POLONIA IN PE ELL
Two new books about the Polish immigrants who came to this small Washington State community over 100 years ago are now available. Their stories are told by the author, a grandson of 1891 homesteaders, as well as stories told by other descendants of these early pioneers in the unsettled west. In them we can read about the experiences of our immigrant ancestors leaving their homes and loved ones, crossing an ocean and a continent to make a new life for themselves and their families. We learn about their hardships, their joys, their sorrows; how they worked hard to assimilate into the new world and become American citizens.
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Pe Ell's Polish Pioneers
We also learn about the enduring customs they brought with them, enjoyed by succeeding generations. We learn about the curious name of this small Washington state town, in the past referred to locally as “the Polish town.” Other stories tell about why they celebrated the Polish constitution of 1791, over 100 years later, the first European constitution almost never used; the working conditions in the sawmills and logging camps together with many deaths and serious injuries; the Polish children who spoke Japanese; the deaf mute baseball player who rose to be a catcher in the old Pacific Coast League; the high climber who fell from the top of a spar tree and overcame paralysis to become a civic leader; the Polish lady who never saw a black man and thought he was “dirty;” why the Holy Cross church became an historical landmark; and many others.