"New York"
- Trunk 1912 -
Slovenia translation
© Copyright 1996, Slovenian Genealogy Society and FEEFHS, all rights
reseved
First Posted: 16 October 1996
Provided by and courtesy of Al Peterlin, President, Slovenian Genealogy Society
International
This Rev J. M. Trunk text was published originally in 1912 as Part 8, History of Slovene
Communities, contains significant genealogical information about Slovenian immigrants,
the places they lived, the organizations they formed, and the churches they attended.
Translators for the Slovenian Genealogy Society have been working to translate many
texts published early in the 1900s that contain significant genealogical information. Our
translators are not professional linguists, and they do not complete a translation with rigorous
academic oversight. The goal of our translation projects is to make information available to
the American descendants of Slovenian immigrants. If you believe we have made serious
errors in translation, please contact us and volunteer your time to us in order to make the
corrections. We strive to do good work; we are always willing to correct errors to the extent
we can; and we ask others to join us in this worthwhile endeavor.
The Slovenian Genealogy Societycollects church
histories. Readers with information on Slovenes in the communities listed, the churches
mentioned, or other information on Slovenes, can contact the Society at 52 Old Farm Road,
Camp Hill, Pa 17011. The society accepts donations of Slovene books, texts, and
publications.
Beginning of translated text:
NEW YORK
Gowanda. In 1897 M. Gazbodi, V. Sever and A. Straus came here from Dolenjska.
They were followed by others, so that now 10 Slovene families and up to 30 individuals are
here. The families have their own homes. All are employed in factories. They go to an
Irish church. At Easter time, some Slovene priest comes to hear confessions. On 31 January
1909, they established St. Joseph Society #89, JSKJ, which has 24 male and nine female
members. (Joe Simnovec).
Greater New York. Mr. A. Burgar sent me information on the Slovenes in the
Greater New York area. Mr. F. Tassotti and other gentlemen also explained a few things to
me.
The oldest settlers came here over 35 years ago. 20 years ago, they began to immigrate here
in large numbers from the Kamnik and Crnomelj regions, as well as from other regions of
Slovenia. The men are employed in stores, banks, print shops and various factories. The
women are employed in straw hat factories or as cooks, servants, etc. Only Mr. F. Sakser has
his own house on the Manhattan peninsula with a well-furnished print shop, bookshop, bank
and travel office. In Brooklyn several Slovenes have their own houses (Cesark, Starin,
Burgar, Vavpotic, Rems, Spehar, and Pirnat).
All together, in the city of a million or so inhabitants, there are currently about 300 families
and 1,500 single persons. The Slovenes go to the Redemptorist Fathers Church on 3rd Street
in Brooklyn. Those living in Brooklyn go to a German church at Montrose and Throop
Avenue, and their children go mainly to parochial schools.
On 17 June 1906, the Rev. A. L. Blaznik, from a well-known Ljubljana family, celebrated
Mass and serve the Slovenes in the Czech church on 72 Street. On 4 August 1907, he was
transferred to Haverstraw. From then until 1 March 1909, he travelled to New York and
assembled the Slovenes each month in St. Brigit's Church on 8th Street and Avenue B. After
him, the Rev. Kazimir Zakrajseks, OFM, took over the Slovenes, as well as the Slovene
Franciscans, who assembled them in St. Nicholas Church on 2nd Street. Several times the
Slovenes tried to establish their own parish, but were not successful, since they were too
widely scattered.
Mr. A. Burgar send me highly interesting information about family and social life. He writes:
"The first attempt to unite the Slovenes was a meeting on 7 May 1893 in the Hotel Germania,
116 Greenwich Street, where agent J. Pavlin usually sent the Slovenes. They became
cognizant of the need for mutual support and the importance of signing, and they founded the
"Lira" Society.
The times were critical, the conditions were poor and the individual members were so
self-sacrificing that they walked 2 and 3 hours distance on foot to singing rehearsals, since
they did not have money for transportation fares. Some members centered themselves around
the families of Jos. Rems in New York and F. Tassotti in Brooklyn. Otherwise, most of the
times, they did not know anything about one another.
"From a religious standpoint, a considerable indifference prevailed. A special committee of
conscious fellow countrymen met and made effort for the first Holy Mission, which was
conducted in the Slovak Church of St. Elizabeth on 4th Street by Rev. Kosmerlj, who came
from far away Duluth, Minnesota, especially for this Mission.
The Mission began on 4 July 1897. For the first time the Slovenes were gathered in greater
number and a new ear began for the Slovenes. At the banquet in honor of Rev. Kosmerlj,
they formed a closer organization and already on 5 July, they established a Benefit Society of
St. Francis at the home of fellow countryman F. Gulet and incorporated it as Lodge #46
KSKJ in Joliet.
"The community began to grow markedly. On 14 July 1901, fellow countrymen Burgar,
Starin, Cesark, Vavpotic, Kobe, Bremic, Marincik, Kosec, Ribic, Nachtigal, Pengov, P. Starin,
F. Tassotti, Cvetkovic (senior) and Pavli established the Society of St. Joseph #57 KSKJ,
which today is one of the strongest with about 180 male and female members. Other
societies followed rapidly. On 1 June 1904, Messrs. F. G. Tassotti, J. Plese, etc. established
the Society of St. Peter #50 JSKJ. On 30 November 1906, the Society of St. Anne #105
KSKJ, the Orel Society KSKJ, the Slovenia Society and the Fraternal Union of the SNPJ
were formed.
They did not forget the choral societies either and founded the "Slavec", "Ilrija", and
"Domovina" societies; the later also provides church choir music.
The tenth anniversary of the St. Francis Society on 4 July 1907 was significant. At that
time, Rev. A. L. Blaznik gave an impressive sermon and blessed the flags of the St. Francis
and St. Peter societies in the church on 87th Street. Under the leadership of Mr. F. Tassotti,
all of the Slovene societies marched with the Slovene tricolors around the World City. The
St. Joseph Society celebrated its anniversary just as festively on 16 July 1911.
Of great importance to the Slovene community in New York and in America as a whole, is
the Frank Sakser Firm, which not only publishes the slovene daily "Glas Naroda", with 9,000
subscribers, but also sells steamship tickets and acts as an agent in sending money.
On 28 January 1912, the Slovenes established another individual benefit society, that was to
be the center of the entire Slovene community in Greater New York. The Society is
progressing well and has over 150 members.
Since there are many young Slovene girls in New York, the Rev. K. Zakrajsek founded the
"Marion Society" on 15 August 1909, which has more than 100 members. The Society has a
library, arranges games and entertainment, and prepares the Slovene girls for a Christian
life.
In providing for Missions, as well as caring for settlements not having a Slovene priest, the
monastic clergy were of great importance. The secular priests, as pastors are tied more or
less to their own parishes and rarely ever get a Sunday off without causing a hardship on
somebody. Since the most good can be done by the missions on Sundays when people are
not working, provisions have now been made in this regard for the Slovenes in America.
The Slovene Franciscan Province of the Holy Cross has taken charge of the American
Missions. Moreover, it already agreed in 1910 that a special provincial commissariat would
be established for America, which was to take care of the entire matter. However, various
difficulties and impediments caused the matter to drag out, and it was not until 13 July 1912,
when the Holy Family parish in Brooklyn was appointed as the permanent seat of the
Commissariat, and the first provincial commissary was appointed.
Currently, the commissariat has 3 priests and 2 laymen. It cares for the Holy Family Parish
in Brooklyn, the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Hoboken, New Jersey, St. Michael's
Parish in Rockland Lake, and the Slovenes of the Church of St. Nicholas on 2nd Street in
New York. In addition to the Slovenes, the commissariat has plans for the Croatians and
Slovaks as well, since all of these three nationalities still do not have their own monastic
missionaries. The Rev. Kazimir Zakraajsek was named at the first Commissary.
Little Falls. Slovenes came to this city in 1890 from Cirknica, Vrhnika and
Stajerska. They are employed in factories and tanneries. In 1903 there were over 150 of
them, including 12 families. Now their number has probably increased. Some of them go to
a local English church, others to a Polish church 20 miles distant. Previously, Rev. Zalokar
came to heir their confessions, but now the Franciscans from New York come
The KSKJ has two societies: St. Paul #118 and the women's society of Marija Paamaagaj
#421. The KSKJ has the St. Joseph Society #53, and St. Barbara Society #21, in Forest City,
Pennsylvania.
On 8 January 1912, F. Maslej, M. Kramar, F. Borstnar and Mrs. F. Susman founded the
drama society "Zavecni Slovenec" which has 30 members. There are probably a few
Slovenes in the neighboring locality of Johnsville as well.
Slovenes are scattered also about other localities of this State. Most of them in the localities
of Buffalo, Lymbrock and Silver Springs.
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