CHAPTER V.

NORTHERN INDIANA, POLISH GENERAL FARMERS.

INTRODUCTION.

St. Joseph and Laporte are adjoining counties in the north centrai part of Indiana. These counties are primarily agricultural, although South Bend, in St. Joseph County, and Laporte, in Laporte County, especially the former, are industrial centers of considerable importance. South Bend, the county seat of St. Joseph County, has an estimated population of 60,000, while Laporte is the county seat of Laporte County and has an estimated population of 12,000. According to the census of 1900, St. Joseph County had a population of 58,881, of which 41,559 lived in South Bend and Mishawaka, and the remainder lived on farms or in country villages of less than 1,000 inhabitants. Laporte County in 1900 had a population of 38,386, of which 7,113 lived in Laporte and the remainder lived on farms or in villages of 1,500 inhabitants or less. Aside from the towns of South Bend and Laporte, the population is dependent directly upon the farms and farmers of their respective localities.

There are three distinct Polish agricultural communities, or settlements, within the two counties. One is in St. Joseph and two are in Laporte County. The settlement in St. Joseph County lies in Olive township, about 10 or 12 miles west of South Bend and about 3 miles east of New Carlisle. This settlement extends from Terre Coupe, a small station on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad to Crumstown, a station on the Grand Trunk Railroad about 8 miles south. The territory occupied by Polish farm families varies in width from 1 to 3 miles.

The two settlements in Laporte County are centered about Rolling Prairie and Otis. Rolling Prairie is a village of probably 600 people, located about 7 miles east of Laporte on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad, and Otis is a small town of about the same size, situated 10 miles west of Laporte on the same line of railroad. The Polish population constituting these two settlements is considerably scattered.

There is a large Polish population in South Bend, and a considerable part of the labor force employed in the Laporte manufacturing industries is Polish. The table following gives estimates ascertained and compiled from interviews with tax assessors, church secretaries, and priests of the three country parishes. Very nearly all of the population here reported is engaged in agriculture.

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TABLE 29.-Estimated number and distribution of Polish and Polish-American familia in specified localities, northern Indiana.

In some sense the history of one of these three colonies is the history of all, but for the purposes of definiteness and because of some differences in detail it will be well to consider them separately. in the order of their settlements.

OTIS.

The nucleus for this colony, or settlement, was formed about 1861. when three families and one young unmarried man came into the vicinity. Two of the men who had families had lived in this country prior to that time and had been employed on railroad construction work near Otis. They went home for a year and returned in 1861 with their families and one additional family, and the young man referred to above, to engage in agriculture. They began as laborers. doing such work as clearing land, ditching, and general farm work. None of them bought any land for two or three years, but all were able to secure work.

Before many years there were several Polish families in the locality, and they were soon looked upon as the main dependence for such labor as clearing, wood splitting, and ditching. Within few years the first arrivals began to buy small tracts of land, usually of the poorer quality and located in the more inconvenient places because it could be purchased at a small cost. While getting thei own land into condition for cultivation many worked for American farmers and made enough to live on. There was a ready sale for the wood and other timber cut from their farms, as the railroad running through the community used wood for fuel at the time.

The settlement did not begin to show much increase until about 1869 and 1870. Friends of the first settlers began to arrive in corsiderable numbers; they first operated farms as tenants, and when not occupied with their farm duties took contracts to clear land split rails, ditch, and to do any kind of work they could secure. Many who had been employed on railroad construction work in the vicinity, after the work was completed, turned their attention to agriculture because there were others of their race who had engaged in farming in the neighborhood.

In 1872 a Polish Roman Catholic Church was established at Otis and the church records show about 60 families in the vicinity that time. All were not agricultural families; some were employed on the railroad and some were lumbermen who left town when ther work was completed, but the majority of them remained. The

establishment of the church at Otis was a great factor in the permanency of this settlement. It meant the founding of a permanent center of community and race interest, and many who would not have stayed otherwise were assured that enough of their fellowcountrymen would remain to make social life more agreeable. Practically all the first settlers of the colony came directly to the locality upon arrival in this country.

Italian method of procuring land.

The region to which the Poles came was rather thickly settled, considering the time, and all the land was owned by private individuals. Therefore, they did not have an opportunity to buy adjoining land in large tracts as a rule. This circumstance accounts in a large measure for their being scattered. Many of the Americans were large landholders and there was considerable demand for tenants. The Poles, upon first coming to the locality, in many instances worked at almost anything available until enough capital could be accumulated to buy stock and an outfit for farming, and then rented land and worked out for their neighbors when not needed in tending their own crops. They often took timber leases— that is, cleared land for the timber and a certain number of crops. from the new ground (usually from one to three crops would be given). By exercising most rigid economy and by working constantly they were able to accumulate something, and as soon as enough was saved to make a substantial payment land was purchased.

Terms.

They usually bought less fertile or run-down lands, frequently away rom the public roads. In 1870 such land could be purchased for about $20 per acre. Many of the landholders were willing to sell or one-fourth to one-half cash down taking a mortgage deed for the balance, usually payable in from two to five years. If prompt paynents could not be made, owing to reverses or poor crops, the Poles were usually able to borrow money from the banks. Many of the business men, and at least one banker, stated that they considered the Poles more prompt in meeting obligations than any other customers, and, as a class, loans to Poles are esteemed safer investnents than loans to Americans. The first settlers assisted the newcomer in finding a good farm and in obtaining credit. In many Cases Poles with an established credit and some property would ndorse the notes and mortgages of their fellow-countrymen who vanted to borrow money and could not furnish sufficient security. This material manifestation of true friendliness was of great value n bringing the community to its present prosperous condition.

Character of the immigrants.

The immigrants who started the settlement were all from the Province of Posen in Prussia. They were of the peasant class, none having been landholders in their native country. Many had been arm laborers; some were common laborers and some had entered

trades in their native land, but all were accustomed to hard work The simple peasant life had prepared them for the hardships incider: to pioneer farming in this country.

Of the later immigrants-that is, those who have settled withi the past twenty years-a great many have come from neighbor towns after working for some years in manufacturing industries an accumulating enough to make a payment on land; others, with a least enough money to equip a farm with necessary farming imple ments and live stock, rented land upon first coming to the settlement

Pioneer problems.

The conditions that existed at the time the first settlers were estab lished caused much hardship. They were all people without meansrarely did a newcomer possess more than a few dollars, and one or tw hundred dollars was an exceptionally large amount.

adequate houses, except some of those owned by Americans, a when a Pole bought land he was not financially able to buy improve land nor to build a comfortable house. Many lived in the poores sort of log houses; in fact, they were so anxious to get ahead an to accumulate property that they lived as cheaply as possible. T fact that they were new to the country and to the methods of farmin employed by Americans made it doubly hard for them. Some, aftworking a few years, decided they did not want to farm, and moves to some industrial center, but the majority stayed. Every year SOL. new comers were buying property and setting out for themselves. As the pioneers began to get established it became easier for the who settled later. They had the advice of the first, as well as the aid in establishing credit. Recent settlers with some money a in many instances a fair knowledge of English, have been able t settle on land with some improvements and begin farming unt much more favorable conditions. The new settler of the present di can easily make a good living from the farm the first year. Then are good roads and adequate markets for all kinds of farm products Neither of these advantages existed when the settlement was firs started, nor for many years afterwards.

The Poles are excellent pioneers. Their low standard of comfic enables them to endure almost any living conditions in orderi acquire property. They have the patience to work hard throug long hours and to forego present pleasure and comfort in the hope becoming landowners farther on.

The substantial farmhouses, well-kept outbuildings, and prosper farms, the fine herds of live stock now owned by the Polish farmes show that they have been repaid in a material way for the hardshi and hard work they previously endured. Many of the older sett who bought the poorer and less valuable land upon their adve have added to this purchase many acres, have brought the wh area to a fair state of cultivation, and have equipped it with g buildings. Others sold their first purchase, after improving it c siderably, at a good profit and subsequently bought larger farms w better land and buildings. Some of the most prosperous farmerthe locality are Poles.

In recent years many Americans have sold their farms to Poles and ave moved away. The Poles have at all times had a keen eye to argains in land such as the closing of estates or mortgage sales and ave acquired a lot of good land cheap. While the foreigners have een successful in accumulating property, they have made great rogress in other ways. Their dwellings especially have been greatly nproved. Beginning with houses which would barely keep them ry they have now excellent residences of five to eight rooms, well irnished and convenient in every way.

There have been many deserters from the settlement, but few have ft after acquiring any equity in real property. Those who went way were people who never rose economically higher than laborers r renters and had never really established a home within the settlelent. Another interesting fact which shows the progress, as well 3 the thrift and ability of the colonists to meet their obligations, is hat there has not been a case of mortgage foreclosure in the history f the colony. This is the more remarkable when it is remembered at all who now own land were compelled to give a mortgage for a ›nsiderable portion of the purchase price.

Soil.

The territory occupied by this settlement includes several soil types or the most part the topography is gently rolling or undulating hough some of the prairie land is generally level. In the western art of the county, where a considerable part of the Poles are estabshed, the land is very level, and in some places too low and flat for quisite drainage. Marked elevations traverse the area in a northast and southwest direction. Some of these slopes are too steep for iltivation and on others great care must be taken to prevent erosion, > sharp are the inclines. The section immediately surrounding Otis, ad to the east and south, is very much broken. This entire area covered to a considerable depth by a deposit of glacial drift. The soils of this area range in texture from sand to clay loam ith a considerable area of marsh land in the western section. ast and southeast of Otis there are large areas of prairie land. This generally a black or dark-brown loam from 12 to 20 inches eep. This land is the most valuable in the area and but very few olish farmers own any of it. The soil types prevailing throughout e locality where most of the Polish farmers are settled are the iami loam and Miami sandy loam. The subsoil is usually of a clay r gravelly loam, and is in many cases rather coarse. Spots will be und throughout the region where Miami sand prevails. Much of he area is rolling, and the soil is in some places thin because of conant cropping and erosion. Many fields have been "turned out" > pasture or permitted to grow up to brush because they have been › badly eroded. The natural drainage of these soils is good; besides he rolling surface, the subsoil of rather coarse texture permits good nderground drainage. Where proper care of the soil is taken, very atisfactory returns have been realized.

There is a good deal of marsh land in the western part of the couny, where several Polish families live. This land has been settled ithin the past twelve or fifteen years. It is very flat and the natural