Martin was born about 1856 in Poland. He immigrated to the United States in July 1864, via New York and was naturalized in Duluth, Minnesota on 10 August 1883.[1]
Martin and Katy's son, Jan, was born on 4 May 1884. He was baptized at St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Duluth.[2]
In 1885, Martin was living in Duluth, St. Louis, Minnesota with his wife Kate and their three children. Nearly every other household recorded on the same census pages was also Polish.[3]
In about 1885, Martin homesteaded in Itasca County, Minnesota (now southeastern Koochiching County). On 12 April 1889, Martin was granted 131.75 acres. According to family story, it cost $131. His wife, Kate, remained in Duluth as she was sick at the time.[4][5]
He passed away about 1890. He may have died in a logging accident near International Falls, Koochiching County, Minnesota.[4]
Duluth City Directory 1886 Franciszek Banack, Brakeman, 219 3rd St. Rice's Point Patrick Banack, 2 E. 8th St. Note: My Banack connection seems to have died out over a few years. Martin Banack, b. about 1856, immigrated in 1864 (must have been with his parents), and married Katy Burke (Borowiak) in 1880 in Duluth. Duluth was beginning to be a boom town in those days. They had three children, Mary, Pauline and Jan, all of whom died by 1893, it appears. Not sure about Mary. Martin died about 1890. I think he died in a logging accident up by International Falls, MN. What he was doing up there when the family was in Duluth, probably, he was just logging for the winter/spring which was when that was mostly done.
Katy was only thirty in 1890 so she must have married someone else, but I haven't bothered to do a rigorous search as she is not in my direct line. Her father, Walenty Borowiak was a brother or cousin of my gggf, Jan Borowiak who came to Duluth in 1867. The 1886 Duluth City Directory says that there was a Franciszek Banack, a brakeman, living at 219 Third Street on Rice's Point, and a Patrick Banack living at 2 East Eight Street. No further info on those two.
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Categories: Duluth, Minnesota | Minnesota, Immigrants from Poland