This article describes in a negative, stereotypical way, a “Polander” wedding in Turners Falls, Massachusetts. People from Eastern Europe were often grouped together as “Poles” or “Polanders” despite which country they were from. The author claims that participants at these weddings “generally wind up in the district court,” and that “while these times generally wind up in a misunderstanding it is rarely that anyone is hurt and they always have the money to pay any fine imposed.” The author describes Eastern European workers as being “industrious and thrifty,” but at the same time says, “They live mostly on rye bread and bologona sausage or smoked meat. They are good workers and with all their faults will in time make good citizens.”
Greenfield Gazette and Courier. “The Poles at Turners Falls.” September 29, 1900. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l02-152/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
Please note: Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.