Poles in Minnesota (People Of Minnesota) [Paperback]

John Radzilowski (Author), Bill Holm (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: People Of Minnesota | Publication Date: February 15, 2005

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--and established their own cultural identity within the state. Polish Americans, many of them political refugees, created and sustained a wide range of community institutions from churches and schools to cultural groups and social clubs in Minnesota. They developed a significant literary tradition, published newspapers, and were instrumental in establishing the state's early labor movement. Author John Radzilowski tells the stories of individuals like Stan Wasie, a Polish immigrant boy who grew up to become a pioneer in the trucking industry, founding Merchants Motor Freight in Northeast Minneapolis in 1927. By the 1950s the successful company had 800 vehicles and its own terminals.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Radzilowski is a senior fellow at Piast Institute: A National Center for Polish and Polish American Affairs and president of the Polish American Cultural Institute of Minnesota. He lives in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press (February 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873515161
• ISBN-13: 978-0873515160
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,092,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL AND COMPACT, November 22, 2005

By 

John M. Grondelski (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Poles in Minnesota (People Of Minnesota) (Paperback)

"I wrote you a long letter because I didn't have time for a short one," runs the old saw. Writing concisely is hard: which is what makes this book SO successful. To pack the history of Minnesota Polonia into 100 pages, with interesting sidebars, solid research, and a fair presentation of both its urban (Minneapolis, Duluth) and rural (who knew there were lots of Polish colonies along the Minnesota-Canadian border?) takes great skill. Radzilowski is a wonderful writer. Strongly recommended.