"polish immigrants looking to better themselves financially, settled where there was more work. in the section of philadelphia called manayunk, there was a great need for workers in steel, wool and paper plants. towards the end of the 19th century near the schuylkill river, there was a large steel plant under the name of american bridge co. later called penncoyd iron works who employed many of these hard working poles. the poles living in manayunk were very happy with their employment, but a little saddened by the fact that they had no polish church of their own to which they could go to and pray to god, to sing in their native tongue and to thank god for the graces given them. the nearest polish church which they attended was so many miles away, and travel in those days was hard, because the mother church, st. laurentius, was located in the part of philadelphia called 'fishtown.'