Hamtramck's greatest tennis star (and one of the best in the nation), Jane "Peaches" Bartkowicz, stopped by the Hamtramck Historical Museum on Monday, Aug. 30, after visiting the tennis courts at Veterans Memorial Park. Peaches won innumerable titles during her career in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Junior Singles Title at Wimbledon. She recently was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI. She toured the museum, and we look forward to her returning often.
Museum committees will help shape our future
The Hamtramck Historical Museum officially launched its Education Committee in August. It is part of a series of committees the Museum is forming to expand its reach into the community and upgrade its operations.
The focus of the Education Committee, which has nine members, including several professional educators, is to make students and adults aware of the history of Hamtramck and help instill a sense of community in the residents. A series of classes will be offered to students and adults.
In addition, the Museum is creating a Building Committee to plan and oversee a series of renovations at the Museum building. Bids have been sent to contractors to reinstall the main floor stairway that was in place leading to the basement years ago. In addition, a new carpet will be installed on the main floor, which also will be reconfigured to open the back area, which is currently used for storage.
Looking to next year, the Museum is now forming a Fundraising Committee to coordinate and expand fundraising efforts. While the Museum is financially sound, additional improvements need to be made on the building and a more consistent source of funding must be established. This committee will be officially launched early next year.
It is going to take a lot of time, effort and money to enhance the Museum to the high professional level we are striving for, but we have a strong base of supporters working on all aspects of this. You will hear more about this.
Museum Treasurer Cindy Cervenak helps kids create their own necklaces and bracelets at the public schools' Family Fun Day.
Family Fun Day
The Museum took part in the Hamtramck Public Schools' Family Fun Fair held Tuesday, Aug. 17, at the Community Center.
A variety of organizations set up tables at the center showcasing services offered to the kids and their parents. But the real stars of the day were the face painter and the guy making balloon animals. The Museum's table also was a major draw as Board Treasurer Cindy Cervenak helped kids make jewelry out of plastic straws. The kids loved it. Hundreds of kids and their parents turned out for the event, and the Museum got a chance to do a little self-promotion to encourage them to visit us.
Museum Expands Hours!
People are getting out more as summer is here. In response, the Hamtramck Historical Museum is now open:
Fridays 11 am to 3 pm
Saturdays 11 am to 4 pm
Sundays 11 am to 3 pm
or by appointment.
Email us at hamtramckhistory@gmail.com to make arrangements.
From the Executive Director
The work doesn't end when the doors are shut
Even when the doors are closed, work goes on at the Hamtramck Historical Museum.
We are now open to the public three days a week - Friday (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.); Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), and we plan to expand our hours of operation even more. But even on the days the museum isn't open, the work of preserving Hamtramck's great history goes on. As we have reported earlier, we are in the process of professionally organizing our extensive archives; formalizing the new Education Committee's plans for programs to educate the public about Hamtramck's history; discussing much-needed renovations that are planned for the museum building; developing a master plan for annual fundraising, which is critical to our survival; and dealing with routine concerns, like filing proper tax and licensing documents, preparing financial reports; applying for grants; preparing public programs planned for the fall, and much more. We also have to deal with the unexpected, like the failure of our air conditioning unit for the main floor gallery, which happened on one of the hottest days of the year. Estimates to repair the unit are coming in at over $8000.
Beyond that, we are busy doing a number of activities to study and preserve Hamtramck's history. This includes specialized research, such as developing a comprehensive document listing every street and their location in Hamtramck going back to the township days, and creating a list of every business that has existed in the city of Hamtramck (it runs over 60 pages of single-spaced, small type, so far).
We are also exploring and documenting sites all across the Detroit Metro area that were once part of Hamtramck Township. All these activities are done after hours or on days when the museum is closed. So in a sense, the museum is really never closed.
Hamtramck has an incredible history and are learning more fascinating things about it almost daily. Hamtramck's history was nearly lost as so many documents came perilously close to being destroyed and those persons who have a long history here have since passed on. But we are surely and steadily pulling Hamtramck's past into the present to preserve it for the future.
It's a lot of work, but it is also is a lot of fun.
Greg Kowalski Executive Director
WSU holds retreat
Members of the Wayne State University Anthropology Department held their annual retreat at the Museum on Tuesday, Aug. 24. About 15 staff members led by Prof. Krysta Ryzewski spent the day at the museum going over plans for the coming school year.
WSU and the Museum have a formal operating agreement and will be working on joint projects in the coming months. The WSU crew gets extra credit for holding their retreat despite the unexpected loss of air conditioning at the Museum!
Art 'Pinky' Deras gives a lift to teammate Greg Pniewski as the Hamtramck team celebrates winning the Little League championship in 1959. Congratulations to Taylor North for winning the 2021 Little League Championship!
Follow Us on Facebook
Everyday the Hamtramck Historical Museum publishes a different historical photo on Facebook. We have presented over 500 photos so far. Some give insight into Hamtramck's history. Others are purely nostalgic. All are interesting. Please consider donating by mail or onour website.
We have thousands of photos in our archives and we want to continue sharing them with you.
The grave of Col. John Francis Hamtramck at Mt. Elliott Cemetery in Detroit
before he was moved to Hamtramck in 1962.
You're Invited
Next year Hamtramck will celebrate it's 100th anniversary of incorporation as a city. The museum is currently making plans to celebrate that event throughout the year.
YOU CAN BE A PART OF IT!
Many of us have great memories of growing up and living in Hamtramck.
You are invited to write a short (no more than 300 words) account of your favorite impression of Hamtramck. These will be collected for a special display next year at the museum. It may be that shopping trip you made with your mom down Jos. Campau when you were a little kid. Or a school basketball game. Or playing in the park. Whatever, write it down and mail it or email it to us. Include a non-returnable photo if you are able.
Let's keep the memory of old Hamtramck alive.
New acquisitions
Memories... memories...
What's cooking?
Many people have fond memories of tasty delights prepared in roasters like this. We already have one at the Museum, but we couldn't resist adding this Nesco Automatic Electric Roaster, complete with roasting pans and the original instruction book. They were donated by Grace McKeel and are in the Home section of the main gallery of the Museum. Stop by and take a look.
Be a Friend
In order for the Hamtramck Historical Museum to thrive and be sustainable for the future, we need your support. One of the best ways to do that is to become a Friend of Historical Hamtramck.
There are a variety of Friends' membership levels, and it's easy to join. Membership information can be found on the Museum website, www.hamtramckhistory.org.
If you are not a member, please become one, and tell all your friends about how they can become our Friends. We have made tremendous progress in the past few years as we have renovated the Museum building and expanded our outreach programs, but much remains to be done.
