Magyar News, 2005. szeptember-december (16. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2005-11-01 / 3. szám
families arrived in Hammond via New Orleans. Brakenridge mill offered cutover nd for sale. In honor of the 1000 year anniversary of Hungary in 1896 the settlement was named Arpadhon by Zboray. On the site the land was sold at bargain prices. Without a down payment farming and gardening could be started. The miners turned farmers worked in the sawmills and forests during the day and on their farms in the evenings. Pay was $l/day and for $200 20 acres could be bought on a 5 year term lease. Fertilizers and farming tools could be rented from the lumber mill. The mill built a community house for meetings, festivities and church services. This building was also used a residential facility until the settlers built their homes. School classes were also conducted in this building. With good organization one could make Hungarian dance group $500 on 20 acres in 1913. New settlers were recruited by ads in the Szabadság newspaper from Cleveland. "Come to Arpadhon. Return to your former occupation. Countrymen return to the tiller." The advertisements were successful. In 1900 there were 17 families, 1910 65 families and during the peak year of 1935 there were 350 families or 1500 Hungarians. Soon there were organizations. In 1907 the Hungarian Mutual Association was founded. Part of the land was worked in common. That same year a burial society was organized. In 1913 the Hungarian language Julianna Bika Gardener's Journal was founded. The successful farmers sent their researcher North to study markets. Church organizations were founded and 2 churches were built. The reformed church was organized first by Rev. Janos Kovács. The lumber mill donated 20 acres for the building and with group effort the church was constructed. Between 1908 and 1910 the catholic church was constructed and named after the granddaughter of King St. Stephen, St. Margaret of Scotland. Mary Friedman was the co-founder of the Eucharistic Missionaries of St. Dominic. The first Hungarian language instruction was given by Rev. András Csontos catholic priest. The sisters conducted classes in English in the convent. From 1922-1935 Rev. Bartus organizes 2 month long Hungarian language instructions in the summer. The former Hungarian Settlement School now abandoned is to be turned into a museum according to the plans of the Hungarian Settlement Historical Society (HSHS). The building has been placed on the National Historic Register. The 4th generation descendants are collecting funds for this project. There are fewer and fewer community leaders to do the work. The community organizes an annual harvest festival and honorees' day. There are about 500 descendants of Hungarian origin but only a few of them speak Hungarian. Dr. László Gergatz The hurricanes did severe damage to this unic settlement. Though they were not hit with water crashing in on them, they suffered from the rain and the destroying wind. We tried to get in touch with them, hoping that we could get some information an photos to show, but were unsuccessful. We know that they are in need of help. They needed^ help before the hurricanes to preserve Arpádhon’s history, restore the old school building and turn it into a Hungarian museum. Now the problem grew many times the size. They have to restore roads, buildings, water and electrical supplies, and there is an extreme shortage of food, too, They are pretty much overlooked next to the catastrophe in New Orleans. You could making a check out to “HSHS” (Hungarian Settlement Historical Society ) and mail it to: HSHS P.O.Box 1909 Albany, LA 70711 Thanks to Julianna Bika, who was severely hit by the hurricanes* to have consideration in her bad situation to try helping other Hungarians in need. God bless her! We will try to get more information for our next issue. Joseph F. Balogh Page 2 Left: The work was going on to restore the old School building and convert it to Hungarian museum. Right. Eight technical workers from the Baptist Charity in Hungary are working in Biloxi and Gulfport helping with the cleanup. They probably do not know about Árpádhon. Photo: Csaba Lukács
