In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1900s, Polish immigrants began arriving in Michigan to escape the political turmoil of Europe. Though they initially settled in Detroit, other communities, such as Alpena and Port Huron, also served as destinations for these immigrants. By the mid-1800s, financial incentives also drew Poles to Michigan. For example, recruiting agents for railroad companies directed laborers to travel to the Midwest and factories employed Polish immigrants. To better deal with the changes of transplanting from oftentimes rural villages to industrial America, Polish cultural centers and religious organizations developed to aid these immigrant communities emotionally, spiritually, and socially.
