Shenandoah

(Home of the first Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church in the United States)

Shenandoah is synonymous with immigrants. Founded in 1833, the areas anthracite coal fields assured continued expansion of this town. One of the richest veins of coal was discovered here. This discovery brought the mining industry along with businesses, the railroad, and an influx of immigrant workers. Shenandoah’s population rapidly expanded. Population statistics for 1870 show a community of 2,951 people. By 1880 the population had grown to 10,061. By 1890, the community was 15,365 strong and growing. The borough was expanded to five wards by 1875 and many businesses such as The Philadelphia Land Company, Shenandoah City, and Indian Ridge collieries did business within the borough. One of the most important necessities for expansion, the railroads, accessed this region and production soared.

Irish and Germans immigrants were among the first immigrant group who settled in the borough. Eastern Europeans began to arrive in Shenandoah by 1870. The number of Eastern European immigrants increased drastically by 1890. The *1890 census is a testament to this fact. Residents of Hungarian, Lithuanian, Polish, Slovak, Russian, and Ukrainian nationality are shown in the 1890 census. This diverse population gave Shenandoah the nickname of "little New York". The clergy who served this immigrant community can also be found in the census. Among them were Father John Wolanski (Volansky), Joseph Stifouisky and Constantine Andrukhovich. Father Wolanski and Andrukhovich were from the Galicia region of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The influx of new immigrants added to the existing housing shortage and created vast overcrowding. By 1915 Shenandoah had a congested population of more than 30,000 residents. It was during this period the need for safety services increased. On May 13, 1915 the Shenandoah Polish American Fire Company Number 4 joined the ranks of other local fire companies. It is not surprising Polish immigrants started their own fire company. Census records of the period indicate that 25 percent of the local population had Polish origins.

The new immigrants brought with them their diverse religious beliefs. Polish and Lithuanian immigrants combined to begin Saint Casimir’s Roman Catholic Church in 1870. This church is one of the oldest Polish Roman Catholic churches in the Eastern United States. By 1891 the Lithuanians who had attended Saint Casimir’s wished to build their own parish more in keeping with their own ethnic background. In time, Saint George’s Roman Catholic Church (shown to the right in the postcad) was built. During 1898, Saint Stanislaus Roman Catholic church was constructed. Eventually, the church would construct a parochial school that was administered by the Bernardine Sisters. In 1923 Holy Ghost Polish National Catholic Church was started to meet the need for those of the Polish National Catholic faith.

Social benefit groups also developed. During 1875 the Polish residents of Shenandoah began Saint Casimir’s Benevolent Society to assist their fellow Poles. In 1885 a fraternal organization named the Saint Nicholas Brotherhood was formed. Fraternal organizations were very important outlets since most immigrants had limited financial resources. For the Greek Catholic community, Shenandoah was picked as the host town for a convention. From May 30 to June 1, 1894 The Greek Catholic Union held its second convention in the borough with Father Cornelius Laurisin (originally from the Mukachevo Diocese) of Shenandoah serving as Secretary to the Convention. During this convention, a resolution was passed providing each member of the organization with a copy of the Amerikansky Russkij Viestnik (American Rusin Messenger.) The printing equipment for this periodical was later purchased from the Shenandoah church and forwarded to Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania. Mahanoy City Greek Catholic immigrants had a connection to Shenandoah as they attended Saint Michael’s Greek Catholic Church. Later, the immigrants in Mahanoy City would construct their own Greek Catholic Church, Saint Mary’s, in 1891. The Saint Nicholas Brotherhood was started as a means for Greek Catholic immigrants to further church building plans. These Greek Catholic immigrants desired to have an eastern rite house of worship with a priest of their faith to lead them. In 1885 they sought assistance from the Metropolitan of Lvov in Galicia. He sent Father John Volansky to their aide. In 1886, the first Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church in the United States, dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, was constructed. Father Volansky worked hard to offer Greek Catholic immigrants their own house of worship. Along with Shenandoah, he assisted in organizing other Greek Catholic churches in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Indiana.

Father Volansky was also very active in organizing social benefit organizations. In 1887, a number of these organizations met in Olyphant, Pennsylvania and merged to create a central organization entitled "The United Rusin Brotherhoods of America". Unfortunately, due to pressure by Roman Catholic clergy, Father John Volansky was forced to suspend his important work and return to Europe in 1889. One of the primary reasons for his departure was resistance from various Roman Catholic clergy as he was a married Greek Catholic priest. A year later, Father Volansky’s efforts in America thankfully continued. In 1890, he was once again sent by the Metropolitan to resolve issues at the Shenandoah church. Upon arrival, disputes began between Father Volansky and the priest left to administer the first Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church. Matters were so entangled they had to be settled at the judicial level. After this period, Father Volansky returned to Galicia and Saint Michael’s Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church continued. The church was sold and later re-purchased by the parishioners. The costs of buying the church back burdened the immigrant community financially. It is to Shenandoah’s immigrant community’s credit after a long hard struggle, they finally retained title to Saint Michael’s Ruthenian Greek Catholic church.

Over the years, Shenandoah has seen many changes economically and with its population. As of the Federal Census for 2000, the borough had 5,624 inhabitants and of this, 2,649 were households with 1,380 families. While Shenandoah’s population has decreased dramatically from previous years, this does not mean the borough is not progressing. There are many positive aspects that make Shenandoah an enjoyable place to reside. In many ways, Shenandoah still retains much of its ethnic past. Various businesses offer Slavic products such as Kowalonek’s Kiebasy Shop (begun in 1911), RJ’s Bar and Grill (offering a well known local specialty "the Shenandoah Kielbasa Loaf on Rye"), Lucky’s Corner Deli and Kielbasi Shop and Mrs. T’s Pierogies. Shenandoah’s past has been steeped in the immigrant experience and today moves toward a bright future because of the resident’s pride in their hometown.

*The information available in Schuylkill County is not the 1890 census, but an 1890 census directory. The census bureau supplied the information, and a county-wide directory was published. It is well known that in the year 1921 a basement fire in the Commerce Building in Washington, D.C. destroyed most of the 1890 federal census.

Links

 

Aerial view of Shenandoah.

Courtesy of Louis David Truskowsky.

For aerial photos of other towns in Schuylkill County visit

Louis David Truskowsky's site by clicking the link below.