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Polish Americans have been part of Minnesota history since before the
state's founding. Taking up farms along newly laid rail networks, Polish
immigrants fanned across the countryside in small but important
concentrations. In cities like Winona and St. Paul, Northeast
Minneapolis and Duluth, as well as on the Iron Range, Polish American
workers helped drive a growing industrial and agricultural economy.
In this highly readable volume, author John Radzilowski tells the story of
the Polish Americans, many of them political refugees, who created and
sustained community institutions across Minnesota. He describes how they
developed a significant literary tradition, published newspapers, and
built distinctive churches that still adorn the landscape, and he traces
the careers of individuals who immigrated with little and built
businesses and new lives. This deft overview, filled with intriguing
details, shows how Polish Americans established their own cultural
identity within the state
About The Author:
A professor at the University of Alaska Southeast, John is the author or co-author of many books including Community of Strangers, A Traveller's History of Poland, and The Eagle and the Cross. In 1998, he received the Cavalier's Cross of the Order of Merit from the President of the Republic of Poland.
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