Fortitude, Faith and Fire- The Story of J.J. Hof's Polish Colony
Life wasn't easy for the Poles living in Milwaukee in the 1870s. Enticed by the promises of a Milwaukee land agent by the name of J.J. Hof, the Polish residents of the city sought better lives away from the crowded neighborhoods, poor working conditions, and the ghosts of the Old World that followed them across the Atlantic. Aspiring for something better, in 1877 they began to migrate north with their families to the cut-over forests just west of Green Bay, Wisconsin. In the years that followed, even greater numbers from Milwaukee would join them in their dreams of building a community based on freedom, farming, and faith. By 1894, newspapers reported that over 500 families were living in Hof's settlements (Hofa Park, Pulaski, Krakow, and Sobieski). Hof would eventually come to live in his "Polish Colony" and at his death in 1910, the colony covered over 250 square miles, predominately settled by Poles from across North America. But who were those Polish families from Milwaukee? What were their lives like in the city before putting their faith in Hof and his dream of a true Polish American community? What did they encounter in a vast hinterland where nature was often cruel, and civilization miles away? How did they express their new sense of freedom, their traditions, and their faith? And did any of them ever return to Milwaukee (hint: at least one did, and his return is forever linked to one of Milwaukee's darkest days for the Polish American community).
For answers to these questions and more, please join Steven Karcz, Research Curator for the Pulaski Area Historical Society and Vice-President of the Polish Heritage Society of Northeast Wisconsin as he presents a talk at the Polish Center of Wisconsin in Franklin, Wisconsin on the evening of October 29, 2026 at 6 P.M. Steven's talk will focus on contributions of Milwaukee's Polish American community towards J.J. Hof's Colony in Northeast Wisconsin. Please join us for an in-depth look at how fortitude, fire, and faith created one of largest rural centers of Polish American settlement in the United States. October 29 2026 at 6PM. Donated Admission is Appreciated. Cash Bar Available.
Polish Center of Wisconsin
6941 South 68th Street Franklin, WI, 53132
(414) 529-2140