Some brief history on the Polish heritage in South Bend since Dyngus Day is coming up and I am Polish and proud!! Polish settlers began making an important group contribution to the industrial development of South Bend. Their efficiency and productivity, which early won them a reputation for earning more than our good mechanics ... American, German, Irish and other citizens ... helped enrich and expand the citys industries. Their thrift and industriousness, noted by a contemporary who wrote, they raised large families, lived on almost nothing, but saved their money, generously aided the growth and welfare of the city, extending its western limits and converting scrubby unattractive fields into residential districts. The Polish settlers began to purchase lots and homes in South Bend on a larger scale early in 1872 .12 In 1873, when they earned an average piecework wage of less than $1.50 per day, they were able to pay $500 to $600 for homes, most of the Polish employees at Olivers becoming homeowners within the next twelve years. To provide further assistance to Polish settlers in the acquisition of property, the Kosciuszko Building and Loan Fund Association was founded in 1884. In 1893 a similar organization was established under the title, the Jan III Sobieski Building and Loan Association. Joseph A. Werwinski, who practically built up the west end of the city by his real estate operations, achieved special prominence as one of the most successful real estaters in South Bend.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 15:17:23 +0000
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