This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/RdC.2ACI/503.1 Message Board Post: Roger, Have you tried the Ellis Island or the Port of Hamburg websites? Most people passed through Ellis Island, and many left Poland using the Port of Hamburg. Many of the Polish people, who settled in Dickson City were from NE Poland ... province of Suwalskie. They were recruited to work in the coal mines. At Ancestry.com there is a copy of a draft card for John Swiacki. He named his brother Anthony as his next of kin on it. He stated he was born June 24, 1886. He was a coal miner and was a naturalized citizen. In Polish a c, without a diacritical mark, is pronounced like ts in the word cats. That's why you will find records under Swiatski. In German, you can expect to see the name as Schwatski or Schwatsky. There was a John Swiatski, born 20 Nov 1918, died Feb 1982, in Plymouth, PA in the SSDI. Found one SWIATSKI in the 1920 census in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne Co., PA: Name: Alelis Swiatski Age: 61 years Estimated birth year: 1858 Birthplace: Poland Race: White Home in 1920: Plymouth, Luzerne, Pennsylvania I looked at the census. Her name is listed at Alelia. It looks like she came to the US in 1900 or 1908, but her daughter Anna came in 1905. Anna is married to Charles Bezdziecki, or something like that. they both show that they came to the US in 1905 and are naturalized citizens. There is a draft card for John Peter Schwatski, also. John Peter Schwatski 15 Aug 1873 White Not Stated, Luzerne, PA He was born in Russia/Poland, and names Julia Schwatski as his next of kin. From the lack of records on the Internet, I think your best bet to find a place of birth for your family members will be the naturalization papers for them. The document you want is the Declaration of Intention. That will tell you where they were born. You will find these in the Federal District court for either Dickson City of Mt. Carmel. This is a site to locate the courts in PA: http://www.maxexchange.com/pa/pennsylvania_court_directory.htm Maybe this will help you get started. Once you know where they came from in Poland, you will be able to locate the correct parish for them. Tina Ellis