The mission of the Hamtramck Historical Commission is to identify, assemble, collect and preserve objects, material, writings, buildings and sites relating to the history and culture of the city and its citizens, both past and present.

The Hamtramck Historical Commission operates in several ways, but above all, we save. We save photos of persons, places and information about events from Hamtramck’s past. We save documents, such as maps, newspapers, city records, brochures and nearly anything else that relates to the city. We save items, like old bottles, matchbooks, political posters, shopping bags - even old bowling pins. If an item has a connection to Hamtramck, we acquire it for our archives.

And we save memories. Videotaped and audiotaped interviews of residents and former residents are prepared and preserved to make a living history of Hamtramck.

All items are cataloged and all donors are recorded and acknowledged for their generosity. The Historical Commission relies heavily on assistance from friends of Hamtramck who contribute items. Their contributions are vital, as many of these objects are in danger of being lost, often thrown out with the trash.

The Commission gathers, protects and preserves all items in our collection so they can be viewed by future generations seeking a window into Hamtramck’s past.