Source: Slownik Geograficzny Krolestwa Polskiego - Warsaw [1883, vol. 4].
Translated by William F. Hoffman, Polish Genealogical Society of America Spring
1997 Bulletin.
Used with permission.
Kolbuszowa: 1) county seat [miasto powiatowe] in Galicia, lies in a wooded and sandy region, on the river of the same name; it has a rather large pond and is surrounded by pine forests. It is a tidy-looking town, comprised mainly of wooden residences which show white amid the greenery of beautiful orchards and gardens; for this reason it looks like an oasis in the middle of a sandy wasteland. In addition to the stone church on the town's west side, noteworthy are the elegant buildings of the major estate, and farther south a rifle-range, powder-magazine, brewery, brickyard, and a windmill on a slightly elevated spot. As Kuropatnicki tells in his Geografia Galicyi, in the 17th century there was a famous palace here, beautifully constructed, all of wood with headless nails wrought by the local ironworkers; but in the course of time it deteriorated and was finally torn down on the order of Count Jerzy Tyszkiewicz. The famous Kolbuszowa transaction took place here in 1753, that is, the distribution of the lands of the Ostrog estate in tail by the last heir, Prince Janusz Aleksander Sanguszko, Lithuanian marshal; this became a sort of national affair in that it provoked a number of quarrels and lawsuits and created an uproar in several Sejm's, until it was finally confirmed by a 1766 enactment. Also to be found here was a fortified castle, destroyed in 1769 by members of the Confederation of Bar.
This town is better known, however, for the industry of its residents; for it is a manufacturing community of ironworkers, carpenters, wheelwrights and lathe-operators, who at one time sold their goods throughout all of Galicia, Poland, and Lithuania. Their products-namely tables, beds and boxes-caught the attention of Rohrer during his journey through Galicia in 1804 (Bemerkungen auf einer Reise durch Galizien). He felt that these craftsmen could produce far more beautiful objects if only they had proper models. Due primarily to competition from carpenters in larger cities, especially Viennese factories, and even more to the lack of cheap and quick transportation, this industry limited itself to producing objects that met the needs of the peasants, and to wooden utensils.
Despite this Kolbuszowa has remained the same as it ever was. It has 3,262 inhabitants, of whom 151 live on the major estate. In terms of religion there are 1,275 Roman Catholics and 1,987 Jews. Kolbuszowa is the seat of a starostwo and the offices connected with it, also of a powiat council and court. It has a four-class elementary school and a pharmacy. Two doctors of medicine and two surgeons have their permanent residence in Kolbuszowa. The Rzeszow-Baranow-Tarnobrzeg highway leads through the town, and a second highway leads from the town west to Raniszow. [Translator's note: this probably refers to the town of Ranizow, except it lies east of Kolbuszowa].
Kolbuszowa was part of the Ostrog estate in tail, then belonged to the Lubomirski princes, and currently the major estate is the property of Count Zdzis. Tyszkiewicz. The major estate has 279 morgs of farmland, 93 of meadows and gardens, 33 of pastureland, and 10 of forests; the minor estate has 539 morgs of farmland, 41 of meadows and gardens, and 221 of pastureland.
The stone parish church dates from 1312. In addition to it there is also a chapel named for St. Stanislaw in the public cemetery. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Tarnow, Mielec deanery, and with its 13 affiliated localities has 9,616 Roman Catholics and 1,987 Jews. Two suburbs of the town have the names "Konczowka" or "Klodniczowka" and "Podosobnia." In Okolice Galicyi on page 99 M. Steczynski gives a description and sketch of the south side of Kolbuszowa. The city charter was granted in 1690; see Dod. do Gaz. Lwow., 1861, Nr. 25. See also "Powiat Kolbuszowski" in Holowkiewicz's "Wedrowki po kraju," Przewodnik nauk. i liter., 1878, p. 211. Kolbuszow county [powiat] stretches over sandy plains, and to the west it borders on Mielec county, to the south Ropczyce and Rzeszow counties, to the east Lancut county, and to the north Tarnobrzeg and Nisko counties. It covers 87,586 kilometers and has 63,866 inhabitants in 65 settlements and 61 cadaster gminas. The two powiat courts in Kolbuszowa and Sokolow belong to this county.
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