Suffield’s Polish History

The March issue of The Suffield Observer briefly introduced Michael and Julia Maciorowski, also known as Mike and Julia Davis. Mike was one of the founding fathers of St. Joseph Church in the 1910s, and he played a significant role in establishing the Polish community (Polonia) in Suffield.

Mike and Julie immigrated to America in the 1890s. They initially lived and worked in Holyoke, where they met, and moved to Suffield about the turn of the 20th century. All indications are that Mike was a man of strong character, determined to set a good example for other immigrants to assimilate to their new home. He became a citizen in 1902 and registered to vote in Sept. 1904, just in time to participate in that year’s presidential election.

Mike’s granddaughter, Susan Maciorowski, writes, “In 1913, he became a charter member, serving as treasurer, of the Polish Republican Club, a focus of which was to educate Polish American voters how to complete ballots properly. He sponsored community picnics on his farm and organized parades, such as the Polish Roman Catholic Union rally parade of September 1914. While Michael quickly embraced his new country, he did not forget his homeland. In 1920, Michael became a member of the American Committee for the Defense of Poland, focusing on providing aid to Poland in its fight against Russia during the Bolshevik war of 1919-1921.”

The tobacco farm that Mike and Julia bought from Hannibal Wright was a very profitable endeavor. With the help of his sons, he sold 16 acres of tobacco in 1907 and increased to 25 acres in 1911. In 1912, he contributed to the purchase of the property that became St. Joseph Church. In 1919, Mike was among the largest Polish farm owners in Suffield. Along with Michael Zukowski, Jim (Ziemkewicz) Davis, and Harry Zera, the Maciorowski farm was assessed at over $15,000. Susan adds, “In the 1920’s, Michael became a member of the advisory committee of the Connecticut Valley Tobacco Growers Association’s 16th district, and then a director for that district. As part of that responsibility, in 1923, Michael served as spokesperson for Suffield’s Polish tobacco farmers when they had grievances against the association. Also, in the 1920s, Michael became a director of the First National Farm Loan Association.”

Unfortunately by 1929, several factors contributed to the loss of the Maciorowski farm. Mike and Julia sold it to Harry Reid and moved to Thompsonville. He died on June 6, 1930. His widow and several children moved to Northampton, Massachusetts. Susan finishes her grandparents’ story by saying, “While no children of Michael and Julia Maciorowski remained in Suffield following the death of Michael, all of their children had fond memories of life on River Boulevard in Suffield throughout their lives. They and their descendants were grateful for what Michael and Julia were able to accomplish as poor immigrants to the United States and the welcome they received from the town of Suffield.”