Poles In Wisconsin

Summary

In this addition to the People of Wisconsin series, author Susan Gibson Mikos traces the history of Polish immigrants as they settled in America’s northern heartland. The second largest immigrant population after Germans, Poles put down roots in all corners of the state, from the industrial center of Milwaukee to the farmland around Stevens Point, in the Cutover, and beyond. In each locale, they brought with them a hunger to own land, a willingness to work hard, and a passion for building churches.

Susan Mikos tells the story of Polish Wisconsin in significant detail, from its folkways to its fraternal groups, and she tells it with a welcome attention to context, both global and local. Included is a first-person memoir from Polish immigrant Maciej Wojda, translated for the first time into English, and historical photographs of Polish settlements around our state.

Author

Susan Gibson Mikos. Forward by John Gurda.