Why Karpatski Roots? Towering high above the border between galician Poland and northern Slovakia stand the majestic Karpaty -- the Carpathian Mountains. It is under the shadow of the Carpathian Mountains that centuries-old legends and folklore of these mountains shaped the hearts, minds and souls of those frightened and yet courageous people who left the familiar comfort of its shadows. My roots stretch out on both sides of the Karpaty, holding up those mountains like deep, strong roots holding up an ancient tree -- Karpatski Roots.
Both the Polish and Rusyn immigrants in the family arrived in the United States from Galicia between 1886 and 1908. While I have conducted research on both sides of the ocean, this site is focused on the people and villages in Galicia from where they came.
You can read more about Galicia or view a map of Galicia. Each town is linked to its location on the map in Galicia.
Feel free to browse through town or surname that you would like to explore further, follow the links. The surname links in the Table of Contents will lead you to text that tells about the town in Galicia where that family lived. Diacritical marks have been eliminated from the names to make it easier for Web browsers to read the names.
The internet has made it possible to do research in all parts of the world without ever leaving your home. Many foreign countries have official Web sites. I was surprised to find that even some towns in Eastern Europe have official Web sites. When my immigrants left, they left small towns with just a few thousand people -- some with just a few hundred! Now that we are in the 21st century, many of these places are large towns with substantial populations and are large industrial centers. I have included all sorts of surprises for you -- maps, histories, armchair travelogues and finally, for the genealogist -- surname lists and some other information. So, sit back, start clicking, and ENJOY ! ! !
Do you see a SURNAME that you are also researching in your own genealogy?
