USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Memoirs of Milwaukee County : from the earliest historical times down to the present, including a genealogical and biographical record of representative families in Milwaukee County, Volume I > Part 65
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Brig .- Gen. Charles King was born at Albany. N. Y .. on Oct. 12. 1844. and graduated at West Point in the class of 1866. He served in the regular artillery and cavalry until placed on the retired list in June, 1879. as captain, for wounds received in action against the In- dians. Between 1882 and 1889 he was inspector general of the Wis- consin National Guard and commanded one of the regiments of the Guard in 1890. Governor Upham appointed him adjutant-general of the state in 1895 and he served two years. In May. 1898. he was marle brigadier-general of volunteers and served in the Philippines under General Lawton. After the war he was for a time commandant of the Orchard Lake Military Academy, but has more recently returned to Milwaukee and makes this city his home. He has also won distinction as an author.
Maj .- Gen. Charles S. Hamilton was a prominent resident of Mil- waukee during the later years of his life and was one of the most .- distinguished of the Wisconsin soldiers who participated in the Civil War. He was born in the town of Western. Oneida county. N. Y .. Nov. 16. 1822. In 1839 he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated with the class of 1843. being a classmate of Gen. U. S. Grant. Gen. W. B. Frarklin. Gen. John J. Peck and Gen. C. C. Angur. He was assigned to duty as brevet second lieutenant in the Second United States infantry and was promoted to second lieu- tenant and assigned to the Fifth infantry when that regiment was a part of the force under Gen. Zachary Taylor at Matamoras. Mexico. Hc joined his regiment in April, 1846. and won from his superiors favor- able mention for bravery in the assault on Monterey. He also partici- pated in the siege of Vera Cruz, and the march to the City of Mexico. He was in the engagements at Contreras. Churulusoy and Chapulie-
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pec, the operations in the Valley of Mexico and was severely wounded at Molino del Rey. He received his commission as first lieutenant June 20, 1847, and was later breveted captain for gallant conduct at Chur- busco. After six months spent in a Mexican hospital in recuperating from his wound he was stationed for two years at Rochester, N. Y., as recruiting officer and then for eighteen months was on duty in Texas and the Indian Territory. In 1853 he resigned his commission and located at Fond du Lac, Wis., where he engaged in farming and manu- facturing until the outbreak of the Civil war. He was commissioned colonel of the Third Wisconsin and took the regiment into the field in July, 1861. Soon afterward a brigadier-general's commission bear- ing date of May 18 reached him, he and Gen. Rufus King being the first Wisconsin men to receive general officer's commission. In Au- gust, 1861, he was assigned to the command of the Second brigade of Banks' division and was in the operations in the Shenandoah valley until the spring of 1862. He was then placed in command of what had been General Heintzelman's division of the Third corps of the Army of the Potomac. On Sept. 19, 1862, he received a commission as major-general of volunteers and was transferred to the Army of the Mississippi. After General Rosecrans was transferred to the Depart- ment of the Cumberland General Hamilton was in command of the Army of the Mississippi until it was merged with the Army of the Tennessee. In January and February, 1863, he was in command at Memphis and then resigned his commission. He returned to Fond du Lac and remained there until 1869, at which time he was appointed United States marshal for the district of Wisconsin and removed to Milwaukee. Milwaukee remained his home until his death, which oc- curred on April 17, 1891. A son, Lieut .- Col. William R. Hamilton, United States army, is now stationed at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, and is soon to become a colonel; and a grandson, Charles S. Hamil- ton, named in his honor, is a first lieutenant in the regular army.
Brig .- Gen. Henry Albert Reed was born in Plattsburgh, N. Y., on June 23, 1844. In 1862 he enlisted as a private in Company I of the Twenty-fourth Wisconsin infantry and when he was mustered out at the cessation of hostilities he was first lieutenant in command of his company. On Sept. 1, 1866, he was appointed a cadet to the United States Military Academy at West Point, and when he had finished the course in that institution he received a commission on June 15. 1870, as second licutenant of the United States artillery ; and his com- mission as first lieutenant bears date of May 21, 1875. Just before the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, or March 8, 1898, he was made a captain in the Fifth artillery and served as such throughout that war.
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Captain Reed became a major in the artillery corps on Aug. 22, 1901 ; a lieutenant-colonel on Sept. 16, 1905 ; a brigadier-general on Feb. 17. 1906, and two days later was retired from the service by the operation of law. Brigadier-General Reed is prominently identified with the Loyal Legion and the Sons of the American Revolution. He now makes his home at San Juan, Porto Rico.
Brig .- Gen. Walter Teeling Duggan was born on the Isle of Man on April 11, 1843. From June 13, 1861, to Aug. 31. 1863, he served as a private in Company B of the Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer infantry and from Sept. 7. 1863, to March 23, 1867, was a member of the hospital corps of the United States army. After the close of the war he re- termined to enter the regular army and was made a second lieutenant of the Tenth United States infantry, his commission bearing date of Jan. 3, 1867. On Nov. 13, 1874. he was promoted to first lieutenant : on Aug. 1, 1886, to captain : on March 2, 1899, to major and on the same date two years later to lieutenant-colonel. His commission as col- onel of the Twenty-fourth infantry was dated Oct. 3. 1902, and on Oct. 18. of the same year, he was transferred to the First infantry. Colonel Duggan became a brigadier-general on June 26. 1906, and on April II, 1907, he was retired by the operation of law.
Brig .- Gen. Charles Francis Powell was born at Jacksonville, Ill .. on Aug. 13. 1843. He enlisted from Milwaukee as a private in the Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer infantry in May, 1861, and was promoted through the various grades to the rank of sergeant-major. That po- sition he held in September, 1863, when he was appointed a cadet at the West Point Military Academy by President Lincoln for gallantry on the field of battle. He graduated in the class of 1867 as a second lieutenant in the corps of engineers and was promoted successively to the ranks of first lieutenant, captain and major of the engineering corps. Before his death, which occurred in 1907, he was made a brig- adier-general.
The late Col. George B. Goodwin was a native of Livingston county. N. Y. He studied at both Syracuse University and Williams College, receiving his degree from the latter institution, and in 1856 was admitted to the bar. On coming west he located at Menasha, Wis .. and soon after the outbreak of the Civil war raised a regiment which was mustered into the United States service as the Forty-first Wiscon- sin, and of which he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel. After the close of the war he returned to Milwaukee and there engaged in the practice of law, with which profession he was prominently identified until the time of his death. In 1860 Mr. Goodwin was a member of the state legislature and in 1867 became the first captain of the re- organized Milwaukee Light Guard.
CHAPTER XX.
THE POLES IN MILWAUKEE.
WRITTEN BY REV. BOLESLAUS E. GORAL.
COMPARATIVELY RECENT IMMIGRANTS-PARISHES, CHURCHES, AND SCHOOLS-SOCIAL LIFE AND RELATIONS-MUSIC AND SONG-EDU- CATIONAL MATTERS-INTEREST IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS-COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS LIFE-ARTISTIC PHASES-PROFESSIONAL MEN-CON- CLUSION.
The Polish element has become so influential in the public and pri- vate life of the city of Milwaukee, during the last two or three decades that a special chapter, devoted to the beginning, growth, and present status of the Poles is considered desirable.
If the immigration of the Poles to the United States is, compara- tively speaking, of but recent date, then the Polish settlement in our city is still more so. No mention of the Poles is made in the United States official census of 1850, though about that time they began to settle in Texas. In 1860 the total number of Poles in the Union is given as 7,298, and that of Wisconsin as 417. These numbers are by no means exact, as many Poles were, and frequently still are, classed as Germans, Russians, or Austrians, according to the countries under which Poland's original territory has been divided. Polonia, in Portage county, is, no doubt, the oldest Polish colony in the state of Wisconsin. Some Poles settled there before 1860 (about 1857.) The real immi- gration of the Poles, however, began during the time of the Civil war, when, after the fatal insurrection of Jan. 22, 1863, a terrible persecu- tion of the people of their faith and language broke out in Poland. These facts, combined with economical factors, influenced the Poles to emigrate from their paternal soil and seek the shores "of the brave and the free." We by no means exaggerate, if we state that there are at present about 3.500,000 Poles scattered over the vast area of the United States.
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REV. B. E. GORAL
TA NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENON TILDEN FOUNDATIONS
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THE POLES IN MILWAUKEE
As regards the Poles in Milwaukee, we know with certainty that in 1860 they were already formally organized into a parish, having pur- chased a Lutheran church on the corner of Grove and Mineral streets. Although only thirty families belonged to this parish, we nevertheless firmly believe that there must have been about fifty Polish families in Milwaukee at that period. Of course, there were some Polish fami- lies in Milwaukee before this time. It is claimed that the first Pole was a certain Skupniewicz, who was in our city in 1846. Anthony Koch- anek is supposed to have been the first Polish settler who made Mil- waukee his permanent home. He came to this city in 1848 and opened a shoe business on Florida street. After him there settled in Milwaukee the following families : Borchardt ( 1850), who together with his son, E. J. Borchardt, joined the First Wisconsin artillery, and took part in the Civil war: Kizof and Albert Socha (1853), August Rudzinski (1859), A. Wilczewski, J. Socha, Kiszewski, J. Malczewski, Mikolajc- zak, Wolski (1860), and others. Some of these Polish pioneers, as for instance Capt. F. J. Borchardt, A. Wilczewski and others, still survive.
PARISHES, CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS.
Whoever is closely acquainted with the psychology of the Polish nation will readily understand why it always has been, and still con- tinues to be, the ambition of the Poles to organize a parish and to have their own school and church whenever the numbers warrant it. It is admitted by all that at least ninety-five per cent. of the Poles are Catholics. There is, probably, no other nation on God's earth that loves so fanatically and clings so tenaciously to its language and na- tional traditions as the Poles do. Woe to those that would ever dare to conspire against this most sacred heritage of theirs!
The spiritual wants of the first Poles in Milwaukee were admin- istered to in the German St. Joseph's church, and later on in Holy Trinity church and St. Peter's church. When their numbers in- creased, and the Poles saw that they could organize and support a par- ish of their own, they at once set themselves to work. A. Rudzinski, L. Olszewski, M. Krygier, and A. Wilczewski, were the leading fac- tors that brought about the organization of St. Stanislaus congrega- tion, the first Polish parish in Milwaukee. The writer of this chapter has had the opportunity more than once to chat with A. Wilczewski about the hardships and toils which the first Polish settlers had to 1In- dergo in those days. It seems that the Rev. John Polak was the first Polish priest who attended to the spiritual wants of his countrymen in Milwaukee, yet the Rev. Bonaventure Buczynski was the first rector
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of the St. Stanislaus Congregation ( 1866-1867). He was succeeded by the Rev. Theodore Weglikowski, and later by the Rev. J. Jaster (1867-1870), who founded the first Polish school in the city. During Rev. John Rodowicz's administration (1870-1875) the tide of the Pol- ish immigration began to swell rapidly. The Polish church was no longer able to accommodate the ever increasing numbers of the Poles. Accordingly, in 1872, the present St. Stanislaus Church at the corner of Grove and Mitchell streets was commenced, and it was finished in I873.
The Polish immigrants did not all settle in one district. Their church was on the South Side, yet some lived quite far from it, on the eastern outskirts of the city. This brought about the foundation of another Polish parish, that of St. Hedwig's, located at the corner of Brady and Racine streets (1871). The newly ordained Rev. Peter Koncz was the first pastor of this congregation (1871-1873). Rev. Xavier Kralczynski (1873-1875) succeeded as the next pastor, re- maining there until 1875. when he was appointed to St. Stanislaus con- gregation on the South Side.
In 1882, when the capacity of the spacious St. Stanislaus church proved to be too small to hold all the Poles of the South Side, another Polish church, under the invocation of St. Hyacinth, was erected at the corner of Tenth avenue and Becher street, by the present Rt. Rev. Msgr. Hyacinth Gulski.
From this time on the stream of Polish immigrants to our city was ever increasing. New churches and new congregations were formed, one after the other. At present there are ten Polish parishes. with just as many parochial schools, and the number of Poles exceeds the 75,000 mark. Though many Poles hail from Austria and Russia, especially those who came in the last five years, yet the overwhelming majority came from German-Poland, towit: from West Prussia, East Prussia, and the Grand Duchy of Posen. The fishermen on Jones Is- land are all "Kashubes," i. e., they have their own peculiar dialect and customs ; they came from the Northeast of German-Poland.
To make this part of the history of Polish immigrants to our city complete we will now enumerate the ten Polish parishes (seven on the South Side and three on the North Side) in chronological order. giv- ing the date of their foundation, the present number of the respective priests, school sisters, and children attending the parochial schools :
St. Stanislaus B. M. parish, at the corner of Grove and Mitchell streets, is the oldest Polish parish in Milwaukee. It was founded in 1866. The Rev. Paul Szulerecki is the present pastor, and the Rev. Francis Cytronowski his assistant. There are 950 children attending
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the parochial school, and eleven School Sisters of Notre Dame St. Hedwig's parish (1871), Brady and Racine streets; Rev. Bromslaus Celichowski, pastor ; Rev. Thomas Jankowski, assistant ; eleven School Sisters of Notre Dame, and 950 pupils. St. Hyacinth's (1882), cor- ner of Tenth avenue and Becher street; Rt. Rev. Msgr. Hyacinth Gulski, pastor ; Rev. Michael J. Domashowski and Felix A. Goral, as- sistants ; fifteen School Sisters of Notre Dame, and 1.300 pupils. St. Vincent de Paul (1888), corner of Sixteenth avenue and Mitchell street : Rev. Bolelaus E. Goral, pastor ; Rev. Florian Kupka, assistant ; twelve School Sisters of Notre Dame, and 903 pupils. St. Josaphat's (1888), corner First and Lincoln avenues ; Rev. Joseph C. Knitter, pas- tor ; Rev. Casimir Olszewski and Rev. Francis Czerwinski, assistants ; twenty-one School Sisters of Notre Dame, and 1,700 pupils. St. Cyril and Methodius' (1893), corner American and Windlake avenues ; Rev. John F. Szukalski, pastor, Rev. Anthony Kierzek and Rev. Clem- ent Zych, assistants : eighteen School Sisters of Notre Dame, and 1,250 pupils. St. Casimir's (1894), corner Bremen and Clark streets ; Rev. Anthony Pradzynski, pastor ; Rev. John Kalczynski and Rev. Michael Lipinski, assistants; thirteen School Sisters of Notre Dame, and 1,100 pupils. St. John Cantius (1907), corner Fifth avenue and Da- kota streets; Rev. Louis Jurasinski, pastor; four School Sisters of Notre Dame, and 240 pupils. St. Mary's of Czestochowa (1907), Chambers and Burleigh streets ; Rev. Rudolph Kielpinski, pastor ; five School Sisters of Notre Dame, and 270 pupils. St. Adalbert's (1908), corner Fourteenth avenue and Becher street, with Rev. Michael Doma- chowski, pastor, is in process of formation.
There is also a Polish congregation, St. Adalberts (St. Voytiechus) in South Milwaukee. It was founded in 1896. The present pastor is Rev. Ladislaus Mscisz. The parish school is taught by five Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, and 290 pupils attend the school. Another Polish congregation, under the patronage of the Holy Family, was founded in Cudahy in 1900. Rev. Paul Gora is its present pastor. The school has sixty-five pupils and is taught by a lay teacher. A Polish congrega- tion is, likewise, in process of formation in West Allis.
In all these parochial schools, conducted by the School Sisters, the common elementary branches are taught as in the public schools. Besides these, however, the Polish language and religious instructions are imparted. The Polish churches and school buildings are all mas- sive and stately edifices. St. Josaphat's church is, perhaps, one of the largest and most beautiful Catholic churches in the Northwest.
In the spring of 1908 the St. Joseph's Orphanage Asylum, situated at the corner of Thirteenth and Euclid avenues, at the southern ex-
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tremities of the city was opened. This institution is conducted by the Felician Sisters of Detroit. At present seventy Polish orphan boys find a home and shelter within the walls of this institution.
The Polish priests wield a decided influence in the social and po- litical life of their countrymen. The most conspicuous figure is the Rt. Rev. Msgr. H. Gulski, member of the Diocesan Consultors, and School Board. He is the best-known and most popular Polish clergyman in Milwaukee. The Rev. B. E. Goral is also a member of the Diocesan School Board.
SOCIAL LIFE AND RELATIONS.
So far we have seen but one phase of the public life and activity of the Poles-the religious-and we would have a very narrow view of the Poles, indeed, if we were to close our chapter here. In order to form some adequate idea of our Polish citizens, we have to take dif- ferent view points. We will, therefore, now take a glance at their social life and relations.
The religious, national, and political phases of Polish life are far more closely united than the average American would suppose. The Catholic faith is the common bond and essential characteristic of all the Poles. This, then is the reason why there are so many religious so- cieties, confraternities and sodalities in every Polish parish. We by no means exaggerate if we claim that there are about eighty Polish so- cieties of this kind in the Cream City. The main end these societies have in view is to foster the religious and patriotic spirit of their members, and to aid them in case of sickness, or their relatives in case of death. It would be a sheer impossibility to enter into details about these societies. The above general remarks must suffice.
The Poles realized more than once the practical wisdom of the old adage, "In unity there is strength." Unfamiliar with the habits and customs of their adopted country, they often suffered deep distress, especially in case of the death of the head of the family. Individual societies could lend but little help in such woeful plight. This, there- fore, brought about fusions of different societies for the sake of mutual protection and benefit. In America the Poles have several national organizations. One of these, the "Stowarzyszenie Polakow w Amer- yce," has its home in our city.
The "Stowarzyszenie Polakow w Ameryce" ( Polish Association of America), a Polish Roman-Catholic beneficiary organization under the protection of the Holy Trinity, was organized on Nov. 18, 1895. The main object of this organization is, besides brotherly love and mu- tual assistance, the insurance feature. Men as well as women are ad-
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mitted to its ranks. The organization has gained during its comparatively very short existence nearly 6,000 members, not only from our city, but from other cities of the East and West. A bright future is in store for this organization, especially since at this year's convention, held in Chicago, Sept. 8-13, the popular daily "Nowiny Polskie" of Milwaukee, was chosen as its official organ. The present administration consists of Frank J. Grutza, president : Joseph Rech- licz, vice-president ; Ignace Gorski, general secretary; Stephen Rozga, treasurer ; Michael Salaty, first trustee ; John Maciolek, second trustee ; Anthony Danielski, third trustee: Rt. Rev. H. Gulski, spiritual di- rector ; Dr. K. Wagner, high medical examiner ; and Dr. A. A. Dor- szynski, assistant high medical examiner.
Besides this home organization there are to be found branches of other Polish organizations in our city, notably the "Związek Narodowy Polski" (Polish National Alliance), of Chicago, and the "Zwviazek Mlodziezy Polskiej." The Poles, as a rule, do not like to mingle with members of non-Polish organizations. Yet there are a few Polish groups of the "Catholic Foresters" and "Catholic Knights." Some of the prominent Poles also belong to the "Knights of Columbus." Here and there, sporadically, the Poles also belong to other societies.
Resembling the military organizations, yet still in close union with the respective church authorities, stand the societies of "Cadets," of which there is one in nearly every parish. These societies, composed of the younger element, have regular uniforms, perform military drills, and have annual camping, etc. Of course, they take part in all reli- gious and national celebrations. Of a like nature are the societies of knights, whose object is to combine the military with the benevolent feature. A special mention must be made of the "Lancers of St. Sebas- tian" (Ulani Sw. Sebastyana), an amateur detachment of cavalry. Their gorgeous and picturesque uniforms, and martial meins, add much lustre and splendor to any celebration in which they participate.
Related to some extent with these societies is the so-called "Sokol," whose motto is : "A sound mind in a sound body." The object of these Polish "turners" of both sexes is the cultivation of love for physical exercise such as indoor gymnastics and calisthenics, and likewise so- cials, lectures, and dramatic entertainments. Their popularity among the younger Poles is growing very rapidly. At present there exists on the North Side, as well as on the South Side, a young men's, young ladies', and school-children's "Sokol."
The foundation for the Polish turner societies was laid some thir- teen years ago. In 1897 it was reorganized and permanently estab- lished. Among others, Dr. K. Wagner and F. H. Cichocki were very
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active in nursing and bringing up this young society. Business men and influential citizens contributed nobly towards providing the "Sokol" with the indispensable gymnastic and sporting equipment. This origi- nal turner society, known to-day as "Sokol No. I." has a gymnastic equipment worth fully $500 and about $600 in cash in the treasury. "Sokol No. I." has now over 100 members. Instructions and exer- cises are held in St. Hyacinth's hall twice a week, to-wit: Monday and Thursday evenings, The present officers are: F. H. Cichocki, president ; Aug. Gutowski, vice-president ; Jul. Michalski, recording secretary; Michael Chybowski, financial secretary: Lad. Celichowski, treasurer. Peter Muszynski is their chieftain and instructor. A few years later the north-side branch of the "Sokol" was organized and established. The young ladies' and girls' "Sokol" was organized some two or three years ago.
We now come to the pride of the Poles in Milwaukee. Other cities may have a far larger Polish population (Chicago and Buffalo), yet none of them can boast of the singular distinction of possessing a strictly military organization, composed exclusively of Poles. Such is, nevertheless, Company K of Wisconsin's state militia, better known as "Kosciuszko Guard" (Gwardya Kosciuski). Aug. Rudzinski Al. Cyzmer, M. Klos, A. Szczerbinski, Sr., and Jos. Slupecki were the founders of the original "Kosciuszko Guard" (1874). On Sept. 17. 1874. this organization became part of our state militia, it being the second body of its kind that volunteered to serve and protect, in case of need, the interests of our state. Aug. Rudzinski was the first cap- tain of the Guard. After Kosciuszko Guard had been reorganized and embodied into our state militia, Francis J. Borchardt became its cap- tain. During the Spanish-American war our Polish boys were sent to Camp Harvey and thence to Jacksonville. Fla., but peace was con- cluded in the meantime, and the Guard returned to Milwaukee in Sep- tember of the same year (1898). The present officers of the Guard are as follows: Stanley E. Piasecki, captain : Leo S. Kozak, first lieuten- ant : Jos. J. Inda. second lieutenant. The former captain of the Guard. Peter Piasecki, has been promoted to the rank of major.
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