By Judy Francis
The Vigo County Historical Museum re-opened this February with a special exhibit called “The Immigrants: Celebrating the Ethnic Heritage of Vigo County.”
One of the featured groups, the Romanians, followed their dream of escaping poverty and ethnic oppression and building better, happier lives in the U.S. Michael Buzash, professor emeritus of Foreign Languages at Indiana State University, states that his maternal grandfather came to America in 1905 and that his father Michael Buzash Sr. arrived in 1915 via Montreal in the Merchant Marines.
Michael Buzash Sr. became part of the Romanian community of more than 300 that had begun settling in Terre Haute at the beginning of the 20th Century. These immigrants found employment at Highland Iron and Steel, Terre Haute Malleable, brick factories and the Columbian Enameling and Stamping Mill. Several Romanians established their own businesses, including neighborhood groceries and taverns. Professor Buzash said that his father owned the only service station in the community, Pennsy Service Station, which eventually had gasoline pumps and offered auto repair, automotive parts and wrecker service. Many Romanian families lived on Fourth Avenue from 25th to 30th streets and on Beech Street, near 15th Street, close to their places of employment. Some Romanians settled in Centenary and Clinton.
The city’s first Orthodox Church, St. Andrews Romanian Orthodox Church on North 25th and Fourth Avenue was consecrated in 1918 and became the center of religious life. When approximately 400 members celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1968, they paid tribute to George Ghindes, Jim Serban, George Oltean, George Sonca, Andy Baltesu, Nick Opris and other community leaders.
The Romanians had a strong sense of community and formed the benevolent insurance society Andrei Baron di Saguna (now dissolved) in Terre Haute around 1907. The Romanian Hall on East Beech Street was their social center where on Saturday nights groups of children, women and men, wearing costumes from their home country, performed lively folk dances.
The Romanians were hard workers who encouraged their children to complete high school. Many of their children attended universities and had successful careers in industry, health and education, like Professor Buzash.
To ensure that the role of the Romanian community in Terre Haute’s history will be remembered, Professor Buzash has donated to the Museum a photograph of his father with the Romanian men’s dance group circa 1920, along with colorfully costumed dolls that his father brought from Romania, and other Romanian items. Be sure to visit the Museum to see its tribute to the contributions of Romanians and other immigrant groups in Vigo County.
