Wilczewo 1893


Who lived here?

It has not been determined if any of the following families are related to our ancestors. However, they are included here due to the high probability that they were indeed related. Michael Zielinski and Marianna Zielinski were siblings. Some of these families ended up in Menasha.

Michael Zielinski and Justina Kulecka and family lived in Wilczewo from about 1860 until 1881. The couple was married in the Catholic Parish in Pestlin, Poland on January 30, 1860. All 8 of their children were born in Wilczewo. Their first child Anton was born on August 30, 1860. He was followed by Rosalia on August 27, 1862, Mike on September 30, 1864, John on July 11, 1869, Francisca on April 12, 1872, Stanley on August 26, 1874, Hedwig on November 15, 1876, and Antonia on January 26, 1879. The family emigrated to the United States sometime around 1881, and settled in Menasha, Wisconsin.

Frank Lingnowski and Marianna Zielinski  (Michael's sister) lived in Wilczewo from at least July 1870 until March of 1874, when the family emigrated to the United States. Prior to residing in Wilczewo, the family lived in Ellerbruch. Four children were born prior to living in Wilczewo. Two were born in Wilczewo: Anton born July 10, 1870, and Anastasia born February 10, 1873. In late March of 1874, the family began emigrating to America, arriving in New York on April 13, 1874 aboard the SS Minister Rooni from Bremen, Germany. They settled in Menasha, Wisconsin.

Dominik Lingnowski and Catharina Trzcinski lived in Wilczewo from at least 1869 until emigrating to America in September 1873. Dominik was the brother of Frank Lingnowski. At least four children were born to them in Wilczewo, including: Franz born October 10, 1869, Dominik born September 2, 1870, Johann born May 23, 1872, and Anna born June 19, 1873. The family departed Poland for the New World in September 1873. They arrived in New York aboard the SS Mosel on October 10, 1873, and made the trek to Menasha, Wisconsin where they settled down. They are the earliest immigrants to the United States that I have been able to find in our family. (Although family relationship has not been confirmed, I feel confident they are related to our ancestors.) They may have been the impetus for others in our family to follow later.

Anton Zielinski and Anna Kulecka also lived in Wilczewo, but I haven't established a relationship with this family. Most likely, they are related. Anton and Anna lived in Wilczewo from 1854-56 and again from at least 1865 to at least 1873. In between those years, it appears that they lived in Schonweise. I have confirmed baptism records for son Johann born in Wilczewo on December 22, 1854 and son Michael born in Wilczewo on February 2, 1856. Then I have confirmed baptism records for 2 children born in Schonweise: daughter Apolonia on April 18, 1861 and son Anton on April 22, 1863. Four more children followed, all born in Wilczewo: son Franz on April 28, 1865, son Hironimus on February 8, 1867, daughter Anna on May 22, 1871, and son August on September 18, 1873. I have no records indicating anyone in this family emigrated to America.

The first documented evidence of a village in Wilczewo was in the year 1401, when the village was known as Wilczin. Over the years, the village has also been known as Wilczhin, Wilczen, Wilsthen, Wilken, Wilcz, and Wylczewo. Wilczewo is in the county of Stuhm. Historically it was in the German province of Westpreussen. Since the end of World War II in 1945, the village is in Poland and currently belongs to the province of Pomorskie.

In 1885, Wilczewo consisted of 7 houses, and 113 inhabitants. Of these inhabitants, 71 were Catholic and 42 were Protestant. It's interesting that as small as this village was (and still is), so many of our ancestors came from here! The Catholic Parish for Wilczewo was in Pestlin, 11 km away. The nearest post office, telegraph, and rail line were in Nikolaiken (Mikolajki), about 3.5 km away.

Wilczewo Today


Wilczewo today - a very small farming village
(click map for larger Google map)