Polish immigrants became a major ethnic group in West Virginia in the early 1900s, attracted by jobs in the growing industrial sector. By 1908, they represented the third-largest group working in coal mines, especially in Fayette and Raleigh counties. They also worked in large numbers in factories in Wheeling and Weirton.

As their numbers grew to nearly 15,000 by 1930, they formed churches and fraternal groups. While some left West Virginia or returned home, Polish-American culture is still strong in the northern parts of the state.