HomeMy WebLinkAboutMy Story--College Station Pg. 1MY STORY
College Station
My story about College Station begins with the arrival of my Great Grand -parents in 1871
from Poland. They were John and Mary Mikolajaczak Gorzycki. With them were two of
his children from his first marriage and five children of his and Mary.
John bought one -hundred and ninety-six acres of land in 1887 of the J. E. Scott League.
That is land that borders University Drive, Texas Avenue, College Road and Hensel Park.
He and his family farmed the land. He died in 1911 at the age of 92. Mary died in 1928.
Their children were Mary -married Joe Wozniak, Henry -married Valerie Zulkowski,
Michalina-married Joseph Paradowski, William — married Mary Gorski and Charles -
married Ursula Brown.
Mary and Joe Wozniak moved to Bremond. They had thirteen children. Henry and
Valerie farmed on land where Walden Lakes in College Station is now and raised eleven
children. Michalina and Joseph lived in College Station where he was Section Forman
for one of the railroads. They had nine children. They were my (the writer of this story)
grandparents. William lived in Brenham. He had ten children. Charles lived in College
Station on the original farm at the corner of University and Texas most all of his life. He
had two children. His son, Mondrick, was the original Methodist pastor and manager of
Crestview Nursing Home in Bryan.
John and Mary willed the land mostly to William and then left 20 acres to Charles.
William sold his part to Texas A&M for $8,500. Charles kept his until he sold it to build
Ramada Inn. He then moved to Crestview. William moved to Brenham where he bought
another farm. Henry bought his own land and made a living farming. Henry had 2 sons
and 9 daughters. The daughters got their teaching certificates and taught school around
Texas.
Michalina, my grandmother and t heir children had to live a short while with her parents
while resettling after a move from Pittsburg. That is when my mother, Stella Stetz
Paradowski was born on the place where the Plaza Hotel stood. Her parents, Joseph and
Michalina later lived in the railroad section house near where McDonald's is now at
Wellborn and George Bush until they bought a farm on Leonard Road.