Papers by Richard D Custer
Naše rodina / Our Family, 2012
Historical background of Carpatho-Rusyn immigration to New Jersey, focusing especially on the dev... more Historical background of Carpatho-Rusyn immigration to New Jersey, focusing especially on the development of communities in Jersey City, Passaic-Garfield-Clifton, Bayonne, Perth Amboy, Trenton, and Manville. Covers church history and chain migration from European villages to New Jersey towns and cities, as well as ethnic descriptors adopted by the immigrants. Profiles several individuals of Carpatho-Rusyn background born and raised in the state or with New Jersey roots. Finally, it provides sources and recommendations on doing Carpatho-Rusyn genealogical research in the state.
Naše rodina / Our Family, 2016
A history of the Carpatho-Rusyn immigrant settlement of Connecticut, covering important centers s... more A history of the Carpatho-Rusyn immigrant settlement of Connecticut, covering important centers such as Bridgeport, Ansonia, New Britain, Stamford, and Danbury, as well as smaller colonies like Terryville, Waterbury, Meriden, and Willimantic.
Lemkos began to settle in the United States in the late 1870s. By the mid-1880s, numerous communi... more Lemkos began to settle in the United States in the late 1870s. By the mid-1880s, numerous communities of Lemkos and other Carpatho-Rusyns were forming in the anthracite coal mining districts of northeastern Pennsylvania. One of the largest concentrations of Lemko immigrants was in the city of Shamokin and in surrounding coal “patches” such as Excelsior, Hickory Swamp, and Enterprise. The community’s development began with the founding of the Ss. Cyril & Methodius Brotherhood (1888) and Transfiguration Greek Catholic Church (1889).
In addition to the church and fraternal lodges, the 1889 founding of the Russian Mercantile Company, a cooperative store run by and for Lemkos/Carpatho-Rusyns, was a milestone that led to the proliferation of Lemko-owned hotels/taverns and grocery stores in the city. Many of the leading businessmen were also active in the local Greek Catholic parish and in the Ruskii Narodnŷi Soiuz/Russian National Union founded in Shamokin in 1893 (in 1914 renamed the Ukrainian National Association).
The article draws on city directories, biographical information, memoirs, and advertisements in newspapers and almanacs to describe the development of local Lemko community institutions and businesses. It focuses on the activities of community leaders and businessmen Tevdozii Talpash (Theodor Talpasz), Ivan/John Talpash, Iuliian Kopŷstianskii (Julian Kopyscianski), Ivan Glova (John Glowa), Aleksii Sharshon' (Alexis Sharshon), Havryl Malyniak (Gabriel Maliniak), Petro Kuzmych (Peter Kuzmicz), Iefrem Luchkovets (Ephrem Luczkovec), and others, some of whom even became board members of otherwise non-Lemko establishments functioning beyond their ethnic community. This serves to illustrate a ready adaptation to American society and a vibrant entrepreneurship in the early Lemko immigration that was first manifested in Shamokin and seen later in other American Lemko communities.
Carpatho-Rusyns and Their Neighbors: Essays in Honor of Paul Robert Magocsi. Edited by Bogdan Horbal, Patricia A. Krafcik, and Elaine Rusinko. Fairfax, VA: Eastern Christian Publications, 2006
Rusyn-American Almanac of the Carpatho-Rusyn Society 2004-2005, Richard D. Custer, ed. Pittsburgh, PA: Slavia Printing, 2005., 2005
Introduction to the Rusyn-American Almanac of the Carpatho-Rusyn Society 2004-2005, with a survey... more Introduction to the Rusyn-American Almanac of the Carpatho-Rusyn Society 2004-2005, with a survey of almanacs published throughout Carpatho-Rusyn history in the European homeland and the U.S.
Rusyn-American Almanac of the Carpatho-Rusyn Society 2004-2005, Richard D. Custer, ed. Pittsburgh, PA: Slavia Printing, 2005., 2005
Background and overview of emigration to the United States from the Carpatho-Rusyn-inhabited vill... more Background and overview of emigration to the United States from the Carpatho-Rusyn-inhabited village of Poráč, Spišská Nová Ves District, Slovakia.
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Papers by Richard D Custer
In addition to the church and fraternal lodges, the 1889 founding of the Russian Mercantile Company, a cooperative store run by and for Lemkos/Carpatho-Rusyns, was a milestone that led to the proliferation of Lemko-owned hotels/taverns and grocery stores in the city. Many of the leading businessmen were also active in the local Greek Catholic parish and in the Ruskii Narodnŷi Soiuz/Russian National Union founded in Shamokin in 1893 (in 1914 renamed the Ukrainian National Association).
The article draws on city directories, biographical information, memoirs, and advertisements in newspapers and almanacs to describe the development of local Lemko community institutions and businesses. It focuses on the activities of community leaders and businessmen Tevdozii Talpash (Theodor Talpasz), Ivan/John Talpash, Iuliian Kopŷstianskii (Julian Kopyscianski), Ivan Glova (John Glowa), Aleksii Sharshon' (Alexis Sharshon), Havryl Malyniak (Gabriel Maliniak), Petro Kuzmych (Peter Kuzmicz), Iefrem Luchkovets (Ephrem Luczkovec), and others, some of whom even became board members of otherwise non-Lemko establishments functioning beyond their ethnic community. This serves to illustrate a ready adaptation to American society and a vibrant entrepreneurship in the early Lemko immigration that was first manifested in Shamokin and seen later in other American Lemko communities.