Ignace Jan Paderewski (IJP) began experiencing acute pain, tenderness, and impaired strength in his arms, hands and fingers after the wear and tear of thirty years of constant practising and playing piano concerts. In Seattle on January 14th, 1914, midway through his ninth US tour, the pianist’s neuritis had intensified to such a degree that he couldn’t lift his arms. That evening’s concert had to be cancelled and the remainder of his tour was in jeopardy.

Accomplished violinist Henry Heyman learned of Paderewski’s plight and recommended that the virtuoso try the mud baths of Paso Robles. He could personally vouch for the treatment since he had found relief from a similar complaint just recently. Arrangements were made and Paderewski’s private wagon was hitched to the first available train going south to the small rural settlement, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

At Paso Robles Hot Springs Hotel, Paderewski put himself in the care of Dr Frank W Sawyer, the hotel manager. "The natural mineral waters of the springs were served up at several locations, including a fountain in the hotel lobby and another on the south lawn. Just south of the hotel building was the large sulphur bath house, built directly over the main sulphur spring. The daily flow there was more than two million gallons, enough to keep the large bathing pool (forty by eighty feet) fed with a constant stream of hot water. The mud bathhouse was about two miles away (...) The baths there were built down into deep deposits of mud, where hot lithia and mineral water, varying in temperature from 108 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, bubbled up through the ground. Patients reclined in the mud or, if they preferred, stood neck-deep in the mixture, as the earth, water, gas and heat gently massaged their aching bodies and limbs. (Paderewski at Paso Robles McGinty, 2004, p 15)

Paso Robles Hot Springs Hotel (pgoto internet)

Gary Smith, Paso Robles Pioneer Museum

‘Miraculously’, after only three weeks, Paderewski declared himself fully cured. During his thermal mud therapy IJP took a liking to the sunny California climate and he became enamoured with the horticultural potential of the countryside. Returning regularly, he made several land purchases and combined the parcels into a 1160 hectare estate which he named Rancho San Ignacio with another part named Rancho San Helena, in honour of his wife’s patron Saint. As a boy Ignace had grown up surrounded by fruit trees on the estate his father managed in Podolia for the Iwonowski family. In his memoirs, reflecting on his boyhood, Paderewski says:

"Although I was always attracted to the piano as a child, I was even more attracted by nature... I loved to climb trees for the fruits. Fruit was always a passion with me." (The Paderewski Memoirs, with Mary Lawton, 1938, p 8)

Bed in Paso Robles Pioneer Museum

Furniture in Paso Robles Pioneer Museum

Rancho San Ignacio was planted mainly with almonds and Paderewski was one of the pioneers of the regions modern multi-billion dollar almond industry. More significantly, in 1922, after taking into account his experience with wine grapes at his villa in Morges, Switzerland, Paderewski began to experiment with grape varieties at Paso Robles. He believed that the soil on his ranch when blended with the long growing season of warm days and cool nights would be ideal for the making of premium wines.

Vines were planted and in the fullness of time a high quality red wine was produced at Rancho San Ignacio. Paderewski was one of the pioneers (though not the first) of Zinfandel grapes in the region and he has been credited with popularising this variety because of the quality of his wines but also because they were being produced by one of the world’s living legends. Today the Paso Robles region boasts more than 200 wineries producing 40 different varieties from nearly 11,000 hectares of vineyards, making wine here a stellar and flourishing multi-billion dollar industry. Yes, Paderewski’s story is worthy of an eponymous festival and commemoration with a statue likeness. But it’s too much of an impersonal story for it to be the whole truth.

The Polish Museum in Chicago: Paderewski's Steinway

Chicago: Gold Quill Pen

Chicago: a cast of Paderewski's hand

Paderewski was loved, deeply loved by the locals. In the 1920’s Paderewski was a superstar - in modern times on par with say Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson - literally he was a living legend. An internationally renowned patriot, philanthropist, humanitarian, statesman, diplomat, orator, politician, virtuoso pianist, composer, scholar but a successful local rancher, orchardist and viticulturist to boot! Paderewski had no airs. Over 25 years he had visited frequently and made time to speak at local community functions and fund raisings, he had participated in local life and made conversation with regular folks. He was warm, witty, and friendly with all, a great personality that had the character to avoid the flaw of letting fame go to his head. It’s a quality people recognise, respect, appreciate and feel. They respond with love, deep love.

Unfortunately my schedule did not fit in with the festival and statue unveiling but I did visit in March and can attest to the fact that to this day Paderewski is remembered and fondly regarded.

Here is what a few locals have to say

Some more stories

At the Pioneer Museum of Paso Robles I was able to chat with Gary Smith, one of the museum’s curators. Smith’s forebears were pioneer settlers in the region and he told me that his parents had actually bought part of Paderewski’s estate when it was put up for sale after virtuoso’s death at the Buckingham Hotel, NY in 1941. The museum is huge, almost a hectare, and is well endowed. Smith made the visit well worthwhile because he knew the provenance of nearly every exhibit and was able to personalise most of the items on display since his family and friends had donated much of the material. A highlight of the visit was the section of the museum devoted to Paderewski.

Now back home, I checked out the statue unveiling on the internet and I couldn’t believe my eyes. It’s virtually identical to the one I had seen in March at the Polish Music Center at the University of Southern California which had been unveiled on the 4th of June, 2007. Interestingly, both statues were replicas of an original sculpted by Jesse Corsaut that decorates the garden of Harry E Blythe’s property in Paso Robles which was formerly part of Rancho San Ignacio. In fact, the Paso Robles replica is the fourth of its kind! Another is located on the grounds of the Polish Embassy in Washington, unveiled in 2004, and on the 24th June, 2011, another replica was unveiled at the Jagellonian University in Krakow.

Cracow - Strzelecki Park

Cracow - Wax figure at Kosciuszko Mound

Cracow: Jordan Park

Wherever possible in my travels I took advantage of visiting anything that crossed my path that was related to Paderewski. In Chicago at the Polish Museum of America I saw Paderewski’s:
• Hand cast
• Gold quill pen which he used to sign the Treaty of Versailles
• Steinway, Stool and concert attire.

In Poznan I was pleased to find plaques honouring Paderewski’s role in inspiring the Post World War I Greater Poland Uprising. In Krakow there is a new Grunwald monument that replaces the one destroyed by the Germans that had been built, organised and paid for by Paderewski in 1910. The remnants of the original have been reassembled on the Grunwald battlefield. I discovered statues, monuments, busts, plaques or wax figures of Paderewski in:

• Cleveland at the Polish Garden
• Doylestown at American Jasna Gora
• Krakow at Jordan Park and Strzelecki Park
• Toronto at Vaughn
• Warsaw at St John’s Cathedral, Skaryszewski Park and Ujazdowski Park

The monument in Ujazdowski Park Warsaw has an interesting, inspiring and instructive history.

For details go to Paso Roble Magazine

Whenever I engaged in prolonged conversations, Paderewski, a great champion of liberty, inevitably came into the conversation at a Washington Symposium organised by Marek Chodakiewicz at the Institute of World Politics I had the privilege of chatting with General Edward Rowny, Ronald Reagan’s chief arms negotiator with the Soviet Union. Paderewski served as a role model and hero for the General and inspired him through some tough times.

Author with Gen. Rowny

Warsaw: Paderewski's Crypt at St John's Cathedral

Warsaw: Monument in Park Ujazdowski

General Rowny was instrumental in fulfilling Paderewski’s wishes of being reburied in Poland whenever it again became independent and free. Incredibly after Paderewski’s body was disinterred from Arlington Cemetery and moved to St John’s Cathedral in Warsaw some idiot had the General charged as a grave robber! Rowny won the court case when he presented the presiding Judge with the letter Paderewski wrote to his sister, Antonina Wilkonska, where he clearly stated his desire to be reburied in a free and independent Poland (However he wanted his heart to remain in the US and it is now enshrined at American Jasna Gora in Doylestown). The General told me that even though he won the case it still cost him just under $20,000 in legal fees. Even at the age of 95 Rowny remains active and has organised the Paderewski Scholarship Fund:

www.paderewskischolarship.org/

I admire the General for not resting on his laurels since he has grand plans for the future.

Poznan - Plaque

Poznan: the plaque mounted on this building

Poznan: Paderewski Marker

Unfortunately, too few Polish people read broadly enough to be aware of the true history of Poland’s rebirth. Reflecting on my travels I can’t believe that of a hundred or so people I talked to on this theme, educated people at that, not even one was aware of Paderewski’s decisive role. Sadly, in their hearts these people have allowed Pilsudski to usurp the position rightfully belonging to Paderewski. Dear readers please make the effort and find the time to read all you can about Paderewski. Most importantly, read what the Versailles decision makers had to say about Paderewski and the rebirth of Poland. That is, read what is said by the people who had the power to decide whether Poland would or would not reappear on the maps of Europe after World War I. What you will learn will make you feel proud to have a Polish heritage.

Felix Molski

Related link:

About Paderewski in Puls Polonii "Much more than a composer and virtusoso"

His heart in Doylestown

Paderewski's Bust at Kosciuszko Foundation House, New York

Author at the monument at Usc. Polish Music Centre