(Early) Slovenes of Cleveland

A page to collect the research and start a more formalized study into the Early Slovenes of Cleveland, Ohio. Key is we are trying to find out what started their migration to Cleveland. We know, starting in the 1890's, they came because other relatives or those from their village were already here. Cleveland was plentiful with jobs and the Eastern Europeans were to come and displace the Irish and other earlier immigrants in the dirty, hard jobs of the steel mills and iron processing; especially the building of rails for the railroad and other heavy-iron industries. Automotive and similar jobs would not arrive until much later. So if you have any additional information to add, please let us know to add to it here. We hope to source all information as well as do a more detailed search in the Diocese and Cleveland archives for further information.

Earliest Documented Arrivals

John Pintar (1879)

Documented as having first come in 1879 for five months then returned to Slovenia. Came back to America; first to Ely, Minnesota and a small farming commune of Slovenians there then returned to Cleveland. Only to walk to Pueblo Colorado and then walk back. No descendants nor wife.

References:

• The Jugoslavs of Cleveland, 1918, by Eleanor Ledbetter, CPL. See Page 13. States came originally in 1879. (See also GoogleBooks)

Jožef Turk (1881-3)

Often documented as the first permanent, Slovenian resident of Cleveland. Some say coming in 1881; others in 1883. But oft given that he and a dozen or so others moved from the future St Vitus neighborhood to the future St Lawrence one in 1885.

References:

• Capture above from page 186 in the article by Miggins, Edward M., Between Spires and Stacks: The People & Neighborhoods of Cleveland (pp 179-201) in Cleveland: A Metropolitan Reader, edited by William Dennis Keating, Norman Krumholz, and David C Perry, Kent State University Press, 1995, 402pages
• History of Marijin Spolek in CWRU Encyclopedia of Cleveland History (reference source is Turk, Frank J. Slovenski Pionir (1955))
• The Jugoslavs of Cleveland, 1918, by Eleanor Ledbetter, CPL. See Page 13. States came in 1883. (See also GoogleBooks)
• History (of St. Vitus Church). States Turk came on 25 Oct 1881.
• St Vitus Church (History) by Michael Barkacs, 27 Sep 2015, in Cleveland Historical (references and repeats some content of the Saint Vitus site.)
• Jožef Turk Geni.com entry as taken from MyHeritage trees in 2016
• Ohio History BlogPost by Jenni Salamon in 20 April 2018 announcing some 1940's issues of newspaper Enakopravnost now available in LoC Chronicaling America (note, not Ameriška Domovina). Regurgitates Turk as first resident but does not indicate date. Separately states Slovenes started arriving in 1882.

Johan Baznik (1892)

John Baznik came to Cleveland in 1892 for as yet undiscovered reasons. Married there in 1894 with kids arriving shortly after. All kids born in Cleveland. Believed to be a relative but not yet checked with DNA testing. Ignac Baznik, a known relative, states in his ship arrival papers he is going to brother Johan in Cleveland.

References:

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References:

John Rogelj (1878?)

John Rogelj's children mostly settled in Cleveland. Arriving in the late 1890's and onward. He came back a third time in 1899 with a daughter in tow but they both immediately headed to Montana where he had already been working a land grant he had up there. His census declaration is he first arrived in 1888. But not clear if to Cleveland or where yet. Two other daughters arrived together in 1898, headed straight to Cleveland, and were married within a month. Seemingly something he arranged either on a previous visit or back in Slovenia. So much to verify and understand here. (Note: There are many John Rogelj's both in Cleveland and Montana; some even born within a year of each other and living a few blocks apart. Can be difficult to disentangle them.)

References:

Simon and Theresa Oman (1872)

Not in Cleveland. They are in Brockway, Minnesota with a number of other Slovenians. One of their sons, JJ Oman, was the long time pastor of St Lawrence church. The 1880 census captures them with some kids born in America already, as well as many neighbors. Need to investigate more to understand how early Slovenians started a farming settlement in Minnesota. Did it pre-date the mines that many came to work there? Also, where in Slovenia did they originate? Makes us wonder if there were other Slovenians near our Ban relatives in Missouri who became rural farmers after arrival around 1908. (note: not in the MyCuz database yet; only on Ancestry. Not a relative but tracking because of big impact in the relatives lives. Baptized and married hundreds of them. His mother stayed with him in the parish house and was well linked into the families there.)

References:

Major Neighborhoods

• St. Clair & E64th and St Vitus Catholic Church, National Home (Church and Home still open)
• Newburgh (E80th & Union) and St Lawrence Catholic Church, "NASH" National Home
• Collinwood (E152nd & St Clair) and St Marys Catholic Church

Minor Neighborhoods

• Raymond & Stanley and St Wenceslas Catholic Church (church was primarily Czech; but a core Slovenian neighborhood and National Home was nearby)

More General External References

• Article Cleveland Slovenes by Rudolph M. Susel in Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, edited by John J. Grabowski (2017). States. Without reference, claims that that Newburgh was the first neighborhood.
• Article "Between Spires and Stacks: The People & Neighborhoods of Cleveland'' by Edward M. Miggins, pp179-201 in Cleveland: A Metropolitan Reader, edited by William Dennis Keating, Norman Krumholz, and David C Perry, Kent State University Press, 1995, 402pages.
• Klemenčič, Matjaž; Slovenes of Cleveland: The Creation of a New Nation and a New World Community Slovenia and the Slovenes of Cleveland, Ohio, 1995, Tiskarna Novo Mesto, Novo Mesto, 414pp
• Dutka, Alan F; Slovenes in Cleveland: A History, The History Press, 2017, 160pp
• Ohio History Blog post announcing some 1940's issues of Enakopravnost now available in LoC Chronicaling America (note, not Ameriška Domovina). (see also Chronicling America there)
• Slovenian Museum in old Slovenian National Home of St Clair / St Vitus neighborhood in Cleveland, OH