Mike Jankowski
Immigration Passenger List
(not confirmed)
Above is a page from the passenger list of the S.S. Moravia upon its arrival in the port of New York on March 10, 1890. The ship had departed Hamburg, Germany on February 24th - a 14-day voyage. The second entry shows "Michal Jankowsky", age 30, male, workman, from Wichowo, Russia. (At this time in history, Poland did not exist. Russia, Austria, and Germany had partitioned the country, so it was not uncommon for many immigrants to list their homeland as Russia, Prussia, or Austria.) Interestingly enough, the next line shows "Franz Lewandowsky", a 25-year old baker also from Wichowo, Russia. This could be the brother of Mike's future bride, Rosalia Lewandowski. If so, it would answer the question of how Mike and Rosa came to know each other.
Below is a page from the passenger list of the same ship upon departure from Hamburg.
(Click on either image to see the full-size document.)
During my research, I came across another passenger list with a Michael Jankowski listed (see below). This is on the S.S. America, which arrived in Baltimore from Bremen, Germany on June 27, 1888. This Michael Jankowski is 27 years old from Austria, a smith by trade, and destined for Wisconsin. The age and destination certainly fit, as does the time frame. It is possible that Mike came to America in 1888, the rest of the family came in 1889, and then Mike returned to Poland for some unknown reason, returning to America in 1890 with Franz Lewandowski. I have not yet been able to prove which (if either) of these passenger lists actually belongs to Mike Jankowski, the son of Constantin. A case could be made for either one or both.
According to Lena, Mike was the first member of the family to immigrate to America. He travelled by train to Antigo, where he lived with a friend from Poland and worked in a sawmill in Elmhurst, walking 5 miles each way to work, and earning $1.25 per week. He saved enough money for the rest of the family to immigrate.
(Click on image to see the full page)
