Historian Greg Kowalski to be honored at museum

Historian and author Greg Kowalski

By Alan Madlane
As the main man behind the Hamtramck Historical Museum, Greg Kowalski has been both the city’s biggest fan and its best cheerleader, too.
And now, the city is repaying Kowalski with gratitude of its own.
Wyandotte St., the street on which he lives, has been given the honorific name of Greg Kowalski.
Due to the forecast of inclement winter weather this weekend, the renaming ceremony – scheduled for this Sunday, Jan. 18, at 2 p.m. – will be held inside the museum, located at 9525 Jos. Campau, on the west side of the street between Norwalk and Poland.
Kowalski will be given a duplicate street sign of his own during the ceremony.
The city council OK’d the renaming during a recent meeting last month.
Kowalski has authored a dozen books about various aspects of the city. His most recent book, just released, is called “Modern Hamtramck,” and is a photojournal from the 1950s to present.
Other books have focused on the city’s most legendary persons, the town’s notorious bars and speakeasies, or the city’s automotive industry past.
Back in 2018 we interview Kowalski about his passion for writing about Hamtramck and its history.
“I absolutely love researching and writing the books. Hamtramck is an endlessly fascinating city,” he said. “I do historical research constantly for the museum, and I am continuously amazed at the things I find out. For decades, Hamtramck turned its back on its own history.”
We at The Review would like to offer a tip of the cap to Greg Kowalski, whose love for his city is unbounded – and who has a whole museum built up to prove it.
Posted Jan. 16, 2026