Ignacy Szymanski
Encyclopedia
Ignacy Szymański Ignatius Szymanski (1806–1874), his father was ...Szymanski, nicknamed Colonel Ski or Old Ski, was a Polish
and American
soldier. He served in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
.
, Szymański emigrated to the United States and in 1835 he settled in New Orleans, Louisiana
. Soon he also established a cotton
plantation
.
His friends in the South
were the other Poles who had been living nearby: Gaspar Tochman
, Valery Sulakowski and Hypolite Oladowski.
of Chalmette Regiment, mainly made of Scandinavian
immigrants from the Louisiana State Militia. Later he served as the agent of exchange of prisoners in the Trans-Mississippi Department
.
After the war he came back to his plantation Summer Hill Farm and his cotton and sugar cane field called Sebastopol, he accumulated goods and real estate, up to the point to be considered a rich man. He even had race horses and a yacht.
company. Jean moved to Mexico
and settled at the port of Tampico, Tamaulipas, marrying Carmen Castello Caimares, cousin of Carmen Romero Rubio Castello, wife of the Mexican President Porfirio Díaz
. Due to the untimely death of his brother, Ignace Francoise who left no descendants, Jean decided to extend the Ignatius line - his first son was named Ignacio Francisco (1877–1933), second Juan Melquiades. Jean and Carmen had two more children and also twins yet they did not survive. One of the two latter children (Jose Amado) drowned at the age of 19 during Regatta festival. Her other children were called in Julio Fructuoso and Jose Ramon Blas. His grandson, son of Ignacio Francisco was Ignacio Sabas Szymanski Rodriguez (1905–1999) lived in San Antonio, Texas
until he was 21 and then returned to Mexico to work for the Sinclair Oil Company as a book keeper. He was the founder of Mexicana de Aviación
along with others upbrought in Tampico. He worked as Supplies Director and as President of the Airlines Association of the Americas until his death.
How Jean lost the family fortune or how Elise Romain lost the family fortune still a mystery. Nowadays (2009) a drama about the Szymanski Family is still presented at the Sebastopol Residence located in Chalmette LA. Main roles are played by local actors.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier. He served in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Early life
After the Poles had lost the November UprisingNovember Uprising
The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
, Szymański emigrated to the United States and in 1835 he settled in New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Soon he also established a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
.
His friends in the South
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
were the other Poles who had been living nearby: Gaspar Tochman
Gaspar Tochman
Kasper Tochman was Polish-born American lawyer and soldier who formed the Polish Brigade of Johnson's Division.-Early life:...
, Valery Sulakowski and Hypolite Oladowski.
Civil War
When the Civil War had begun, Ignatius was appointed to colonelColonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of Chalmette Regiment, mainly made of Scandinavian
Scandinavians
Scandinavians are a group of Germanic peoples, inhabiting Scandinavia and to a lesser extent countries associated with Scandinavia, and speaking Scandinavian languages. The group includes Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, and additionally the descendants of Scandinavian settlers such as the Icelandic...
immigrants from the Louisiana State Militia. Later he served as the agent of exchange of prisoners in the Trans-Mississippi Department
Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
The Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War was the major military and naval operations west of the Mississippi River. The area excluded the states and territories bordering the Pacific Ocean, which formed the Pacific Coast Theater of the American Civil War.The campaign classification...
.
After the war he came back to his plantation Summer Hill Farm and his cotton and sugar cane field called Sebastopol, he accumulated goods and real estate, up to the point to be considered a rich man. He even had race horses and a yacht.
Family
He was married to Elise Romain, a French immigrant who he met during his ship venture from Poland to the US. They had three children: Ignace Francoise, Jean and Constance Francoise (later she married a French immigrant a Mr. Cavalier); among them the most known was Jean, who worked for the Sinclair OilSinclair Oil
Sinclair Oil Corporation is an American petroleum corporation, founded by Harry F. Sinclair on May 1, 1916 as the Sinclair Oil & Refining Corporation by combining the assets of 11 small petroleum companies. Originally a New York corporation, Sinclair Oil reincorporated in Wyoming in 1976...
company. Jean moved to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and settled at the port of Tampico, Tamaulipas, marrying Carmen Castello Caimares, cousin of Carmen Romero Rubio Castello, wife of the Mexican President Porfirio Díaz
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
. Due to the untimely death of his brother, Ignace Francoise who left no descendants, Jean decided to extend the Ignatius line - his first son was named Ignacio Francisco (1877–1933), second Juan Melquiades. Jean and Carmen had two more children and also twins yet they did not survive. One of the two latter children (Jose Amado) drowned at the age of 19 during Regatta festival. Her other children were called in Julio Fructuoso and Jose Ramon Blas. His grandson, son of Ignacio Francisco was Ignacio Sabas Szymanski Rodriguez (1905–1999) lived in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
until he was 21 and then returned to Mexico to work for the Sinclair Oil Company as a book keeper. He was the founder of Mexicana de Aviación
Mexicana de Aviación
Founded in 1921, Compañía Mexicana de Aviación, S.A. de C.V. was Mexico's oldest airline, before ceasing operations on August 28, 2010. The group's closure was announced by the company's recently installed management team a short time after the group filed for Concurso Mercantil and US Chapter 15...
along with others upbrought in Tampico. He worked as Supplies Director and as President of the Airlines Association of the Americas until his death.
How Jean lost the family fortune or how Elise Romain lost the family fortune still a mystery. Nowadays (2009) a drama about the Szymanski Family is still presented at the Sebastopol Residence located in Chalmette LA. Main roles are played by local actors.