Morning Star of the West in Tacoma: The First Polish Community in Washington State

Abstract This article focuses on an unknown center of the Polish diaspora, which is in Tacoma, Washington. It shows that thanks to the efforts of pioneering Polish settlers at the turn of the twentieth century, the foundations of an ethnic Polish community were established there. These foundations included local lodges of the Polish National Alliance, a Polish parish and a Polish Hall. Today, only the parish functions regularly, the Polish National Alliance's activities have weakened considerably, and the Polish Hall has ceased to exist. However, to this day, Tacoma, along with Seattle, remains an important center of Polish activity in the region.