From a Long Island Yard Sale to a Long Island Museum

Chet Szarejko (left), vice president of the PAC and its Political Activities Committee (PACPAC) purchased the document at a recent Long Island yard sale where the homeowner selling it was willing to take a mere $7 for it.
 
Frank Milewski (right), president of the PAC’s Downstate N.Y. Division, joined Szarejko and the representative from County Legislator Wayne H. Wink, Jr.’s office in presenting the document to the president of the Polish American Museum, Barbara Szydlowski.
 
It was an official document of the State of New York, a certificate of incorporation signed in 1927 by Robert Moses, the legendary city planner and highway builder who was Secretary of State during the time of Governor Al Smith’s administration.
 
“It incorporated what likely was the first Polish American political club on Long Island,” said Szarejko.
 
As an owner of an antique shop in Woodstock, N.Y., Szarejko is constantly hunting among suburban garage and yard sales to try to come across some rare or valuable item that might appeal to upstate New York antique buyers who visit his store.
 
Even as an antique dealer, Szarejko was amazed someone would be discarding such a rare piece of  Long Island ethnic history as this one.  He called the certificate a priceless and a significant find.
 
“It’s a piece of Polish immigrant history that gives us important insight into the political consciousness of the Polish immigrants who owned and worked the farmlands of Long Island. They left Poland and came through Ellis Island at a time their country didn’t exist as a nation but was carved up by the Prussian Germans, Austrians and Russians,” he said.
 
Museum president Szydlowski expressed her gratitude to the PAC’s Downstate Division for the donation and invites the general public to visit the museum and view the certificate and the other exhibits there.
 
The Polish American Museum at 16 Belleview Ave., Port Washington is open to visitors on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The museum can be reached at (516) 883-6542 for special tours and events.
 
Contact:  Frank Milewski
                pacdny@verizon.net
                (516) 352-7125