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Images of America: Michigan
Detroit's Polonia
More than a century has passed since the first Poles settled in Detroit. The first communities were established on the east side of Detroit, but the colony expanded rapidly to the west neighborhoods, and Poles in Detroit still identify themselves as East- or Westsiders. The pioneers left Poland for freedom of language and religion, and to own property. They replicated village life in the big city, living in close-knit neighborhoods anchored by the parish church. Polish immigrants made cigars, built railroad cars, molded stoves, established businesses and breweries, and moved into the political arena. The struggles and triumphs of these early settlers are on display in the pages of Detroit Polonia, a photographic history that links future generations with their Polish heritage.
130 pages, Hardcover
First published February 20, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 12, 2010
This book is one of the many little "Images of America" paperbacks that's filled with historical pictures and information in the captions. This one is of special interest to me because my grandparents and greatgrandparents were immigrants from Poland in the late 1800's and early 1900's and settled in the Polish community that formed on Detroit's east side.
So many of the pictures were reminders of my familiy's stories and the pictures could have been pulled from our family albums. Little snippets of information were gleaned as well, such as, family, language and religion were cornerstones for the immigrants. The priest had a strong presence and the nuns were a new concept because there was very little opportunities for education in the villages. The Felician nuns offered bilingual study techniques which bridged the old and new worlds.
Polish settlers were self-sufficient, establishing their own shops, bakeries, hardware stores, breweries as well as their own farmer's market. Magnificent churches and schools were built by these poor immigrants. And yet, the author reminds us, it is ironic that you could travel to Poland today and attend mass in the church that your great-grandparents were married in, but so many of the churches our parents were wed in have been closed or town down. It's good that this little pictorial history was published.
So many of the pictures were reminders of my familiy's stories and the pictures could have been pulled from our family albums. Little snippets of information were gleaned as well, such as, family, language and religion were cornerstones for the immigrants. The priest had a strong presence and the nuns were a new concept because there was very little opportunities for education in the villages. The Felician nuns offered bilingual study techniques which bridged the old and new worlds.
Polish settlers were self-sufficient, establishing their own shops, bakeries, hardware stores, breweries as well as their own farmer's market. Magnificent churches and schools were built by these poor immigrants. And yet, the author reminds us, it is ironic that you could travel to Poland today and attend mass in the church that your great-grandparents were married in, but so many of the churches our parents were wed in have been closed or town down. It's good that this little pictorial history was published.
January 30, 2010
Wonderful old pictures of Polish people living in our grandparents and great-grandparents era. They post pictures of the old churches and cemeteries in Detroit. Sacred Heart cemetery pictures featured a gravestone of the Piskorowski family. I`m fairly certain that its my great grandparents on my grandmother`s side family gravesite.
August 3, 2014
Some of the last names I recognized. I even recognized some of the places (well the areas where they used to be).
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews