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Stories from Babcia's homeland Poland- Please join in the discussion [29]
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On Sunday, August 15, men and women will gather at the Polish Home Club, 512 S. Broadway, to celebrate their ancestry—and string beans—at their annual Bean Pickers Dinner Dance.
Club board member George J. Bozel explains: “Many years ago, our parents and grandparents came her from Poland. The men usually supported their families by obtaining employment in manual labor type jobs. In the summer, many of the women and children went out into the country, usually in Cecil, Harford, Baltimore and Ann Arundel counties to help harvest the crops. This would supplement the family income. One of the best remembered crops was string beans. Our Bean Pickers dance is a reminder of those days.”
Bozek picked beans as a child. Helen Jankowiak, recording secretary of the Polish Home Club, remembers picking beans and skinning tomatoes during the Depression years. When Holy Rosary School on Eastern Avenue let out for the summer, Jankowiak and her family would pack a bag and climb aboard a truck for the ride to Westminster, Maryland, or maybe New Freedom, Pennsylvania. They worked the fields during the day, then slept in a shack set up for them by the farmer who owned the land. If the family had a lot of kids, the farmer might give you two shacks, she remembers. “For every 50-pound bag of beans we picked, we received two cents. This is the money we made for the summer.” Despite the hard labor, she says she enjoyed it. “A lot of us survived it. We had to. My daughter doesn’t believe I did that.”
Most of the Polish families who worked the fields cam from Southeast Baltimore. Poles settled in Fells Point beginning in the 12880’s quickly becoming one of the largest and most influential groups in the area. Even those who have moved away return to worship at St. Stanislaus Kostka Congregation or to socialize at neighborhood centers like the Polish National alliance or the Polish Home Club.
Thirteen years ago, Joseph Borczymowski, who was president of the Polish Home Club at the time, came up with the idea of a Bean Pickers Dan. It has been a sellout ever since.
“Close to 300 people come,” says Gertrude Jankowiak, the Club’s second vice president. “We serve string bean soup made from scratch, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and string beans. About 5:00 PM, we serve sandwiches with fried bologna and onions, real country-style.”
For a while, string beans were used as centerpieces. That tradition has given way to flowers. “At first, everyone wore straw hats, plaid shirts and dungarees to the dance, but not as much now.” adds Helen Jankowiak, who is Gertrude’s sister-in-law.
The string bean soup, made the morning of the dance from fresh string beans and potatoes, is a big draw. “It’s the best in the world,” says Genevieve “Jenny” Jachem, Club manager.
