Michael and Julia Susmarski immigrated to the U.S. on November 3, 1883 from the Port of Bremen to the Port of New York.  In the 1892 New York State Census, I find Michael (age 33), with wife Julia (30) and sons Frank (7) and John (5) living in Buffalo, NY.   By the 1900 Federal Census I find only the youngest son, John, at St. John's Catholic Protectory in West Seneca Township.   I don't have access to Ancestry and am wondering if anyone can determine what became of John's parents and brother, particularly a date of death if they had died.   Also, does St. John's still exist?  Has anyone had success obtaining records from the Protectory?   Thanks for your help.   Ruth Susmarski Des Plaines, IL

Here's an article on the Protectory ST. JOHN'S PROTECTORY Bishop Timon felt the established of the Protectory was necessary due to many of the boys in the Orphan Asylum needed a more disciplined setting. He feared their negative behaviors would influence the younger children. The first proposal was made in 1862 and St. John's Protectory was established in 1863 and incorporated the following year. The mission was to house boys who were inclined to truancy, disobedience, and willfulness. These boys worked on and performed chores on the vast farmland of what is now Martin Road. The first home was a small, frame building. The first workshop opened on October 14, 1866 and the chair factory was added in 1867. The chair factory was influenced by a visit of the Bishop to the House of Refuge in Rochester. Bishop Timon felt this would be an appropriate trade for the boys. The factory suffered a fire in 1868, and it was rebuilt and opened in January 1869. During the early days of the Protectory, the Brothers taught the school classes (on-site) until it was suggested by the Erie County Judge, who was also a board member, to have the Sisters teach. Upon arrival, Father Baker changed some of the physical characteristics of the Protectory. He immediately had the window bars removed and rebuilt the rooms to have a more home-like atmosphere. The vast majority of the children were white children with parentage linking to Ireland, Poland, England and Germany. During the year of 1874 to 1875, a total of ninety-five children were discharged (nine were adopted, six were indentured, fifty-five were returned to his parent/guardian, seven ran away, ten were transferred to other institutions, five were sent out of state and three were otherwise transferred). Of the remaining 135 boys, only twenty-eight were true orphans. Forty-one boys were half-orphans, and a staggering seventy boys had parents were still alive. Almost seventy percent of these children's parents were born in the United States. The Protectory was enlarged and it was dedicated on June 26, 1889. In 1895, a gymnasium, a recreation hall and a school were added. By 1896, the Protectory was under the direction of the Society for the Protection of Destitute Children. Boys were committed to the Protectory indefinitely by justices of the peace, police, and justices of the lower court. The length of stay was usually between three to six months. In some instances, children remained for over two years if the parents refused to take the child back or if the child was unsuitable to return to the family. Father Baker was assisted by one priest, six Brothers of the Order of the Holy Infancy of Jesus and eighteen Sisters of the Order of St. Joseph. Twelve lay men were either in charge of the workshops or teachers. The Sister looked after the domestic work, and the Brothers took charge of they boys when not in the shop. The trade shops were a separate department and divided between the older boys and the younger boys. The older boys worked in printing and electro-typing, shoe repair, tailoring, mending, and sewing, and working in the fields. The younger boys worked in the chair factory and caning factory. Those who worked in the print shop usually mastered the trade within two years and their qualifications were comparative to adults. Some of the boys were placed in printing offices to earn their own living. Placements were strategically done, so not to compromise any particular area of the city. Another wing was added to the Protectory in 1897. The Protectory was now five stories high and provided housing and education for 385 boys. The building had 190 rooms for living quarters and thirty rooms for trade schools. Water was gathered in three cisterns and pumped by a windmill into a tank in the attic. The grounds also had a well. Hoses were set in the center of every floor in the event of a fire. Baths were provided once a week and it would take two days for all to receive a bath. The Protectory had eight tubs and they were supplied with pipes with hot and cold water. The water closets were at the far end of the play yard near the workshops and did not offer much privacy. The boxes underneath the seats were exposed and on slides. They were emptied by a team of horses that pulled out the boxes and deposited on the land. Needless to say, the odor was offensive. Vessels were used at night and then emptied into the water closets in the morning. In 1901, Father Baker had 1,500 boys in his care from the entire country, Canada and other foreign countries including Ireland, England and France. Some children, as young as six years old, arrived with tags pinned to their clothing simply stating, "To Father Baker, Victoria, West Seneca, NY. At times the home became overcrowded and hallways were set up as emergency dormitories. Meetings were held quarterly by the board members to review cases considered for discharge. By this time, a child was never indentured nor adopted in the event the placement didn't work out, it was easier to take the child back to the Protectory. In order for a case to be reviewed, a request had to be made by the parents, friends, or the Protectory. A child was dismissed because of good behavior or the Protectory felt they did all they could for the child. Prior to release, an examination was completed of the requested party. Some of the boys were transferred to the Working Home. When there was no family, two agents were assigned to seek out placement and then follow-up on those placed. Often times, there would be an appeal to the area congregations and some children would be "put on display" during church services. If an application was made, the priest of the parish only allowed people who he saw fit to take on the responsibility. The clergy was also responsible for oversight of the placement. By 1911, the Protectory was an enormous plant consisting of dormitories, workshops, school buildings, an entertainment hall, farmland, and playgrounds. As federal laws changed, so did the population at the Protectory. By 1939, there were only 200 boys left at the Protectory. The Protectory was closed in 1956 and it was razed 1962. A high school and rectory were built on the site. The Protectory was replaced by a new branch of services referred to as Baker Hall, a residence for delinquent teenagers. The high school is now the Baker Hall School located at 777 Ridge Road serving its youth in residence. Baker Hall was moved in 1961, following with the trend of utilizing institutionalized settings. Homelike, cottage-style residents opened on Martin Road, the former Father Baker's Farm. Join the Mailing List Enter your name and email address below: Name: Email: Subscribe Unsubscribe Get your Free Mailing List by Bravenet.com copyright: Tamie L. Rovnak, 2007 Contact me directly at: tlr_14072@yahoo.com. -----Original Message----- From: nyerie-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:nyerie-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Ruth Susmarski Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 12:11 PM To: NY Erie County Subject: [NYERIE] Susmarski - Buffalo, NY Michael and Julia Susmarski immigrated to the U.S. on November 3, 1883 from the Port of Bremen to the Port of New York.  In the 1892 New York State Census, I find Michael (age 33), with wife Julia (30) and sons Frank (7) and John (5) living in Buffalo, NY.   By the 1900 Federal Census I find only the youngest son, John, at St. John's Catholic Protectory in West Seneca Township.   I don't have access to Ancestry and am wondering if anyone can determine what became of John's parents and brother, particularly a date of death if they had died.   Also, does St. John's still exist?  Has anyone had success obtaining records from the Protectory?   Thanks for your help.   Ruth Susmarski Des Plaines, IL ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NYERIE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.375 / Virus Database: 270.14.44/2475 - Release Date: 11/01/09 19:39:00