Support the New Monument in Roslyn’s Historic Cemeteries
This monument will stand as a testament not only to the Croatian miners who lived and worked in Roslyn and its neighboring towns, but to all Croatian emigrants and their families who have contributed to U.S. history and culture.
As many of you may know, the town of Roslyn became world famous in the 1990s as the backdrop of the award winning best drama television series “Northern Exposure.”
But Roslyn, its Pacific Northwest landscape and vibrant small town atmosphere were noteworthy long before then.
Please join us in supporting this lasting remembrance to the Croats who helped build Roslyn and made a deep-rooted impact in America.
For information on how to contribute to the monument campaign —as well as more about Roslyn, its unique cemeteries and how the campaign came about — please read the letter from Frank Brozovich, Honorary Consul, Republic of Croatia Seattle.
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Dear Friends,
This past summer, Los Angeles Croatian Consul General Sinisa Grgic and a group of Seattle Croatian Americans toured the Roslyn Historical Cemetery. This remarkable cemetery is nestled in the wooded Rosyln hillside of eastern Washington’s Yakima-Cle Elum River Valley.
The Roslyn Cemetery is an intrinsic part of the historic town of Roslyn, Washington, perched 2,200 feet above sea level on the Cascade Mountains’ eastern slope. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic District in 1978, Rosyln evokes a rich cultural heritage. Its cemetery, included in the National Historic Register, is a fascinating landmark. Its nearly 5,000 graves marking old and young alike tell the story of Roslyn’s early inhabitants, the lives they lived and the hardships they endured.
The Roslyn Cemetery is actually 26 separate but adjacent cemeteries clustered together on 15 acres of woods and hills. Established in 1887 with land donated or purchased from the Northern Pacific Railroad by fraternal, ethnic and civic groups, the cemetery is unique in that all the early ethnic groups who labored in the area’s treacherous coal mines have their own sections. And by far, of the 24 different nationalities represented, the Croatian section is the largest.
These Roslyn Croats belong to the wave of hopeful souls who immigrated through Ellis Island to the steel mills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the copper mines of upper Michigan and Butte, Montana and the coal mines of Roslyn, Washington. Their journey, character and fortitude made America what it is today.
While in Roslyn. our group met with local Croatian Americans representing the community and members of the Cemetery Commission. Together, we determined that a monument should be built to stand as a tribute to those Croats who lived and died while building a vibrant mining town in Roslyn that helped shape America’s heritage.
All contributors will be listed in the monument’s dedication program. Croatian architect Ivo Gregov is donating his services to design the monument and a preliminary sketch is included with this letter.
Make checks payable to: RRC Heritage Club (Roslyn, Ronald, Cle Elum Heritage Club)
Identify as: Croatian Cemeteries Monument Fund
Mail to:
RRC Heritage Club
PO Box 916
Cle Elum, WA 98922
Questions – contact: Beverly Prkacin Read, Chair, (206) 940-4875 [or Frank Brozovich]
The Heritage Club is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization. Donations are tax deductible.
Thank you for supporting the Croatian Roslyn Cemetery Monument and adding your voice to this lasting remembrance.
With appreciation, Frank Brozovich
Honorary Consul, Republic of Croatia
Help spread the word by sending this appeal to your friends and posting it on social media.