In many cases, I have seen someone write ">Those who immigrated in the early 1880's came to the coal mining area >of central PA. Some then went to the Chicago area ..." Why? I know about the coal mines in central PA. But why there, or Chicago? (As opposed to New York City, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, or somewhere else?) I *know* they went where there were jobs, but why *those* jobs? Why *those* areas? Was there an organized effort? I know there was the effort to get Polish/Russian Jews to enter the US through Galveston, TX, and then settle in Texas, Colorado, etc. Was there such an effort in Galicia to assist Polish Catholics? My grandfather-in-law KAMYKOWSKI came through Baltimore, and moved to Minersville, PA. Why did he go through Baltimore, stay with a family named JENKINS (doesn't sound like *they* were relatives), and move? Why did his cousin enter Baltimore, and go directly to Chicago? Can we discuss some of the cultural/societal issues? Can we discuss some of the 'color' - some of the 'fabric' of these immigrations? These people were more than names and dates and descendants. Ralph Lewis, Harrisburg, PA - rllewis@usa.net (also RalphLewis@aol.com) ***** Researching these families: (Genealogy is my hobby) CHATCHKALEVITZ/KHATCHKALOVITZ (Latvia,Vilna,Svencionys,SouthAfrica,Silale,Kovno,MA) BRUKARZ/BROOKS, ROCHAKOVSKY/ROCKOFSKAYA/ROCKOFF JACUBOVICZ/JACOBSON (Pultusk,Lomza), SALANT, RUDNITZKY, MATZKIN ROSEN (Switzerland, Poland[Pultusk?] ,Russia), SCZUPAK/LEWIS/LOUIS, STENBECK(sp?) KAMYKOWSKI, LENAR/LENART ---------- How well do *you* know Macintosh? Check out the EvangeList web site at: <http://www.evangelist.macaddict.com/>