Poles in Wisconsin

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Susan Gibson Mikoś

Learn about the history and contributions of Polish immigrants as they settled in America’s northern heartland and forged strong and vital communities.

136 pages, 6 x 9, 36 b&w photos, 1 map
Paperback: $12.95 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-422-7
Ebook: $4.99 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-590-3
Publication Date: 5/24/2012

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Description

Driven to find new opportunity and security in a new home, Polish people began emigrating in mass from Europe in the 1870s, with Wisconsin as a popular destination. By 1920, an estimated 150,000 had arrived in the state—and some scholars believe the actual number was much higher—making Poles the second largest immigrant population in Wisconsin, after Germans. They put down roots in all corners of the state, from the industrial center of Milwaukee to the farmland around Stevens Point, in the Cutover, and beyond. In each locale, they brought with them a hunger to own land, a willingness to work hard, and a passion for building churches. In this informative overview, author Susan Gibson Mikoś traces the history of Polish immigrants as they settled in America’s northern heartland.

Mikos tells the story of Polish Wisconsin in significant detail, from its folkways to its fraternal groups, and she tells it with a welcome attention to context, both global and local. Included is a first-person memoir from Polish immigrant Maciej Wojda, translated for the first time into English, and historical photographs of Polish settlements around our state.

Part of the People of Wisconsin series, this book illuminate the many ways that immigrants have shaped our state. Learn about the values and ideas Polish people brought with them from Europe and explore their myriad contributions to the culture, economy, and politics of their new home.

Author Bio

Susan Gibson Mikoś worked as a historic preservation consultant for more than a decade and has published a number of articles in both English and Polish. She is past president of Polanki, the Polish Women's Cultural Club of Milwaukee, and was on the board of the Polish Heritage Alliance. She lives in Milwaukee.