Traveling Through Kosciusko Texas in 1954.... As observed by a traveler, EC Sallis, for the Star Herald in Kosciusko, Mississippi. I love the references to Mr. Pruski at Pruski's store and that people were keeping to themselves.
The Star Herald - January 14 1954
I thought you might be interested in another Kosciusko - Kosciusko, Texas. I have passed there several times and saw the sign and arrow pointing to Kosciusko. Being born in Kozy and raised there and at Sallis, I was interested in curious about another Kosciusko . I was on my way back to Corpus Christi from Austin a few weeks ago and decided to investigate this to Kosciusko .
It is on Texas highway number 123 between Karnes City and Stockdale. It is not an incorporated town, however. It has two stores and filling stations combined, a cotton gin, a good size school, a large community house and a beautiful new church.
I want into one of the stores to ask a few questions. At first the man, a Mr Pruski, didn't seem to want to answer my questions. I told him I was born in a town in Mississippi by the same name and didn't know there was another by that name in the US. He looked up a little then and talked a little. He said the community of Kosciusko would celebrate it's 100 birthday in 1954. That the whole district around there was solid Polish and was settled by people direct from poland.
The people around there speak the Polish language about as much as they do the English language.
Mr Pruski told me about this new church and told me to go inside it and look at it. He said the building alone cost $230,000 I went inside it and it had the most elaborate altar and fixtures I had ever seen. The community is solid Catholic.
There are several other communities right around there about the same as Kosciusko.
Their names are, did hankin Denhankin, Path, Paulekville, and Czestochawk.
I noticed these names on mailboxes: Gawlek, Dugi, Pruski, Kolodzey, Skloss, Pawlek, Jaskina Mankas and Yaska.
Each community has an expensive Church and a large community hall. They have dances quite often in the halls and almost everybody in the vicinity attends. The old people in small children and babies all.
The people live pretty much to themselves. They don't go out and mingle with people on the outside very much and they don't encourage others to come there. They seem to be a clannish type.
They all seem to be good farmers and hard workers. Most of them have nice homes and good equipment for farming.
You are such a good Kosciusko booster, and have done so much for it, that I thought you might be interested in this other Kosciusko. I noticed that it is spelled the same as our Kosciusko, too.
E.C. SALLIS
PS I spent Christmas with my father, Cecil Sallis, and Kozy this christmas.
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COURTESY/ History of Kosciusko, Texas by Brandon Darr
