Ralph Lewis wrote: > > 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) Chicago was where the Polish National Catholic Church was founded. The migration to Chicago began in 1840's. Factories there. I did family research and many of them who came early were from southern Poland areas (such as Upper Silesia) Interesting answers to the questions you raised would be welcomed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ W. David Samuelsen Will Testators Indexes Online Visit http://www.wasatch.com/~dsam/sampubco/sampubco.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~