Polish settlement in Worcester County had humble beginnings: a small group of German Poles in the 1870s. Over the next decades, thousands of Russian and Austrian Poles, fleeing economic and political hardship, pinned their hopes for a better life on jobs in the burgeoning industries of central Massachusetts. Practicing their religion in their native tongue was vital to these devout Catholics. New Englands first Polish parish was founded in Webster, with others following in Worcester, Gardner, West Warren, Clinton, Southbridge, and Dudley. Polish clubs served as central gathering places in Gilbertville, Uxbridge, and South Grafton. Worcester Countys Polish Americans share an intricate web of relationshipsfamily, religious, business, social, cultural, educational, political, and athleticthat celebrates their heritage and sustains them today as one of the regions largest ethnic groups.