USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Hampden county, 1636-1936, Volume I > Part 38
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Our Lady of the Rosary may justly be considered the hub of local Polish life. Besides the church and the school, there are recreation rooms, large and roomy club rooms adequately equipped for every function of a social center, and the parish house, formerly the old Vinton home. The church property, including all units, is valued at about $175,000. There are also several societies: the St. Joseph's Society, which is the same as the Sobieski organization; the Polish . Citizens' Club; the Polish Alliance, the Polish Women's Alliance; and the Rosary Guild.
The Polish people, due to their lack of knowledge of the language and customs of this country, were at first handicapped to great extent and of necessity went into manual labor. Of late, however, they have been making rapid strides through the benefits of education, and many Poles have started small businesses as well as gone into training for the professions. One of the best known Polish leaders in Spring- field is Aloysius Lasek, and Anthony Medeski, who runs a furniture manufacturing establishment, is prominent in business. Attorney Paul Flak is representative of the Polish people in the professional world.
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The Poles are peace-loving, yet sensitive to encroachment on their liberties. They are thrifty and industrious and in time of distress do not enlist outside agencies for help, but go to their own organizations. The Poles are also sticklers for tradition and native customs, and enjoy demonstrations. One of the most important ceremonies during the year is at Easter time, when the priest goes to the individual homes and blesses the food which will be consumed on Easter Sunday, the same food being available for the poor as well as the rich.
Springfield played host to Russians as far back as 1871, when no less a personage than the Grand Duke Alexis came here with his entourage and visited the Smith and Wesson factory. He evinced keen interest in the manufacture of these famous firearms, and his delight was marked when he was presented with a revolver of exquisite craftsmanship made especially for him. Later this business was stimulated to great degree by the Russian orders which came in for firearms.
The Russian immigrants, however, are the most recent people to settle here as permanent citizens. These settlers are from Kiev, Grodno and Minsk for the most part, and they came here because of poor economic conditions at home and the lack of social and educa- tional opportunities under the Czar. They were woefully ignorant, most of them could neither read nor write, and for a time they were given a rather cold and suspicious reception by local citizens. The majority of them finally found work as manual laborers on the rail- roads and roads.
Two men, Tomenko and Kosak, are credited with being the first Russian settlers, about 1900. Tomenko obtained employment as a win- dow cleaner and Kosak went to work as a laborer on the railroads. Until 1904 there were few additions, but in this year the attention of local people was attracted to the small Russian group because of the Russo-Japanese War in the East. This had the effect of solidi- fying the local group and at the same time stimulating migration from Russia, and by 1910 the colony had increased to about four hundred members. The people continued to stay in the laboring class, work- ing in the Boston and Albany gangs, and the Hendee and Knox factories.
The Russian social life here was rather riotous. The Slav is given to heated and long debate, and the local Russians met in eating
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houses in the north end, particularly on Liberty, Chestnut and Carew streets, and argued their favorite problems far into the night. Besides being decidedly clannish, these simple people lived frugally on a peas- ant diet of cabbage, fish and rye bread in their homes on Ferry, Sharon and other streets. Much of the money they made here was sent home to less fortunate brethren in the Russian Ukraine, and the dis- tress among the local Russians was great when the United States immigration laws of 1915 practically eliminated the Russian quota. Worry over the fate of Russian relatives abroad reached a high point during the war, and the local people often met in the banking estab- lishment and clearing house of Joseph Goldin, at 4 Ferry Street, to wait for news and delayed letters, and also to send money abroad. This money was a godsend to the Russian peasants who received it, for the salary of the Russian soldier during the war only amounted to about twenty-five cents a month !
The war had the effect of changing the Russian attitude toward the United States also. Many of the immigrants had expected to stay for a period and then return to their native land with the fruits of their toil. However, they quickly saw that America was a safe and secure country, and they settled down to the business of becoming American citizens. In recent years a few have broken away from the laboring group and entered small businesses, and almost every Russian here eagerly participated in the opportunity for education so rigor- ously denied them in the old country.
The beginning of the local Russian church in 1916 was indicative of the growth of Russian population and the solidity attained by these people. The Russian orthodox church was started by a pastor named Chervinsky. Following him came a clergyman named Dmitriev, and finally Bishop Klimowicz took over the duties of administering to the spiritual needs of local Russians. The Russian orthodox church here from 1916 to 1928 was called St. Nicholas Church, but it broke up and was reorganized under the name of the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul.
Today there are roughly between five and six hundred "pure" Rus- sians in Springfield. Accurate figures are unavailable because immi- gration figures have placed Russian Jews in the same category. Among the leading local Russians are Anatole Bourman, the dancing instructor, formerly a member of the Russian ballet, and Dr. Peter Karpovich, professor of physiology at Springfield College.
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The story of the Scandinavian anywhere one goes is essentially a story of steel. Before each foray in those days of long ago, the ring of steel against steel was a familiar sound throughout Scan- dinavia as the Viking swords and battle-axes were forged, weapons that were far superior to those of the southern people. Today the descendants of those ancient warriors in Hampden County still carry on the traditions of being foremost in the working of steel. The Swedes, Norwegians, and Danes are now for the most part skilled machin- ists, toolmakers, diemakers and forgers of metal, true to the tradition of Thor, whose hammer, Miolnir, could crush the hardest of objects.
There are over 4,000 Scandinavians in Springfield, and of these about 1,600 are immigrants. The Swedes are far in the majority, the local Danes, Finns, and Norwegians aggregating only about five hun- dred. Most of the immigrants came from central or southern Swe- den because, like their hardy ancestors, they loved travel and adven- ture ; also, they desired better economic conditions than those offered by the small farms and factories in their native land. Most of the Scandinavians did not stay in the eastern part of the country, but migrated into the Middle West, where they became both farmers and factory workers. The ability of the Scandinavian is by no means lim- ited to skill in the metal working trades. Those who stayed in the eastern part of the country either settled in the coastal towns to engage in the fishing industries along the seaboard, or entered the factories in the various industrial towns. It is for the most part the skilled tradesmen who settled in the industrial areas within the confines of the county.
The first Scandinavians in the vicinity came in the early 'seventies, and settled in the town of East Longmeadow, just outside of Spring- field. They came mostly from Portland, Connecticut, and worked for the Norcross people as stonecutters in the sandstone quarries. Fashions in buildings changed and the industry died a natural death. Today the Scandinavians in East Longmeadow cultivate small farms or work in Springfield factories. But evidences of their craft still come to light now and then. Boys diving into the waters which now fills most of the quarries occasionally bring up sharp cutting tools, relics of a bygone industry and a bygone day. Yet the descendants of these people live on in East Longmeadow, and Lars Olson, an old
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stonecutter, still remembers when lanes were cut through thick forest so that huge blocks of sandstone, hewed from the mother rock, could be hauled out to the road leading into Springfield.
The first Scandinavians came to Springfield in the early 'eighties. They were two brothers, John and Edward Stromwald, and they went to work in the railroad roundhouse. There was little intolerance shown by Springfield citizens to these newcomers, because they were hard working and industrious, and above all, ardent churchmen. They later became active in local Scandinavian societies, especially in those of the Swedish Congregational Church.
A prominent Swede to follow the Stromwalds was John Hanson. He came to Springfield about 1884 and worked for a number of years as a foreman at the Springfield Provision Company. Hanson was prominent in Congregational Church activities, and no one was more sympathetic or charitable than he toward his fellowman. When a new Scandinavian from distant parts came into the city, he almost auto- matically went to Hanson's house if he had no relatives or friends. Hanson would give him a bed, shelter and food and keep him until he found a job.
Several Swedes came to Springfield in the middle 'eighties and became permanent settlers, although a large proportion stayed only for a short time and then journeyed out into the Middle West. Among those who established their homes here was Charles Gustaf- son. Gustafson knew steel, and he knew the workings of machinery. He is credited with having a great deal to do with the development of the motorcycle of today, and he was one of the leaders in establishing the Hendee Manufacturing Company, producers of the far-famed Indian Motorcycle. Gustafson, when the industry was still in its infancy, traveled to England and other parts of Europe exhibiting his motors at various industrial shows, and the famous name "Indian" became known wherever motorcycle enthusiasts gathered. Along with Gustafson came many other Swedes into the plant, most of them skilled toolmakers and diemakers with an innate knowledge of machin- ery. Oscar Hedstrom achieved a high position in this line, and invented some of the later models used.
In 1892 there were probably about eighty Scandinavians in Spring- field. For some reason or other, the majority of them settled up on the "Hill" in the Wilbraham Road section. Some of them went to
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work in the Springfield Armory and rose to high positions there, being particularly adapted for the accuracy of making gun barrels and other delicate working parts of the famous Springfield rifles. The same situation held true at Smith and Wesson, where small arms of great precision were manufactured. There were at this time other Scandinavians scattered about throughout the county in the factories of Holyoke, Westfield, Chicopee and the smaller towns.
A Springfield Scandinavian, Gabriel Carlson, was responsible for the manufacture of candy in commercial quantities. Carlson came here in the early 'nineties, and may be considered perhaps the most outstanding Scandinavian in the city of Springfield. He came from Minneapolis, and his inventive genius and knowledge of machines quickly became evident here. Previous to Carlson's various inven- tions, candy making involved a laborious and awkward hand process, somewhat like the work of "taffy pulling." Carlson started in a small way on Liberty Street, using a few of his original ideas in candy manu- facturing, and spent the evenings poring over drawings or laboring over models of new machinery conceived by his nimble brain. Later he moved to what is now the corner of Hampden Street and Columbus Avenue, and finally as his inventions became more widely known, he assembled every resource at his command and established the National Equipment Company. In time his machines became world-famous, and his plant expanded as new machines for the manufacture of ice cream were invented. Carlson brought many Scandinavians here and gave them jobs in his factory, and today the personnel of the National Equipment Company, both in the shop and in the executive depart- ments, is filled with Swansons, Johnsons, and Olsens.
In those early days the social life of the Scandinavians here was simple. There were church socials, picnics at the old Maple Grove, and occasionally a street car ride to Forest Park, which was con- sidered quite an excursion then. These were all-day affairs, usually held under the auspices of the Swedish church, and old settlers delight in recalling the happy hours spent among those who spoke their own language, and where Swedish food and drink was served in the good old way. Unlike some of the other peoples, no beer or any intoxicat- ing beverages were used at these outings. The main drink was cof- fee, and the coffee pots and cups were as vital a part of the picnicking equipment as all the food put together. The Scandinavians, as a rule,
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are frugal in their use of alcoholic beverages, preferring coffee, which is almost a national Swedish institution. And it is a matter of record that a temperance lodge, called the Tegnic Lodge, was established in 1895, under church auspices, to combat the "demon rum."
Another favorite form of recreation for local Scandinavians was the singing society. The Orpheus Drangei, better known as the "O. D.," was a social club formed in the 'nineties, and is still in exist- ence. Practically every Scandinavian in the city could be found at the rehearsals of the O. D. when they took place, and often when the windows of the hall were open, people of Springfield would stop and listen raptly to the strains of the sturdy voices as they eddied out into the warm night air. Several singing societies in addition to the O. D. were formed later, under the auspices of the separate churches, and they met on Sunday nights in the churches for their rehearsals. A Scandinavian of Springfield prominent in singing activities was Wil- liam Sederlund. He was somewhat of a leader among his people, especially in social events, and it is due to his efforts that the first lodge was established in Springfield in 1893. This lodge was called the "Braga" and still exists as a branch of the Vasa Lodge. The "Braga" was a mutual benefit organization, and whenever one of the local Scandinavians was unable to work or sick or injured, or died, arrangements were immediately made by the "Braga" to furnish the necessary funds.
The Scandinavians, who are in the main Protestants, are good churchgoers and take an active part in both the spiritual and social life offered by their religious centers. Almost the first concern of these people as they settled in East Longmeadow, Springfield, Holyoke and elsewhere throughout the county was the establishment of churches. As early as 1883 the Reverend Vickberg, of South Manchester, Con- necticut, made occasional visits and preached to the handful of Swedes in the locality. A few years later the Reverend L. P. Ahlquist, of Portland, Connecticut, visited both East Longmeadow and Springfield. A large number of Swedes had by this time settled in East Long- meadow and a congregation was finally organized there numbering one hundred and forty-two communicants, six months before any congregation could be founded in Springfield.
First among the Swedish churches to be established in Springfield was the Congregational church, now on Johns Street. It was but a
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short time later that the Lutherans began their movement for a cen- ter of worship. This movement was started by the Reverend Augus- tus Olsen, pastor of the Swedish Lutheran Church of South Manches- ter, Connecticut. On May 28, 1891, a mass meeting of Swedes was called in Springfield, and this was attended by fourteen men and eighteen women, who formed the present Bethesda Lutheran congre- gation. It was decided that all single members should contribute fifty cents a month to the support of the church, and the families seventy- five cents a month. In January, 1892, the congregation was incorpo- rated through the efforts of the Reverend Johannes Franzen. The congregation met first in the old Odd Fellows Hall on Court Square, later in the Guild Hall on Main Street, and then on Union Street, and finally on the present site. Later a Swedish Methodist church was organized, and a Swedish branch of the Salvation Army, as well as a Baptist church.
The Scandinavian of today in the largest city of the county is a lover of peace and law and order. The old days of the roving war- rior have long faded into the musty past, and the Scandinavian coun- tries abroad are particularly noted for their abstinence from war. Police officers and judges alike assert that the Swedes, Norwegians and Finns are almost never haled into court for any criminal infrac- tion of the law, and rarely indeed for any civil disputes, it being a characteristic of the descendants of the once aggressive Northman to settle his disputes amicably, peaceably and fairly. A Swedish news- paper is maintained, under the local editorship of Carl Rehn, and this paper circulates throughout the county as well as in other parts of New England.
As time went on, and the position of the Scandinavian became more and more secure, a large number of Scandinavians came into Springfield and the surrounding regions, particularly at the turn of the century. Prominent among these was Axel Dahl, a moulder. Dahl was a huge man of marvelous physique, and one of the finest Swedish athletes in the city. Invariably, in the friendly wrestling bouts he engaged in after his day's work, he threw his opponents with almost ridiculous ease. He was also proficient in boxing and various other sports. The beginning of the century was marked by the entrance of several Swedish Finns into Springfield. These people differed from the Swedes in the language they used, but otherwise
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resembled the Swedes closely. At the present time there are about a hundred of them in Springfield and the Order of Runeberg, Nord- vakten Chapter, is an organization of the Finns on Braeburn and Johnson streets. There is also a Danish brotherhood in the city, although this branch of the Scandinavians in Springfield has less than a hundred representatives.
Many of the Scandinavians in the vicinity are active in public life. Tyco Petersen, a Dane, is prominent in the Legislature. Dr. John Granrud is superintendent of schools in Springfield, and S. J. Johnson is secretary of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. A man who has gained an enviable reputation in quite another field is Dr. Luther Anderson. Dr. Anderson was war correspondent in two Chinese revolutions for the Chicago "Daily News," and has traveled extensively into other parts of the world. He has an insurance busi- ness, he teaches at Springfield College, and is an active contributor to several national magazines. But the rank and file of the Scandina- vians, in and around Springfield, may still be found in their skilled trades in numerous factories, practically all of them carrying on the ancient tradition of their ancestors in the working and manufacture of modern machines ----- and the knowledge of steel and other metals.
There are about two hundred Syrian families in Springfield, descendants of an ancient and once powerful people. They are divided into three religious groups, although the people are in effect Arabs who have become domesticated, and their language is the Arabic-Aramic. The Druses are warlike Syrian Arabs who follow the precepts of Mohammed, and are in the main nomadic by prefer- ence. The second branch follows the Syrian orthodox forms of wor- ship, and the third is the Syrian Roman Catholic, to which the majority of Springfield Syrians belong.
The first Syrians came to this city in 1895. Peter Karam, the original settler, lived on Ferry Street and conducted a small dry goods business. Shortly after him came Steven Halon, who lived near Karam and did odd jobs around the city. Following Halon came Mansour Elim, a peddler, who now lives on Greenwood Street. With Elim came Joe Shilby, who lived in Springfield for a number of years, but later moved to Feeding Hills and took up farming.
Among the early Syrian settlers were two well known in local business circles. Peter Frangeia, before his death, conducted a large
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dry goods business, and A. Josephs is now the head of a prosperous dry goods manufacturing business on Chestnut Street. From this it is easy to see that the manufacture and sale of clothing is the favorite vocation of these people, although some are small tradesmen in other lines, and a few are farmers or factory workers. The Syrians take kindly to business, and the reason for their coming here was mainly because Turkish domination and consequent lack of opportunity lim- ited activities in their native land.
There are two Syrian churches in town. The Roman Catholic Parish of St. Anthony on Liberty Street was founded in 1905 by the Reverend Monseigneur Paul A. Saab, and later the Reverend Michael took over the active duties as spiritual leader. It is to the Roman Catholic Church that most of the local Syrians belong. Those who believe in the orthodox precepts attend the Syrian church on Carew Street. These churches are the very centers of Syrian religious and social life. Originally, the members lived in a colony on Ferry Street, but later extended outward somewhat and now are scattered through- out the north end.
Dr. Fred Ziter and Dr. Albert Ghourayeb are representatives in the field of medicine, and Attorney John George in law. As in the case of the Greeks, the Syrians are too recent in Springfield's popula- tion to have produced many professional men, but there are a number of the American-born younger generation who are studying medicine or law in various universities. The largest number of Syrian immi- grants came to this country in 1913. Of 3,708 Syrian immigrants entering this country in that year, five hundred and two gave their destinations as Massachusetts, ranking this State second only to New York.
The Syrians are a quiet, unobtrusive people who, in the case of the immigrants, do not mix much with the rest of the people. The sons of these immigrants, however, are thoroughly Americanized, adhering to the standards and customs of this country rather than the country of their fathers. The Mt. Lebanon Girls' Club, the Karam Society and the St. Anthony's Young Boys' Club are repre- sentative of the social activities of the young Syrians in Springfield.
There is only one Turk in Springfield who has made this city his permanent residence.
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He is Redjeb Ahmed, of 39 Seventh Street, and he came here from Stamboul in 1911. A good-natured individual, Mr. Ahmed has the knack of making friends easily, and it is no uncommon sight to see two or three men sitting in his little establishment near the cor- ner of Sharon and Main streets and whiling away an hour or so in talk. Mr. Ahmed has maintained a gas station on that spot for some years, and he will tell you in his broken English that the money he takes in will not make him a rich man, but at the same time it is enough to take care of his simple requirements, and that is all he wants.
When a youth, he plied the fisherman's trade in Stamboul, but tired of the monotony and set out for travel and adventure. He went through Greece, Italy, and later through the eastern part of the United States before he decided to settle here after his thirst for see- ing new places had been slaked. Mr. Ahmed is a Mohammedan, and there is no mosque in this city which he can attend. This he will tell you is no obstacle, since the Moslem can pray anywhere at anytime, and his words will still be heard by Allah.
Mr. Ahmed decries the old régime under the Sultan, and is entirely in sympathy with the present administration in Turkey. He is a great admirer of Mustapha Kemal Pasha, who, according to this Turkish resident has done wonders in modernizing Turkey, and who is a sol- dier, politician, statesman and idol of the people all rolled into one. A picture of that militant-looking Turkish leader occupies a prominent place on the wall of his small station.
There are not many Turks in this country. Springfield has occa- sionally played host to a few of them at a time, but these swarthy people are in the main transients, never staying very long in one place. Mr. Ahmed has occasionally contacted a few of them, but these meetings have been so rare and so casual that he cannot even remember the names of his countrymen who have passed through here in their travels.
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