Reformátusok Lapja, 1970 (70. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1970-12-01 / 12. szám
12 REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA HUNGARIANS IN AMERICA Part II — Middle Section After the War of Independence of 1848 many Hungarians left their country. A group of them settled on the banks of the Thompson River, in southern Iowa, Decatur County, under the leadership of László Ujhazy. The settlement was named New Buda, and Ujhazy became the postmaster. Unfortunately, this settlement was short lived. Another Hungarian, Ágoston Haraszthy, founded a city close to Madison, Wisconsin which is now called Sauk City. In the last decade of the past century, many Hungarians settled in the United States. A great number of them went westward and settled in the mining towns in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio, as well as in Pittsburgh, Columbus, and in the larger cities of Northern Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. In this section of the land, the Hungarian Reformed people first in Pittsburgh without a minister, then in Cleveland under the leadership of Rev. Gustav Jurányi organized a church on May 3, 1891. This example was followed in almost all the Hungarian communities. Some of these churches still are located in the very location where they were started, but many have moved, while others have lost their membership. Our Calvin Synod has three classes in this region. The Middle Classis consists of ten churches, the Lake Side Classis eight churches, and the Western Classis also eight churches; altogether twenty-six congregations. In the United Church of Christ there are another eleven Hungarian congregations in this area, the Hungarian Reformed Church in America has ten, and the Presbyterian Church has thirteen. There are a total of sixty Hungarian congregations scattered throughout the middle section. Part III - West Many of our Hungarians reached not only the mid-west but went all the way to the western shores of America. The first Hungarian, professor and priest, Nándor Konschack, a native of Buda reached California in the early 1700’s. The son of Count Morice Benyovszky reached Texas and Mexico in the year 1809. Hungarian Jesuits, including Berenyi and Csopaky reached San Francisco in 1857. Around 1840, Count Ágoston Haraszthy planted his vineyard in Sonoma, California. This vineyard today is “California Historical Landmark No. 392” and still proclaims its Hungarian beginning and produces many different kinds of wine. Janos Xantus, a scientist, went to southern California with an expedition and prepared a map of this region. Xantus also wrote a book about his travels. He gathered many articles for the Smithsonian Institute and the Budapest Museum. Following the Hungarian revolution in 1848, many Hungarians came to the United States, among them Count Samuel Wass and Paul Molitor. They settled in San Francisco and operated a mint in 1852-55, producing gold coins for the U. S. Government. After World War I, a great many Hungarians moved to California. In 1926, the Reformed group were organized as the First Hungarian Reformed Church of Los Angeles by the Rev. Albert Hady. Presently, there are six Hungarian Reformed congregations in California; one in San Francisco and five in the Los Angeles vicinity. Part IV — South Following the loss of the freedom fight of 1848 in Hungary, many high ranking officers emigrated to America. Some settled in the east, some went westward on the mainland, others reached the Pacific, and some traveled south to Louisiana and Mexico. Among those going to the south were Ágoston Haraszthy and Janos Xantus. When Louis Kossuth was to speak at Lafayette Square in New Orleans, the French Jesuits stirred up the people against this Protestant statesman. But Kossuth’s company and country men residing in New Orleans surrounded him with their swords and pistols to protect him if necessary. In New Orleans, Antal Valias, a former priest and professor from Budapest, later the first Hungarian Episcopalian minister, supported and encouraged the organization of the New Orleans Academy of Sciences, of which he became a vice-president. His son, Horace, became the manager of the outstanding newspaper, the New Orleans Times Democrat. Another Hungarian, Sándor Kocsis, became a local college professor. Many of the Hungarians in New Orleans also took part in Emperor Maximilian’s invasion of Mexico. Janos Pragay and his friends took part in the freedom fight in Cuba. Presently in Hammond, Louisiana there is a large Hungarian settlement and also a Hungarian Reformed Church. During the past two decades many retired Hungarians have moved to Florida and settled in Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg and in the surrounding area of these cities. In Miami there are three Hungarian Reformed churches and one in Lakeland. The cultural, social and religious lives of the Hungarians in this area are most active. Francis Vitéz LICC TOURS IIS 1971 It is interesting to note that our denomination plans different tours to various parts of the world to get acquainted with the many different people, and yet no plans are made to visit Hungary or to even cross it. These tours lead to the Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Moslem, and even to countries with atheistic governments behind the iron curtain. For the past eighty years a great majority of our Hungarian Reformed people have been affiliated with the UCC (originally the Reformed Church, then the Evangelical and Reformed Church and now the UCC) where we form the Calvin Synod, including the 66 year old Eastern Classis, the oldest Hungarian Reformed Church organization outside Hungary itself. Perhaps it would be time that our officials would be mindful to include the 400 year old Reformed Church in Hungary with her two million members in the present day Hungary and the other two million in the neighboring countries, and to get acquainted with the largest Reformed Church body and its members. I am most sure that it would be beneficial.
