Greg Kowalski - Hamtramck

St. Annes Community House, in many ways, was a counterpart of the Tau Beta Community House, which helped immigrants blend into American society. St. Annes was founded in 1921 at 2441 Andrus Street. It provided a variety of services, including English lessons and naturalization classes, as well as playing host to numerous clubs. It helped build Hamtramck into a modern American town, although inhabited primarily by Polish immigrants. Today the house is a private residence. (Photograph courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan.)

In 1798, Hamtramck was formed as a township that stretched from the Detroit River to Base Line (Eight Mile Road), and from Woodward Avenue through the Grosse Pointes. Almost immediately, the growing city of Detroit began to annex portions of the township. In 1901, a 2.1-square-mile section of the township split off and formed the village of Hamtramck. The village incorporated as a city in 1922, which is reflected in the shaded area.

The Dickinson farmhouse was a typical example of Hamtramcks preindustrial days. The farm, between Edwin and Norwalk Streets near Gallagher, was donated to the citys school system and became the site of Dickinson School, which was built in 1913 with an initial class of 260 pupils. It burned in 1916, was rebuilt the following year, and was extensively remodeled in later years. Dickinson continues to serve as an active school.

Nothing had a greater influence on the development of Hamtramck than Dodge Main. Construction started in 1910 and continued almost until the factory closed in 1979. It was the magnet that drew the Polish immigrants to Hamtramck. At its peak during World War II, Dodge Main employed more than 45,000 people and covered 5 million square feet of floor space. It ultimately would be replaced by another great factory, the 3-million square-foot General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. That plants massive powerhouse now occupies the site where Dodge Main was located.

Hamtramck became an often uncomfortable mix of heavy industry and homes once the Dodge Main factory opened in 1910. But Dodge Main was not the only factory in town. Chevrolet Gear and Axle was founded in 1917, straddling Hamtramcks southwestern border with Detroit. It remains clearly visible from homes on Lumpkin Street, the next block over. Now it is the American Axle plant, and the cross street has been absorbed by the Metropolitan Baking Company.

Holbrook Avenue divided the Chevrolet Gear and Axle plant complex in the earliest days and continues to do so today, although the business is now known as American Axle. Over the years, the street was widened, and the railroad tower that stood next to the tracks has been removed. The factory buildings also have been given a layer of siding that, while covering the rows of windows, has given the buildings a trim, modern, and clean look.

By 1923, there were 23 factories spewing smoke in Hamtramck, mainly as suppliers of the Dodge Main plant. They were embedded in the residential neighborhoods, often on the same blocks as houses. The Ida window and door factory, with its distinctive water tower, loomed over Dan Street for years. The lot alongside it is still empty, but modern technology prevails, with a cellular telephone tower now dominating the view.

Tau Beta was critical in shaping modern Hamtramck. It arrived in 1914 and provided many services, including legal and medical aid, as well as recreational activities. The big community house on Hanley Street was built in 1928. When Tau Beta left Hamtramck in 1958, the building was converted into Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic High School. It later fell into disrepair, but in recent years, it has been extensively renovated and now houses the Hanley International Academy charter school.

Hamtramck Municipal Hospital was built in 1927. In 1931, the city leased it to the Sisters of St. Francis, who renamed it St. Francis Hospital. One of the most storied buildings in Hamtramck, the hospital closed in 1969 but soon reopened as Hamtramck City Hall on a temporary basis. It still is city hall and was remodeled and modernized in recent years. Many Hamtramckans were born in the hospital, which has been recognized as a historic site by the State of Michigan.