April 2, 2022

Your Next Step: Write Your Family History

May 2022

Searching the Ellis Island Database for your Polish Ancestors

Prior to searching the Ellis Island database, a search for immigrants’ personal data should be made in church, federal, state and personal paper records. Information in these documents will facilitate a profile on their approximate birth year, the approximate year of arrival in the United States or Canada and the Polish partition of their birth. The primary topics that will be discussed are:

1) Facts and Maps on the Polish Partitioning

2) Pronunciation of the Polish Alphabet as Relates to the Spelling of Polish Surnames and Towns

3) Example of the Aforementioned Government, Church and Personal Paper Records

4) Using the “Ellis Island Gold” Search Engine

5) The Information Contained in Passenger Manifests

6) Circa 1900 Cursive Style and Phonetics Hide your Ancestors

The Speaker is Bob Kraska, PGS-MN Genealogist

November 6, 2021

Land: Navigating Research and Demystifying Records

Records are created when land is sold, transferred, used, disputed, or recorded. This means that land records are incredibly rich sources of information. However, because these materials also have the reputation of being dense and complex, many people are intimidated by them. (We certainly were when we started working with them!) But the fact is that any researcher can find success in learning more about places and the people who lived there.

During this session, Jennifer and Jenny, Reference Librarians from the Minnesota Historical Society, shared some of what they learned through working with researchers and their own projects, including:
An overview of different types of land records, why they exist, and how they can differ (city vs. farmland, for example) Where to find these records: in person, at a distance, or online
How to read and understand different record-types and formats, including useful terminology and tips for using legal, technical, valuation, and visual materials
What can be learned by combining records with each other and by adding larger historical context
Ways to learn about land from non-land records, and the opposite: gleaning non-land information from land records Tips and tricks for research methods and processes

March 5, 2022

Railroads and Minnesota Polonia

Railroads had a strong influence on the settlement of Polish immigrants in Minnesota during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. This program will provide you with insight into the development, expansion, and influence of railroads in Minnesota and how they impacted the lives of our immigrant ancestors.

About the Presenter: A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Professor Joseph Hughes retired last year after 34 years of service as Professor of Classical Languages at Missouri State University. He now resides in his parents’ hometown of Winona, Minnesota where he continues to research his Kashubian Polish heritage. He is a member of the PGS-MN website and newsletter teams, and is a lifelong railroad fanatic.

September 4, 2021

The Polish Army in France (Haller’s Army)

Dr. David Ruskoski, Associate Professor History at Tulsa Community College spoke to PGS-MN on the Polish Army in France during the late 1910s. Independent Poland ceased to exist in 1795 and the various insurrections to restore the Polish state were thwarted by the Germans, Austro-Hungarians, and Russians.

During the First World War, Polish statesmen called upon the thousands of Polish immigrants in the United States to join the Polish Army in France, a military force funded by the French government and organized by the Polish Falcons of America and Ignacy Paderewski, the world-famous Polish pianist. Over 20,000 men trained in Canada and fought in the final months of the war on the Western front. While in France they were placed under the command of General Jozef Haller and became known as Haller’s Army.

At the conclusion of the war, the Allied leaders at the Paris Peace Conference decided to send the soldiers to Poland to fight in the Polish-Soviet War to stop the western advance of the Bolsheviks. When the war ended, the United States government, with the influence of Secretary of State Robert Lansing, funded the return of the soldiers to their homes in the United States.

October 3, 2021

Kashubian Culture and Life

Ready to learn more about daily life in the Kashubian region?  Speaking from Poland, Stanley Frymark shared his experience and research in Kashubian culture, traditions, and language. He is currently working on his PhD and is an expert in Kashubian research.

Not sure who the Kashubians are? Kashubians are an ethnic group found in north-central Poland. While closely related to Poles, their ancestors and traditions do differ. Many immigrated to the Winona, Minnesota area in the late 19th century/early 20th century.

April 3, 2021

From Rzeszów to Kraków: A Pictorial Presentation

PGS-MN Genealogist Bob Kraska presented a pictorial presentation of his 2 week journey to visit the ancestral birthplaces of his paternal and maternal grandparents in the western half of the former Austrian province of Galicia. Highlights included: Topography and farmland crops
Rural Polish towns and church cemeteries
Evenings at the Rynek (town square)
Accomodations
Food
Tatras Mountains
Kraków and the Wawel Castle

May 1, 2021

Minnesota’s Polish History: Exploring and Preserving Our Past

Professor John Radzilowski provided a historical overview of the history of Poles in Minnesota from the 19th century to the present. He then touched on the challenges and opportunities to preserve this history in the 21st century.

About the Presenter: John Radzilowski is a Professor of History at University of Alaska Southeast and is the author or co-author of numerous books and articles on U.S., Polish, and Polish American history, including Poles in Minnesota and Poles in Illinois.

November 7, 2020

Saving Your Family Treasures: Home Archiving

Ever wonder what to do with all those family photos sitting in your closet? How about organizing your family’s video recordings? Perhaps you have a family heirloom and aren’t sure what to do to preserve it for future generations?

Ted Hathaway, Hennepin County Library Special Collections Preservation & Digitization Manager, guided us through how to home archive. He talked about organizing your family treasures, including the best storage options. He showed us ways to preserve our heirlooms while also making sure they can still be accessed for you and future generations.

We want to ensure what’s important to us is saved and can be passed on to the next generation!

March 6, 2021

Silesian Immigrants to Minnesota

Silesia, an area in southwestern Poland, is difficult to define because of its ever-changing historical leadership. Join PGS-MN member Mike Stodolka as he talks about the Silesian area and people. He will discuss reasons for immigration and why so many chose central Minnesota as their new home. Mike’s Polish ancestors came from the Silesian area and he will share his experience with researching and traveling to this area.

September 5, 2020

Polish Genealogy: America & Poland (Part 2)

PGS-MN’s own Genealogist, Bob Kraska, shared about researching your Polish family, in both the US and Poland. He provided tips and tricks for all levels of family history researchers. This is part 2 of his presentation from Spring 2020 and focused mostly on resources in Poland.

October 3, 2020

The Polish National Catholic Church and the Immigrant Community

Many Polish immigrants were members of the Roman Catholic Church but a minority belonged to other churches, one of these being the Polish National Catholic Church. Mr. Kevin Tuma, a member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Polish National Catholic Church in Northeast Minneapolis, spoke on the origins of the church and how it differs from the Roman Catholic Church. He also shared the place it held in the Polish community during the late 19th and early 20th century, as well as its place in contemporary society.