Lithuanians in Cleveland
by
Algis Ruksenas The settlement of Lithuanians in Cleveland follows historical patterns similar to those of other East European
nations. The first wave of immigrants came here at the turn of the century (1890-1910), and the second wave, more appropriately termed political refugees, arrived in the wake of Word War II (1948-50), after the USSR had
forcibly annexed Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia in 1940. Early Lithuanians, the first of whom are recorded here in 1871, were absorbed as cheap labor into thriving local industries. They concentrated around St. Clair
and Oregon Ave. (now Rockwell) and ranged eastward to about E. 71st St. between Oregon and Cedar avenues. The overwhelming Catholic sentiments of the early community were evidenced in the establishment in 1895 of Saint
George Lithuanian Church, which was housed at several locations until a cornerstone was laid in 1921 for the present structure at E. 67th St. and Superior Ave. In 1995 St. George's celebrated its 100th anniversary. The
church was the center of social, civic , and community activity. Although the laissez faire system of the time exploited many immigrants, it also offered opportunities for success, and by the first decade of the 20th
century, about 50 business establishments, many of them taverns that also served as informal community centers, boasted Lithuanian ownership. That was at a period when little more than 1,000 Lithuanians lived here.
Successful entrepreneurs became natural community leaders and established institutional anchors for the further coalescence of the Lithuanian community, especially in the face of negative attitudes from the indigenous
population. In 1906 civic and business leaders established the Lithuanian Bldg. & Loan Assn. ("the Lithuanians' bank"), which evolved after World War II into the Super Savings & Loan Assn. Another core
institution was the Lithuanian Hall Society, which bought a building in 1920 at E. 69th St. and Superior Ave. and which, as the Lithuanian Hall, became a center for the nurturing of cultural, civic, and artistic
expressions of the Lithuanian heritage. This organization now survives as The American Lithuanian Citizens Club 877 East 185th Street. Another mainstay of the community was the newspaper DIRVA
(est. 1915). It was one of several publications current in the first part of the century but is the only one surviving to this day. Among the early organizations were benevolent groups such as the St. George's Society (est. 1885). Other self-help groups sprang up as well, but eventually merged into the Lithuanian Alliance of America and the American-Lithuanian Roman Catholic Alliance, with posts in major cities. Other organizations, manifesting a need and a desire by the immigrants to maintain their culture and heightened by a national reawakening in Lithuania itself, which led to the independence of the country in 1918, thrived in the inter war period. By 1930, when approx. 10,000-12,000 Lithuanians lived in Cleveland, there were more than 15 civic, cultural, religious, sports, artistic, and political organizations centered here, and local chapters of more than 20 national organizations. The Lovers of the Homeland Society (Tevynes Myletoju Draugija) and the Knights of Lithuania (Lietuvos Vyciai) were among prominent groups in the early period of immigration. They were social and service organizations, with the Knights of Lithuania active to this day. The growing community expanded eastward over the years, and by 1929 a second parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, was founded in the Collinwood area. A cornerstone for the present church was laid in 1952 at Neff Rd. and Sable Ave., and the church , school, and hall were completed in the early 1960s. Cohesiveness, thrift, diligence, and recognition of educational values were evident traits noted by observers of the Lithuanian immigrants, as were their long-standing contributions to the community by the establishment of the Lithuanian Cultural Gardens in Rockefeller Park including some funding from Saint George Parish.
The second wave of immigrants came after World War II, when approx. 4,000 Lithuanian refugees settled here. This influx comprised mainly educated, professional levels of
society and included the last president of the pre war Lithuanian Republic, Antanas Smetona
, who came here during the war and perished in a fire in his son's home on January 9, 1944. His last testament to the nation was the advice given to
friends a week earlier: ``One must go down various routes to one goal - restoration of Lithuanian Independence. One must not be discouraged, if everyone does not fit into one organization." ( Presidnt Smetona is interned in a mausoleum at All Soul's Cemetery about 30 miles east of Cleveland along with
many other Lithuanians.) Postwar refugees maintained a deep-seated feeling that their country would soon be freed from Soviet domination
and that their stay here was temporary. For that reason, they tended to form their own organizations centered around institutions transferred here from the Old Country or formed anew, rather than join organizations
established by the early immigrants, who had become not only acculturated to American ways but assimilated as well. Some established institutions, such as St. George's and Our Lady of Perpetual Help parishes and the
newspaper DIRVA, were rejuvenated as a result of the new arrivals. Other organizations that had their roots in the homeland and were now forbidden under Soviet rule proliferated. Thus, the scouting movement,
university fraternities, religious organizations, professional societies, the Army Reserve of the Lithuanian Republic (Ramove), the former national guard (Siauliai), and other groups quickly reestablished themselves
here and wherever other Lithuanian immigrants found themselves in the free world.
An all-encompassing cultural, educational, civic, and social organization, the
Lithuanian-American Community of the USA, Inc. (Lietuviu Bendruomene), was
formalized in 1952. On the political front, the Lithuanian-American Council (Amerikos Lietuviu Taryba), active in the U.S. since 1942, lobbied during the war and after on behalf of the plight of Lithuania under Soviet
rule. The council embraced major organizations of the early immigrants as well as postwar organizations such as the Lithuanian Christian Democratic party, the Socialists, the Natl. Alliance, the Lithuanian Front, and
others. Saturday schools for youngsters were an immediate priority for the preservation of the Lithuanian language, heritage, and culture. For that purpose, the Bp. M. Valancius School opened at St. George's Church in
1949 and conducted classes in the mid-1960s. St. Casimir School started classes at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in 1952 and is in session to the present time. In 1949 the Lithuanian Voice Radio Program (Tevynes
Garsai) was founded by a group of community activists. Boy and Girl Scout troops, a Catholic student federation (ATEITIS), a Lithuanian cultural fund, and a refugee society were all formed the same year. In 1950 an
athletic club (Zaibas) was instituted, as was a theatrical society (Vaidila). In the cultural and artistic field, the Lithuanian Natl. Art Ensemble (CIURLIONIS) was reestablished upon its arrival here in 1994, followed
by the formation in 1953 of the Folk Dance Group (Grandinele). Both these groups achieved international acclaim through concerts in various countries.
The postwar period brought an added vitality to the
Lithuanian community, whose members became acculturated quite readily and successfully, but who were more actively attuned to the preservation of the Lithuanian heritage in the face of the Russification occurring in
Lithuania itself. A new community center, Lithuanian Village, was built and dedicated in 1973 along E. 185th St., and community activity shifted to that area and into the eastern suburbs. The Lithuanian community, which
presently numbers about 16,000, remains active in civic, social, artistic, political, and community affairs, with a vast majority of the children of postwar immigrants holding degrees in higher education and
well-situated in the professions. Cleveland's Lithuanian community is recognized as one of the most active and productive in terms of organizational activity, community consciousness, political and civic involvement in
the general affairs of Greater Cleveland, literary activity and the arts, and folk art ensembles, and is the home community of numerous persons prominent in various fields among the Lithuanian nation worldwide. A
notable measure of the Cleveland community's standing as a major anchor of the Lithuanian culture apart from the homeland is the Lithuanian Collection at Kent State Univ., a permanent archive of upwards of 15,000
volumes of historical documents, rare books, memoirs, publications, and papers chronicling the Lithuanian experience of immigration and exile.
A monumental impact on the community was the re-establishment of
Lithuanian independence and the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. The leader of the re-established state, Vytautas Landsbergis, visited Cleveland several times seeking support even while Soviet troops
were still in control of the country. When Lithuania was formally recognized, the new U.S. ambassador, Darryl N. Johnson, made a trip to Cleveland his first official stateside visit in that capacity. Both the visits of
Landsbergis and Johnson were in acknowledgment of the significant role the Lithuanian-American community here played in the 50-year lobby effort on behalf of the liberation of the land of their roots. More recent
visitations by Lithuanian ambassadors Eidintas and Sakalauskas, as well as a visit from Lithuanian
Foreign Minister Algirdas Saudargas in 1998 highlight the importance of Cleveland to the newly independent Lithuanian nation.
As a
result of the many years of organized effort aimed at the goal of the re-establishment of the Lithuanian state, many organizations presently are grappling with a need to redefine their own roles in the community. There
has been a modest level of return migration and some members in the community have established business ties with the country, while others have offered professional assistance through U.S. government and private
programs to assist Lithuania's transition to democracy and a market economy. © 1998 Algis Ruksenas
A Brief History of Lithuanians in Pennsylvania's Coal Region by Andrew Popalis
The discovery of anthracite coal in Pennsylvania and the promise of employment attracted many Lithuanian
immigrants to Schuylkill County. These immigrants would flock to small towns like Minersville, Mahanoy City and
Shenandoah. Laboring in the coalmines was dangerous, backbreaking, dirty work. A day in the mines lasted ten
hours, and the average pay was twenty-five cents an hour, which was good compared to other industries. During the mid to late 19th
century discrimination and prejudice were everyday realities for Lithuanian immigrants, but surrounding these mountains they would find a home. The Lithuanians formed tight knit communities in the towns
and patches of the coal region. Schuylkill County is home to 12 Lithuanian parishes, and the church's role was vital to this feeling of brotherhood.SHENANDOAH
– The land on which Shenandoah is located was first settled between 1820 and 1835. Lithuanians began to arrive in Shenandoah during the year 1869. These Lithuanian residents were eager to establish
a parish, so in 1872 they banded together, with some new Polish arrivals, to form The Society of St. Casimir. In
1874, St. Casimir's church in Shenandoah became the first church in America financed and built solely through
contributions from Lithuanians. However through an error, this church was registered as a Polish Catholic church.
Later, because of a lack of Lithuanian priests, a Polish priest was assigned to the parish. Escalating tensions would
eventually lead to the Society of St. Casimir changing its name to The St. George Beneficial Society. These
immigrants then did what may have seemed impossible to many; they obtained permission to form a new parish and
proceeded to build a second church, St. George's. St. George's prospered and the growth of the parish mirrored the growth of its town.
Shenandoah became such a draw for immigrants who needed work that the town's population grew rapidly. Entire
families lived in cellars because of the housing shortage. Shenandoah was even listed in ``Ripley's Believe It or Not"
as the most congested square mile in the United States. From 1915 through the mid 1920's the town's population was in excess of 30,000.
Lithuanians made considerable contributions to their new home, as far back as 1898 a survey found the following Lithuanian owned businesses; 59 Taverns, 17 Stores, 5 Meat Markets, 4 Tailors, 8 Cobblers, 3 Barbers, 1
Blacksmith, 5 Morticians, 5 Livery Stables and 2 Printers. Lithuanians served their fellow citizens as politicians, for
forty-two years the office of Mayor was held by men of Lithuanian descent. These immigrants established Citizens Clubs and Beneficial Societies. They created schools, for their children's education.
In 1884, the Shenandoah
Lithuanians formed the first Lithuanian Band in the United States St. George's Church would continue to evolve through the 20th century. The church would survive fire and undergo
renovation more than once, but through it all this gothic style church would invite Lithuanians with these words from the vestibule ceiling: ``Come unto me, all you who labor, and are heavily burdened."
MAHANOY CITY - Mahanoy City was founded in 1859 and incorporated as a borough on December 16, 1863. Mahanoy City's name comes from the Native American word ``mahoni", meaning ``salt lick".
The town's large Lithuanian community began settling this area in the mid 1800's. These devote immigrants established the parish of St. Joseph's in 1888. For a time, in the late 19th
century, St. Joseph's was the only area parish to have a Lithuanian priest. This parish was necessary for the developing Lithuanian community in the northern part of Schuylkill County.
MINERSVILLE - Minersville was incorporated as a borough in 1831. While first settled in 1793 by Thomas
Reed, the area remained sparsely populated until the opening of the first mining operation in 1818. The population
of Minersville in 1840 was 1,265. By 1930 the population had grown to 9,392, due in some part to the influx of
Lithuanian immigrants and the booming anthracite industry. Today Minersville is noted for its beautiful churches; among them is the Lithuanian parish, St. Francis of Assisi, established in 1895.
BROCKTON - Situated in Schuylkill Township, one of the original county townships, Brockton is the small village
that played a big part in Lithuanian-American history. The Lithuanian parish of St. Bartholomew is possibly the oldest in the United States, founded in 1846.
Today Schuylkill County is nothing like the land of opportunity that existed in the 19th century. In the past coal
companies had discouraged other industries from locating in the county, this lack of competition would ensure an
ample supply of workers to mine coal under the Coal Baron's terms. Later when the mines were fully exploited and
forced to close, jobs were at a premium for the residents of Schuylkill County. The population today is only a faction of early 20th
century figures. Still the descendants of these immigrants remember and celebrate their Lithuanian heritage. This land has special significance for them, as it did for their ancestors so long ago. Back to Top |
