THE EARLY HISTORY OF PANNA MARIA, TEXAS ... - Repositories

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21 the Germans who had come to Texas, Father-Leopold 11 decided to encourage his family and friends in Upper Silesia to come to Texas. Although none of Moczygemba's letters from before 1855 has been found, slightly later correspondence suggests that he wrote back to Silesia about the freedom and opportunities found by European 22 immigrants m Texas. The tone of such a letter, written from Texas in June of 1855, gives an idea of what his letters a few months before must have been like: I wrote to him to come here . . . because he would live better here, . . . I told him only because I wish everybody to be here . . . John Ujkow is very happy that his parents are coming because they will live here in peace. ^-^ Father Leopold's letters served as the catalyst that precipitated the departure of the first party of Silesians for Texas. With the increasing misery in Upper Silesia, conditions were good for the spread of stories about better life elsewhere. The tales about Texas were 21 For a description by an American of the German settlements in Texas, including New Braunfels and Castroville, in 1853-1854, see Frederick Law Olmstead, Journey through Texas (New York: Mason Brothers, 1860). 22 Brozek, Zamorska Emigracja, pp. 11-12; Kruszka, pp. 36 2-36 3. 23 Leop. BM. Moczygemba, Panna Maria, Texas, to Dear Fathers, P^lûznica, Regency of Opole, June 18, 1855, in Andrzej Brozek and Henryk Borek, Pierwsi Slazacy w Ameryce; Listy z_ Teksasu do Pjûznicy £ Roku 1855 [The First Silesians in America; Letters from Texas to Pûznica in the Year 1855] (Opole, Poland: Instutut Slaski w Opolu, 1967), pp. 13-14.
elieved in every respect in that the more difficult circumstances had dulled the natural criticism of the 24 peasants' normally sharp reason. Father Leopold's letters were read with intense interest by wide groups 12 of people. The letters contained references not merely to the addressees, but also to other people even in other towns. In the above letter, written to his family in Pûznica, Rev. Moczygemba greeted "all of you. Franc and his wife, sisters and Wrobel, also Ujkow from Toszek, 25 people from Jemielnica . . . and everybody ..." The letters were not without effect. In early 1854 plans were already under way in the Opole Regency for several families to come to Texas. Among these families was at least one that was further motivated to leave by political reasons. After the failure of the revolutions of 1848, many of the politically active Polish peasants of Upper Silesia had given up hope for any improvement in their social and political conditions in Prussia. Such an individual was Stanisâw Kio^bassa, who served as a deputy to the Berlin National Parliament in 24 For an in depth study of Polish peasant letters, see William I. Thomas and Florian Znaniecki, The Polish Peasant in Europe and America, 5 Vols. (Boston: Richard G. Badger, 1918") . 25 Moczygemba to Dear Fathers, June 18, 1855, in Brozek and Borek, pp. 14-15; Brozek, Zamorska Emigracja, pp. 11-12.
Page 1 and 2: THE EARLY HISTORY OF PANNA MARIA, T
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS I. THE FOUNDING O
Page 5 and 6: 3 the oldest Polish school in Ameri
Page 7 and 8: Maria, however, was not a part of t
Page 9 and 10: European markets. With the subseque
Page 11 and 12: 8 summer and autumn of 1852 and the
Page 13: 10 friars who accepted his mission
Page 17 and 18: 14 forced changes in his plans. The
Page 19 and 20: 16 traveling to America. However, u
Page 21 and 22: CHAPTER II PANNA MARIA 1855-1861 Th
Page 23 and 24: everywhere, so that if anyone took
Page 25 and 26: 21 the Silesians was for shelter. T
Page 27 and 28: 23 next forty years give additional
Page 29 and 30: 25 further light on early agricultu
Page 31 and 32: 27 r-3 like Stanis/aw Kio^^bassa, t
Page 33 and 34: 29 year. On the night of July 15, 1
Page 35 and 36: 31 origin of the three thousand dol
Page 37 and 38: 33 the country and leaving the land
Page 39 and 40: 35 Upper Silesia a large Christ fig
Page 41 and 42: Due to the hardships wrought by the
Page 43 and 44: ack. "2 39 Although a few individua
Page 45 and 46: 41 1891, Father Moczygemba died in
Page 47 and 48: 43 Arriving in Panna Maria at least
Page 49 and 50: 45 The Civil War caused additional
Page 51 and 52: 47 years. The disastrous results of
Page 53 and 54: 49 were ever listed as members of t
Page 55 and 56: 51 at the Arkansas Post, Wilke's 24
Page 57 and 58: 13 3 Knoxville, and Nashville. 53 T
Page 59 and 60: A vignette of Civil War history is
Page 61 and 62: CHAPTER IV PANNA MARIA 1866-1870 Th
Page 63 and 64: 59 in Texas. With the authorization
Page 65 and 66:
61 enough for Paris." Thus the supe
Page 67 and 68:
The vast majority of the white Texa
Page 69 and 70:
December 186 8, stated that althoug
Page 71 and 72:
Sometimes the forays of the America
Page 73 and 74:
69 for battle into a single mounted
Page 75 and 76:
71 the protection of federal troops
Page 77 and 78:
73 month after they came to the cou
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75 Bakanowski's words, "we saw what
Page 81 and 82:
77 until his death. •'"^^ In addi
Page 83 and 84:
79 their children. For this reason,
Page 85 and 86:
81 the young priest, dressed in the
Page 87 and 88:
83 from the Society around them. Af
Page 89 and 90:
through Berlin in September 1854, a
Page 91 and 92:
20 8 to be classed . . . with those
Page 93 and 94:
CHAPTER VI PANNA MARIA AS THE MOTHE
Page 95 and 96:
91 to San Antonio. Since San Antoni
Page 97 and 98:
Czestochowa, only five miles north
Page 99 and 100:
95 which draw large numbers of visi
Page 101 and 102:
97 from one region of one Prussian
Page 103 and 104:
Brozek, Andrzej, and Borek, Henryk.
Page 105 and 106:
Haiman, Miecislaus. Polish Past in
Page 107 and 108:
Lyssy, Albert. Military Service Rec
Page 109 and 110:
105 Randel, Jo Stewart, and Carson
Page 111 and 112:
107 Records of the United States of
Page 113 and 114:
KV/ 109 Wytrwal, Joseph A. America'
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