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The Hamtramck Historical Museum occupies the building originally occupied by the Polish Legion of American Veterans.
The Polish Legion of American Veterans is an outgrowth of the Polish American Veterans Club, which was formed in 1920. In the wake of World War I. This was a period when many veterans’ groups were being formed. Their
goal was to preserve the fraternity created during the war, and to assist each other in a variety of ways.
The first officers of the PAVC were Walter Gaston, president; Michael Glowacki, vice president; Anthony Mozdrzech, recording secretary; Julius T. Banks, financial secretary; Michael Kapuscinski, treasurer; and M. Dybinski, sergeant-at-arms.
Original meetings were held at a real estate office on Jos. Campau.
Post No. 1 was the first of the PAVCs to acquire its own building, which is the hall on McDougall and Holbrook. It was built at a cost of $50,000. And was from the start it served as s a community center as well as a veterans’ hall. Polish folk dancing was taught on the second floor, which was used as a dancing school for some time.
From 1920 to 1928 the post members assisted more than 3,000 veterans in preparation of applications for state and federal bonuses. They also donated money for the construction of a students’ dormitory in Warsaw, Poland.
By 1930 the club had a membership of 700. Other posts were formed around the country, and they agreed to form one national organization. On Sept. 5, 1931, at a convention held in Cleveland, Ohio, a new joint organization was
formed, called the Polish Legion of American Veterans of the United States of America. The Hamtramck club was formally changed to the Col. John Francis Hamtramck Post No. 1 of the Polish Legion of American Veterans.
The Great Depression years hit the PLAV hard, and many members dropped out because they could not afford the dues. The post tried to help members by finding jobs for the unemployed and by operating a soup kitchen. Towards
the end of the Depression, however, the post began to recover, and in 1938 was able to put on a 23-foot addition to the post at a cost of $40,000.
During World War II the post sold war bonds with the aim of paying for a heavy bomber. That effort was successful.
After the war, the post donated a considerable amount of money to Polish relief. Post 1 helped organize PLAV Post 6 and VFW Post 4162.
The post estimates it donated $100,000 over the years to various charitable causes, including educational and charitable institutions.
The organization donated much time and money to Polish relief and the American Red Cross, for which it was awarded a Certificate of Life Membership in the American Red Cross. In its early years, Post No. 1 donated $50 a month to the Red Cross.
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