Pulaskifield Historical Society

Preserve, Educate and Celebrate Historic Pulaskifield, Missouri

Polish Influence and Contribution to Southwest Missouri

Found in the archives of the Lawrence County Historical Society located in the 3rd floor archives at the Lawrence County Courthouse, Mt. Vernon, Missouri, the following unattributed typewritten essay, likely written in the 1930’s, describes the lives of citizens of Polish descent growing up in rural Pierce City:

In this day when Dumb Polack stories are so popular, I have told my share and listened and laughed with my associates in all walks of life. I enjoy them because, being one, I am, as each year goes by more aware that the Polacks and the Polish people were not so dumb, but the wisest and most forward looking people to come to this great country of ours and especially those that came to the Ozarks and “the land of milk and honey” as it was so described by C. C. Williford. Where but in this land of ours and especially Southwest Missouri could all these good things happen to the poor old dumb Polack. It may be that the Polack was dumb like the Proverbial Fox.

History after all is the story of people; a statement that might seem too obvious to be worth making if it were not for the fact that history so often is presented interms of vast incomprehensible forces moving far under the surface, carrying human beings along, helpless, and making them conform to a pattern whose true shape they never see. The pattern does not exist, often enough, and it is important to trace it. Yet, it is the people who make the pattern, not the other way around.

All the historical books which contain no lies are extremely tedious.

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Reasons for coming:

Revolution against the Russians in 1863, but failed as in 1831.

Prussia had taken a part of the country at an earlier date. Men were being drafted to serve in the Prussian or Russian Army. I remember my grandmother saying that the Germans were mean to the Polish people, but the Russian were meaner.

Living in the villages and farming one-half acre to one acre in the country at the edge of the village.

America offered an opportunity so some 85 different families came to the United States. They settled to the south of Pierce City. Farmed on 40 to 80 acres. No big farms. Rocky soil of Barry County. No fertilizer. Hard work. Ducks and geese were raised. Pierce City was a growing young new town that offered an opportunity.

Cut wood for the Pierce City Lime Company. As many as 3000 cords of wood were stored at one time for use in manufacturing lime.

Worked in the lime quarries. The lime from Pierce City won recognition at the St. Louis World’s Fair at the turn of the century.

Between the railroad tracks and Clear Creek as Pig Tail Alley where many of the Polish people lived.

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Wagon factories, livery stables, blacksmith shops were all a part of life for the early Polish people in Pierce City.

Early way of life was closely connected with the Catholic Church. Went to church on Sunday morning and the big day for the country store was after church on Sunday in Pulaskifield.

When they came to Pierce City, the entire family came to do their trading. Blacksmith work done on their wagons, etc..Bought cheese and crackers and bread and ate on the back streets of Pierce City. A gallon syrup can was always brought along. There were three breweries and seven saloons in Pierce City. A bucket of beer sold for a dime.

Polish weddings were festive occasions. They were not the usual short affairs. Starting in the morning with the services in the church, they lasted well late into the night and for many, into the next day. Food and drink were plentiful and the wedding dance was attended as well as all of the other events by all friends, which would include the entire Polish community.

The first generation of Polish people brought to this country the trades and skills they had learned in the old country. Sons and daughters of the first generation, especially the older ones, continued with the work of their parents, but as the world of work changed, opportunities were limited for all the family to continue in the same work as the parents, and some of the Polish people

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moved to Kansas City to work in the slaughter yards and packing houses. The railroad and Pierce City history are almost one and the same – – – so it was natural that some of the second generation Polish people worked for the railroads.

My aunt got a job at Newman’s because Mr. Newman, a Jew from Prussia, was wise enough to know that a girl that could speak Polish would be good for business. Today this might be called “token integration”.

Contributions to defend this country in Word War I. Many volunteered for the Army. A train car load of Pierce City young men. (Raupp and Manchester)

Contributions were not spectacular. Probably the only ones ever to serve in the State Penal Institutions served time for having a “cooker” or “still” and then served time because they got tired of buying off the law enforcement officers.

As far as politics were concerned, about the only real involvement was someone running for office would buy a quart of hooch and pay one of the Polish people to deliver so many votes to the polls, but many times the ones that was supposed to deliver, would supply the bottle and not the votes.

The Polish contribution is not a separate contribution to Southwest Missouri. It is an integral part of the total contribution of all the early settlers. The Polish people did not stay

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close together in a community, but I think that the significant point is that just last week, talking with my father, he referred to the early Polish people and what they did, and not once did he indicate that he was a part of the early Polish settlement. His 75 years here in Pierce City has been one as an American citizen. This great country of ours was a melting pot for the depressed from many other countries. For example, alloy steel has great strength and toughness. It is a mixture of nickel, chromium and magnesium. Just as an alloy is much stronger than the many pure metals that go into it – – so this country is stronger because of the melting and fusion of those from the many countries. The contribution of the Polish and the influence of free men that took the inscription of the Statue of Liberty:

Give us your tired, your poor,
The huddled masses yearning to be free,
The wretched refuse of your teaming shores – –
Send these, the homeless tempest tossed to me – –
I lift my lamp beside the golden door –

as a creed to live by, to live up to, and transmit as a part of the heritage to the next generation.

Pulaskifield Historical Society © 2016