From the Eyes of a Child—Part 3

Coming to America

by Sherri Stewart

A few months ago, I spent the afternoon with Zofia Zsibinski, (Zosia for short), an eighty-four year old Polish woman who exuded confidence and elegance. From outward appearances, no one could have believed this petite woman with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes could have endured such a tumultuous childhood and lived to tell about it.  Her story couldn’t have been summed up in a single article, so I broke up her story into three parts: The War Years in Poland and Germany, The Years of Servitude after the War, and Zosia’s Life after Coming to America.

From the age of three, the Nazis forced Zosia and her family from their home in Poland onto a train to Germany, where she endured her early years in a dozen different internment camps. One time, her parents, sisters, and Zosia were told to grab all their belongings, strip, and enter a building where they waited for the gas to take their lives, but the conduit for the gas had been destroyed, so they lived to see another day.

When the war ended, life didn’t improve for the Zsibinskis. Nazi soldiers were replaced by German farmers who bid on families to work their fields, and for the next few years, the family lived in a barn loft without heat and little food. Because of Zosia’s cheery disposition and ability to speak a little German, she ingratiated herself to the farmer’s elderly parents, who gave her extra food and freedom to move around the farm.

With little hope of their lives ever improving in Europe, Zosia’s parents made the decision to move to a different country, but in order to do so, they’d need a sponsor from the target country who would guarantee that the family could stay together, find employment, and receive room and board. One such family in Australia agreed to sponsor them, but just as they were about to board the ship, the offer was withdrawn because the sponsors wanted a smaller family.

 

Months later, the Polish Alliance found them a sponsor named Joseph Warjas, an elderly man who worked for Packard in Detroit. After a tumultuous journey across the ocean where Zosia’s mother almost died, they arrived at Ellis Island in the spring of 1951.

Their first view of New York was disheartening. Zosia’s sister Helena said, “Daddy, why did you bring us to hell?” They took the train to Detroit and ended up at 17808 Wexburg. Their sponsor, Joseph Warjas, greeted them with open arms. He told her parents, “As long as I’m alive and I have a dime, your children will be taken care of.” Zosia’s first memories of her new home included the big white box in the kitchen called a refrigerator, two bedrooms, and of all things, something called a bathroom. There were even apple trees in the yard. Zosia had never seen a black person until she ventured out of the house and met her neighbors. They welcomed her and her family with open arms and brought them clothes. She also remembered how meticulous their lawns were. One of their neighbors took Polish lessons so he’d be able to talk to them. Although Zosia and her two sisters had second-hand dresses to wear, they had to share one pair of shoes and a babushka, so they couldn’t attend the same mass.

The family lived there for four years. They walked to church, and Father allowed Mother to sing in the choir. Father got a job sweeping floors at a little factory for five cents an hour. When he received his first two nickels, he broke down in tears. The nickels meant more than money; they meant freedom and a future. Zosia never smiled as a child, and her mother always covered her own mouth when she talked. When Uncle Joe took her mother to get her teeth checked, the dentist cried when he saw her teeth. Her mother said it was “a Hitler thing.”

One bright spot in those first years was Club PNA (Polish National Association) which welcomed newcomers, but it was located three miles away, and the Zsibinskis walked there twice a week. Choir rehearsal, lessons on Polish and American history, and art and drama gave them the center they needed to thrive as a family in the community. They also enjoyed picnics and festivals where they participated in Polish dances.

In the fall, Zosia started school at Corpus Cristi. The nuns showed no compassion to the tiny eleven-year-old who spoke little English. They taunted her and then sent her to Mother Superior when Zosia responded with some bad words she’d picked up. Twin boys who had witnessed the interaction stuck up for Zosia by telling Mother Superior what the nuns had said. She made the nuns apologize to Zosia. School was always hard for Zosia who suffered from dyslexia and the language difference. However, she worked hard and finally graduated from St. Thomas the Apostle School in Detroit. 

 

Zofia got a job at JL Hudson’s as a stock girl. She handled all the stock from the third-floor basement to the 23rd floor. Eventually, she was promoted to millinery buyer. Mrs. Charles Fisher and Mrs. Henry Ford were two of her clients. Zofia loved the glamour of it all and later worked as a rep for a wig company. It was there she learned about upper-class behavior. She bought her mother a $25 dress, which was a lot of money for a young girl who supported her parents for $2 an hour pay. Her indomitable spirit and work ethic enabled her to make her way up to superintendent of cosmetics at Revlon and Clairol with an office in New York. 

 

 

Sherri Stewart is woman of faith who loves all things foreign whether it’s food, culture, or language. A former French teacher and flight attendant, her passion is traveling to the settings of her books, sampling the food, and visiting the sites. She savored boterkoeken in Amsterdam for A Song for Her Enemies, and crème brûlée in Paris for its sequel, What Hides beyond the Walls. A widow, Sherri lives in the Orlando area with her dog, Lily, and her son, Joshua, who always has to fix her computer. As an author, editor, and Bible teacher, she hopes her books will entertain and challenge readers to live large and connect with their Savior. Join, chat, and share with her on social media. Newsletter Facebook Twitter Instagram Website
If the Nazis stole your house, wouldn’t you be justified in stealing it back?

When Tamar Feldman admits to her husband, Daniel, and mentor, Neelie Visser, that she broke into her former home, they scold her for taking such a risk. Tamar is tired of being careful. She’s tired of living in the present, as if the past doesn’t matter. But the painting of the violin girl in her former bedroom draws her back again and again. She finally steals the painting to return it to its former owner. Now maybe this small act of justice will help Tamar start to heal. When Neelie sees the painting, she reveals a secret about it that will take the three of them on a quest to Amsterdam and Paris to find justice, forgiveness, and new beginnings. What Tamar doesn’t realize is the past isn’t finished with her yet; in fact, it’s as close as the walls in her house and even follows her to Paris. Amazon

A History of Immigration Pre-Ellis Island by Donna Schlachter

New York bay, Statue of Liberty, and Castle Garden -- Library of Congress

America’s first facility dedicated entirely to the welfare of immigrants opened in 1855, closing in 1890. During this time, more than eight million of the almost eleven million immigrants who entered the United States passed through Castle Garden.

The largest ethnic group entering through this facility were Germans, followed by the Irish, English, Swedish, Italians, Scottish, Russians, Norwegians, Swiss, French, and others. Amazingly, about twenty percent of Americans today can trace their ancestry back to someone who came through this facility.

We know much of this because this was the first depot that kept detailed records as to names of individuals and families, the vessels they arrived in, their destination, the amount of money they carried, and even the names of family members in the US.

"In the Land of Promise", 1864 by Charles Ulrich (National Gallery of Art)

Castle Garden provided new arrivals with a safe place to buy train tickets, to exchange their money, to contact relatives, to rest and even bathe before starting their new life in America. Think about the joy of washing in fresh water for the first time in months following a cross-ocean sailing in cramped quarters.

The Registration desk at Castle Garden (New York Public Library)

The facility was laid out in a large circle, with an open space surrounded by the various offices and booths the new arrivals had to traverse before receiving approval to continue their journey. Inside the facility, immigrants were separated into two lines: those who could speak English, and those who couldn’t. Translators helped those who didn’t know English.

Interior of Castle Garden (Harper's News Monthly 1871)

Castle Garden Baggage Room (New York Public Library)

When the depot first opened, processing luggage was a nightmare, as all bags were tossed into an arena, and folks had to go through them to find their own. Many went missing, never to be recovered. In 1857, a new system of luggage delivery was introduced, where almost twelve thousand square feet was divided into thirty eight stalls, each designed to hold up to eighty suitcases.

Some folks who arrived weren’t able to pay for the train or coach tickets necessary to get them to where they wanted to go. They would leave their baggage at the Depot for up to six days, while they sought work nearby to pay for their passage.

The Exchange Office offered a safe place for immigrants to exchange their foreign currency for American money. The Office posted the exchange rates from Wall Street and update it as the rate changed through the day.

The Railroad Office hosted three companies with connections to New York City. Railroad agents would ask for the destination, then pull out maps and schedules, writing down where and when to change trains at various hubs.

Once business was concluded, immigrants could wander the Rotunda, where two snack bars and a restaurant offered food and drink. Approved boarding house agents advertised safe housing, and relaxation was encouraged.

Castle Garden Bathing Rooms (Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 1866)

The Bathing Rooms were the last stop before leaving the Rotunda. All immigrants received soap, water, and a towel, and bathing was a requirement.

The Castle Garden Hospital (Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 1866)

Outside the Rotunda, a second space was fenced off from the rest of Battery Park. Here, an information bureau, a small hospital, and labor bureaus were located. The hospital employed two physicians and a surgeon, and they inspected all immigrants for health issues. The Information Bureau was built around 1866 to provide information about New York City, and a waiting room where folks could wait until their family arrived to take them home. After every immigrant was registered, they were assembled by family, and their surnames called out. Relatives would step forward and claim them. The Labor Exchange was built in 1867 to help immigrants find work in New York City.

Immigrants in front of Castle Garden in Battery Park (Harper's Magazine 1868)

When ready, the main door would open, releasing a wave of immigrants to Battery Park, where many would sit on benches or on the ground to take in their first glimpse of their new home.

Leave a comment: Would you rather fly or sail to a foreign land to start life over again?

 

 

About A King for Kinsella

Kingston Marchmont flees Australia in search of a new life—and a new opportunity to prove he isn’t the man wrongfully convicted and transported.

Kinsella Jackson struggles to raise her four children following her husband’s mysterious death. Did he jump? Was he pushed? Or was it an accident?

Releases December 30, 2023. Available for preorder now: https://www.amazon.com/King-Kinsella-Mail-Order-Papa-ebook/dp/B0CDFK6LYV

And check out the rest of the Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5F246HT

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching writers at any stage of their manuscript. Learn more at https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs 

 

 

Check out her coaching group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

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Coming to America

Where the immigrants landed

Before I began research on my immigrant novella, Journey to Freedom, I had no idea about the lengthy history of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. While researching the statue, I came across data about the island and wondered how many others know the actual story without learning about it during research. That’s when I decided to follow up my Statue of Liberty piece with the story behind Ellis Island.

Back in the days before we became a nation, the west shore of the upper bay of New York consisted mainly of tidal flats and oyster banks on which the Lenape Indians relied for their major source of food. Several of the islands remained above water at high tide and became known in later years as Liberty Island, Black Tom Island, and Ellis Island. They were named the Oyster Islands by early settlers of the first European colony in the region.

Through the course of years, the railroad eventually killed off the oyster beds, engulfed one island and changed the shoreline of others. One of the islands left became known as Gibbit Island and is where some pirates were hung from one of the islands trees.

Around the time of the American Revolution, it was acquired by one Samuel Ellis and in 1785, he tried to sell the island without much success. In 1794, the state of New York leased the island and began to shore it and fortify in 1795 because too many English warships were able to come into the harbor during the war. No pictures of these early islands could be found.

It was ceded to the United States in 1808. The War Department then established a fourteen gun battery, a mortar battery, magazine and barracks.

From 1808 until 1814 it was a federal arsenal and was named Fort Gibson after Colonel James Gibson who was killed during the 1812 war. It remained a military post for almost 80 years before the government turned it into a federal immigration station. A wooden building was built to process the immigrants in 1892, but in 1897 that building burned. Many records were then lost. A new brick and stone building was then erected and is still there today.

Approximately one million immigrants per year arrived in America between 1905

and 1914. Officials interviewed around 5,000 immigrants per day. In 1907, 1,004,756 immigrants were processed through immigration services on the island.  About 30 to 40% of Americans today can trace their ancestry to immigrants arriving on the island.

In this picture they are crossing over the bridge with all their belongings.

If they were in good health and their papers were in order, immigrants spent anywhere from two to five hours in interviews and health inspections before being allowed in. Officials asked twenty-nine questions including name, occupation, and how much money they carried. 









Those with visible health problems were rejected and either sent back

to their home country or held in the hospital facilities on the island. Some of those men and women, perhaps as many as 3,000, died on the island. About 2% were rejected for other reasons such as poverty, criminal background, or insanity. The island became known as “The Island of Tears” because of the rejections. The Kissing Post stands outside the Registry Room. So called because it’s the spot where relatives and friends greeted the new arrivals with hugs and kisses.

The hospital erected on the island to take care of those who were sick.

Ellis Island as it looked in 1905. 

With the passing of the Immigrant Quota Act of 1921, the number of immigrants allowed to stay declined. After 1924, Ellis Island became a detention center and deportation processing station. During WW11, it was used to hold Axis nationals detained as possible spies. During that time, it also processed returning sick or injured soldiers. After the war, immigration once again rose.

In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson declared the island to be a part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. The public had access to the island on a limited basis from 1976 until 1984 when it underwent a major restoration. The project was completed in 1990 and the museum opened.

Today, the Main Building is home of the Ellis Island National Museum of

Immigration. Approximately 2 million tourists visit the museum annually. 






I’m giving away a Kindle copy of a new collection in which my novella, Freedom’s Journey appears. Four romances of immigrant women finding love in America.

Leave a comment and your email address and answer the questions:
1. When did your ancestors come to America.
2. Did they come through Ellis Island?
3. From what country did they come?

Here is the blurb from my story,  FREEDOM'S JOURNEY:

After her grandmother’s death in England, Rosemary Beckett is left with only a house and no means of support. An old friend of her deceased father offers her a position in America as governess to his grandchildren. He pays her passage, and Rosemary embarks on the journey. When they enter the New York Harbor, she meets a charming young man who catches her interest, but because he’s a first class passenger, she flees and leaves the ship without revealing her identity. Alexander Cartwright is fascinated by the young woman he met, but with no idea who she is, he only dreams of finding her again. When he discovers she’s the new governess to his brother’s children, he believes it’s God’s answer to his prayers and seeks to know her better. Rosemary locks her heart and determines not to be influenced by the handsome Alex. He determines to break the lock and set her heart free, but will he succeed?

Martha Rogers is a multi-published author and writes a weekly devotional for ACFW. Martha and her husband Rex live in Houston, Texas where they are active members of First Baptist Church. They are the parents of three sons and grandparents to eleven grandchildren and great-grandparents to four, soon to be five. Martha is a retired teacher with twenty-eight years teaching Home Economics and English at the secondary level and eight years at the college level supervising student teachers and teaching freshman English. She is the Director of the Texas Christian Writers Conference held in Houston in August each year, a member of ACFW, ACFW WOTS chapter in Houston, and a member of the writers’ group, Inspirational Writers Alive. 

Find Martha at: www.marthawrogers.com

The Statue of Liberty

A Symbol of our Freedom

by Martha Rogers

I have never been to New York City, but I’ve heard about the Statue of Liberty all my life. Imagine the thrill of those immigrants in the late 19th century coming into the harbor and seeing her for the first time. I’m sure I’d be as much in awe now

as people were back then. She is a symbol of freedom and liberty to people all over the world, yet the story of her structure is one that covers a number of years and some controversy.

Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was named to design a sculpture for the statue with a deadline of 1876 to coordinate with America’s centennial.

He chose the robed figure of a woman to represent Libertas, Roman goddess of liberty. She holds a torch above her head with her right hand and carries a tablet in her left. The tablet is inscribed in Roman numerals with “JULY IV MDCCLXXVI” (July 4, 1776), the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. At her feet lies a broken chain representing freedom, thus leading her to become the icon of freedom and a welcome sight for those immigrants coming to America. Here is a close up of her face and crown.

Because Bartholdi needed an engineer to help with the design, he enlisted Alexandre Gustave Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame to provide assistance with structural issues. His expertise helped to make the final structure stand upright.

In the beginning, funds were hard to come by and tedious for both Americans and Frenchmen. Entertainment, public fees, and a national lottery were means used to help with the fund in France. In America, things did not go as smoothly or quickly. Auctions, entertainment, and even fights were arranged to help. Joseph Pulitzer became a catalyst to get the American movement going. He wrote an editorial for his newspaper and put pressure on the rich and middle class to help provide funds.

In 1885, the finances for the pedestal were completed, and the construction completed in April of 1886. The statue had been finished and waiting in France since 1884. In order to get here her, she had to be broken down into 350 pieces and packed in 214 crates. Now that’s a big statue. 

The picture at right is the torch that was first used, but it has since been replaced because of the age and

deterioration of the first one.  It is on 
display there at the museum. 







Here is how it looks today. 

Ten years later than the 1876 target date, on October 28, 1886, she was dedicated and placed on the granite pedestal within the star-shaped walls of Fort Wood. New York City’s first ticker-tape parade took place and President Grover Cleveland presided over the dedication.

Various groups have been assigned to her care and upkeep. Until 1901, that responsibility fell on United States Lighthouse Board. In 1903, the Emma Lazarus Poem, “The New Colossus”, was written for the statue and engraved on a bronze plaque, 20 years after it was written.

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door:”

Those words give me chills even as I read them today. So many thousands of people have come to our shores for the very reasons stated in the poem.

After the Lighthouse Board, the war department took over in 1901. On October 15, 1924, she was declared to be a National Monument by Presidential Proclamation that included Ft. Wood.  In 1933 she was placed in care of the National Park Service which later expanded to include Bedloe Island. In 1956, the name was changed to Liberty Island.

Not until 1965 was Ellis Island transferred to the National Park Service to become part of the monument. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan began a campaign to restore the monument at the cost of $87 million dollars. In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was declared as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations. Reconstruction was completed on July 5, 1986, one hundred years after her first dedication.

Originally, tourists could explore all parts of the statue, including the arm and torch she held high. The crown contained observation windows for tourists to look out over the harbor.  In 1916, the arm and torch area were declared unsafe and shut off from tourists.

In order to comprehend how huge the statute is, remember it was shipped in 214 crates. Parts of her were sent to various places to be on display. The Centennial Exposition in 

Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876 displayed the torch and arm. Other parts were displayed elsewhere. This is her foot to give you some perspective of her colossal size. 

After September 11, 2001, she was closed for 100 days. The grounds re-opened, but the statue remained closed until August of 2004. Today visitors may tour the island and go to the pedestal observation deck to view the harbor. Tourists also have access to a promenade, museum, Fort Wood and Ellis Island. Although I have never seen the Statue of Liberty in person, her image still brings a lump to my throat and thankfulness for this country to my heart. 

My new novella, Freedom's Journey tells the story of a young woman who came as an immigrant in 1887 will be released in February.

After her grandmother's death in England, Rosemary Beckett is left with only a house and no means of support. An old friend of her deceased father offers her a position as governess to his grandchildren. He pays her passage and Rosemary embarks on her journey. When they arrive in New York Harbor, she meets a charming young man who catches her interest, but because he's a first class passenger, she flees the ship without revealing her identify. Alexander Cartwright finds her again when he visits his brother and sees her as the governess. He believes this is God's answer to his prayers to find her, but her heart is locked against any relationship with a family member. He is determined to break that lock and set her heart free for love.

Martha Rogers is a multi-published author and writes a weekly devotional for ACFW. Martha and her husband Rex live in Houston, Texas where they are active members of First Baptist Church. They are the parents of three sons and grandparents to eleven grandchildren and great-grandparents to four. Martha is a retired teacher with twenty-eight years teaching Home Economics and English at the secondary level and eight years at the college level supervising student teachers and teaching freshman English. She is the Director of the Texas Christian Writers Conference held in Houston in August each year, a member of ACFW, ACFW WOTS chapter in Houston, and a member of the writers’ group, Inspirational Writers Alive.

Find Martha at:  www.marthawrogers.com