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A descendant of the Krakowski family from the United States is searching for his roots in Janowice.

Mr. Jim Krakowski from the United States wrote to the editors of Janowice.net.pl. He is seeking information about his ancestors from Janowice and Wesołów and hopes to locate living relatives. With the author's permission, we are publishing his message.

A letter from Jim Krakowski

Greetings from the United States,

My name is Jim Krakowski. I was born (1949) in Milwaukee, WI, and currently live in Green Valley, AZ, USA.

I am trying to find out if I have relatives living in the Janowice or Wesołów areas.

My grandparents are Józef Krakowski (1876–1958) from Janowice and Antonina Gargas Krakowski (1876–1965) from Wesołów; they married in Janowice on June 25, 1899. Their family emigrated to the United States between 1907 and 1909 and settled in Beaver Dam, WI, USA, where they died.

I believe my grandfather had brothers: Andreas Krakowski (1873–1948), Franciscus Krakowski (1878–1913), and Joannes Krakowski (1881–1911).

Antonina Gargas had the following siblings: Theresa Gargas (born 1869), Laurentis Gargas (born 1872), and Helena Gargas (born 1874).

Antonina Gargas's parents were Wojciech Gargas (born 1844) and Sophia Witkowski Zając (born 1844).

I believe Józef's parents were Petrus Krakowski (1845–1893) from Janowice and Ludovika Bloniarz (1845–1895).

Does anyone know if I have any Krakowski or Gargas relatives living in this part of Poland? I plan to visit this part of Poland next year and learn more about my past.

I would be very grateful for any help.

Thank you,

Jim Krakowski
Green Valley, Arizona, USA
📧 jameskrakowski@msn.com

If you recognize the Krakowski or Gargas surnames or have information that could help Jim Krakowski trace his family roots, please contact the author directly or the Janowice.net.pl editorial team. Any information, even seemingly small, could prove valuable.

The school community of the Primary School in Janowice, led by Principal Renata Adamiak, PhD, Eng., students and teachers, especially the eighth-grade class, and Mr. Robert K. and Mr. Maksymilian M., express their gratitude for the cooperation and the materials submitted for the project to CANPACK and Code for Blue from the Code for Green Foundation
Thanks to this, the current state of the Lubinianka River and its historical, cultural, natural, and economic significance for the town of Janowice have been preserved. The town itself is located primarily in the river valley, and its terraces are home to the town's main institutions, including a school, church, health center, wedding hall, pharmacy, and shops.
A major problem related to the school is its flooding. Therefore, residents are using various methods to protect themselves against them. The river also meanders, and it, or the streams flowing into it, are tearing down roads, including a county road located in its valley. Therefore, after discussion, the students decided to prioritize planting trees typical of riverine forests and supporting small-scale water retention. This would protect the riverbanks, promote biodiversity, provide a refuge for wildlife, and protect against flooding.

Exercises and river observations were conducted in late autumn, winter, and spring. An improvement in water quality after winter and an increase in beaver activity were observed. There are more than a dozen dams and several beaver lodges along the entire length of the river. The students observed trees gnawed by beavers and noted that not every tree is removed after being gnawed, and some are debarked. When building dams, beavers dammed the water so much that they created side culverts to prevent water from flowing over the top of the dam. Low-lying meadows were flooded as a result of the dams. This, in turn, facilitates water storage during droughts, and the dams likely also encourage fish stocking and amphibian settlement.

Thanks to the effective waste collection campaign organized by the municipality and the network of small, residential, and larger sewage treatment plants, the river's water quality is improving. However, individual pieces of waste are still being dumped near the riverbed, as the students noticed.

Dear Residents,
We are pleased to launch the Janowice website:
Janowice.net.pl
The website's goal is to promote our town, document its history, present interesting places, and inform about events important to residents.
The website already contains information about the history of Janowice, local institutions, monuments, and nature. A discussion forum has also been launched to facilitate the exchange of information, ideas, and opinions.
We invite residents to contribute to the website. We will be happy to publish archival and contemporary photos, memories related to Janowice, information about local events, and materials about the life of our community.
We also invite you to participate in the discussion on the forum.
We hope that the website will be a meeting place for residents, a place to promote Janowice, and a source of information for everyone interested in our town.
We cordially invite you to visit the website and actively participate in its development.