, and excessive taxes exacted by the monarchs were some of the causes listed by the early Green Bay Poles, such as Frank Aland, as prompting them to leave their homeland and to seek a better fate in America. In the early 1870's, the Kulturkampf and May Laws of Chancellor Bismarck of Germany were an additional reason for the Poles of Western Poland to seek elsewhere free- dom of religious worship and the preservation of their national character. Finally, and this was probably the most cogent reason, the prospects for economic betterment in the old country were very poor. 1 Greater Polish Immigration to Green Bay in 1874 A second greater surge of Polish immigration to Green Bay took place in 1874. A contemporary newspaper account gave the following report in that year: "It is expected that there will be a considerable Polish immigration to this city within a few months. This nationality already has quite a footing here and are now preparing to build a Catholic church on Crooks street." (Green Bay Daily State Gazette, March 11, 1874). In 1876, the Polish settlement at Green Bay was large enough to be included in a statistical survey of Polish settlements in the United States. The number of Poles attending the Cathedral must have been impressive enough to prompt Bishop Krautbauer of Green Bay, in 1879, to seek a Polish assistant for that parish. The early Green Bay Poles settled on Walnut and Main streets, on the east side of the Fox river, and in the north end of Fort Howard. The wave of Polish immigration to Green Bay continued at a speeded up tempo in the 1880's. Many of the charter members of the future St. Mary of the Angels parish came to Green Bay during this period. They now began to settle in greater groups further south of E. Walnut street. Many also overflowed into Preble and on the farms south and southeast of Green Bay. "The Polish King of Green Bay" An outstanding figure arises from the growing group of Polish settlers in and around Green Bay during the 1880-1892 period. He was John Gajewski, operator of a grocery store and a saloon, a notary public, a real estate and steamship agent. He operated his business on the northwest corner of Madison and Main streets. Because of his prominent role in settling and representing the Poles in the Green Bay area, Gajewski was called by Poles and nonPoles alike in this region the "Polish King of Green Bay." Besides German and Polish, he knew the English language very well, a rarity for a Polish immigrant in those days. As a railroad and steamship agent, he would meet the incoming Poles at the Green Bay depots and docks and would lodge them at his home until they could settle on their newly purchased farm or city property. He was deeply interested in the welfare of the Polish immigrant. He would handle all business and legal transactions for his troubled and confused Polish countrymen. This attitude in return gained for him the great confidence of the Poles in the Green Bay area. He died of a stroke on the night of August 13, 1892, at the age of forty-two years. His premature death ended the career of a very wholesome person who loved and helped his own people and at the same time commanded the respect and good will of those not of his nationality. Other Polish Business Places in Last Quarter of 19th Century Four types of business places were operated by the Poles of Green Bay in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. They were saloons, grocery stores, small hotels and land agencies. 2 In 1874, Thomas Wyrzykowski operated a saloon located on Crooks street in the first ward. Similar places were owned by John Gajewski and John Kitt on Main street. John Gajewski also operated the first known Polish grocery store in 1883. In 1898, Stanley Lukasiewicz began a grocery store and meat market at Mason and Twelfth (now Irwin) streets. In the 1890's, a group of small hotels was operated by Poles on Main street. The Cooperstown House, or Hotel (now Allen Hotel), located at 617 Main street, was run from 1889 by the Tho- mas Kolocheski family. The Milwaukee House, directly across the street from the Cooperstown House, was in the hands of Joseph Piaskowski and was built by Phillip Kluth, a Pole of Green Bay. There was also the Polonia House between Monroe and Quincy on Main street. Michael Budzisz owned a saloon and hall on the corner of Madison and Main prior to the year 1898. He later transferred to the northwest corner of Washington and Main streets. After John Gajewski had first spurted real estate sales to Poles in this area, he was followed by Edward Koldrowicz and his agents Drwenski, Faikel and Liberski. Another Polish real estate agent during this period was John A. B. Olejniczak. In 1898, Casimir Owocki was junior partner of the Shepeck-Owocki real estate firm. These were some of the early Polish busi¬ness men of Green Bay. The limited space in this book does not allow for their complete listing. Green Bay Poles Holding Political Offices For a small national minority in Green Bay's multinational makeup, Green Bay Poles were quite active in the field of politics. The Polish element of Green Bay was represented in the aldermanic post by Maximilian Ziol kowski in the years 1894 and 1895. Two aldermen then represented a ward. Ziolkowski was one of the two representing the fifth ward in the above years. In 1898, a Polish political organization ex¬isted and was known as the Kosciuszko Club. Its first officers were Casimir Owocki, president, Michael Jalowiec, vice-president, M. Fruzyna, secre- tary, Anton Slupinski Sr., treasurer, and John Faltynski, marshall. Political views of this club were Democratic. In 1898, this club sponsored Julius Kolocheski for alderman of the fifth ward, but he was defeated. The influence of the Kosciuszko Club waned and it ceased to exist about the year 1905. Brown County Sheriff, a Pole In 1904, Edward Koldrowicz was appointed deputy revenue collector, a post he held for over ten years. Brown County had a Polish sheriff in the person of George J. Kolocheski for the two- year term of 1912-1913. In the latter year, Frank Gabryszek was an unsuccessful candidate for the office of Brown County treasurer. Joseph P. Novitski, originally from the town of Eaton, but later living on Green Bay's west side was superintendent of schools in Brown County for a number of years prior to and including the year 1913. 3 Stanley Szalkowski contested unsuccess¬fully for the aldermanic position in the second ward in 1915. In 1918, Theodore Chlebowski ran on the Republican ticket for sheriff of Brown County but was defeated. Dominic Olejniczak, First Polish Councilman Since 1895 Since Max Ziolkowski's tenure of office as alderman in Green Bay in 1894-1895, all later attempts of Polish candidates for this position had failed for a period of about forty years. Finally, Do- minic Olejniczak, a member of St. Mary of the Angels parish, broke the ice in 1936 and emerged as councilman representing the fifth ward. He was re-elected in 1938, 1940, 1942 and 1944. Also in 1936, Michael F. Kresky was elected for a four-year term as State Senator of Wisconsin from the second senatorial district comprising Brown and Oconto counties. He, too, was a member of St. Mary's parish. Representing the second ward of Green Bay, Anton Slupinski Jr. was elected councilman in April, 1941, and continued in office until April, 1953. First Polish Mayor in Green Bay History The record of the longest tenure of office as mayor in the history of Green Bay belongs to Dominic Olejniczak.

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