Piece of 1985 Study of Grays Harbor Immigration

A Copy of the study of all immigrants is available at the Aberdeen Public Library, Polson Museum and Friends of Aberdeen Museum. This is just the pieces that may interest Malinowskis

POLAND

By Don F. SMITH

Before we begin to list the various local Polish people as families and individuals it is well to mention the characteristics of the Polish people whether they were from Grays Harbor or anywhere on this globe.

The Polish people have never claimed to be a super race or a super people but they are a proud people and

have made their mark for a better mankind throughout the world.

In reading information on various people of Polish
descent, I have found the following characteristics. Those

who have been listed as heroes and near heroes were diplomatic, honest, plain talking and very much to the point. They did not care for unnecessary words, demanded loyalty and gave it in return. They make a bargain and more than meet their friends half way. Sometimes they are not alone in this world of imperfection. The Poles are goodhearted and gracious hosts. They work hard and have an intense desire to win in the face of any obstacle. It has been proven time and again that once a Polish man or woman has a chance to learn they produce well through their ability to change and their untiring ability to continue what they have started.

Through all history of Poland the Polish people have had to fight for existence. They have been pushed around by other nations–split up-handed back and forth and thus have had to continually fight their way to even exist.

This nation of 32 million people who were ravaged, burned and destroyed in great parts had to have a strong belief in God not to despair long ago. During World War II one in every five Poles were killed. Suffering, injury, de-struction were a way of life and only a strong spirit bolstered by centuries of conditioning and belief held the

nation together.

Finally, once more–those of Polish descent have proved to the world their great desire for independence, for ideals and for freedom. Let us not forget this fact nor let our future generations forget it. The sacrifices have been too great to forget, the freedom too valuable to lose through lack of interest and eternal vigilance.

Editor’s Note: I have written about the Colonization Society before (You will find it under the Grays Harbor History tab). I am including some information here because of the study reference to Mankowski.

Washington State Colonization Company By Nancy Cuyle

 This company apparently focused on land sales to Polish/Lithuanian immigrants.  Although the Malinowskis’ didn’t buy through them, it was still a factor in why they had so many Eastern European neighbors.

The Washington Colonization Company is mentioned in “They Tried to Cut It All” by Ed VanSycle as being formed by Mankowski & Jaklewicz1 who tried to encourage Polish/Lithuanian farmers to the Wishkah with “if the land can grow trees this big imagine what it can do with vegetables”. The land the realtors had purchased for resale was logged stump land. The problem was the ground was very hard to clear of the huge stumps and the soil really very poor for farming when the work was completed. Many of these families struggled and with the depression finally lost their land. It was taken over by the State of Washington in many cases.

Miss Baaginstos remembers going to his office in Aberdeen to purchase their land up the Wishkah. The 1925 plat map shows about 7 blocks of land held in the society’s name. Story is told that the settlement of “Polandville” was as a result of his work.

On March 22, 1909 this note appeared in the newspaper the Aberdeen Herald:  C. Mankowski, manager of the Polish colony on the upper Wishkah was in the city Friday and state that a large number of Polish families were on the way to join with the colony.  He reports gratifying results from experiments made on logged off lands and the colony is more than satisfied with the investment.

Casimir Mankowski was born-in Polish (Germany) in 1870. He arrived in the U.S. in 1889 and in Grays Harbor in 1912. His wife, Anne, was born in Minnesota. There were no children. Casimir was employed in real estate under the name of Mankowski and Jacklewicz. Casimir had a brother, Mieclas, who was single. The two lived together at 1708 W. First Street in Aberdeen.

Editor’s note: from what I’ve read this is a typical reaction to the land the Colonization Society advertised.

Mary Bozak reported the following information:

My grandfather saw an ad in a Polish paper placed by a Mr. Maslowski. In this ad land was advertised in the Wishkah Valley near Aberdeen. He sent $50 as a down payment. When he saw the land he found it to be covered with trees and he had expected it to be cleared land. He decided to forfeit the money and took a job in the Donovan Mill in South Aberdeen. Mary’s mother, aunt and uncles worked at the Old Cooperage. Mary’s mother also worked at the Washington Hotel.

Another name that was to become well known in Grays Harbor was Malinowski. Antoni Malinowski, orphaned at the age of five, came

to Wisconsin to live with his Uncle George. When he was a young man he met and married Anna Blonder(Editor’s note – should be Skinder), a Lithuania emigre, and they became parents of 10…Joseph, Rose, Edward, Helen, Sophia, Mary, Antone, Elizabeth, Henry and Emily.

The Malinowskis came to Washington in 1904 and to the Wishkah valley two years later. Antoni was a self-employed road builder and later, owner of the O.K. Logging Co.

Son, Joe, worked on logging splash dams and later for the City of Aberdeen water works. It was through his foresight that the city obtained water rights on the Wynooche (Editors note – Joe spelled it Wynoochee and thus the dam is named.) River and thus was able to construct a power dam.

In later years, Antoni and Anna’s granddaughter, Fran White, was to become Aberdeen’s first woman mayor.

The study lists 31 surnames but a number of these were brothers of families so the list grows longer. I know many lived on the Wishkah as I remember so many of the names from Grade school. I’m sure it was comforting to live in a community that spoke your first language. The Davidson brothers remembered that their uncles often sang while they worked the farm & the songs were all in Polish as that is what Anna sang to them. Soph said that she didn’t learn English until she went to school. I believe Polish was most often used in the home although other languages were known.