Josef Walkusz and Antonie Tryba

My husband's grandmother was Angeline Walkush from Stevens  Point, Wisconsin. Her grandfather was Josef August Walkusz, born in Prussia around 1835. The Walkush family was part of a large Polish population in the American Mid-West. In fact, Portage County, where Josef settled, once had the largest Polish population in the country.   On immigration and census documents the Walkush family indicated that they were from Prussia, and in one case they listed West Prussia as their home. This would make them "German Poles".  Prussia ceased to exist as a country in 1918 at the close of WWI.  It came into being in 1701, it grew in size and eventually encompassed two thirds of the German Empire.  In 1795 Poland ceased to exist, swallowed by Prussia. Just as Prussia disappeared in 1918, Poland emerged in 1919 from the ashes of WWI. 

From the online encyclopedia (www.encyclopdia.com):

Confusion over exact numbers of Polish immigrants again becomes a problem during this period, with large under reporting, especially during the 1890s when immigration was highest. Most agree, however, that between mid-nineteenth century and World War I, some 2.5 million Poles immigrated to the United States. This wave of immigration can be further broken down to two successive movements of Poles from different regions of their partitioned country. The first to come were the German Poles, who tended to be better educated and more skilled craftsmen than the Russian and Austrian Poles. High birthrates, overpopulation, and large-scale farming methods in Prussia, which forced small farmers off the land, all combined to send German Poles into emigration in the second half of the nineteenth century. German policy vis-a-vis restricting the power of the Catholic church also played a part in this exodus. Those arriving in the United States totalled roughly a half million during this period, with numbers dwindling by the end of the century.

A backlash from the more established "Americans" against this large, mostly Catholic, wave of immigrants helped forge a strong Polish identity in the US.  Formation of Polish national, fraternal and religious organization created a support system for immigrants. 

Courtesy of Michiel1972 Wikipedia

Josef Walkush was born  probably 1830-1835, his parents are unknown. He lived in the province of Pomerania in the village of Stezyca. (Stezyca is the dark pink area on the map, it is in the north of Poland)  He  married in 1861 to Marianna  Kropidlowska , their first child was born in 1862.  Together they had six children.  It is not known what his occupation or status was in Prussia.  Marianna died in Stezyca in 1879 at the age of 46. Josef married for the second time to Antonie Treba, a much younger woman. Josef was over 45 and Antonie was 21.  

Antonie was born 2 March 1859 to Anton and Josephine Hinz Tryba, also from Stezyca.  The family surname has been spelled Triba, Tryba and Treba and Trebya. Antonie had at least two brothers, Anton and Joseph, who also immigrated to the US, both settled in Wisconsin.

SS Oder

Antonie traveled from Bremen, Germany on the ship "The Oder" with five of Josef's children: Pauline, Carl, Maria, Josephine and Martha.  Josef was not listed on the manifest,  it is probable that he was already in Wisconsin, preparing for their arrival.  His son August said that he came to America with his father when he was 15.  Also  on the ship manifest is a Joseph Tryba, quite possibly Antonie's brother. They all traveled in Steerage. The Oder left Bremen on September 11, 1881 and arrived in New York City on September 23rd.

Oder manifest

Josef Walkush and his family settled in Wisconsin.  He was given or bought 80 acres of land in Hull, Portage County, Wisconsin, in the Homestead Act, which encouraged settlement on Government Land. Joseph seems to be the only Walkush family member in the area. (see comment by vega photography) Antonie's brother Anton settled in Ashland, Wisconsin, on the shore of lake Superior.  Joseph Tryba was close by in Bevent, Wisconsin, just to the North East of Steven's Point.

Just north of Stevens Point, bounded on the west side by the Wisconsin River and lying almost wholly within the soil area known as the Wisconsin River sand, is the township of Hull. It is not by nature a fertile area, and is popularly known as the poorest township in the county, although there are those who maintain that Belmont, another township with an increasing Polish population, is no less infertile. As early as 1858 a settlement of Poles was begun at Casimir, now included in Hull township, a few miles north of Stevens Point. The first settlers came from other points in the United States and by 1871 the parish of Casimir was established. This whole region is very level, and while the soil is light, it is not difficult to clear and subdue, and practically all of it is now owned and inclosed. Of 110 farms, taken in order from the 1909 tax roll, more than one-half contained less than 80 acres each and only seven were larger than 160 acres, including both the improved and the unimproved areas; 60per cent of the land may be classed as unimproved. This means that few more settlers can find a place in the township, since an acreage of 80 or 100 acres of the thin soil is not much more than adequate to support a large family in comfort. The town clerk reports that for some time very few new settlers have been added. There are, in 1909, a few more than 200 farms enumerated by the assessor in the township. Polish farmers own and operate about 160 of these; some of the farms, too, are owned by nonresident Poles. The parish of Casimir has a congregation of more than 160 families, but the parish limits are not coincident with those of the township. Reports On The Immigration Commission:Immigrants in Industries,William Paul Dillingham 

 

Josef and Antonie had at least five children including Angeline's father John C. Walkush. The family lived in Hull township, on the family farm. Farmers in that area grew potatoes, cabbage and other hardy crops.  Many took second jobs in the mills along the river to supplement the family income. Josef's son August ran a grocery store and saloon in Hull, he also served 11 years as the town chairman. He eventually opened and ran the Walkush Grocery Store on Main Street in Stevens Point. 

Children of Josef and Marianna Kopilodowski:
Carl (Charles) b. 1861? m. Frances Cychosz lived in  Ashland d. 1931
August b. 1862 m. Catherine Cychosz lived in Stevens Point d. 1932
Apolonia (Pauline) b. 1867 m. Valentine Poporski lived in Milwaukee d. 1932
Mary b. 1870 m. August Piekarski d. 1950
Josephine b. 1873 m. John Shuda d. 1941
Martha  b. 1876 m. Joseph Zoromski d. 1956 lived in Wausau, Marathon

Martha and Joseph Zoromski
Children of Josef and Antonie:
Anastasia b. 1885 m. Joseph Skibba lived in Menasha d. 1939
Joseph b. 1887 m. Anna Davidowski lived in Reid, Marathon d. 1939
John C. b. 1888 m. Clara Schultz lived in Whiting d. July 1942
Alexander b. 1891 m. Martha Davidowski lived in Bevent, Marathon d. 1945
Frank b. 1893 m. Regina Platta lived in Stevens Point d. 1961
Martin b. March 3, 1895 died same day.

Joseph died on 11 June 1897. Antonie remarried to Joseph Breske on 8 November 1898. A widower, Jospeh had five small children.  Joseph Breske and Antonie had three children together. Between the Walkush's and Breske's there were five sets of sibling, this must have caused a fair bit of confusion.  

The children of Antonie and Joseph Breske were:
Clementine b. 1899 m. John Kintz lived in Stevens Point d. 1977
Alvina b. 1901 d. 2003 (in her obit it says she was born in a log cabin in Dewey)
Julius b. 1903 d. 1943
Antonie died 16 Dec 1930 at the age of 71.



Just north of the city of Koscierzyna is a town called Stezyca.  This is where the marriage of Joseph Walkush and Antonie Tryba was registered.  It is very probable that they lived near if not in this town.

If you have any information to add to the blog please email or comment, I would like to add more pictures of the family, if possible.  Also, if I have made any errors in my info please let me know.