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The Attraction
to College Point
In 1853 Conrad
Poppenhusen built his rubber factory – the
population of the town grew to 2,000 by 1860. Along
with the factory, Poppenhusen built homes for his
workers and a cobblestone road between Whitestone
and College Point. He drained the marshes, brought
in clean water, tree-lined paved streets and gas
lines. In 1898 College Point became part of Greater
New York City. Mr. Poppenhusen established the
Poppenhusen Institute, an educational and civic
organization for the benefit of the population (more
about this later). The Institute still exists
today.
College Point was a
well-established German-speaking village. I’m sure
this fact and the availability of factory jobs
helped attract Banaters to the town. According to
Dave Dreyer’s Manifest List, the Pisa, arrived in
New York on the 30th of March 1906 and brought the
following Glogowatz citizens:
Paul Begner/Vegner,
Johann Czallner and his wife Anna and son, Anton;
Mathias Daneker, Josef Eder/Adler), Josef Erustein,
Josef Gamber, Josef Gerhard, Andrea Hollich, Johann
Kaiser, Peter Keiher, Franz Kornacker (going to join
cousin, Anton Kornacker); Franz Lorenz, Anton
Reingruber, Peter Trehr, and Johann Zellner,
Anton Kornacker must have arrived first – according
to Ellis Island manifests he arrived on the 25th of
January 1906 aboard the Slavonia. His departure
point is listed as New York but now we know the rest
of the story…he found his way to College Point and
others followed. Other Glogowatz citizens arrived
earlier and listed their destination as New York –
these people may have come to College Point also.
What we do know is that it was the beginning of a
new life for all Glogowatz emigrants to the United
States of America.
Related Links
Many Banaters were employed at the American Hard Rubber
Company in College Point, New York, owned by
Conrad Poppenhusen.
The Poppenhusen Institute
was built in 1868 with funds
donated by Conrad Poppenhusen,
the benefactor of College Point.
The story of Conrad Poppenhusen
who employed many Banaters at
the American Hard Rubber Company
he began in College Point, New
York.
Poppenhusen
- the
Founder of
College
Point, L.I.
- founder of
the
Rubber
Works
Factory
where many Banaters
found jobs
to support
their
families and
establish a
new life in
the United
States of
America.
Brooklyn News 1877 - "Long
Island-A FORMER CITIZEN'S
RETURN. - Mr. Conrad POPPENHUSEN,
for several years a resident of
Hamburg, Germany, is now on his
return to College Point, where
it is understood he is to settle
and attend to the business is so
largely interested in there.
Sources: The Parish of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen,
Martyr 1856-1956; A History of College Point, NY by
Robert Hecht Copyright 1976 by Bicentennial
Committee of College Point, Inc.; Dave Dreyer's
Manifest List |
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