The first Polish immigrants hired by the Massachusetts Bay Company to build Plymouth Colony in 1608 included a glass blower, a pitch and tar maker, a soap maker and a timberman. More Poles were hired and shipped to the newly growing Plymouth Colony in subsequent years.

Keep in mind that several of these Poles were experts in pitch and tar making at the time, which was not only necessary for building housing, but for SHIP repair and making boats, and for sealing naval stores against moisture damage. Wood tar is a water repellent coating for boats, ships, sails, and roofs. In the 1600s, it was also a valuable cash crop. Its main use was in preserving wooden sailing vessels against rot.

By 1620, when the Mayflower arrived, its estimated that two dozen Poles were already living in Plymouth Colony. Another thing people don't know is that the Massachusetts Bay Company and the leaders of Plymouth that arrived on the Mayflower were Puritan religious jerks. Not sugar coating it. Quite a few (even most) of the earliest workers who built Plymouth left the colony within a year of the Puritans arrival... and they went to other newly forming colonies or simply built their own places elsewhere. Puritans were jerks, and they had tons of religious based rules. Imagine if some group showed up in your town and began banning everything you enjoy, and forcing you to live under strict rules. Nope. Have fun being Puritans... because we're outta here.