An Interesting Forum About Detroit's Polish Neighborhoods

A couple weeks ago I discovered an interesting forum called Discuss Detroit. There are a variety of "threads" on various topics discussed there but I'd like to mention one in particular. That would be the The Early Detroit Polish Community. The thread is currently 3 "pages" long (very long pages) and chock full of wonderful information about the old Polish neighborhoods in Detroit - both the east side and the west side communities. Most of the discussions are about the neighborhoods and buildings. Occasionally someone will share a memory of the old days or comment on the sad state of the old neighborhoods now. There are lots of photos, both vintage and current. There are many Sanborn maps. And there is a good amount of history presented.

Unfortunately, there is no search capability on the forum. There's no good way to find information on a specific topic or bookmark a particular entry. Many forums do have search capability but this one is very rudimentary and does not. I tried at one point to tactfully suggest contributors utilize the wiki I set up a few weeks back but nobody took advantage of it. They are comfortable with what they know and don't particularly want to change. I understand that. But it really is too bad that the wonderful archive of information they've created isn't more accessible.

If you have an interest in the old Polish neighborhoods of Detroit and you don't mind scrolling through hundreds of messages, you will find this forum educational and enlightening. You don't have to register with the forum to view it but you will have to register to post messages to it. Enjoy!

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