Porač Comes to America

Porač Comes to America

From Rusyn-American Almanac of the CarpathoRusyn Society 2004-2005, Richard D. Custer, ed. Pittsburgh, PA: Slavia Printing, 2005

P

orač, a village in eastern Slovakia’s Spišská Nová Ves region (in the old county of Spiš), is a small village by most standards. It’s never had more than about 1800 inhabitants (only 1,036 today), which still places it among the larger Rusyn villages in Europe. Porač sits in the middle of a geographic “island” of Rusyn settlement – along with neighboring villages Zavadka, Slovinky, and Hel’cmanovci – in a “Slovak sea.” Part of historic Porač now belongs to the town of Koterbach (now Rudňany), where some Rusyn families live to the present day. A history of the village was published recently (Hanuščin Štefan st. and Hanuščin Štefan ml., Poráč (Poráč, Slovakia, 2003)) that goes into great detail about the village’s origin, the traditions and way of life of Porač’s people, and major events in its history. The first written record of the village is from 1277, when it appeared on a map of Spiš County. Some historians say the village was settled by Rusyns from the area of Szczawnica, Galicia (now in Poland), specifically the villages Čarna Voda, Bila Voda, Šljachtova, and Javirkŷ in far western Lemkovyna. Porač lies in a rural region where the primary occupation has been agriculture. The whole area (including Koterbach, Zavadka, and Slovinky) has been the site of a mining industry for several centuries, first mining copper ore, and then iron ore and mercury ore. Among the many interesting historical documents the book presents is a list of landowners from 1704.

History of Porač published in 2003.

Štefan Macalov Matej Kriško Matej Janov Andrej Hrivnjak Leško Kohut Danko Kolar Matej Piščalka Janko Bakošov Janko Stecuv Matej Vernar Michal Hrubdzej Matej Silovik Pavel Jakub Janko Vernar Juraj Jakubičin Ondo Liškuv Jakub Zajac

Jakub Stričko Andrej Belej Michal Kinikov Matej Kohut Petro Kinikov Jura Počatko Lukač Volčkov Andrej Sivulčik Jurik Jakubičin Andrej Harviščak Ivan Korfančin Jura Repašin Janko Klepcišin Matej Pavora Tomko Korfančin Janko Hamrak

In the list we see many of the same surnames that are characteristic Porač family names even today: Bakoš, Belej, Harviščak, Macala, Počatko, Volčko. 122

This book also describes the phenomenon of emigration: within eastern Slovakia and then to the “new world”, America. “The belief in the possibility of a better life resulted in a migration of Rusyns from the east, who during the time of the ‘Vlach’ colonization settled in Porač. At the beginning they had clear advantages, but after some time their obligations unceasingly grew. As they were ravaged by war, plague and oppression by their feudal lords, the only exit from this desperate situation was to escape the feudal domain. According to a 1715 Spiš County census, over the course of just four years 461 peasant families left their homes. The largest Erb (heraldic symbol) of Po number from a single village left rač, depicting the village Nálepkovo (24), then Lendak (15), patron, Saint Demetrius. and then Porač – 12 families. Their exodus was mainly to the regional towns of Spiš county. A hundred years later, about five families (Fifik, Širila, Vansač, and others) moved to the village of Rákoš in Gemer County. “By the close of the 19th century, Porač was unable to

support its population at any more than a mere subsistence level. The situation worsened as the already struggling population faced the decline of the local mining industry. There was only one possibility for survival. That was to emigrate in search of work in America. From 1881 to 1900 a total of 33,326 people left Spiš County. Agents from coal mining companies came to the region to recruit people to work in the American mines. A livestock passport or another stamped document was enough for passage. And obviously, they needed money to buy their passage ticket (šifkarta). Sometimes they had to borrow money or sell their land to pay for it. Departing by ship from the ports of Hamburg, Bremen, or Gdansk, they could get to America in two weeks. When they came through the immigrant processing point at Ellis Island in New York, they could enter the ‘promised land.’ “Many people from Porač sought a better life across the wide ocean. Dimitrij Vojtila was the first to leave. Young men and girls left, as well as the family breadwinners. With the absence of the husband, the entire responsibility of farming fell upon the wife, and children grew up without their fathers. The peak periods of emigration were from 18801890 and from 1910-1914. In the period 1926-1930, the destinations were Canada, Australia and Argentina, since the United States restricted immigration because of the Great Depression. Emigration resulted in a rapid decline in population. Whereas in 1900 Porač had 1,800 inhabitants, by 1920 there were just 880 – almost 1,000 fewer than just twenty

Members of the village folk ensemble “Poračan”, c. 2002.

A newly-married couple on their wedding day in Porač, 1927. (Photo: Museum of Ukrainian-Rus’ Culture, Svidnyk, Slovakia) 123

St. Stephen’s Greek Catholic Cemetery in Leisenring, Pa., final resting place of many Rusyn immigrants from Porač.

years before! Practically every house had a family member who had gone to America. They settled on the east coast (Bridgeport, Connecticut), but mainly in Fayette County in western Pennsylvania, where the hilly terrain reminded them of their homeland. The men worked mainly in the coal mines in the towns of Leisenring, Dawson, and Vanderbilt. A certain number took up farming. The women cooked and washed for boarders. Those who came back to Porač with money were able to buy land and build brick houses. It was not uncommon for them to make the trip to America several times. Many of the young people started families there, in most of which the husband and wife both came from Porač. Their common origin and faith kept them together as one community.” Of the earliest emigrants from Porač, some settled in the northeastern Pennsylvania coal mining town of Freeland, in Luzerne County, and the surrounding “patch towns” of Eckley, Jeddo, and Drifton. The “Poračane” who settled in the Freeland area mainly between 1891 and 1910 included these individuals and married couples:

Anna Ključarik Matej Korchnjak, Katarina Vrabel’ Jan Krajnjak Anna Kušnir Marija Lesnjak Helena Liška Juraj Midlik Michal Midlik Marija Polkabla Marija Vrabel’ Helena Vrabel’ As noted in the Porač history book, a much larger number of “Poračane” were making their way at the same time to the Leisenring, New Salem, and Uniontown areas of Fayette County, in southwestern Pennsylvania. Already in 1892 there was a sizeable Porač colony in and around Leisenring, including these individuals and married couples: Jan Bakoš, Katarina Djurica Michal Barbuš, Sofija Cebulja Štefan Barbuščak, Katarina Vansač Jan Belej, Marija Ševčik Elijaš Belej, Sofija Purda Jan Bilpuch Jan Duboš, Katarina Štec Katarina Fabian

Juraj Bakoš Michal Bakoš Helena Basista Anna Bilpuch Jan Bilpuch Jan Bradač, Katarina Jurašek

Cast of the “Poráč Wedding” play, performed by parishioners of St. John’s Greek Catholic Church, Uniontown, Pa., November 11, 1936. 124

Anna Volčko Andrej Vrabel’ Marija Vrabel’ Juraj Zavačan, Marija Midlik

Štefan Hanuščak, Sofija Kafan Jan Harviščak Michal Hordoš, Anna Sivačko Juraj Kobala, Marija Hardij Andrej Kolesar, Katarina Kubinja Andrej Korchnjak Jan Korchnjak, Marija Olejnik Juraj Korchnjak, Sofija Vrabel’ Jan Liška Juraj Liška, Julija Macala Andrej Macala Jan Macala Juraj Macala Petro Macala, Helena Duboš Andrej Malinjak, Marija Sopkovič Andrej Midlik, Anna Polkabla Jan Mroško Jan Ontko Anna Počatko Marija Počatko Jan Sopkovič Josif Sopkovič Matej Sopkovič, Anna Hvarim Jan Stanislav, Marija Kolesar

Another small group settled just outside South Fork, near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where in 1906 they established St. Michael’s Greek Catholic Church in “Fifficktown”, named for the Jan Fifik/Fiffick family who first lived there. In addition to Jan and his wife Marija Dolobač (who were in the Johnstown area already in 1886), the following individuals and married couples were living in South Fork around 1903-1904: Jan Bakoš, Marija Fifik Andrej Fifik Jan Fifik, Marija Dolobač Matej Fifik, Marija Hanuščak Matej Galajda, Marija Fifik Štefan Galajda, Katarina Fifik The book continues: “About the year 1900 the majority gave up mining and moved to the city of Campbell, Ohio [until 1926 known as East Youngstown] to look for work. Campbell is a steel-making suburb of Youngstown. According

Re-enactment of traditional Rusyn wedding traditions of Porač, performed by the parishioners of St. Michael’s Greek Catholic Church in Campbell, Ohio, 1936. First row, left to right: Maria Shirilla, (svadebna mati); Mike Duboš, (svadebnyj otec); Josif Shirilla, groom (bravdijan); Stefan Duboš (seated), musician; Katarina Vrabel, bride (bratfa); Mike Volchko as the priest; Jan Vrabel, bride’s father (svadebnyj otec); Marija Shirilla, bride’s mother (svadebna mati); Mike Antos, cantor. In the second and third rows are the groom’s and bride’s attendants (družbove i družički). Second row, left to right: Katarina Shirilla, Margarit Bradač, Anna Vrabel, George Bradač, Peter Duboš, Helena Korchnak, Katarina Sabula, Verona Vrabel. Third row, left to right: Helena Macala, Helena Kirtoš, Katarina Bakoš, Anna Sabula, Marija Macala, Helena Sevačko, Marija Volčko, Katarina Geletka, Sofija Duboš. (Photo courtesy of Fred Petro/Greek Catholic Union of the U.S.A.) 125

to Robert Vansuch (Vansač), in 1947 Campbell had about 13,000 citizens. In that year, 230 graduated from the high school. Dozens of them were students whose families came from Porač. And so Campbell had become a “second Porač”, evidenced by an article in the local newspaper written by Mary Smerek, née Vrabel. In the article is a list of Campbell families with Porač roots and their 64 sons who fought in the Second World War. Six families had the name Shirilla (Širila), five were Vansuch, four were Vrabel, three each were Bakos and Sevachko, two each were Cebula, Hanuscin, Macala, and Volsko, and one each were Dubos, Duritza, Dursa, Kinnick, Korchnak, Harvischak, Olsavsky, and Voytilla.” The immigrants from Porač who had settled in the Youngstown area around 1900-1901 included these individuals and married couples: Štefan Bakoš, Anna Liška Marija Cebulja Anna (Kolesar) Djurica Štefan Djurica, Sofija Vansač Matej Djurša, Anna Bakoš Jan Fecko, Anna Spišak Josif Galajda Josif Hanuščak, Katarina Olšavskij Josif Hanuščak, Katarina Kolesar Michal Hanuščak, Katarina Vansač Michal Jurek, Helena Volčko Jan Kinik, Anna Hanuščak Michal Olšavskij, Sofija Djurica Michal Širila, Anna Sivačko Josif Sopkovič, Anna Djurica Juraj Sopkovič, Katarina Kinik Helena Volčko Jan Vrabel’, Anna Fabian Anna (Sopkovič) Zavačan In 1926 the Greek Catholic Rusyns of Campbell established their own parish, St. Michael the Archangel. Of the 43 founding families, 22 were from Porač. George Vrabel (Jurko Vrabel’) of Campbell, who spent his early years in Porač, was an active member of the Greek Catholic Union and a frequent correspondent to its newspaper, the GCU Messenger/Amerikansky Russky Viestnik. In 1978 he wrote a number of articles about Porač and its people in America. “Many Poračane lie in eternal rest in the cemetery by the Church of St. Stephen in Leisenring, Pa. Many of our miners were killed in explosions. There were many Poračane who were members of this church, were baptized and chrismated there by Father Aleksander Dzubaj, as was I. “These Porač surnames are found in the membership of the Leisenring parish in the early years. Many of them were two, three, and four brothers from the same family. Bilpuch, Bradač, Bodnovič, Belej, Bakoš, Barbuščak, Barbuš, Duboš, Djurica, Djurša, Gabor, Gaborko, Galajda, Harviščak, Hanuščin, Hurnanskij, Hordon, Korchnjak, Koval, Kopčak, Kinnik, Kolesar, Kalafut, Midlik, Mroško, Macala,

Nemčik, Liska, Liba, Polkabla, Purda, Širila, Sevačko, Sopkovič, Stanislav, Ol’šavskij, Ontko, Fifik, Fabijan, Flintoš, Vansač, Varmega, Volčko, Vrabel’. But today these families are dispersed throughout the United States.” Mr. Vrabel also published a photograph from Porač in 1935 that was in his possession.

“Among these men are some who lived in Leisenring and worked in the mines, and were members of St. Stephen’s Church and the Greek Catholic Union lodges there. In the first row, left to right: Jan Galajda, mayor (richtar); cantor Jan Kanjuščak; Father Pavel Russnak; Štefan Počatko, councilman (burgar); Josif Vrabel’, mayor. In the second row, left to right: Jan Bačinskij, councilman; Štefan Vrabel’, vice-mayor; Jan Vojtila, councilman; Jan Kinnik, councilman; and Jan Vrabel’, councilman. Of these, Jan Galajda, Štefan Počatko, Josif Vrabel’, Štefan Vrabel’ (George’s father), and Jan Vrabel’ at one time lived and worked in Leisenring.” The bond between Porač and American “Poračane” continues even into the 21st century. Many have made a connection with their past, with unknown relatives around the United States, and back to Porač itself through the Internet. The “Porač People” page on the Web at http://www.iarelative. com/porac/index.html was one of the first such village sites to be established, and it has gathered together a large community of root-seeking “Poračane.” In their life in America, the story of Porač’s people and their descendants in the United States is the story of almost every Rusyn village: their initial planting of their village on American soil, in a small number of close-knit communities with others from back home; their active community life, centered around the church; the Americanization of their descendants and that generation’s great sacrifice during World War II; and finally a small number of third-, fourth- and fifthgeneration Rusyn Americans who maintain an awareness of and interest in their roots. Our thanks to the author of Porač’s history, Štefan Hanuščin, Jr., for donating a copy of his and his father’s book to our Carpatho-Rusyn Society library. May the ties between Porač and the American Rusyn descendants of Porač be strengthened and spread far and wide. Richard D. Custer Washington, DC 126