Elissa Hunter wrote:

I would be grateful for any information about life in the latter half
of the 19th Century in the small Galician town of Ozydow (Ozhydiv),
now in Ukraine.
Several generations of one branch of my family were
born and lived their lives there, but I've been unable to unearth much
about the town, beyond a hazardous train derailment occurring in recent
times, and nothing at all about how/why Jews came to live there rather
than in nearby towns with significant Jewish populations, such as Busk.
I've learned >from JRI Poland that family names were POSTEL, WACHS and
TENENBAUM.

Elissa,

It appears that Ozydow didn't make list of the recognized JewishGen
communities due to the qualification requirements for community approval
such as number of Jewish residents and existence of Jewish faciliies.

Due to close proximity of the major Jewish centres such as Olesko, Bialy
Kamien, Busk and Skwarzawa, all located within a walk or horse driven
distance religious, cultural and educational institutions were indeed
close by.

References:

1. Ozydow records are shown 179 times in JRI-P system associated mainly
with town Olesko.

2. 1929 Poland Business Directory lists town Ozydow business establishments
circa 1921, and there are several Jewish surnames listed:

http://data.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/1929/loadtop.htm?1686

3. Slownik Geograficzny Krolewstwa Polskiego

4. Other town data:

In 19th century sources Ozydow is listed with close by settlement
Anielowka. One can figure out that Anielowka was named after one of
the founders of Ozydow and Anielowka: couple of Aniela and Karol
Hubicki. Village name has been changed was known in 20 century as
Angeluwka, and currently is known as Angeluvka, literally "a place
of angels" some ukrainian Los Angeles, and one can see this village
name through Jewishgen's Gazetteer at 4959 2466 coordinates.

Life in Galicia small towna in the second part of 19th century - one
can read about it in several articles published in Galicia Sefers Yzkor,
or referred publications.

5. Demographic data:

a)Year 1880 (Slownik Geograficzny)

Ozydow parish total population: 1,731 (1,534 in Ozydow and 197 in
Anielowka) + 57 folks working for folwark (manor) owners directly.

During this period, in Ozydow parish were 95 Jewish residents (71 in
Ozydow and 24 Anielowka). No data on Jews employed by the manor proper
but probably total number of Jewish souls already exceeded magic number
100.

b) Year 1900 (Galicia census)

Ozydow parish total population 2,138, Angelowka, settlement name change

from Anielowka - 204 residents including 15 Jewish souls, Ozydow proper

1,934 total residents including 68 Jewish souls.

In addition manor population included 21 Jews in both places, it makes
parish Ozydow populated in census year of 1900 by 104 Jewish residents.

c) Year 1921 (First independent Poland interwar census)

Ozydow parish total population 2,302, Angelowka - 207 residents
including 16 Jewish souls, Ozydow proper - 2,095 total residents
including 58 Jewish souls. There were 37 folks employed in manor
property but Jews were not listed.

Conclusion

Please note that Ozydow is not listed in JGFF towns system, but this
can be fixed if you submit to JGFF Help town name and related to this
place researched by you surnames.

Hope this help,

Alexander Sharon
JGFF editor