Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Rochester Polonia is truly fortunate to have this very well-documented historical account. Urbanic has done a masterful job. I stumbled across this nicely illustrated book at a Borders in Rochester in 2002 which sparked my interest in Polish history and culture in general.
For those interested in the history of Rochester's Polish Town, this book has it all...
* The erection of the first St. Stanislaus church building in 1890 and first parish school in 1897.
* The bitter controversy over PNA membership leading to the establishment of St. Casimir's Polish Catholic National Church in 1908.
* The erection of the current St. Stanislaus church building in 1908.
* Community support for Haller's Blue Army during the First World War.
* The opening of St. Theresa's church and parish school in 1928.
* The erection of a new St. Stanislaus parish school building in 1931.
* The closing of St. Theresa's school in 1972.
* The relocation of St. Casimir's to Irondequoit in 1976.
* The closing of St. Stanislaus's school in 1992.
* The closing of St. Theresa's parish in 1997.
Throughout the book, many individuals, businesses, and organizations that contributed to Polish Town on Hudson Avenue and Rochester Polonia are cited.
What was once a booming Polish neighborhood along Hudson Avenue is now primarily African-American. Only St. Stanislaus, Andy Sykut's candy shop, and the Polish American Citizens Club remain.
In addition to "Shoulder to Shoulder" there's also an earlier history of Rochester Polonia; "History of the Polish People in Rochester" by Norman T. Lyon (1935), also excellent. It's very difficult to find a copy of this rare book but the search will be worth it.
If you're a Pole living in Western New York with any kind of interest in the history of your community, both of these volumes should be on your bookshelf.
Isn't it interesting that the smaller Rochester Polish community has two histories while the mammoth Polish community of nearby Buffalo has none?
Click Here to see more reviews about: Shoulder to shoulder: Polish Americans in Rochester, New York, 1890-2000
No comments:
Post a Comment