Sometimes my genealogical research takes an organized and methodical approach akin to the scientific method – or at least obsessive compulsive disorder. And then other times my research resembles the dog in the animated movie Up who gets distracted every time a squirrel runs past him. While the former research approach may be more useful when it comes to documenting sources or following the genealogical proof standard, the latter can be much more serendipitous and fun. You never really know what you’ll find when you don’t start off searching for anything in particular or you go down roads you didn’t intend to follow!
Such was the case one day in my web surfing when I took my own advice (see #9 of my Top Ten More Ways to Celebrate Pol-Am Heritage Month) and searched for a town website. My maternal grandmother’s mother’s side (surnames Ślesiński, Drogowski, Michałowski, Kubicki) comes from the town of Wilczyn in Poland (powiat Koniń, Wielkopolskie). The town’s borders have shifted as Poland’s have. According to the site:
During the pre-Partition period Wilczyn belonged to Trzemeszno county (small town about 30 km from Wilczyn), and to Powidz county (small town near Strzelno) during the Napoleon Campaign 1793 – 1812. From 1812 to 1815 it belonged to Pyzdry county and after the Vienna Treaty got included in Konin county. From 1867 to 1934 Wilczyn belonged to Slupca county and from 1934 again to Konin, where it lies to present day.
The town’s website, http://www.gminawilczyn.pl, has some English translations but is mostly in Polish. Some words are easy to translate, such as historia, and using an online translator can usually give you the essential meaning of the text. I clicked on the link for dokumenty and wondered what sorts of documents were on the site. Clicking on the first document, I found a birth certificate:
SOURCE: http://www.gminawilczyn.pl/ under "Dokumenty"
I know enough genealogical Polish to read the record for the birth of Józefa Drogowska, born 23 November 1865 to Jan Drogowski and Konstancja Kubicka. Wait a minute! Those names sound familiar…the parents are my 3rd great-grandparents! Józefa is the sister of my 2nd great-grandmother, Stanisława Drogowska (born 04 Jun 1860 in Wilczyn – died 30 Dec 1918 in Dobrosołowo). There are only four documents on the site, and this is one. There is no explanation as to why this particular document is shown on the site. It is also shown with the images under Wirtualne muzeum or virtual museum. I would love to know why it is posted on the site and if a descendent of Józefa was responsible for posting it. Now I have real research to do!
What's Past is Prologue 
This is unbelievable. What a find and I can just feel your excitement. Wouldn’t it be great to find out how that particular document was selected; it might open up all kinds of new directions for you to search. Congratulations!
The genea-spirits were truly guiding your way! I keep hoping for the time it will happen to me – one of those serendipitous moments of a genealogical nature.
What a find! One never knows where genealogy gold will come from. Maybe there is a new cousin out there waiting to meet you. Will you write to the town offices?
Wow! Very cool! I can’t wait to hear how this pans out.
What incredible luck – this is just the opposite of “everybody but my guy was on the list” (which most of us have experienced). Let me know if you need help translating Polish documents.
Now even more people might take your advice 🙂
Amazing find – serendipity at its finest! Can’t wait to hear what you find out.
What a great find! and I just love that dog in Up! 🙂
Sometimes a small case of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) can be helpful. Nice piece of serendipity.
I love that fact that you found it by following your own advice.
What an awesome document too. It looks to me that it is a CIVIL copy from the ‘Mayor’s office’. This is any early USC document ( well before 1945 official mandate of USC offices), so I am GUESSING this is a “court copy” of a church record. CONGRATS on your find!