Vasil Kozma EshcoffOlga Paliganoff spouse Vasil Kosma Eshcoff. was an emigrant from Ottoman Macedonia, known as a pioneer of the Coney Island hot dog in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He was also briefly the second president of the Macedonian Patriotic Organization.
Biography Vasil Eshcoff was born in 1882 in the Kostur village of Visheni,In 1897 Visheni was entirely under the jurisdiction of the Bulgarian Exarchate. Both churches in the village, as well as the school, were Bulgarian. According to the statistics of Vasil Kanchov ("Macedonia. Ethnography and Statistics") in 1900 Visheni had 1150 inhabitants, all of them Bulgarian Exarchists.Македонски алманахъ. Индианаполисъ, Индиана, САЩ, Централенъ Комитетъ на Македонскитѣ политически организации въ Съединенитѣ щати, Канада и Австралия, 1940. с. 47. Macedonian Almanac. Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, Central Committee of Macedonian Political Organizations in the United States, Canada and Australia, 1940. p. 47. (in Bulgarian).Кънчов, Василъ. Македония. Етнография и статистика. София, Българското книжовно дружество, 1900. , с. 265. (Второ фототипно изд. Академично издателство "Проф. М. Дринов", София, 1996); Kanchov, Vasil. Macedonia. Ethnography and statistics. Sofia, Bulgarian Literary Society, 1900. p. 265. (Second phototype edition of the Academic Publishing House "Prof. M. Drinov", Sofia, 1996). (in Bulgarian). then in the Ottoman Empire.Funeral Home Records, Allen Co., Indiana. Eshcoff, Vasil K. In 1910 he emigrated to Fort Wayne, Indiana, US,Македонски алманахъ. Индианаполисъ, Индиана, САЩ, Централенъ Комитетъ на Македонскитѣ политически организации въ Съединенитѣ щати, Канада и Австралия, 1940. стр. 223; Macedonian Almanac. Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, Central Committee of Macedonian Political Organizations in the United States, Canada and Australia, 1940. p. 223; (in Bulgarian) where he was involved in the work of the local Macedonian-Bulgarian society,According to the article Bulgarians/Macedonians in "Peopling Indiana: The Ethnic Experience." issued by the Indiana Historical Society, where Eshcoff is mentioned too, the early 20th century Macedonian immigrants in the State of Indiana, were pro-Bulgarian oriented in ethnic sense, including MPO, while the separate Macedonian identity was brought en masse by the new emigrants from Communist Yugoslavia at the eve of the 1960s.Ophelia Georgiev Roop and Lilia Georgiev Judson Bulgarians/Macedonians in "Peopling Indiana: The Ethnic Experience." (1996) Robert M. Taylor Jr. (Author), Connie A. McBirney (Editor) and John Bodnar (Editor); Indiana Historical Society, pp. 534-556; .Victor Roudometof (2007) Collective Memory, National Identity, and Ethnic Conflict: Greece, Bulgaria, and the Macedonian Question, Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 109, . founded on November 21, 1921, by settlers from Kostur region.Македонски алманахъ. Индианаполисъ, Индиана, САЩ, Централенъ Комитетъ на Македонскитѣ политически организации въ Съединенитѣ щати, Канада и Австралия, 1940. стр. 223; 258 - 259. Macedonian Almanac. Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, Central Committee of Macedonian Political Organizations in the United States, Canada and Australia, 1940. p. 223; 258 - 259. (in Bulgarian)Иван Гаджев (2003) История на българската емиграция в Северна Америка: поглед отвърте. 1860-1944, Институт по история на българската емиграция в Северна Америка; стр. 188-190, ; Ivan Gadzhev (2003) History of Bulgarian emigration to North America: a look inside. 1860-1944, Institute of the History of Bulgarian Emigration in North America; pp. 188-190, (in Bulgarian) They initiated the establishment of the pro-Bulgarian Macedonian Political Organization in Fort Wayne on October 2, 1922.Трендафил Митев, Добрин Мичев, Антон Първанов, Изследвания по македонския въпрос, книга I, Македонска библиотека, Македонски научен институт, стр. 466, ; Trendafil Mitev, Dobrin Michev, Anton Parvanov, Research on the Macedonian Question, Book I, Macedonian Library, Macedonian Scientific Institute, p. 466, (in Bulgarian).
At the Second Congress of the Organization, held in Indianapolis in early September 1923, he was elected its president.Веселин Трайков (1993) История на българската емиграция в Северна Америка: от началото и през средата на XIX в. до 80-те години на XX век. Университетско издателство "Св. Климент Охридски", стр. 175, ; Vesselin Traykov (1993) History of the Bulgarian emigration to North America: from the beginning and in the middle of the XIX century to the 80s of the XX century. University Publishing House "St. Kliment Ohridski", Sofia, p. 175, (in Bulgarian). The governing body also included (vice president), (treasurer), Mihail Nikolov (secretary) and Pavel Angelov from Chicago (adviser). Eshcoff was replaced at the next congress held in August–September 1924 in Fort Wayne by .Трендафил Митев (1993) Българската емиграция в Америка и борбите за освобождението на Македония: 1919-1945; Военноиздателски комплекс "Св. Георги Победоносец", стр. 22, ; Trendafil Mitev (1993) The Bulgarian Emigration to America and the Struggles for the Liberation of Macedonia: 1919-1945; Military Publishing House, p. 22,(in Bulgarian).
In Fort Wayne in 1927, the local branch of the MPO established a Macedonian-Bulgarian school and Eshcoff participated in the initiative.Протокол No 30 на МПО „Костур “, Форт Уейн, Индиана за създаване на училище. 20 януари 1927 г... Разискванията при които се подчерта значението на българското училище... Протоколът бе подписан от присъствалите на заседанието... Правилник за Македоно-българското училище в гр. Форт Уейн, Индиана, САЩ. Македонската политическа организация „ Костур “, по желанието на членовете на организацията взе инициативата и основава първото македоно-българско училище във Форт Уейн... (на български език); Protocol No. 30 of the IGO "Kostur", Fort Wayne, Indiana for the establishment of a school. January 20, 1927 ... Discussions emphasizing the importance of the Bulgarian school ... The minutes were signed by those present at the meeting ... Regulations for the Macedonian-Bulgarian school in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA. The Macedonian political organization Kostur, at the request of the members of the organization, took the initiative and founded the first Macedonian-Bulgarian school in Fort Wayne...(in Bulgarian); For more see: Веселин Трайков (1993) История на българската емиграция в Северна Америка: от началото и през средата на XIX в. до 80-те години на XX век. Университетско издателство "Св. Климент Охридски", стр. 111-125, ; Vesselin Traykov (1993) History of the Bulgarian emigration to North America: from the beginning and in the middle of the XIX century to the 80s of the XX century. University Publishing House "St. Kliment Ohridski", Sofia, p. 111-125, (in Bulgarian). He was a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Fort Wayne, part of the Bulgarian Diocese of Toledo.At the end of the Second World War, the Macedonian Patriotic Organization in Fort Wayne made efforts to establish a Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church. Initially the services were led by the visiting Archimandrite Kiril Yonchev. The first church board included Vasil Lichin, Nikola Gulov, Mihail Kozmov, Argir Lebamov, Dimitar Lebamov, Argir Kiprov, Vasil Ishkov, Toma Lazov and Lazar Laykov. The parish was officially founded in 1947.St. Nicholas Orthodox Church - Ft. Wayne. Parish Information. Bulgarian Diocese of Toledo.Веселин Трайков (1993) История на българската емиграция в Северна Америка: от началото и през средата на XIX в. до 80-те години на XX век. Университетско издателство "Св. Климент Охридски", стр. 206, ; Vesselin Traykov (1993) History of the Bulgarian emigration to North America: from the beginning and in the middle of the XIX century to the 80s of the XX century. University Publishing House "St. Kliment Ohridski", Sofia, p. 206, (in Bulgarian).
Fort Wayne's Coney Island Weiner Stand, where the famous Coney Island hot dogs are still offered, was developed by Eshcoff and his partners from MPO, Vasil Litchin and Kiriyak Geroff.Vasil Ishkoff and Vasil Litchin who were partners in the proprietorship of Coney Island Weiner Stand on 131 W. Main Street... All were active MPO members. For more see: Bulgarians/Macedonians by Ophelia Georgiev Roop and Lilia Georgiev Judson in "Peopling Indiana: The Ethnic Experience." (1996) Robert M. Taylor Jr. (Author), Connie A. McBirney (Editor) and John Bodnar (Editor); Indiana Historical Society, pp. 534-556; .
He died on June 15, 1961, in Fort Wayne. The restaurant he founded remains in the hands of the Eshcoff and Choka families.
See also Slavic speakers of Greek Macedonia Macedonian Americans Macedonian Bulgarians
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External links Македонски алманахъ. Индианаполисъ, Индиана, САЩ, Централенъ Комитетъ на Македонскитѣ политически организации въ Съединенитѣ щати, Канада и Австралия, 1940. (in pre-1945 Bulgarian orthography); Macedonian Almanac. Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, Central Committee of Macedonian Political Organizations in the United States, Canada and Australia, 1940.
Fort Wayne's Famous Coney Island Wiener Stand official website, history page