Kowalski Family Forge Mejer Kowalski standing in the doorway, to the right of bearded man holding the wheel
	1926 1929 Business Directory Listings M. Kowalski (Blacksmith]

This photo of the forge was probably taken in the mid-1920s, when it was run by Mejer Kowalski, one of a number of family members who shared the name. He can be seen in the doorway of the forge, to the right of the bearded man who is holding the wheel. Mejer would have inherited the forge from his father, Izrael Moszk Kowalski, who died in 1900. However, it is likely that one of Izrael Moszk's several blacksmith brothers would have run the business immediately following his death, as Mejer was only a child when his father passed away.

The reverse of the photo bears a lengthy Yiddish inscription written by Mejer to his sister, Szejna Rajchel, who emigrated to New York in 1921. He laments the fact that the forge was not situated on his own property, and announces his decision to leave Radzilow. The photo was taken as a souvenir of the family's life in Radzilow. Mejer emigrated to Israel with his wife and son, ca 1924.

Note: Kowalski was one of the most common Radzilow surnames, and the tree can be documented back to the middle 1700's. If you have Kowalski roots and/or branches from Radzilow or any town in this region of Lomza Gubernia in northeastern Poland, please contact me.