I recently completed an online class in US: Occupational Records through the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. One source for occupational information discussed in the class was City and Business Directories.
My grandparents lived in Worcester, Massachusetts and, luckily, Ancestry.com has digitized a large number of Worcester Directories, many of which were provided by the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
My grandfather, Kostanty Niedzialkowski, immigrated to the United States from Russian Poland in May 1910. On his passenger manifest, he stated that he planned to stay with his uncle, Franciszek Niedzialkowsky, at 18 Huntington Ave., Worcester, Mass.
In the 1911 Worcester Directory published by Drew Allis Co., my grandfather is listed with his uncle at that same address.
Worcester Directory 1911 Entry for Frank & Kostanty Niedziatkosky
SOURCE: Massachusetts City Directories, Worcester 1911, page 508, Frank Niedziatkosky and Kostanty Niedziatkosky; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 November 2007); citing Worcester directory 1911 containing a general directory of the citizens, a business directory, and the city and county registers, with map. 1911. Worcester, Mass: Drew Allis Co.
Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Worcester Directory 1911 Entry for Frank & Kostanty Niedziatkosky. The brief record states the following:
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Frank Niedziatkosky was a moulder at 100 Prescott and lived at 18 Huntington av;
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Kostanty Niedziatkosky was a springmaker for Morgan Spring Co and boarded at 18 Huntington av.
The spelling of the surname, Niedziatkosky, is in error. The Polish letter “ł” was incorrectly entered as the English letter “t”. This error is not unexpected. In Poland, the name was spelled “Niedziałkowski” but, in America, the name was often spelled without the “w” and with a “y” in place of the final “i”.
My grandfather’s occupation was a surprise to me. I never knew he worked as a springmaker at Morgan Spring Co. I don’t know how long he held this occupation but, for a young Polish immigrant who spoke little English and grew up on a farm, it was probably quite an exciting opportunity.
But where did Frank work? His occupation was moulder and he worked at 100 Prescott Street in Worcester, but that’s all I know. And where was Morgan Spring Co., where my grandfather worked? I have a couple more questions to answer, now.
Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko
