10. Vinegar Hill had a thriving Lithuanian population in the mid-20th century
A significant Lithuanian population developed in Vinegar Hill around the 1920s and 1930s, replacing much of the Irish population. According to the 1930 census, the Lithuanian population was approximately 75% of the population in Vinegar Hill , with many arriving between 1905 and 1912. The census recorded a shoe store owner named John Yuska, who paid just $17 in rent per month.
Along Hudson Avenue, many of the shops displayed Lithuanian signs and menus, continuing as late as the 1960s. Lithuanian immigrants built the St. George R.C. Church on York Street, which had services in Lithuanian; it was believed that the church was founded after Lithuanians were not allowed into the two Irish churches in the neighborhood.
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