The 1920 Census.

[redclover]

Hi, I am currently searching US records for details of six ancestors who all emigrated from Poland to the USA between 1900 and 1910. They settled around New York, New Jersey and the furthest going to Niagara Falls and Yatesboro, PA.

Checking census records I can usually find details of the families on the 1930 census, but inevitably I fail to find any record of them on the 1920 census. Is this an anomally or do other people find this as well?

Richard.

[merjones]

I too am having trouble finding ancestors in the 1920 Census...I'm not certain if it's an anomally or not, but this is the Census I have the most trouble with.

Would you care to post the details of the people you are looking for?  Maybe a fresh pair of eyes can help.

Mer

[redclover]

Hi Mer,
Thanks for your interest. I haven’t been able to find any 1920 census records for the following ancestors.

Piotr Szalajko, my great grandfather. Born 1863 Bircza, Poland. Arrived in US 1902 (S.S. Breslau into Baltimore) to visit brother-in-law W. Feed (W. Feit) at Yatesboro PA. No other US records.  Died in Bircza, Poland 1928, possibly returned to Poland by 1913.

Stefania Szalajko, Piotr’s daughter, my great aunt. Born 1893 Bircza, Poland. Arrived in US 1910 (S.S. President Grant into New York ) to visit brother Michel Szalajko (crossed out - replaced with friend Maria Techow?, 117 Broad St. NY). Stefania married John Kruk in 1912 (approx)  and became Stella Kruk. 1920 census for New York shows John, Stella and Anna Kruk (date of arrival in US for Stefania/Stella is shown as 1913 – not the right Kruk family). 1930 census shows John and Stella kruk with children Helen, William and Alexander at 380 Chesnut, Newark, NJ. (This is the address family in Poland wrote to). John died 1937 (approx), I cannot find any trace of Stella after 1943 (she died in the US about 1960). No trace of Michel Szalajko.

Kazimiera Szalajko, Stefania’s sister, born 1895 Bircza, Poland. Arrived in US 1913 (S.S. Kronprinzessin Cecile into New York), to visit her sister Stella Kruk, Hermann Street, 50, New York? No further trace of her. She did not return to Poland according to family, maybe married?

Fan Gawerecki, Piotr’s nephew, my grandmother’s cousin, born 1877 Bogusgowka, nr. Bircza, Poland. Arrived in US 1902 (S.S. Hanover into Baltimore), to visit his uncle Piotr Szalajko at Yatesboro PA. No further record of him.

Julian Winiarski, born 1878, Bircza, Poland, Piotr’s brother-in-law. Arrived in US 1904 (S.S. Breslau into Baltimore) to visit his brother-in-law Piotr Szalajko at Yatesboro PA. He died 1929 at Niagara Falls City (hardware Merchant, Director of local Bank). 1930 census shows his widow Caroline Winiarski  and children at 1220 East Falls St. Niagara Falls- the address of the Hardware business.  Caroline was born 1878, Poland, married Julian in 1900, in Poland, and arrived in US, as Karolina Winiarska, 1905 (S.S. Main into New York) with son Waclaw - later called Walter. I cannot find any record of Julian and Caroline/Karolina in the 1920 census. I assume that Karolina was Piotr’s sister and to confirm this I need to find her maiden name. My only lead is that her daughter Jennie Winiarski was born Jan 4th 1914, Niagara Falls, Cert #4487. Possibly this might list her mother’s maiden name.

Any help in connecting and tracing these family members would be very much appreciated.

Regards,

Richard.

[toni*]

just a quick question
the census (1930) shows how many years they had been in the US, i wondered if they channel hopped at anytime or does it show they had been there since their arrival 1900-1910?

[toni*]

have you found Julian Winiarski, in 1930 ?
i see his World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 on the web so he may well have served in the war and not returned ?

his birth date is given as 8 May 1878 and he was listed as living at 1220 East Falls Street, Niagra falls NY he was 40 years old and a white naturlised citizen, and he was a hardware merchant (i expect you have these details already) and i assume his next of kin also atthe same address Caroline is his wife. he was of small build but of medium height  and had blue eyes and white hair.
Sept 12 1918

also as h was at the Niagra falls he could have nipped over the border into Canada

maybe it might be best to look for Caroline to try to combat the spelling mistranscriptions

[shellyesq]

Toni, there is a previous thread on the Winiarski family here:  http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,426401.msg2913611.html#msg2913611  Julian died in 1929, and the rest of the family is on the 1930 Census. 

[toni*]

thnaks Shelley 

i have to sign off for today so hopefulyl i will pick this up tomorrow if it hasnt been completed by then 

we Fan i did see there was a birth of a Joseph F Gawerecki in the 1920's in Nebraska i wonder if he is related in which case it would suggest that Fan was over that way in the 1920's however i have not done any research on this at all and have to rush off. (could just be a red herring)

[redclover]

Hi Toni,

Thanks for the input. As far as I am aware, all the relatives made just one trip to the USA, and with the exception of Piotr Szalajko, who returned to Poland (around about 1913, they all stayed in the USA.

With regard to Julian Winiarski, the thread that Shellyesq has linked gave me all the details  about Julian Winiarski but still very little about Caroline/Karolina especially her early years in the USA.

I am interested in any details from early census returns as I get the impression that many of these immigrants, from Poland, would travel to family members who had arrived before them and possibly live with them in the early years.

I will take a look at the Joseph F. Gawerecki you discovered.

Regards,
Richard.

[redclover]

Hi Toni,

With regard to your mention of Joseph F. Gawerecki, born in Nebraska in the 1920s, I have found an obituary for Joseph F. Gawerecki in the Omaha Herald, Nebraska, Mar 7 2009. This gives his date of birth about 1923. His parents were Henry and Mary Gawerecki. Henry could just about be Fan Gawerecki's son but it would be pushing it.

Looking again at the name Fan Gawerecki, I wonder if Fan is short for Fank or Frank, both names that appear for other Polish immigrants.

Richard.