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THE POLISH SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA was created in 1863 by the idealistic and patriotic members of the Polish Committee, with headquarters in the Russ House, a hotel in San Francisco.
The first president of the Society was also one of its co-founders, Cpt. Casimir Bielawski, under whose leadership the Society grew in activities and prestige. The Polish Society of California was the first of its kind on the West Coast, and one of the oldest in the United States.
The charter members were:
- Dr. Marceli Pietrzycki, an ardent worker for the cause of Polish --.lndependence, who married an American artist;
- Dr. Wladyslaw Pawlicki, owner of a prosperous practice, and personal friend of Archbishop Riodon of San Francisco
- Mieczysiaw Balczynski, a renowned architect who built the finest S.F. structures;
- Izydor Levinson, an engineer who became a bookkeeper in S.F.;
- Izydor Marcinkowski, Franciszek Kosmolski, 1. Bieniowski, and Wiktor Dobrogoski.
- Aleksander Elgass was the secretary.
Prince Andre Poniatowski, "a very enthusiastic worker in the Polish Colony. Always ready to aid his fellow countrymen with money and employment, he paid for as many as ten members of the society when they were financially pressed". One of the Society's great supporters in the 1870s was Count Bodzenta-Chfapowski, husband of the great Shakespearian actress, Helena Modrzejewska. The Society's "Polish Reading Room" was enriched by a collection of books which Komel Ujejski, one of Poland's important poets, donated in 1864.
In 1880, the Polish Society of California was renamed as the Polish Society of San Francisco. In 1894 it became "Branch 7 of the Polish National
Alliance", a benevolent society with branches all over the United States. In 1889, Saint Stanislaus Benevolent· Society was organized, and became "Branch 57 of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America", also a fraternal organization.
During World War I, Father Jan Kanty Rozmus organized a women's congragation, Towarzystwo Krolowej Korony Polskiej (Queen of of the Polish Crown Society), trying to collect funds for building a Polish Catholic church in the area.
In 1934, the American-Polish Citizens Club was organized. It ceased to exist with the death of its long-time president, Mr. Stanley Walczak, in 1958.
There was also the S.F. Polish War Relief, and its Women's Auxiliary. For many years, Mrs. Wiktoria Witkowska directed a Polish Dance Group. From 1951 to 1955, there was an Ignace Paderewski Club in San Francisco. From 1956 to 1964, the Joseph Conrad-Korzeniowski Children's Dance Group prepared their national and folk dances at the Polish House. I was their teacher and choreographer. The group was presented at Polish and international programs ·and festivals, and organized summer day-camps for the 40 children at the Polish House.
From 1964 to 1966, meetings of the Poland's Millennium Observance Committee held its meetings at the Polish House. In 1967, the Polish American Educational Committee of San Francisco was organized by Krystyna Chciuk and Tadeusz Butler. It offered a range of Polish subjects to children who attended the lessons every second Saturday. In 1971, they organized Zwiazek Harcerstwa Polskiego (Polish Girl scouts, and Polish Boy scouts) - their meetings still take place at the Polish Club, another name for the Polish House.
Other organizations also hold their quarterly meetings there: the Northern California Division of the Polish Anlerican Congress (established in 1968); Polish Veterans Association of WorId War II and the Polish Home Army Veterans Circle (established in 1971 and 1972). When in 1976, the Polish American Congress, the Archbishop of San Francisco, and the Society of Christ Congregation established the Polish Roman Catholic Pastoral Mission in San Francisco, the first Holy Masses were celebrated at the Polish Club. And when Mr. and Mrs. Zins created the Bratnia Pomoc or Polish Assistance of California in 1978 to help the new Polish refugees, most of their programs were presented at the Polish Club.
Today, the Polish Club is open whenever a program or commemoration of a Polish national holiday is observed, or when the Lowiczanie (directed by Mrs. Krystyna Chciuk), and the Vistula dance groups (directed by Genia Nowak) hold their practice there. Its spacious quarters are also rented to outside groups and for wedding receptions. Because none of the above organizations have offices, the Polish Club serves as a mailing address for them. In the small reading room, unfortunately, very little remains of the previously impressive book collection.
Towarzystwo Literacko Dramatyczne (Literary and Dramatic Association) was established in 1925. Its members devoted themselves not only to cultural activities , but also collected $15,00 crwith which the} purchased an old Baptist Church at 3040 22nd Street (South of Mission Street). It was converted into Dom Polski (Polish House). Its caretakers were three sponsors: Branch 7 of the Polish National Alliance, Branch 57 of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (Saint Stanislaus Benevolent Society), and the Literary and Dramatic Association. Together they formed the United Polish - American Society of San Francisco, which was incorporated in Sacramento on April 19, 1926 (and exists till today.) The Dom Polski became literally "the home" for Polish immigrants who came to America looking for a chance to build better lives for themselves and their families. They put into it all their combined work and savings, their sentiments and all their hopes. Cooperation between the Polish House and the pre- World War I Polish Consulate in San Francisco, located at 2660 Green Street, was very close and friendly. On December 17, 1938, the Consul General, Dr. Wladyslaw Sokolowski, decorated four members of the Polish House with the Silver Cross of Merit: Katarzyna Pilch, Jozefa Niklasiewicz, Felix Gottlicher and Stanislaw Blonski.
https://www.polishclubsf.org/The%20Silent%20Heroes%20Part%20I.pdf
FIRST POLISH ARRIVALS IN CALIFORNIA
The first Pole to come to California by the overland route (from Sapling Grove in Kansas), was Henryk Brolawski. He settled in Monterey in 1841, but one year later he left for Peru. In 1843 Stanislaw Pongowski (Pagowski) stayed for a while before settling in Chile.
In 1846 Franciszek Surok arrived, and established a store on the Mokelumne River in 1849. In that same year, the "Pulaski clan" arrived: Wojciech (Albert) Pulaski frequently visited Fort Ross (then called New Helvetia). He was a railroad promoter and planned a transcontinental line across the Sierras. A northern branch of the South Pacific Railroad bears the name "Pollasky Road." Another Wojciech Pulaski, a relative, came to California to fight in the Mexican War. Marek (Marcus) Pulaski founded the town of PoUasky (now Friant in Fresno County) and established the first railroad between Pollasky and Fresno.
The discovery of gold in 1848 brought masses of people to California. The registers of the 49-ers also included some Poles: Pawci Pietrowicz (Petrovits), one of the more active members of the Vigilance Committee of San Francisco; Mr. Jazinski (Jasinski ?), the first clock maker in Los Angeles; Michal Kraszewski, who had a store at San Juan Capistrano, where the bandit Manilas robbed him in 1856, and many others.
The Poles, highly educated with moral principles, and mostly political exiles bound by their patriotism, ideals and memories, were a close-knit community who maintained their cultural ties and traditions.