Columbia Court
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The Johnson Street Hungarians
By Robert Kranyik
With Thanks to Joseph Pavliscsak and Dorothy Laskay D'Amato
Running in a north-south direction from the beautiful countryside of Easton, CT to the equally beautiful Seaside Park on Long Island Sound - the latter a setting designed by the famous Frederick Law Olmstead - is the appropriately named Park Avenue. A century ago, Park Avenue was a thing of beauty, somewhat in the style of the "fasorok" of Budapest, with rampant trees and flowers. A fountain designed by the famous Augustus St. Gaudens shone in all its glory at the intersection of Park and Fairfield Avenues. It is still there, but now in sorry condition.
As Park Avenue runs under the viaduct over which the New York-New Haven Railroad ran for many decades, and which now services Metro North and Amtrak, it passes the old St. George Catholic Church, then a series of side streets before bisecting the University of Bridgeport campus, passing under the impressive Perry Memorial Arch, and ending at Seaside Park.
The subject today is that series of side streets between the railroad and the University - the location of a small, but energetic Hungarian community which Joseph Pavliscsak refers to as the "Johnson Street Hungarians". He emphasizes the name in order to distinguish the locality of his childhood from the more massive neighborhoods of Hungarians located in the West End. These included "Hunktown" or "Little Hungary", at one time the epicenter of Hungarian activity and culture in Bridgeport; its upper reaches along the West Side; and the more attractive "Black Rock", a promised land for those who could afford to move a few blocks westward to what is, even today, a desirable suburban area. Of course, the more adventurous moved to small plots or farms in Fairfield, Easton, and even Weston, where they eked out a living employing the skills that many of them brought with them from the agricultural regions of greater Hungary, while often maintaining a full time job in one of the factories of Bridgeport.
The Johnson Street Hungarians were an island of Magyars surrounded by Irish and Lithuanian neighbors. They lived on streets referred to by such names as Columbia Street, Columbia Court, Johnson Street, Ridge Avenue, Park Terrace, Gregory Street and parts of Walnut Street and Rennell Street, the latter of which terminates opposite the striking Bernhart Arts Center of the University of Bridgeport.
Joseph Pavliscsak likes to point out that the area was a neighborhood of "four religions" - Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, Reformed Church, and Hebrew. He recalls the daily walk of the "Johnson Street Hungarians" along Railroad Avenue to the old Hungarian epicenter, to worship at St. Stephen’s, Holy Trinity, State Street Reformed Church, Pine Street Reformed Church and the Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Hancock Avenue, between State Street and Fairfield Avenues. It must have been a sight to see these Hungarian immigrants and their families, in their Sunday best, walking in groups along the elevated rail route.
Scattered across the area were several Hungarian businesses. Joe's Meat Market was on the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Gregory Street, and nearby was Antal's Dry Goods Store. On Johnson Street, one could find the Dancsak Bowling Alley, run by John Dancsak. Johnson Street was also the home of Johnny Sandor, one of the great athletes of the Hungarian community. The Antal name rings a bell for me, since we had close neighbors and friends named Antal, who ran a farm on Greenfield Street. The Dancsaks, of course, included musicians, farmers who lived on Mill Plain Road, and several school teachers.
Kish's Store was located at the corner of Columbia and Johnson Streets, while Bert's Grocery Store was located at the corner of Columbia and Ridge. On Columbia Street, one could fined Alex Bakonyi's Meat Market, which, according to Joseph, one could purchase that Hungarian staple, "leves hus". Also on Columbia Street was Krozer's Tavern. It was on Columbia Street, according to Joseph, that an African-American family lived who spoke Hungarian.
Lizzie's Store sold candy on Columbia Street, while on the corner of Columbia and Gregory, there was Don's Drug Store, with a Hungarian barber next door. At the corner of Columbia and Park Terrace was Boros' Store. On Ridge Avenue were Greenstein's Grocery Store, and the Ridgewood Club, an athletic club which often played the Western Jacksons. Attorney Joan Farcus recently shared with me that her father, Joseph M. Farcus, had served as president of the Ridgewood Club. Both of these Hungarian American clubs fielded outstanding athletic teams. (The November, 2000 issue of the print Magyar News featured an article on the Western Jacksons by Richard Nemeth, our Washington D.C. area correspondent. They once appeared in Ripley's "Believe It Or Not!")
Columbia Court was the home of Joey Szell, a well known local band leader, whose group played regularly at the Ritz Ballroom out in Black Rock. For my generation, the Ritz Ballroom was a favorite place, where the big bands often played on Saturday nights, and where you would likely meet friends.
Dorothy Laskay D'Amato recalled that her Aunt Julia lived on Columbia Street with her first husband, whose name was Bordas. He passed on in his early 30's and was buried in Mountain Grove Cemetery, the final resting place of many older generation Hungarian Americans in this area. Mr. Bordas's sister, Elizabeth, married a man named Lance Boros. Dorothy recalled her mother telling her that, one day, Lance left directly from his work at the DuPont Company in Fairfield and drove to New York City to pick up his mother on her arrival at Ellis Island in 1913.
Lance and Elizabeth Boros became the parents of six children, including Geza, the oldest son, Lance Jr., Julius, Ernest, Elizabeth and Irene. Julius became nationally known as a golfer and was a winner of the U.S. Open in 1952 and 1963, as well as the P.G.A. Championship in 1960.
This writer knew Julius and Ernie Boros, as our families lived in the Tunxis Hill area of Fairfield. I had the pleasure of caddying for Julius Boros at the Brooklawn Country Club during a tournament, and watched him drive the ball far down the fairway. I also knew daughter Irene, who married Andrew Tuba who, along with my father, was a member of the Fairfield, Connecticut Police Department.
A few blocks down from Park Avenue, at the foot of Main Street at Seaside Park were two famous and highly popular refreshment stands - Homa's and Maraczi's, both operated by Hungarians. They were still there in my day, and I have fond memories of them. In those days, it was a special treat when my parents took us for a ride in Seaside Park, and we stopped at either Homa's or Maraczi's for an ice cream (or a frozen custard), or perhaps popcorn or a hot dog. By the middle of the 1960's, Seaside Park had seen better days, and the line of refreshment stands at the foot of Main Street began to close down. Homa's disappeared, and Maraczi's relocated to Boston Avenue near Beardsley Park where it prospered for quite a while, before becoming part of the Duchess chain, a still popular, high quality fast food place with franchises scattered about the region. At the Black Rock Turnpike Duchess, especially at noontime, or after church, you have a good chance of meeting Hungarian-Americans, as I often do.
Joseph Pavliscsak was not sure exactly how many Hungarian families lived in the area, but I did a little research and was able to come up with quite a few names. Joe was able to add to the list from memory. The names are listed below:
Antal, Bakony,Barocsy, Behesi,Bero, Bodnar, Bona, Buja,Casco, Chatlos,Csigay,Csík, Csipkes, Csordas, Dancsak, Dienes,Farcus, Fazekas, Fejes, Fulop, Gadacy, Gaydos, Hegymegyi, Hornyak, Jagyi, Janoscsik, Junas, Kaperi, Katona, Kecskemeti, Kereczi, Kerepesi,Kish,Koczy, Kovacs, Kroszer, Laputz, Lazar,Lengen, Lipa, Lipicz,Molnar, Nagy, Nyitrai, Olnar, Orosz, Punyko,Resketo, Rinko,Rozsa, Seres, Szabo, Szabolcsai, Szamatulski, Szeman, Szoboslai, Toth, Vasas, Verba, Veres, Yatsenko,Zelle, Zinormeny
These surnames conjure up memories and connections for me. Perhaps they will for you, as well.
If you have further information about the Hungarians of the Johnson Street area, please let us know. We would love to hear from you. And, thanks, again, Joseph and Dorothy, for sharing your recollections. And, thanks, Joseph Ull, of the MNO Committee, for helping with our photographic safari of the Johnson Street area.
Postscript:
As became apparent to us on our recent visit, the Hungarian community of the South End of Bridgeport no longer exists. Some of the neighborhood has been redeveloped for public housing, and what remained has been occupied for the most part by more recently arrived ethnic groups. The Ridgewood Club building is now just a shell. The previously Hungarian-American owned stores, where they still exist, are now catering to the newer immigrants and cultural groups. Some of the houses are still recognizable in that they haven't changed much. Others retain their basic structures, but with new facades and appointments. The Hungarian-American moment in the history of this area has passed, as our ancestors moved on to further live the American dream. The South End Hungarians are now just a memory, but nevertheless a treasured one for those who treasure the intergenerational connections and who, like Joseph, Dorothy, and I, remember them as real people.
Robert Kranyik is a retired professor and dean from the University of Bridgeport, and a member of the Editorial Board of Magyar News Online.
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