Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Czech-American Hall in Milwaukee
Photo from a 1920 book, "The Cechs (Bohemians) In America - A study of their national, cultural, political, social, economic and religious life" by Thomas Capek, author of Bohemian (Cech) Bibliography, etc. Illustrated. Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, The Riverside Press Cambridge. 1920. Pdf found at Google Books. Photo is a screencapture from PDF page 110 (actual page is between 56 and 57).
Bohemians in Milwaukee
An excellent article titled, Aus dem Egerland, nach Milwaukee, by Susan Muehlhans-Karides can be found here "German-Bohemian Heritage Society Newsletter, The Heimatbrief, Vol XI No. 1 March 2000, page 8-10; or click here.
Susan describes the pattern of immigration of German-Bohemians to Milwaukee, the various Wards in the city, and writes about the many churches the German-Bohemians may have attended.
St. John’s Cathedral (Roman Catholic) was built between 1847-1853. German-Bohemians may have attended St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church (only a few blocks from the Cathedral).
How this relates to my Mohelnitzky ancestors
In Ward 9 was St. Joseph's German-Catholic Church, established in 1856, and was located at 11th and Cherry Streets. Reverend Joseph Holzhauer was the pastor. Perhaps the Mohelnitzky family attended this church, that is, if Anton and Mary (the parents) were living in Milwaukee. It is not yet known if they both survived the trip to America. The only thing known at this time is that their 3 children (Anton, Julia and Mary) were put into orphanages in Milwaukee in March 1858.
Anton Mohelnitzky and Mary Ruskauff's first son Conrad Mohelnitzky was married to Mary Fastner at St. Joseph's Church in Milwaukee on August 22, 1899. The pastor was Rev. F. P. Grome.
At the time of Anton Mohelnitzky's death on December 22, 1893, he lived at 1404 Cherry Street in Milwaukee on the same street as St. Joseph Church.
Susan's article describes parish registers at St. Joseph which show German-Bohemian immigrants from 1855 who were married at the parish in 1856.