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By Ray Marshall (c) copyright 1996 Ray Marshall, all rights reserved Often when we are searching for our grandparents and further back, we find that there has not been a lot of information reported about Polish immigration to Minnesota, especially in the last century. The chapter about the Poles in the book, "They Chose Minnesota", is an excellent starting point in the English language for getting an overview of the subject. A good second source is Waclaw Kruszka's "History of the Poles in America, a 13 volume series published in 1908. The author was a priest in Stevens Point, WI, and other communities. His brother published a Polish newspaper in Milwaukee and arranged the publication of this valuable reference. Father Kruszka was a champion of the Polish Catholic Church in America and lobbied intensively for the consecration of Polish Bishops in an organization largely run in those days by Irish and German Bishops. He wrote a series of articles on every, repeat, every Polish parish in the United States in his efforts to lobby the American Catholic hierarchy for such an appointment, which finally happened about 1908 or so. This series is a reprint of those articles. It is written in Polish, but names and dates can be deciphered. A review of the series recently published by the Catholic University of America said that while the estimates of numbers of parishioners is suspect (to support his cause, no doubt), much else is quite accurate and the set is a really valuable resource on Polish immigration to the United States. The 13 volumes in Polish are believed to be available in Minnesota only through the Immigration History Research Center of the University of Minnesota. Only one or two of them would be applicable to Minnesota, but if you have relatives who lived in the last part of the 19th century in other American cities, you may find some information in this set. As a general rule, there is not too much specific information on each church listed other than the date it was established and maybe the names of the priests who served there and perhaps where they came from. N.B.: The names of the priests are preceded by the Polish abbreviation "ks." In a few instances, one might find a bit more about things going on in the parish, the names of some parishioners, local politics, the activities of Polish National Catholic dissidents, etc. While most of these are in larger cities, many are not. Father Kruszka depended on local informants for much of his information and many of these did provide more than the most basic information. Minnesota Parishes which have more than the minimum reported in them include:
The early Minnesota Polish Catholic parishes are listed below. Where no church name is given, reference only was found to the community in the information given for a nearby parish. Ray Marshall 4052 Minnehaha Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota 55406- eMail address: raymarsh@minn.net with their location and approximate founding date Edison Township, Appleton, Swift County, 1873 Delano (Wright Co.), St. Peter, 1874 Faribault (Rice Co.), Immaculate Conception, 1876 Franklin (Delano), Our Lady of Czestochowa, 1882 Lexington (LeSeuer County), St. Joseph, 1901, 68 families Minneapolis (Hennepin Co.), Holy Cross, 1700 S. 4th St., 1886 New Brighton (Ramsey Co.), 1902, 70 families St. Paul (Ramsey Co.) St. Casimir, 938 Geranium, 1893, 400 families by 1904 St. Paul, St. Wojciech (Adalbert), 241 Charles, 1880, 68 families Silver Lake (McLeod Co.), 1873, 200 members Taunton (Lyon Co.), Sts. Cyril & Methodius, 1875, 50 members Wilno (Lincoln Co.), St. John Kantego, 1886, 300 families Diocese of Winona Claremont (Dodge Co.), some Polish families in 1900 East Chain (Martin Co.), St. Rodziny, 1892, 63 families (1906) Minnesota Lake (Blue Earth Co.), St. John Chrzciciela, 1875, 100 Polish Families Owatonna (Steele Co.), St. Jacka, 1890 Wells (Faribault Co.) Mission served by Hayward, 1902, 150 members Winona (Winona Co.), St. Stanislaus Kostka, 1873, Winona, St. Casimir,, 200 members Diocese of St. Cloud Alberta (Benton Co.), St. Wojciech, 1880, 200 families Browerville (Todd Co.), St. Joseph, 1885, 250 families Duelm (Benton Co.) St. Lawrence, 1900, 40 families Elmdale (Morrison Co.) St. Henry, 1877 Flensburg (Morrison Co.) Sacred Heart, 1895 Foley (Benton Co.) St. Brigit Ledoux (Morrison Co.), St. Stanislaus, 1882 (Swan River), 250 families Little Falls (Morrison Co.), St. Wojciech, 1900, 200 families Millerville (Douglas Co.), 1896 North Prairie (Morrison Co.), Holy Cross, 1872, 200 families Opolu (North Prairie), M.B. Karmelltanskie, 1889, 75 families Perham (Otter Tail Co.), St. Stanislaus, 1884, 150 families Platte (Morrison Co.) , Holy Cross, 1901 Rich Prairie (Morrison Co.?), 1900 Royalton (Morrison Co.), Holy Trinity St. Ann (Stearns Co.), Immaculate Conception, 1886, 60 families St. Cloud, St. John Kantego, 1900 Sauk Rapids (Benton Co.), 1900 Diocese of Duluth Barnum (Carlton Co.), Holy Trinity Barto (Greenbush) (Roseau Co.), 1894, 50 families Cloquet (Carlton Co.), St. Casimir, 40 families (1908) Duluth (St. Louis Co.), St. Josephat, 1909 (National Catholic) Duluth St. Mary Star of the Sea, 1880 Duluth, St. Peter and Paul, 1901 Gnesen (St. Louis / Duluth), St. Joseph, 1886, 88 families Krozach (Kittson Co.), 1892, 32 families Moose Lake (Carlton Co.) North Branch (Chisago Co.) 50 families Split Rock (Carlton Co.), St. Joseph, 1905, 50 families Stanislaus/Florian (Marshall Co.), Assumption, 1880, 75 families Sturgeon Lake (Pine Co.), St. Isidore, 1890, 160 families (1902) Virginia, St. John Chrzciciela, 1905 Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin (adjacent to Duluth) Allouez, 1890, 50 families Superior, St. Stanislaus B.i.M., 1899, 100 families with names of Priests and parishioners Edison Township, Appleton, Swift County, 1873 Parishioner:...Walek Karo Delano (Wright Co.), St. Peter, 1874 Priests: Damazy Socha Rynda (Czech.) Wawrzyniec Zawadzki Mathias Savs (Slovak) Jozef Smiech Parishioners: Jozef M. Windock Jan J. Czock Jakob J. Gabriel Marcin Stralka Szymon Kornek B. Cebula Faribault (Rice Co.), Immaculate Conception, 1876 Priest: Wawrzyniec Zawadzki Franklin (Delano), Our Lady of Czestochowa, 1882 Priests: Rynda...Jo~zef S~miech Lexington (LeSeuer County), St. Joseph, 1901, 68 families Minneapolis, St. Krzyza, 1700 S. 4th St., 1886 Priests: Jakub Pacholski Henryk Jazdzewski Parishioner: Jan Barzynski New Brighton (Ramsey Co.), 1902, 70 families Priests: Dominik Majer A.W. Szczukowski Parishioner: Jozef Skiba St. Paul, St. Casimir, 938 Geranium, 1893, 400 families by 1904 Priests: Kazimierza Kobylinskiego St. Paul, St. Wojciech (Adalbert), 241 Charles, 1880, 68 families Priests: Horbaczewski Dominik A. Majer E. Stan W. Zawadzkiego Parishioners: Jozef Matz Kanka Dalka Jan T. Rosenthal Kaldonski Jarosz Silver Lake (McLeod Co.), 1873, 200 members Priests: Wawrzyniec Zawadzki Wladislaw Tyszkiewicz A. Zalewski Taunton (Lyon Co.), Sts. Cyril & Methodius, 1875, 50 members Priests: Ignacy Murlowski A. Baczyk Wilno (Lincoln Co.), St. John Kantego, 1886, 300 families Priests: Jazdzewskski Jana Andrzejewski Jozef F. Cieminski Diocese of Winona Claremont (Dodge Co.), some Polish families in 1900 East Chain (Martin Co.), St. Rodziny, 1892, 63 families (1906) Priests: J. Cieszynski Jan Mikolaj Minnesota Lake (Blue Earth Co.), St. John Chrzciciela, 1875, 100 Polish Families Priests: H. Jazdzewski J. Cieszynski Daszkowski Jan Mikolaj Owatonna (Steele Co.), St. Jacka, 1890 Priests: Zaleski J. Piwo (Czech.) Hieronim Michal Daszkowski Parishioner: T.J. Szymanski Wells (Faribault Co.), Mission served by Hayward, 1902, 150 members Priests: J. Cleszynski R. Berendt Jan Hanak H. Jazdzeski Winona (Winona Co.), St. Stanislaus Kostka, 1873 Priests: Romuald Byzewski Wal~un Hipolit Go~rski Wincenty Lewandowski Damazy Socha Wawrzyniec Zawadzki Jacek Gulski Gutowski January Czarnowski Byzewskim Jakob Pacholski Jaozef Ciemin~ski Parishioner: Jan Ukonczywszy Winona, St. Casimir,, 200 members Priest: P. Kupferschmidt Diocese of St. Cloud Alberta (Benton Co.), St. Wojciech, 1880, 200 families Priests: Gruenholz Sroka Wojcik Miklaszewski Jan St. Guzdek J. Kitowski S. Suszczynski J. Dudek Browerville (Todd Co.), St. Joseph, 1885, 250 families Priests: J. Cygan J. Studnicki Metody Slatynski Jozef Dudek Jan Guzdek Duelm (Benton Co.), St. Lawrence, 1900, 40 families Priests: S. Urbanek Stain A. Plachta Elmdale (Morrison Co.), St. Henry, 1877 Priests: Jan Belzowski P. Kuich Flensburg (Morrison Co.), Najsw. Serca (Sacred Heart), 1895 Priests: Stanislawa Laczynski Kilinski Szymon P. Dabrowski Jan Tokarz Langego Foley (Benton Co.), St. Brigit Priest: J. Kitowski Ledoux (Morrison Co.), St. Stanislaus, 1882 (Swan River), 250 families Priests: Gruenholz Nagl Henryk Cichocki Piotra Chowanca Stanislawa Siedlecki A.J. Kitowski S. Suszczynski Czeslaw Zielonka Little Falls (Morrison Co.), St. Wojciech, 1900, 200 families Priest: Teodor Rekosiak Millerville (Douglas Co.), 1896 Priest: Wyszt North Prairie (Morrison Co.), St. Krzyza, 1872, 200 families Priest: Edward Nagl (Czech.) A. Gospodar Opolu (North Prairie), M.B. Karmelltanskie, 1889, 75 families Priests: Chowanca Wojcik Kitowski Czeslaw Zielonka Perham (Otter Tail Co.), St. Stanislaus, 1884, 150 families Priests: Piotra Chowanca Gruenholz Wojcik Roman Wawrzykowski Dobrizynski Ignacy Wypich Urbanke Floryan Matuszewski Platte (Morrison Co.) , St. Krzyza 1901 Priests: Wawrzykowski Jozef Karpinski Rich Prairie (Morrison Co.?), 1900 Royalton (Morrison Co.), Holy Trinity Priest:Pawel Kuich St. Ann (Stearns Co.), Immaculate Conception, 1886, 60 families Priests: Piotra Chowanca S. Dabrowski Zygmunta Suszczynski P. Brenny St. Cloud, St. John Kantego, 1900 Priests: Gospodar Stain Stefan Plaza Sauk Rapids (Benton Co.), 1900 Priest: Niejaki Strelka (P.N.C.) Diocese of Duluth Barnum (Carlton Co.), Holy Trinity Barto (Greenbush) (Roseau Co.), 1894, 50 families Priests: Wl. Naturski Antoni Ddrewnicki Cloquet (Carlton Co.), St.Casimir, 40 families (1908) Priests:...Leon Laszkowski Duluth, St. Josephat, 1909 (National Catholic) Duluth, St. Mary Star of the Sea, 1880 Priests: Klemensa Gruenholz Zielinski Chowanca Kamil Sierzputowski Jan Sroka F. Budzikowski Parishioners: T. Helinski Gryglaszewski Duluth, St. Peter and Paul, 1901 Priests: Wladyslaw Rakowski M. Laskowski Gnesen (St. Louis/Duluth), St. Joseph, 1886, 88 families Priest: Sroka Krozach (Kittson Co.), 1892, 32 families Priests: Wladyslaw NaturskiDwernicki C. Groetchel (Winnipeg) Moose Lake (Carlton Co.) North Branch (Chisago Co.) 50 families Split Rock (Carlton Co.), St. Joseph, 1905, 50 families Priest Michal Cleslak Stanislawowie/Florian (Marshall Co.), Assumption, 1880, 75 families Priests: Piotr Chowaniec Kurowski Radziejewski... Sebastyanski Wl. Naturski M. Sengir Floryan Matuszewski Piotr Podleski Parishioners: W. Kitowski Joz. Kardowski J. Gracek Magda Zawadzka Joz. Szutietowski Sturgeon Lake (Pine Co.), St. Isidore, 1890, 160 famlies (1902) Priests: Sroka Mikolaj Tolpa Michal Sengir S.A. Iciek Pukrop Kolowski Parishioners: Jurek Miotka Klosowski W. Rzepka J. Luczak H. Niezgoda Virginia, St. John Chrzciciela, 1905 Priests: Ajryska Parishioners: Jan Michan J.F. Musial Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin (Adjacent to Duluth) Allouez, 1890, 50 families Priest: O. Remiguisz Berendt Parishioners: Piotr Nadolski Piotr Coda Karol Wesolowski Franciszek MireckiJan Biernacki Walenty Klimbik Marcin Toboolski Jan Janowski Jozek Pietrowski Jan Tatulski Marcina Kmicika Superior, St. Stanislaus B.i.M., 1899, 100 families Priests: Korczyka August Babinski Parishioners: Tomasz Watlak Wal. Maniak Piotr Nadolski Andrzej Kolanek For further information, contact: Ray Marshall 4052 Minnehaha Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota 55406- eMail address: raymarsh@minn.net |