H.R. No. 1230
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Each October, Americans of Polish ancestry
celebrate Polish American Heritage Month, and that observance
provides a fitting opportunity to take note of the many
contributions the Polish people have made to the history and
culture of the Lone Star State; and
WHEREAS, In 1818, Polish veterans of the Napoleonic Wars were
among the settlers who founded an early colony near Galveston, the
Champ d'Asile military camp; after the failure of the Polish
uprising against the Russian empire in 1830, other Polish veterans
came to America and took part in the Texas Revolution, including
Michael Debicki, Francis and Adolph Petrussewicz, John Kornicky,
and Joseph Schrusnecki, all of whom died at Goliad, and Felix
Wardzinski, who fought at San Jacinto; and
WHEREAS, In the 1850s, a Polish Franciscan priest named
Father Leopold Moczygemba, who was at that time serving parishes in
New Braunfels and Castroville, sent letters home that inspired some
100 Polish families to sail to Galveston aboard the Weser and settle
in Karnes County; here, the town of Panna Maria ("Virgin Mary")
became the first permanent Polish colony in the United States and
home to the nation's first Polish Catholic church and Polish
school; and
WHEREAS, During the Civil War, a Polish engineer, Valerian
Salkowski, designed the Confederate fortifications at Galveston,
and Joseph Cotulla, for whom the county seat of La Salle County is
named, served in the First Texas Cavalry of the Union Army; a new
wave of immigrants in the 1870s settled in Anderson, Brenham,
Bremond, and other towns, and a century later, as Poland's
Communist regime was failing, more Poles settled in major urban
areas of the state; and
WHEREAS, Poles have had a strong influence on the state's
arts and culture; the German-Polish artist Carl von Iwonski painted
Texas pioneers from the 1850s until the 1870s; Polish musicians
helped introduce the polka beat and the accordion that are an
integral part of Tex-Mex music, and the Fryderyk Chopin Society of
Texas and the Chopin Society of Houston have supported the
performance of Polish classical music in the state; moreover, such
distinctive Polish cuisine as kielbasa and pierogis are popular
items in many parts of the state and particularly at festivals held
in Brenham, Bremond, and other communities; and
WHEREAS, Thousands of Poles and people of Polish descent have
made Texas their home over the past two centuries, and the Lone Star
State has benefited immensely from their drive, passion, and
ingenuity; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize October 2017 as Polish American
Heritage Month in Texas and honor the contributions of Poles and
people of Polish descent to our state.
White
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1230 was adopted by the House on April
13, 2017, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House