The Czachorowskys | From Prussia to Chicago, in Summary

 

The Czachorowskys are a conundrum. They seem to simply 'appear' in Chicago around 1868. Claiming to be from Prussia I have yet to determine their actual origins. Or their point of entry into the United States. Or why they chose Chicago. As I set out to research one family I discovered others. Curiosity getting the best of me, this turned into the study of five Czachorowsky families living in Chicago c. 1870.  It is my hope with this series to make some discoveries to either link these families together, or prove they are not related. This is a real-time research project, I have not worked on this cluster before. I plan to share my discoveries and my frustrations in hopes that more eyes on the evidence will result in some sound conclusions. Join me as I explore these families, maybe we'll make some discoveries together!

What a ride. What started out as simply a hand drawn family tree and some scribbled notes from an almost forgotten conversation decades ago, we have come to discover the identity of our original subject and prove the suspected relationship between most of the other subjects of our study. DNA doesn't always work out this well. I'm still hoping for a breakthrough like this one on my own Paternal line.

Knowing our family came from Poland will help in uncovering additional records, if they exist. 

We learned the sad fate of Leo. Perhaps you can now understand the reason I took some time to process that before I shared it with you. I still wish I knew why. 

Since my original posts on Bernard, Anton and Pauline I have found a few additional bits of information. And one more thing on Leo. My fifth subject, Frank, I am almost certain turned out to be Anton's eldest son. Working for a few years as a clerk and living with his half uncle (is that a thing?). Since learning of the Zaremba family I was able to look up 'Uncle Frank' in the city directory, he was living at the same address as our mystery Frank. 

So to bring this research up to date, and close the chapter, for now, let me fill you in on what else I have learned.

First up Bernard. I was unsure as to the actual identity of "Mena". Well, I did manage to find the pair again in the 1880 census under the last name "Shofroski". I learned he was married and that Mena was his wife. 

While I have yet to discover the full identity of his wife or the actual marriage date, I did find her death date and the location of her burial. She died April 16, 1893 at the age of 48 and is buried in St Marys Cemetery in Evergreen Park. No maiden name was given on the death certificate, unfortunately.

A little more on Anton. In digging deeper into the actual location he said he was from before emigrating, Neu Szwederowo. The Wikipedia page on Szwederowo District explains a lot. Scrolling down to the Prussian Period information I learned that where he was from was more of a neighborhood, a very specific place near what was then Bromberg. It is approximately 82 kilometers from Nowe, an easy half day's travel by horse, and many people of the time were locating there for the promise of jobs. I also found the record of his marriage on FamilySearch. He married in Neuenburg on March 18th 1859. Hardly enough time for him to travel to America in the Summer of 1858 and back again in time to wed. (Which leads me to believe it was Leo that came over with his mother, not Anton)

Dziennik Chicagoski 29 Mar 1898

The one more thing on Leo was this report of his death. It's pretty descriptive. I will let you translate it, if you choose. It was in the Polish-American paper Dziennik Chicagoski the day after he died.

A few more odds and ends. I found a brother for Julianna Pior Ciachorowski Zaremba, Andreas. I have not researched him, but did find a mention of our Bernard in one Carl Pior's will in Chicago. A wee bit of sideways research - by no means complete - led me to conclude that Carl is most likely Andreas' son, Julianna was his aunt and Bernard, his cousin. Bonus, I have a DNA match to that family with our own Ciachorowski clan.

Always more to research! 

 I have put this all together in a Public Tree on Ancestry, search for Czachorowscy from Poland to America. I have a few more Ciachorowski marriages there and hope to expand the Polish research from that tree. Also, you can see where Carl Pior fits into the whole thing. 

Thanks for coming along with me on this journey of discovery. It's been fun; exciting, sad, exhilarating. We've learned so much yet there is always more to learn. As I uncover more I will pop in from time to time and update you on my new findings. Until then .....

Happy hunting!

catch up with all the posts here: 

INTRO - 1870 to 1880 - 1880 to 1890 - 1890 to 1900 - Bernard - Anton - Pauline - The Lost Years - Leo - Fortune Smiled

The Czachorowskys | From Prussia to Chicago: Fortune Smiled

 

The Czachorowskys are a conundrum. They seem to simply 'appear' in Chicago around 1868. Claiming to be from Prussia I have yet to determine their actual origins. Or their point of entry into the United States. Or why they chose Chicago. As I set out to research one family I discovered others. Curiosity getting the best of me, this turned into the study of five Czachorowsky families living in Chicago c. 1870.  It is my hope with this series to make some discoveries to either link these families together, or prove they are not related. This is a real-time research project, I have not worked on this cluster before. I plan to share my discoveries and my frustrations in hopes that more eyes on the evidence will result in some sound conclusions. Join me as I explore these families, maybe we'll make some discoveries together!

It was January 26, 2020 and I had a date with destiny but I didn't know it quite yet. I opened my email to find a subject line titled "DNA test common ancestors". OK. I'll bite. These type of inquiries almost never pan out, but I always follow up, one never knows. It read: 

 "Hello, my name is (redacted) Ciachorowski. I have just carried out (redacted) DNA tests and the results showed that we had common ancestors relatively recently.  My family comes from the north of Poland, which was under German occupation in the 19th century. The same blood flows within us. Regards."

Chills ran through me as I read the message. 

Of course I logged into the DNA test site the author was referring to - immediately, looked up matches to my Czachorowsky and ... THERE. IT. WAS.

Genetic Distance: EXACT MATCH

Exact match?! That NEVER happens! Not like this! Not from half way around the world. So may questions; so, so many questions. I wrote back to my new best friend begging for any scraps that might be thrown my way. Starving for the common knowledge so long lost as the generations migrated far from their homeland. A homeland I might soon discover!

The wait was long. I checked my email every day, sometimes every hour.

Finally, May 20th 2020 I got a response. And an introduction to a professor who does Czachorowsky research at a University in Poland. He did some digging for me, didn't turn up much, but I received an extensive history on the origins of the surname Czachorowsky. Very interesting! (A separate post at a later date, perhaps) My new friend and actual blood relative was however very, very helpful. I shared what I had, and where my trail went cold back in 1867 when my original immigrant (and now DNA match) L. F. Czachorowsky had showed up in Chicago Illinois. Didn't take long for my friend to uncover some gold. Within a week I had a full given name, a place of birth, a homeland, parents, grandparents - and, oh my gosh, they were all related! Leo, Bernhard, Anton and Pauline! Siblings! And there were more! I was also enlightened as to the long held confusion in the family on the town and country of origin. So much to process! Where to begin?

`Begin at the beginning,' the King said gravely,

 `and go on till you come to the end: then stop.'

Well. Okay. How about first things first? How did our man Leo supposedly come from Germany (Nurnburg by family lore) but the direct DNA match has deep roots in Poland? Simple answer. Smack your forehead answer. The town today is known as Nowe. But in the 1850's it had a different name - Neuenburg! (Did you smack your forehead?) 

Here is the wiki article:
In 1772, after the First Partition of Poland, the town, as Neuenburg, was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia and was subject to Germanisation policies, however, in the late 19th century it was still mainly populated by Poles. 

Okay, now just wait a minute here. That looks real similar to the map of where Anton said he lived before emigrating. Real similar. (Hiding in plain sight, man oh man) I have said on more than one occasion that I really, really need one of those giant boards you see on detective shows. You know the ones. Where all the facts are pasted up and there is string running here and there. ...And a time machine. Always a time machine. Well ....

Things just might be coming together! Fortune is indeed smiling on this!

Now, about those parents. Yes indeed. My friend found a document listing the underage children in the death record of the father. They were all there - Bernhard, Anton, Pauline, Leo. How did he know he had the correct family? Remember he was working his end to put the DNA match together too. He had everyone accounted for in his line except for one man. Yep. The man in the death record! I'm sure he was as excited as I was to link it all together. 

This is what he wrote: I promised that I would translate the document which is a death certificate of Jan (German: Johann, Eng. John ) Ciachorowski who died on April 3 and was buried on April 7, 1845. He lived in Nowe on the Vistula River (German: Neuenburg). The profession was probably written under the name, but it is unreadable. It is known that he died at 2 hours, but I can not read whether at night or during the day. At the time of death he was 46 years old. The cause of death is illegible to me as well. The deceased left his wife Julianna Pioro and 5 children: Bernhard 12 years old, Anton 10 years old, Pauline 7 years old, Caroline 6 years old and Felix Leo (age is not given). That's all I could read from this document.

First. OMG! Second .... FELIX Leo?! Third .... Aloysius. Comparing the written number after Aloysius to others on the page it appears to be a 2. Could Felix Leo and Aloysius be the same boy? The age is right. Digging in the database of the Polish Genealogy Society (link thanks to my new bff) I was able to find an indexed entry for a child born to Johann and Julianna in 1843 with no first name given. Bernhard, Anton and Paulina were all there, as well as other siblings, but this child had no name. Curious.

Leo's (and Bernhard and Anton and Paulina's) father had died when they were very young. Their mother had remarried the following year to a boy from Neuenburg several years younger than herself named Jacob Saremba. Most of the children, sadly, appear to have died young, but the four that came to Chicago came as soon as they were old enough to leave home. 

Now this is where I thought the trail had run cold. I had been butting heads with the Polish records looking for clues to no avail. Then, for some unexplained reason I decided to do my very favorite thing - - sideways research! I decided to try to look for Julianna.  

WARNING!! Rabbit Hole Approaching!

I jumped over to FamilySearch and entered "Julianna Pior, Neuenburg, Prussia" into the search box. The Heavens opened up and I heard Angels sing .... well maybe not, but I did find the puzzle piece I was searching for. Thank you FamilySearch! I can't tell you exactly how it happened, it seems it was fast and frenzied. The second entry that popped up was a death listing for a child named Theodor Zaremba. "Z" not "S". Promising to return to FamilySearch to look at the rest of the gold I had uncovered, I headed over to Ancestry, changed the spelling of Jacob's surname and just guess what happened? Guess! A hint! And not any old hint, mind you. A will! Guess where it was? Chicago! Guess who the executor was? Anton! That lead me to the Hamburg Passenger Lists -

it listed Jacob, Julianna, Caroline (I wondered what had happened to her) A Franz, Johann and ..... Anton???? Where's Leo? (see, fast and frenzied)

More questions! 

Anton married in Prussia the following year and didn't emigrate until 1868 with his family and sister Pauline. I suppose he could have come and gone, but I feel like this might be Leo. What do you think?

I have yet to find the corresponding New York port record, it's got to exist - somewhere! Maybe?

Anyway, back to the will. Julianna and Jacob made their way to Chicago, Jacob established a grocery on 18th street, they must have been involved in their children's lives. And this is what tied the whole thing together - Jacob leaves money to his step granddaughter Lena Ballmann (daughter of Pauline), he names Anton his executor, but curiously he also leaves all his real estate to grandsons Leon and John Zaremba! Who?

Back to FamilySearch. Jacob and Julianna had at least three children, Theodor, Johann, and Franz. Theodor died at one year of age, but Johann and Franz came to America with their parents. I could find Franz, going by Frank, who married and had one son by 1880. Frank, his wife and son all died prior to Jacob. I could find no trace of Johann in Chicago. The grandsons remain a mystery, for now.

Turns out, none of the Czachorowskys were alone in a new world. All came to Chicago within a decade of one another. Bernard in 1856, Their mother and her new family (and Caroline and maybe Leo) in 1858, Anton and Pauline in 1868. Still so much to learn. Still so much to discover!

Jacob and Julianna are buried in St Boniface cemetery (of course) where most of the family lay at rest.

GENEALOGY:

Andrzej Ciachorowski b. abt 1757 Poland

                                  d. 1 Jul 1813 Wlosienica, Pomerania, West Prussia

                                        m. 3 Feb 1783 Lalkowy, Pomerania, West Prussia to

Franciszka Szermaszewska b. abt 1759 Poland

                                          d. 3 Aug 1807 Wlosienica, Pomerania, West Prussia

Children include: (all born Wlosienica)

• Thomas b. 15 Mar 1784 d. UNK
• Marjanna b. 10 Dec 1785 d. UNK
• Michal b. 21 Sep 1787 d. 25 Jan 1847
• Franciscus b. 2 Apr 1790 d. 13 May 1851
• Anna b. 15 Jul 1793 d. UNK
• Johannes (see below)

Johann Ciachorowski b. 6 Jun 1796 Wlosienica, Pomerania, West Prussia

                                    d. 3 Apr 1845 Neuenburg, Pomerania, West Prussia

                               m. Julianna Pior say 1826 West Prussia

children include: (all born/died Neuenburg, West Prussia unless specified)

• Augustina Theresia b. 26 Dec 1826  d. 1833
• Lidovica b. 1828  d. 1828
• Barbara b. 1832 d. bef 1845
• Bernhard d. Aug 1832 d. 16 Dec 1915 Oak Forest IL
• Anton b. 1835 d. 9 Mar 1908 Chicago IL
• Paulina b. 7 Sep 1837 d. 7 Aug 1921 Chicago IL
• Carolina b. 1838 d. UNK
• Agnes b. 1840 d. bef 1845
• Felix Leo b. 14 Nov 1843 d. 28 Mar 1898 Chicago IL
• Liberta Barbara b. 22 Aug 1845 d. 25 Aug 1845

More to follow ......

until next time .............

catch up with all the posts here: 

INTRO - 1870 to 1880 - 1880 to 1890 - 1890 to 1900 - Bernard - Anton - Pauline - The Lost Years - Leo

The Czachorowskys | From Prussia to Chicago: Leo F Czachorowsky

The Czachorowskys are a conundrum. They seem to simply 'appear' in Chicago around 1868. Claiming to be from Prussia I have yet to determine their actual origins. Or their point of entry into the United States. Or why they chose Chicago. As I set out to research one family I discovered others. Curiosity getting the best of me, this turned into the study of five Czachorowsky families living in Chicago c. 1870.  It is my hope with this series to make some discoveries to either link these families together, or prove they are not related. This is a real-time research project, I have not worked on this cluster before. I plan to share my discoveries and my frustrations in hopes that more eyes on the evidence will result in some sound conclusions. Join me as I explore these families, maybe we'll make some discoveries together!

LEO F CZACHOROWSKY 1843 ~ 1898

his life and times

We've learned much about Leo through the chronicling of these families. His life is interwoven with the other Czachorowskys in our study. He was the catalyst for the whole investigation which has taken us on an interesting journey some 120 years after he walked the streets of Chicago. Still, we know so little and all we have to tell his tale are the written records left behind. The telling of Leo's life story must be told parallel to his wife. For unlike so many women of the day, Mary was a constant in the surviving records; we actually learn more about Leo by looking into Mary!

Leo first appeared in Chicago in 1868, residing on S. Jefferson St. He is a boarder with his employer, Adolph Huebner, grocer. His age is estimated to be 24 years old. Had he recently arrived or was this just the first we see of him? Like the rest of the Czachorowskys in this study, Leo proves somewhat elusive in the records. He has not been found in any immigration records to date. He managed to evade the 1870 census taker but is found in the Chicago City Directories regularly.

14 Jan 1869 Marriage Entry

Leo married Maria (Mary) Yung on January 14, 1869 at St Francis of Assisi Parish on Roosevelt Rd in Chicago. Those unindexed Chicago Catholic Church records really came through! Leo did not, as family lore reported, marry in West Prussia. Their first child, daughter Maria Anna (Anna), was born on June 24th of the same year. (Thank you Catholic Church records!)

The next time we see Leo is in early 1871, he is residing at 425 S Canal St, a two story frame house, with his wife. City directories list him as a clerk and his wife, Mary, as a dressmaker and milliner. A quick check of earlier editions of the directory prove that this was Mary's home before she married Leo, having resided at the address as early as 1864. Mary had immigrated from Germany in 1861 with her widowed mother, three sisters and a brother. By this time Leo was father to two small children; a son, Francis (Frank), had been born to them in January of that year.

the Czachorowsky home
and the path of the fire

October 1871. An unseasonably warm, dry fall had created the ideal conditions for the tragedy. Everyone knows the story. A simple Google search will get you hours of fascinating reading. Leo and Mary LIVED it. The Great Chicago Fire. With two small children and a business on the edge of the inferno. The wind blew towards their home, bringing smoke, dust and ash; I can only imagine the terror. Looking at the maps of the burned area, it appears as though the fire might have literally gone around their home, sparing them; miraculously.

  

Leo appeared to wear many hats in his working life. Was he restless? Struggling to support his family? He was sometimes a grocer, sometimes a clerk and sometimes a milliner. Some years there was no profession listed for Leo, but Mary continued to be the steady breadwinner; running her seamstress and dressmaker business even while raising a family.

 Life in the nineteenth century was hard in more ways than one. Epidemics and disease plagued the lives of the citizens. Cholera, diphtheria, whooping cough, scarlet fever and small pox all took their toll on families in the last half of the century. For immigrants discovering their way in a new homeland it may have been doubly difficult.  As Leo and Mary rebuilt their life following the Great Fire, their household might have been visited by one or more of these childhood killers. 

In May of 1873 the family welcomed baby Julia to the family, but in August of 1874 sadly, they buried her at St Boniface cemetery.

Baby Helena came along in January of 1875, joining brother Frank and sister Anna. Leo was working as a grocer, the family still resided at the Canal St address.

Another daughter, Maria Scholastica (Marie), was born into the family in January of 1877. Leo was working as a conductor that year. He now had four babies and a wife to support. Sadly, tragedy struck once again and the family buried little Helena in March alongside her sister at St Boniface cemetery. In April Leo ran for constable of the 12th ward on the democratic ticket, but I do not think he won. 

The diseases that plagued Chicago in the late 1870s and early 1880s were ever-present and I would imagine took their toll on the daily lives and mental health of the citizenry. You can get a feel for their day-to-day lives here. 

Leo appears to have steady work as a grocer between 1878 and 1882. He may have run the grocery out of the Canal St address. Perhaps he found his niche. Two more children were born into the family between 1879 and 1881 bringing the number of children to five.

In 1883 Leo was sued by Steele, Wedeles & Co (wholesale grocers) for $1,500. (approx. $41,406.00 in today's money) Maybe the grocery business didn't work out as he had hoped. The family moved to S. Halstead St. and Leo was now working as an insurance agent. Mary continued her millinery business and had written her will, giving the house and property on Canal street to her five children, excluding Leo.

Leo was working as a driver in 1884, I'm unclear as to exactly what this might have been. He may have been a livery driver, a coachman or similar, perhaps even a cattle driver at the stockyards.

Between the years of 1885 and 1887 Leo had no listed occupation, Mary continued to steadily work as a milliner and seamstress. Did Leo struggle? It was a blessing the family had Mary and her skilled sewing to help through the lean times.

Chicago continued to grow and a new type of building, the skyscraper, was built. It was the world's first! The Home Insurance Building took two years to construct and was ten stories tall. I imagine it was quite the topic of conversation around town. And quite a lot of change in a short period of time. In 1860 the population of Chicago was 100,000, in 1870 it had grown to 300,000 and by 1880 more than 500,000 people called the city home. 

1886 brought a time of unrest within the labor force. The Haymarket Riot and it's aftermath shone a distrustful eye on all of German heritage. Times might have been especially difficult for the Czachorowskys at this period, and could explain, partly, why Leo may have been having trouble finding steady work.

 Leo faces more difficulty in the form of another lawsuit in March of 1888. He is again sued by Steele, Wedeles & Co (wholesale grocers). This time for $1,130.51. (about $33,165.50 in today's money) Was this a balance owed from the previous lawsuit? Or a new lawsuit? At any rate the family returns to Canal St and Leo returns to work as an Insurance Agent.

1890 finds Leo employed by the City as a inspector for the Water Department.

1891 and Leo is back at the insurance game.

The family moves again in 1892. A fine brick home on Hermitage Av. Leo continues to sell insurance. (Maybe this one will stick ...) Mary appears to have retired.

 The World's Columbian Exposition opened in the spring of 1893 and hosted more than 27 million visitors before it was abruptly ended after the assassination of the Mayor of Chicago two days before closing ceremonies. I would hope that Leo and his family spent a day or two immersed in what was becoming known as American Exceptionalism, however 1893 also brought the beginning of several years of deep economic depression. Chicago might not have felt the effects at first, with the Exposition bringing money and work to the city, but the years that followed certainly had their share of struggle and hardship for all Americans. 

1896 appeared full of promise for the Czachorowskys. At least on the surface. Not one, but two marriage celebrations were underway in the family. First, son Frank married Bertha Mueller at Holy Trinity Parish on Wolcott Av on January 29. Then, daughter Anna married Frank Weyl on April 21, also at Holy Trinity Parish on Wolcott Av (Maybe. The marriage license was issued and the names entered into the church log, but the record was never filled in by the priest. Were they married at City Hall instead?)

Curious.

Incidentally, 1896 is also the last year that Leo is found in the City directories. And more globally, people were still feeling the effects of a continued economic depression that had started as early as 1873. Another struggle for Leo? Or had the insurance business actually been profitable, finally? They remained residing in the house on Hermitage Av.

Anna and husband Frank give Leo and Mary their first grandchild, a girl named Celestine, in April of 1897. Brother Frank and his wife Bertha weren't far behind, they presented the first grandson, a boy named Roy Leo, born in January of 1898. By all appearances life is good. The children are growing with families of their own. Becoming adults, with hopes and plans for their futures. Life goes on.....

.....Monday evening, March 28, 1898. One shot fired. "The said Leo F Czachorowsky now lying dead at 488 S Hermitage Av in said City of Chicago, County of Cook, State of Illinois, came to his death on the 28th day of March AD 1898 from shooting himself in the right temple with a revolver with suicidal intentions while temporarily insane at 488 S Hermitage Av on March 28th AD 1898"

There was a coroner's inquest on the 29th. Mary was the witness. Following the conclusion of the inquest the property found at the scene: 1 Revolver, 4 cartridges, 1 shell, were returned to son Frank.

It appears there was no funeral. And no explanation as to why Leo left this life so abruptly. A burial permit was issued and Leo Czachorowsky was laid to rest in St Boniface Cemetery with his infant daughters.

Mary moved to Myrtle St with her three teenaged children soon after the incident. She remained there until her death in 1901.

GENEALOGY**

Leo F Czachorowsky b. 14 Nov 1843 Prussia

                                  d. 28 Mar 1898 Chicago

                                  m. 14 Jan 1869 Maria Yung Chicago

children include:

• Maria Anna "Anna" b. 24 Jun 1869 Chicago d. 19 Jun 1952 Washington DC                                                                                 m. 21 Apr 1890 to Frank Weyl
• Francis Leo "Frank" b. 29 Jan 1871 Chicago d. 9 Jan 1911 Chicago                                                                                m. 29 Jan 1896 to Bertha Odile Mueller
• Julia Emilia b. 29 May 1873 Chicago d. 10 Aug 1874 Chicago
• Helena b. 16 Jan 1875 Chicago d. 17 Mar 1877 Chicago
• Maria Scholastica "Marie" b. 12 Jan 1877 Chicago d. 30 Jan 1955 Chicago                                                                       m. 26 Nov 1901 to George A Boerste
• Leo Bernhard "Leo" b. 11 Nov 1879 Chicago d. 4 Sep 1955 Oak Park IL                                                                                   m. 12 Feb 1905 to Adele Konz
• Eva Clara "Clara" b. 9 Nov 1881 Chicago d. 17 Feb 1971 Los Angeles CA                                                                             m. 10 Jun 1916 Clyde B Longsworth

**Note on the children's names. The hand drawn family tree and the transcript of Mary's will that I was able to find do not match entirely with the original baptismal records. I have chosen to present the baptismal given names in this document as they are taken from an original. Too many unknowns remain unanswered with the will transcript. Could Mary write? If not, who wrote out the will? Did she speak with a heavy accent? Could she speak English, or did she vacillate between German and English? Names sound different spoken in different languages.** 


Oh, for a time machine ......

until next time .............

catch up with all the posts here: 

INTRO - 1870 to 1880 - 1880 to 1890 - 1890 to 1900 - Bernard - Anton - Pauline

*images courtesy of University of Chicago Library's Map Collection, Encyclopedia of Chicago, FamilySearch, Newspapers.com

The Czachorowskys | From Prussia to Chicago: The Lost Years

 

The Czachorowskys are a conundrum. They seem to simply 'appear' in Chicago around 1868. Claiming to be from Prussia I have yet to determine their actual origins. Or their point of entry into the United States. Or why they chose Chicago. As I set out to research one family I discovered others. Curiosity getting the best of me, this turned into the study of five Czachorowsky families living in Chicago c. 1870.  It is my hope with this series to make some discoveries to either link these families together, or prove they are not related. This is a real-time research project, I have not worked on this cluster before. I plan to share my discoveries and my frustrations in hopes that more eyes on the evidence will result in some sound conclusions. Join me as I explore these families, maybe we'll make some discoveries together!

"Ah, now, don't cry over lost years and forgetfulness. The tales tell what they can. The rest is for us to learn." ~ Shannon Hale

THE LOST YEARS. Not the Czachorowskys, no. Mine. It's been nearly five years since I published the previous chapter of this ongoing tale. And it was by no means the final chapter! No. No, no. I made an uncomfortable discovery prior to telling you about our third suspected brother, it happens. Genealogists and Family Historians uncover lost truths and skeletons often. Doesn't mean it's comfortable. I come to know these people, care about them, feel their joys and their sorrows. Out of respect I took a step back, needing time to sit with my new information; hold the truth to my heart, really think about how to present it to you with love and respect. 

Meanwhile, life goes on, the world keeps on spinning, and each day brings something new and sometimes serendipitously unexpected. That happened. And it ties this whole narrative together. I've kept that bit to myself for a long while too, the Covid-19 Pandemic took a front burner for me and my family for most of 2020 and 2021, but it's time to start the tale up again. Wrap this story up. Yes, it is a never ending story, as all family stories are, but there is a point in the past where the sands of time erase all trace and the trail becomes untrackable. Let's take this to that point, shall we?

It's time.............

catch up with all the posts here: 

INTRO - 1870 to 1880 - 1880 to 1890 - 1890 to 1900 - Bernard - Anton - Pauline

The Czachorowskys | From Prussia to Chicago: Paulina Czachorowsky

The Czachorowskys are a conundrum. They seem to simply 'appear' in Chicago around 1868. Claiming to be from Prussia I have yet to determine their actual origins. Or their point of entry into the United States. Or why they chose Chicago. As I set out to research one family I discovered others. Curiosity getting the best of me, this turned into the study of five Czachorowsky families living in Chicago c. 1870.  It is my hope with this series to make some discoveries to either link these families together, or prove they are not related. This is a real-time research project, I have not worked on this cluster before. I plan to share my discoveries and my frustrations in hopes that more eyes on the evidence will result in some sound conclusions. Join me as I explore these families, maybe we'll make some discoveries together!

PAULINA CZACHOROWSKY BALLMANN 1837 ~ 1921

her life and times

"Born under a bad sign
Been down since I began to crawl
If it wasn't for bad luck, you know I wouldn't have no luck at all"

Paulina Czachorowsky 'spinster' sister of Anton, decided to leave her homeland of Neu Szwederowo, Prussia at the age of 33 and try her luck in America. Her brother and family were planning to start a new life in a place called Chicago, Illinois. 

Departing Hamburg, Germany

The group boarded a large sailing ship named the "Shakspeare' owned by the Robert M  Sloman shipping company. They departed on August 6th 1868 from Hamburg, Germany and arrived 34 days later, on September 9th 1868, in the port of New York. From there the group; Paulina, her brother Anton and his wife Maria, children Franz, age 7; Pauline, age 3; Maria, age 2; and Bernhard, age 9 mos; plus Anton's mother in law, Anna; somehow made their way to Chicago.

Arriving in New York, New York

The extended family settled in a house on south Morgan. And began to adapt to life in their new homeland.

Paulina did not have to wait long to find a husband. On June 22nd 1871 she married a very recent widower named Nicholas Ballmann. The couple married at St Frances of Assisi church on 12th street, a quick streetcar ride from Anton's home on south Morgan.

The marriage was perhaps bittersweet, and a foretelling of life to come. Nicholas had lost his wife to complications of childbirth 4 months earlier. Then, just two weeks before the wedding, Nicholas buried the infant son of that birth, who was only 5 months old. This was Nicholas' seventh child, the wedding necessary, perhaps. Paulina became a new bride and instant mother to Nicholas' six remaining young children; John, age 9; Joseph, age 7; twins Hubbard and Anna, age 5; Mary, age 3; and Nick, age 2.

The large family resided on Barber Street - just five blocks from brother Anton's residence. Paulina undoubtedly began immediately to manage the household and children so that husband Nicholas could resume his own responsibilities. As things began to settle into routine for this new family they, like the rest of the Czachorowskys, had an unasked for front row seat to the Great Chicago Fire that raged for almost two days later that year, in early October 1871. Miraculously everyone survived. Perhaps the family had suffered enough loss for one lifetime already .....

c 1880 Chicago Street Scene

In April of 1872 Paulina gave birth to her first child, and the family added a daughter, Juliana, to the brood. In late 1873 or early 1874 Paulina became pregnant for the second time. While busying herself with preparations for the new child, due in late summer 1874, her first child, Juliana died. The family buried their little sister on July 25th 1874. Eleven days later Paulina gave birth to her second daughter, Helena. Another bittersweet moment in Paulina's life.

On January 3 1877 Paulina gave birth once more, to her third daughter, Margaret. The Ballmann household now consisted of eight children! The two older boys by this time may have been employed outside the home, so many mouths to feed!

This time of calm would not last, unfortunately. Fate was not done with the Ballmann's. The entire decade of the 80's brought it's share of happiness and heartache.

Union Station Chicago c. 1880

The summer of 1881 was particularly cruel for Paulina and Nicholas. First, on May 16th baby Margaret died. The family buried her with the others in St Boniface cemetery. A little over three weeks later they buried son Hubbard, a young man of 15. Paulina's brother Anton buried a child that summer also.

1884 opened with son John marrying Delia Kelly on the 10th of June. That joy was short lived as son Joseph was buried in August of 1884. He was 20 years old.

Chicago World's Fair 1893

The family buried John's wife Delia in September of 1888. She was 25 years old.

Son Nick was wed to Matilda "Tillie" Hasse on January 22nd 1891. Surely a happy occasion! Not to be - John, nick's brother and young widower of Delia, died and was buried in February 1891, three weeks after his brother's wedding.

Nicholas' time came on the 12th of March 1896. Paulina, buried him with all the children at St Boniface cemetery. He was 61 years old.

Peering in to the new century, hope and optimism on the horizon, Nick Jr and his wife Tillie gave Paulina a granddaughter in August of 1897.

Daughter Helena "Helen" married William Vincent between 1900 and 1910. Paulina is last found in the 1901 Chicago city directory. The next time she shows up is on the 1910 census, residing with Vincents.

Paulina in the 1899 Chicago City Directory - John came back from the dead!

1910 Census - Paulina with daughter Helena and son in law William Vincent

It looks as thought the dawn of the 20th century brought a time of calm and relative peace to Paulina and the remainder of her family. Paulina continued to reside in the home of Helen and Vincent until her death

Paulina died August 7th 1921 and is buried with the rest of her family at St Boniface Cemetery in Chicago. She was 85 years old.

GENEALOGY

Paulina Czachorowsky b. 7 Sep 1835 Prussia
                                       d. 9 Aug 1921 Illinois
                                       m. 22 Jun 1971 Nicholas Ballmann - widower

step children:

• John Ballmann b. abt 1862 d. 17 Feb 1891 m. to Delia Kelly (no issue)
• Joseph Ballmann b. abt 1864 d. 15 Aug 1884
• Anna Ballmann b. abt 1866 d. UNK (twin)
• Hubbard Ballmann b. abt 1866 d. 8 Jun 1881 (twin)
• Mary Ballmann b. abt 1867 d. UNK
• Nick Ballmann b. Apr 1868 d. UNK m. Matilda Hasse
• Henry Ballmann b. Jan 1871 d. 12 Jun 1871

Paulina's natural children:

• Juliana Ballmann b. 11 Apr 1872 d. 25 Jul 1874
• Helena Ballmann b. 5 Aug 1874 d. 17 Jan 1943 m. William Vincent (no issue)
• Margaret Ballmann b. 9 Jan 1877 d. 16 May 1881

until next time .............

catch up with all the posts here: 

INTRO - 1870 to 1880 - 1880 to 1890 - 1890 to 1900 - Bernard - Anton

The Czachorowskys | From Prussia to Chicago: Anton Czachorowsky

The Czachorowskys are a conundrum. They seem to simply 'appear' in Chicago around 1868. Claiming to be from Prussia I have yet to determine their actual origins. Or their point of entry into the United States. Or why they chose Chicago. As I set out to research one family I discovered others. Curiosity getting the best of me, this turned into the study of five Czachorowsky families living in Chicago c. 1870.  It is my hope with this series to make some discoveries to either link these families together, or prove they are not related. This is a real-time research project, I have not worked on this cluster before. I plan to share my discoveries and my frustrations in hopes that more eyes on the evidence will result in some sound conclusions. Join me as I explore these families, maybe we'll make some discoveries together!

ANTON CZACHOROWSKY 1835 ~ 1908
his life and times

Anton first appears on a ship's list departing Hamburg, Germany.  He was emigrating with his young family to America. The family consisted of Anton and his wife Maria, son Franz who was 7 1/2, daughter Paulina, aged 3, daughter Maria aged 2, and baby son Bernhard, just 3 months old! Also traveling with them were Anton's sister Paulina and an older woman named Anna Jenczynske* (maybe - really hard to read).

The trip took a month.

They departed Hamburg on August 6th 1868 aboard the Shakespeare, a large sailing vessel. They were most likely traveling in steerage, the level between the belly of the ship (cargo) and the crew/passenger quarters level. It would have been an awful journey. Worse with tiny children I would imagine. (You can read about traveling in steerage here.)

One more very important piece of information was found on this document. Can you see it? It's their residence prior to departure!!! Thanks to the German Genealogy group on Facebook I was able to decipher it. Neu Szwederowo, Prussia! We finally have a hometown for Anton! 

Anton and Family Departing Germany

The ship Shakespeare
Oil painting, by J. & F. Tudgay, 1864.
Focke-Museum, Bremen

They traveled aboard a sailing ship named the Shakespeare - I can't even imagine. The image to the right is of a painting of that very ship. It hangs in a museum in Bremen.

Below is a cut-away of life inside one of these large sailing ships. Let's just say is wasn't a Disney cruise!

the Steerage - where most immigrants traveled

Prussia c 1878

Here is a map of Prussia from Anton's time, and below is one of today. You can see when Anton and his family left Europe they resided in the center of what was then West Prussia. The boundaries changed often as the result of war. What made the family leave their home and travel to America, specifically Chicago, we most likely will never know. (You can read more about the kingdom of Prussia here.)

Modern Day

As you can see, their home today sits smack dab in the center of Poland. Perhaps further research into Catholic church records in Poland might uncover additional information. If those records still exist.

Here is the intake list. Their arrival into the port of New York 34 days later. September 9th 1868.

Anton and Family Arriving in New York

The next time we see Anton is in the Chicago City Directory for the year 1870. Anton would have to have been in Chicago in 1869 to make the 1870 edition of the printed directory. Travel from New York to Chicago by train would have been possible in 1869, but would it have been too costly for this family of 8? Water travel was also common, and quite likely, the Erie canal to the Great Lakes offered affordable westward travel.

At any rate, by 1870 Anton and family were tucked into their new American home on south Morgan in Chicago. Anton began his house-moving business and the family settled in.

Less than two years in their new country the family witnessed a devastating tragedy, the Great Chicago Fire, which started not far from their doorstep and raged for several days. What panic must have this caused? Did they know people affected by the fire? We're they able to help, or did they just watch in fear and uncertainty? Fortunately they were spared and life went on.

Anton Naturalization

In 1872 Anton and Mary had their first American-born child. A daughter named Mary.

In 1873 Anton petitioned the court for citizenship.

Anton and Mary would have at least 3 more children in the decade between 1870 and 1880. And they would bury a few, too.

Little Maria who came on the ship from Prussia died sometime before 1880, and more likely before daughter Mary was born in 1872. There was a daughter named Elizabeth who died in 1876, age unspecified, but she was not on the passenger list so I presume she was born in Chicago. And in 1887 their oldest daughter Paulina died. She was 22 years old.

Sometime around 1880 the family moved from S. Morgan to Maxwell St.

Weddings were celebrated on three occasions. Oldest son Frank was married in 1888, followed by second son Bernhard who married in 1892, and finally daughter Mary wed in 1893.

Anton consistently can be found in the City Directories, although he eluded the census takers his entire life. Not one time did he show up on a Federal census! By trade Anton was a house-mover, his sons Bernhard and Anton joining the family business when they became of age.

Anton buried his wife on July 16th 1896. She was just 59 years old.

Nine years later Anton sadly buried another one of his children. His son Anton who died January 17th 1905.

Anton followed shortly thereafter. He left this earth March 12th 1908. He was 73 years old.

Anton is buried in St Boniface Cemetery in Chicago with his wife, his children and his mother-in-law*, the graves are all unmarked except for Paulina.

*After further study I have concluded that the older woman traveling with them from Prussia must certainly have been Maria's mother. She is buried in the family plot in St Boniface. 


GENEALOGY

Anton Czachorowsky b. Jan 1835 Prussia
                                    d. 12 Mar 1908 Chicago
                                   m. abt 1860 Maria Jenczynske
                         (name variations found including Glowinsky,Glowginsky 
                                and Klawinski - a mystery for another day!)

children include:

• Franz 'Frank'  b. May 1860 West Prussia d. 15 Apr 1928 Chicago                                                                        m. 7 Feb 1888 to Rosa Redeker
• Paulina b. abt 1865 West Prussia d. 5 Jul 1887 Chicago
• Maria b. abt 1866 West Prussia d. abt 1871 Chicago
• Bernhard 'Bernard' b. 11 Sep 1867 West Prussia d. 22 Oct 1926 Chicago                                                                    m. 18 May 1892 to Margaret Oerter
• Mary b. 8 Feb 1872 Chicago d. 3 May 1935 Chicago                                                                                                 m. 6 Sep 1893 to Peter Wagner
• Anton F b. 5 Jan 1878 Chicago d. 17 Jan 1905 Chicago
• Elizabeth b. UNK d. 28 Jun 1876 Chicago

until next time .............

catch up with all the posts here: 

INTRO - 1870 to 1880 - 1880 to 1890 - 1890 to 1900 - Bernard

The Czachorowskys | From Prussia to Chicago: Bernard Czachorowsky

The Czachorowskys are a conundrum. They seem to simply 'appear' in Chicago around 1868. Claiming to be from Prussia I have yet to determine their actual origins. Or their point of entry into the United States. Or why they chose Chicago. As I set out to research one family I discovered others. Curiosity getting the best of me, this turned into the study of five Czachorowsky families living in Chicago c. 1870.  It is my hope with this series to make some discoveries to either link these families together, or prove they are not related. This is a real-time research project, I have not worked on this cluster before. I plan to share my discoveries and my frustrations in hopes that more eyes on the evidence will result in some sound conclusions. Join me as I explore these families, maybe we'll make some discoveries together!

BERNARD CZACHOROWSKY 1832 ~ 1915

his life and times

I first found what appears to be Bernard on a ships manifest, leaving Naumburg, Prussia bound for America, November 14, 1856.

He arrived in New York December 31, 1856.

He proceeded to 'go missing' until 1870 when he reappeared in Chicago living in the 8th Ward with a woman named Mena; who was 12 years his junior. He claimed to be from Poland. Still haven't figured out who Mena was, she seems to never be heard from again - could be a wife, could be a sister?

He is also listed in the City Directory for the first time in 1870, which means he would have been in Chicago at least as early as 1869 to have supplied information to be published for the annual directory. 

Bernard seemed to come and go throughout the years. Always a carpenter by trade.

He was involved in a pretty big lawsuit with the Chicago Driving Park corporation in 1885. The park refused to pay so he took it to the Superior Court in 1891. As we learned in this post, Bernard lived for a time almost across the street from the Driving Park. He may have been more involved with the corporation, or he may have fallen for the allure of gambling........

Between 1892 and 1897 Bernard 'went missing' again. One can speculate that he finally won his lawsuit. He reappeared in 1898, still at the same address he'd lived at more or less consistently since he first arrived in Chicago in 1870. I suspect this was a rooming house, searching the City Directories by address reveal more than one unrelated person living at the address, along with Bernard, throughout the years.

In 1900 he is found living with his [presumed] brother Anton. He is listed as a widow. And we learned that he was born in August of 1832. In Germany? This will remain a mystery - the Prussian borders were changing frequently, Berlin was the capitol, which became part of the new German Empire in 1871. By 1918 Prussia ceased to exist.

That is the last time Bernard appeared anywhere on record.

His death came in 1915. December 16th. He was 83. His death certificate tells a sad end to a long, perhaps difficult life.

He died in the Oak Forest Infirmary, a poorhouse, of lobar pneumonia. His previous address was listed as 3129 S Halstead, Chicago. His burial took place January 5th 1916. Perhaps the delay was a search for family to claim the body?

He was laid to rest at St Gabriel Cemetery - in an unmarked grave - taking all of his secrets with him.

An article printed in the Chicago Tribune in 1991 tells the tale of St Gabriel:

Patch Of Land Near Cicero Ave. Has More To It Than Meets Eye
May 31, 1991|By Ronald Koziol.

 "The weathered bronze statue in the middle of the lot seems distinctly out of place off busy Cicero Avenue near Interstate Highway 57. Patches of purple and white wildflowers dot both sides of a gravel road leading to the nondescript land.
 Few passing motorists are aware that the 15-acre tract at 164th Street in Oak Forest is St. Gabriel`s Cemetery, first opened in 1913 by the Franciscan fathers.
 And fewer know that what appears to be an undeveloped plot is the burial ground for 7,312 Catholics, most of whom were destitute or declared mentally ill and abandoned by their families to die in county homes early in the century.
 Although thousands of flowers are placed on graves regularly at other cemeteries in the Chicago area, not one could be found at St. Gabriel`s a few days after Memorial Day. The last burial there took place more than 11 years ago.
 No markers identify graves, and only the statue of St. Francis of Assisi looks over the land directly south of Cook County`s Oak Forest Hospital. The passing years have covered the gravesites with a shifting landscape that obscures any signs that the property is a cemetery.
 ``It was a potter`s field for Catholics who died in the old Oak Forest infirmary,`` said an employee of Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Chicago, where many charity cases are now buried for the Chicago Archdiocese.
 St. Gabriel`s probably will never again be used for burials, said Dolores Vendl, spokeswoman for the Archdiocesan Catholic Cemeteries.
 But don`t look for condos or a new subdivision to spring up there. Because the land is consecrated by the church, it will always remain a burial place, said a diocesan official.
 To expedite burials years ago, concrete vaults were set in rows in the ground and covered with dirt until needed. Several empty crypts remain in the ground.
 Despite the graves` lack of markers or gravestones, cemetery officials said they can pinpoint the plots of the people buried there since it was opened. But in the past 13 years, only one family has sought the remains of a long-lost relative for removal to another location.
 Contributions from relatives averaged about $9 a month during the early 1950s, but they stopped almost 30 years ago as families died off.
 For 40 years, from its opening until 1953, St. Gabriel`s was run by priests from nearby St. Roch`s friary, who conducted simple funeral rites for the dead.
 The archdiocese, which operates 41 cemeteries in the Chicago area, took over St. Gabriel`s from the Franciscans in 1953 when the order could no longer maintain it."

Rest In Peace Bernard

......until next time!