Two books new to the Emily Fowler Central Library Special Collection shelves may be useful to those tracing their Polish roots.
Wondering why your Polish ancestors may have emigrated to the United States? Polish Immigration to America: When, Why, How and Where, by Stephen Szabados (2016), explores possible answers to that question, and much more.
Chapters in Polish Immigration cover:
- Emigration from Poland – When did they leave and what were the reasons?
- Emigration from Poland – Leaving their Villages – What experiences did immigrants have as they bid farewell to their homeland?
- Emigration from Poland – Departure Ports and Arrival in America: The Ports offer brief histories of most ports used by Polish immigrants on both sides of the ocean—from Bremen and Antwerp to New York and even Galveston, among others.
- The Voyage – What did the passage from the Old Country to America look like for immigrants?
- Arrival in America: The Process – What did Polish immigrants find as they set foot in America?
- Beginning a New Life – How did the immigrants become acclimated to their new country?
Additional reading recommendations are also included in this 137-page volume.
If your ancestors settled in Illinois, authors John Radzilowski and Ann Hetzel Gunkel’s Poles in Illinois (2020) offers “the first comprehensive history to trace the abundance and diversity of this ethnic group throughout the state from the 1800s to present.”
Illinois boasts one of the most visible concentrations of Poles in the United States, the largest Polish community outside of the country centered in Chicago, and many smaller Polish settlements around the state. Poles in Illinois emphasizes the lived experiences of ordinary Polish Americans, with chapter topics ranging from “Settling in America” and “Faith and Religious Life,” to “Polish Community Life in Illinois” and “Poles in Industrial Illinois.”
The 244-page volume also offers further reading suggestions, 45+ photographs, and excerpts from first-person accounts and Polish newspaper articles.
The library’s purchase of both books was made possible by a donation from the Denton County Genealogical Society (DCGS) in honor of past society president and member Erik Kaszynski, who passed away the spring of 2023. Browse either volume at the Emily Fowler Central Library Special Collections area.
RELATED READS
Available at the Emily Fowler Central Library, Special Collections:
- In Their Words: A Genealogist’s Translation Guide to Polish, German, Latin, and Russian Documents, Jonathan D. Shea (2007), includes over 60 Polish-language documents and extracts from American and European sources, analyzed and translated; a Polish grammar, phonetics, and spelling guide; how to locate records in America and Europe; how to use gazetteers; a 2,500+ list vocabulary guide, and more.
- The Family Tree Polish, Czech & Slovak Genealogy Guide: How to Trace Your Family Tree in Eastern Europe, Liza A. Alzo (2016), guides readers step-by-step through the challenging journey to find Polish, Czech, or Slovak roots. Chapters cover how to identify a family’s town of origin; locate key genealogical resources; decipher foreign-language records; as well as untangle the region’s complicated history. Timelines, sample records, resource lists, and sample record request letters round out the volume.
- A Guide to Chicago and Midwestern Polish-American Genealogy, Jason Kruski (2018). The Polish Genealogical Society praises the book: “Although small in size, this book contains a vast amount of information about researching your Polish-American ancestors in Chicago and the Midwestern states.” Its fifteen chapters cover U.S. census records; vital records in Chicago’s Cook County; immigration/naturalization records; research in Poland; DNA and genetic genealogy; and more.
—Nancy Gilbride Casey
DPL Volunteer
Denton Public Library 