Captain Joseph Napieralski

He was an active participant in the 1830 Upraising. He was surrounded by Russians in the battle of Cross Mountain, Poland. He had to flee and went to Bninski, Prussian Poland. Here he planned the sailing of two Norwegian ship loads of (1830 Upraising) exiles to leave from the port of Norway. One of these vessels never reached American shores.

From the other one landed between 130 and 140 exiles. Captain Napieralski came to Chicago in 1834 and remained there the rest of his life. He is considered the first Pole to arrive in the city of Chicago. He was very active in the Polish community along with Antoni Schermann and Piotr Kiolbassa.

Source: Polish Exiles in Illinois by Mrs. Isaac D. Rawlings, 1927.