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Georgia



Joined: 22 Mar 2012
Replies: 12
Location: Chicago, Illinois

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Post Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:19 pm      Post subject:
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Hi Everyone and Happy New Year!

I believe Gilmart's is closed now.

Also, St. Joseph's on Hermitage is having an "end of Christmas" celebration on Sunday, January 27th after the 10:30 am Polish Mass. There will be Polish food and Polish entertainment. Mark, the gentleman who ran the 125th anniversary celebration, is coordinating this effort, as well.

Georgia, Goralka from Chicago
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Eric



Joined: 12 Nov 2011
Replies: 11
Location: Central Florida

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Post Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 6:54 pm      Post subject:
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Hi Georgia,

I saw that they had closed a while ago. It didn't sound as though it was under very good circumstances either. It is too bad, it sounded like a very popular place.


I have a change to make to my previous post for the BOY map. I am somewhat scatterbrained when it comes to getting myself organized and I made a mistake about my GU Joe's residence in 1930. He and his family lived on Paulina Street in 1920. In 1930 they lived at 4314 S. Hermitage Street. Then in 1940 they were living on Kildare Ave.

I also thought it would be good to mention his wife, Maryanna Wrobel. I haven't been able to find anything else about her though, other than her being born in Ostrowska, Poland.

They had five children, Joseph, Rose, John and Frank. Helen died at the age of seven in 1923.
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rsowa
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Joined: 09 Nov 2013
Replies: 177
Location: Dundee, Michigan, USA

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Post Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 4:27 pm      Post subject:
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I've managed to get the available census records, along with most of the parish register records for marriages and births of my Polek and Wilkosz ancestors. They immigrated to Chicago around 1886-1890, and virtually all of them worked at the Union Stockyards, and lived in the Back of the Yards. In talking about her family, my grandmother (who was born in 1895 at 5131 S. Ada St) told me that "all the Polek men were butchers".

They included Anton, Szymon, Michael and Martin Polek. The husband of their sister was Paul Sulaski and he worked there too, along with an in-law named Walenty Wilkosz.

From their immigration around 1890 through the 1930's they lived, married, and raised their families in the BOY area, always living within a couple blocks of each other, and a couple blocks from work at the stockyards. While some seemed to move to a different house every decade, they all stayed in the same area.

Anton Polek started out at 4924 S. Laflin St, where he became a naturalized citizen. But by 1910 he had settled at 5045 South Hermitage Ave, where he would live for 30 years.

Szymon Polek and his wife Franceska Bejenka were at 1415 Bronson St. (1317 49th Place) till they moved to 4825 Wood St around 1900. That's where he lived when got shot accidentally and died. But that's another story Smile

Walenty Wilkosz and his wife Veronica Bejenka (Franciska and Veronica were sisters) lived with his brother in law Szymon at 1415 Bronson St. (1317 49th Place) and also worked in the stockyards. Until 1895, when he died by being "crushed by a train". I guess it was pretty dangerous working at the stockyards.

Martin Polek lived with his immigrant mother Helen Polek until she died in 1930. They started out at 1536 Bronson (1436 49th Place) and then around 1905 moved to 5035 South Hermitage Ave where he remained through the 1940 census.

Michael Polek lived with his mother Helen and brother Martin until 1906, when he moved much farther north and away from the stockyards, but remained a butcher till he died.

Paul Sulaski and his wife Rose (Polek) started at 4935 Loomis St, but by 1910 were living at 5217 South Hermitage Ave, and then in 1920 at 4832 Honore Street. But by then he had given up working in the stockyards, and had become a "Milk Man".

One other, rather morbid, issue, is that the conditions those families had to live in were often terrible. Problems with fresh water, sanitation and disease were a constant concern. That's why, at least for my family that lived in "The Back of the Yards", one out of every four children born would die before their second or third birthday. Most would die in just a matter of a few months.
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dnowicki
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Joined: 28 Dec 2011
Replies: 2781
Location: Michigan City, Indiana

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Post Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 6:21 pm      Post subject:
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If you are interested in reading more about conditions in "The Back of the Yards" neighborhood a good study can be found in a book by Dominic A. Pacyga entitled "Polish Immigrants and Industrial Chicago: Workers on the South Side, 1880-1922". The first section of the book deals with "Back of the Yards'" and the second section covers the South Chicago neighborhood and the steel mills (which is the main reason I read the book since that is the area where my family settled). I recommend this book for anyone interested in the living and working conditions of Polish immigrants on Chicago's South Side in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Dave
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Bill Rushin
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Joined: 14 Dec 2009
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Location: Virginia Beach, Va.

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Post Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 12:04 am      Post subject:
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If you live in the Chicago area, Tuesday Mar 3, 2015 Time 7:30 pm on WTTW public TV it will be showing the film - Fourth Partition.

At the dawn of the 20th century, Chicago was the second largest city in the United States, with more than 2,000,000 residents. It was also the center of Polish culture and political activism in America. With Poland partitioned between Russia, Austria, and Germany, more than four million Poles immigrated to the United States between 1870 and 1920 in search of a better life. In Chicago, they worked in some of the most dangerous factories and mills in the country; in their neighborhoods, they built communities, churches, and most of all, aided their beloved Poland in her fight for independence. Their story is known as “The Fourth Partition.”
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Zenon
PolishOrigins Team Leader


Joined: 28 Apr 2007
Replies: 1515
Location: Poland

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Post Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 3:56 am      Post subject:
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Thank you Bill for drawing our attention to this documentary. I am going to purchase it. The Amazon reviews are very encouraging: http://amzn.to/1GeEpKI .

I have also found the first 8 minutes of the film available on Youtube:


[html-link]
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Zenon
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Joined: 28 Apr 2007
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Location: Poland

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Post Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 4:25 am      Post subject:
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Good news for viewers from Poland! It will be broadcast this Thursday at 23.15 on TVP Historia Smile .
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PaniKohani



Joined: 02 Apr 2011
Replies: 31

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Post Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 6:33 pm      Post subject:
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Several comments on this string of posts:

Grew up very near the Back of the Yards (close enough to smell the Stockyards daily!) so I can ad my two-cents here.

I was recently given this same film as a gift, and had the opportunity to watch it just last week:

While the film is good as an overview, I imagine that the book mentioned by commenter, 'dnowicki' in the postings here, is a far-more detailed and extensive study of what the film just touched the highlights of. Dominic Pacyga (professor of history at Columbia College, the author of this book, is also one of the several people interviewed in the documentary) and is a very
prolific researcher/historian; I have heard it said of him that, "he knows the neighborhoods'. I am looking forward to
ordering this book of his from the library and reading it soon, in all its historical specifics.

One thing the film did mention which was surprising, in that Poles themselves gave this 'nickname' (title of the film) to
America as that "Fourth Partition"-- it was not just a descriptive term given by sociologists (that is how much value the Polish immigrant community placed on their new country--enough to refer to it as the fourth time Poland's boundaries changed-- to include America within that deep sense of 'Homeland')....

Btw, another commentator had mentioned about the closing of the Polish grocery store, Gilmart.
Sad to announce, that last Saturday (April 4th), one of the last large Polish stores in the same neighborhood closed its doors too--Bobak's (though they said their products would show up in various stores). This is pretty much the death knell for what used to be a strong Polish neighborhood (Archer Heights--west of Brighton Park and Back of the Yards). The times...they (surely!) are a-changin'....

_________________
We are a continuum. Just as we reach back to our ancestors for our fundamental values, so we, as guardians of that legacy, must reach ahead to our children and their children. And we do so with a sense of sacredness in that reaching.

Paul Tsongas
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Jill



Joined: 02 Apr 2015
Replies: 1

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Post Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2015 4:51 pm      Post subject:
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Agnes Zubek Bukowski Dlugi
George Bukowski (worked in the Stock Yards and died from tb and buried in mass grave with others with similar disease)
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GeraldineStabosz



Joined: 01 Sep 2015
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Post Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 6:43 pm      Post subject:
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I grew up at 4859 S Laflin St. There was a 4-flat with a tavern on the 1st floor, front. We, the Stabosz Family, consisting of Frank and Helen Stabosz, and their 7 Children, lived in a cottage behind the brick 4-flat. We belonged to the St. John of God Parish at 52nd and Throop Sts.
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nercky



Joined: 13 Aug 2019
Replies: 3
Location: Illinois

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Post Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 3:55 pm      Post subject: ......Shot in the Dark
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I am researching a lost relative who lived on the 3rd floor above a store on the corner of 44th and Honore in the 1950s. The building number says 4458 S. Honore in this photo but now it appears to be 4400 S. Honore. I am looking for any information on an Irish family, the Galvins who lived there. From what I understand the area was mostly Polish-hoping they would stick out in your memory. Does this ring any bells with you? Any information will guaranty you a beer. Do you know what the name of the store was at that time? Thank you so much in advance!


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Sophia
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Joined: 05 Oct 2014
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Post Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2019 6:53 am      Post subject: Re: ......Shot in the Dark
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nercky wrote:
I am researching a lost relative who lived on the 3rd floor above a store on the corner of 44th and Honore in the 1950s. The building number says 4458 S. Honore in this photo but now it appears to be 4400 S. Honore. I am looking for any information on an Irish family, the Galvins who lived there. From what I understand the area was mostly Polish-hoping they would stick out in your memory. Does this ring any bells with you? Any information will guaranty you a beer. Do you know what the name of the store was at that time? Thank you so much in advance!


Hi Nercky,
I do not know this area, but in looking at the photo I see two things. First, there is a curtain that runs all along the windows, which is not the full height of the window. It suggests to me that people inside would be sitting at tables, as perhaps one would in a restaurant or cafe, and so the curtains were to keep the sun out of their eyes while still allowing natural light from the non-curtained part of the windows. Then, looking at the printed words which are partially blocked, the second word begins "TA...." so maybe it is a tavern. I would suggest trying to find a Chicago City Directory or phone book, as close in time as you can find to when the photo was taken, and look up taverns. The wording above the "TA...." would likely be the name of the proprietor, whose first initial was an A.
Best of luck in your research,
Sophia
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nercky



Joined: 13 Aug 2019
Replies: 3
Location: Illinois

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Post Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2019 7:35 am      Post subject: Thank you Sophia!
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Thank you so much for taking the time to fill me in on your excellent detective findings Smile I will certainly check out your suggestions. Have an amazing day!
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dnowicki
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Joined: 28 Dec 2011
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Location: Michigan City, Indiana

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Post Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2019 4:12 pm      Post subject: Re: ......Shot in the Dark
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Sophia wrote:
nercky wrote:
I am researching a lost relative who lived on the 3rd floor above a store on the corner of 44th and Honore in the 1950s. The building number says 4458 S. Honore in this photo but now it appears to be 4400 S. Honore. I am looking for any information on an Irish family, the Galvins who lived there. From what I understand the area was mostly Polish-hoping they would stick out in your memory. Does this ring any bells with you? Any information will guaranty you a beer. Do you know what the name of the store was at that time? Thank you so much in advance!


Hi Nercky,
I do not know this area, but in looking at the photo I see two things. First, there is a curtain that runs all along the windows, which is not the full height of the window. It suggests to me that people inside would be sitting at tables, as perhaps one would in a restaurant or cafe, and so the curtains were to keep the sun out of their eyes while still allowing natural light from the non-curtained part of the windows. Then, looking at the printed words which are partially blocked, the second word begins "TA...." so maybe it is a tavern. I would suggest trying to find a Chicago City Directory or phone book, as close in time as you can find to when the photo was taken, and look up taverns. The wording above the "TA...." would likely be the name of the proprietor, whose first initial was an A.
Best of luck in your research,
Sophia


Hi Nercky & Sophia,

I lived for almost 40 years on the South Side of Chicago, but not in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. When I saw the post I took an interest and thought that I may have had some info regarding the location from a 1948 testimonial book for one of my maternal uncles. He was a parish priest at St. John of God parish (now closed) and with his good friends Saul Alinsky and Joe Meegan was instrumental in the formation of the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council and served as the first president of the council from 1940 to 1945. Unfortunately, there were no ads in the program for a business at that address.

The are a few things I can point out about the picture. Sophia is correct about the type of business which was at that location. In my opinion, the business was a tavern/neighborhood bar. In addition to the sign which Sophia pointed out there is a poster in the window indicating that it was the location of a polling place at the time. Polling places were found in various locations—churches, schools, firehouses, park field houses, businesses, etc. It is much more likely that the polling place was in a tavern rather than in a restaurant since taverns were closed on election days whereas restaurants were open for business.

Regarding the address...It has not changed and is still 4458 S. Honore. The last time address numbers were changed in Chicago was in 1911 when the dividing lines between north & south and east & west addresses was set at the intersection of State and Madison. I realize that the building at 4400 S. Honore looks more like the building at 4458 S. Honore in the picture. However, that does not matter. The perspective and angle from which the picture was taken eliminates the building at 4400 S. Honore. That building is located on the southwest corner of the intersection of 44th Street and Honore. The building at 4458 S. Honore is on the northwest corner at the intersection of 45th Street and Honore. (South Side north & south running street have evens on the west side and odds on the east side of the street.) Compare the photo with the two attached views (facing Honore and facing 45th Street) of the building at 4458 S. Honore. According to the 1940 Census three large families lived at 4458. Clearly they could not be accommodated in the building as it currently stands. At some point, most likely in the late 1960s or early 1970s, the upper stories were removed and the structure was modified. It is likely that this was the result of a fire. The building to the north is a typical Chicago bungalow of the 60s or early to mid 70s based on the style of the facade, the color of the brick and the pitch (4/12) of the roof. Since the neighborhood was in economic decline by that time (The stock yards had closed.) it is extremely unlikely that an older structure would have been replaced by the bungalow had it not been destroyed by fire. It is likely that the corner building suffered damage as a result of the fire next door which required the demolition of the upper stories. The majority of the buildings on the block are wooden frame structures which predate 1889. That year saw a great annexation to the city. (Prior to that year the southern boundary of Chicago was 39th Street and after that year in many places the new boundary was at 136th Street.) Following the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 building codes in the city were changed and all buildings had to have masonry exteriors.

Some observations about the photo...The girl in the foreground is leaning against a concrete streetlamp pole. The metal post at the corner of the building supports the upper stories which are cantilevered over the entryway. The current building at 4458 also has the same type of post. Also, some features of the 1950s facade are still visible in the picture of the current building.

Here are links to the 1940 Census for the 4458 address:

https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/M-T0627-00946-00692?pid=148405679&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3Dchr1%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D2442%26gsfn%3Dlillian%26gsln%3Djaniak%26msydy%3D1940%26msypn__ftp%3Dchicago,%2520cook,%2520illinois,%2520usa%26msypn%3D36829%26msrpn__ftp%3Dchicago,%2520cook,%2520illinois,%2520usa%26msrpn%3D36829%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26uidh%3Dtr6%26redir%3Dfalse%26msT%3D1%26gss%3Dangs-d%26pcat%3D35%26fh%3D0%26h%3D148405679%26recoff%3D%26ml_rpos%3D1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=chr1&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true#?imageId=M-T0627-00946-00727

https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/M-T0627-00946-00692?pid=148405679&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3Dchr1%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D2442%26gsfn%3Dlillian%26gsln%3Djaniak%26msydy%3D1940%26msypn__ftp%3Dchicago,%2520cook,%2520illinois,%2520usa%26msypn%3D36829%26msrpn__ftp%3Dchicago,%2520cook,%2520illinois,%2520usa%26msrpn%3D36829%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26uidh%3Dtr6%26redir%3Dfalse%26msT%3D1%26gss%3Dangs-d%26pcat%3D35%26fh%3D0%26h%3D148405679%26recoff%3D%26ml_rpos%3D1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=chr1&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true#?imageId=M-T0627-00946-00728

A final thought...Although Poles made up a large part of the population of the neighborhood, other ethnic groups like Irish, Lithuanians, Slovaks, etc. also made up a considerable portion of the area. If the Galvins were Catholic, a possible parish to which they may have belonged could be St. Rose of Lima (now closed) which was only a few blocks to the east of Honore.

Wishing you success in your quest,

Dave



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nercky



Joined: 13 Aug 2019
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Location: Illinois

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Post Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 5:47 pm      Post subject: Thank you.
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I am breathless about reading your post. Thank you so very much Dave. I mean it. You are really good at this!! THANK YOU!!! God Bless you and Sophia.
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