200 Families Bound for a New Catholic Colony in the Nooksack Valley

Rev. Father Klawiter, of Chicago; Peter Zobrist, of Whatcom county, and Jere Neterer, lawyer of Whatcom, who are interested in colonizing 20,000 acres of land in the Nooksack valley, near Acme, left Thursday evening for St. Paul, Duluth, Milwaukee, Chicago and other Eastern cities.

They have already located twenty-three families at Rapperswyll, and within 30 days expect to pilot 100 more to their El Dorado of the West. The scheme is an interesting one, and it appears to be entirely practical. All of the members of the colony will be Polish, Swiss, German and Slavonian Catholics.

The 20,000 acres are owned by the Rapperswyll Colony company, of which Rev. Father Klawiter is president; Peter Zobrist, secretary; Stanley Mankowski, treasurer and vice-president; and Peter Neterer, attorney. It is proposed that all the members of the colony shall be citizens, and most of them farmers. Men will be enlisted from the Middle West, many of the farmers in those states being dissatisfied and desiring to emigrate to a new country.

Rev. Father Klawiter, who preceded the twenty families already located at the colony, selected the land, partly at the instance of Mr. Zobrist, who has resided in Whatcom county for ten years. Before buying, Father Klawiter had the country inspected and secured letters from Bishop Junger of the diocese; Father [of] Seattle; Father Von Holderbeck of Snohomish, and Rev. M. Tapara of Tacoma, all of whom pronounced the land first-class.

Rapperswyll is located a mile and a half from Acme, on the Lake Shore road, and is now graced by a large three-story colony house for the convenience of the settlers as they arrive, for the use of which the company will charge nothing.

The name of Rapperswyll was chosen after much study. After the partition of Poland in 1793 by Russia, Prussia and Austria, many Poles took refuge at Rapperswyll, Switzerland, establishing a Polish church, where they lived in peace, comfort and happiness, worshiping God after the dictates of their own conscience. The naming of their new colony after the old one naturally suggested itself. The church of the colony will be in charge of Father Klawiter, and during the latter's absence Father Tapara will be in charge.

It is proposed that the colonists will go into the dairying, stock raising, sawmill and shingle mill business; in fact, anything that will give employment and ensure returns. First the land will have to be cleared and the lumber will go through the shingle and saw mills. Then, while slashing, dairying and stock raising will be followed. Finally, when the land is completely cleared, the colonists will follow general farming. It is expected that before the year ends at least 200 families will have arrived at the colony and been allotted their lands.