Community

The history of Pulaski
Source: Father Constantine Klukowski and minutes from library notes, May 1949

The Village of Pulaski was named after General Casimir Pulaski, the great freedom fighter of Europe and America. In Poland he fought the Russians from 1770-1772.

The history of Pulaski focuses around the efforts of one man, John J. Hoff, a land agent from Milwaukee. Mr. Hoff was born in Norway around 1846 and came to Milwaukee as a teenager. Around 1880 Mr. J.J. Hoff was engaged by the Agrarian Company of Milwaukee to settle the territory of 250-300 square miles between Green Bay and Oconto, lying in a northwesterly direction along the Green Bay waters. The usual price was $15 per acre, of which one dollar went to the agent as his commission. In 1880 he attempted to bring Norwegian immigrants into the townships around what became known as Hofa Park. Failing that, he approached the Polish immigrants in Milwaukee. He succeeded in bringing the Valentine Peplinki, Valentine Zygmanski, Michael and Frank Lepak families.

With Hoff's encouragement settlers first arrived in 1881. John Boncel set up a store and hotel. Valentine Peplinski moved his hardware store here. By 1885 there were 35 families in the area.

Hoff donated 120 acres of land to the Franciscan Fathers under the leadership of Brother Augustine Zeitz. By 1885 the first Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church and monastery structure were completed. The present church building was completed 1929.

John J. Hoff also brought settlers to the Krakow and Sobieski areas. Sobieski was situated on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul railroad and had an earlier settlement than 1885. In all these settlements he was helpful to the settlers, donating land and lumber for churches and schools, staple food supplies, bringing in farm machinery and other materials.

The Village of Pulaski was incorporated as a village in the state of Wisconsin in 1910, on April 9, due chiefly to the effort of John A. Peplinski, Louis Prokopovitz, August O'Kray and the Rev. Francis Manel, O.F.M. The village then numbered nearly 500 families.

Since 1910, Pulaski has grown considerably in both population and businesses. Much credit must be given to the efforts of those first determined settlers who founded the community of Pulaski.