Jefferson Park, Chicago
Encyclopedia
Jefferson Park is one of Chicago
's 77 well-defined community areas
located on the city's Northwest Side. The neighborhood
of Jefferson Park occupies a larger swath of territory than the community area by including within it land of adjacent community areas.
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Jefferson Park is bordered by the community areas of Norwood Park
to the northwest, Forest Glen
to the northeast, Portage Park
to the south. and the suburb of Harwood Heights
to the south. Although the official community area
map draws the boundary between Jefferson Park and Portage Park
at Gunnison and Lawrence, the Jefferson Park neighborhood extends to Montrose further south.
Settlement in the vicinity of Jefferson Park began in the 1830s with John Kinzie Clark
and Elijah Wentworth, whose claim was near what is now the Jefferson Park Metra Station
, where he operated a tavern and inn. The tiny settlement of traders, hunters, and farmers consisted of simple one and two room log cabins until Abram Gale, for whom Gale Street is named, built the first frame house in Jefferson. Jefferson Park became the hub of an independent township
that was incorporated at the nearby Dickinson Tavern as Jefferson Township
in 1850 until annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889. The area was once home to a significant population of Volga Germans, and one of the area's one time local landmarks was a local apartment buildings in the vicinity of the park along Higgins Avenue dubbed by locals as "the Russian Hotel".
Jefferson Park is also, appropriately enough, home to the The Northwest Chicago Historical Society which is dedicated to preserve the area's rich history as well as most historical events and lectures.
Jefferson Park is a 7 acres (28,328 m²) park operated by the Chicago Park District
. The park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
is located on the site of the Esdohr Farm.
, which includes neighborhood and city-wide options for students. There are also a number of private parochial schools run by Roman Catholic and Lutheran congregations in the area. The Chicago Public Library
operates the Jefferson Park branch for neighborhood residents.
a former Movie Palace
that is now the seat of the Copernicus Foundation
. The Gateway Theatre still serves the community today as a performing arts center
, hosting numerous cultural events such as theatrical performances, film screenings and concerts throughout the year.
Jefferson Park is also home to the award-winning Gift Theatre Company, a professional theatre company located at 4802 N. Milwaukee co-founded by Jeff Park native Michael Patrick Thornton
.
The neighborhood holds two large festivals annually: Jeff Fest in June and Taste of Polonia
over Labor day
weekend.
The Taste of Polonia
has brought some of the nation's most prominent political figures to Jefferson Park to woo the support of Chicago's Polish community
. President
George H. Bush hosted the festival in 1992 and in 2000, former Vice-President Dick Cheney
as well as Tipper Gore
, and Hadassah Lieberman
made an appearance. Vice-President Cheney's presence was particularly notorious with coverage in the New York Times of his lively antics which included dancing the polka
, serving attendees kielbasa
with stuffed cabbage and addressing a cheering crowd by shouting the polish phrase Sto Lat
.
The neighborhood is serviced by the Blue Line
's Jefferson Park
station located on its southeastern edge next to the Kennedy Expressway
at the intersection of Milwaukee
and Avondale, less than three blocks away from the Gateway Theatre
and the historic Jefferson Park Congregational Church. The station is attached to a stop along the Union Pacific/Northwest (UP-NW) commuter rail line provided by Metra
, previously owned by the Chicago and North Western Railway
and currently operated by the Union Pacific Railroad
. In 2005, a monument to Thomas Jefferson
was placed along the station's entrance along Milwaukee Avenue
.
Jefferson Park is a predominantly middle-class neighborhood of people coming from a variety of diverse backgrounds. Like many neighborhoods on the Northwest Side of Chicago the neighborhood has a heavy Polish-American presence, and is home to the Copernicus Foundation
, the Polish parish of St. Constance, as well as a host of other Polish-American organizations, institutions and businesses.
Jefferson Park is also known for having a very high number of resident city and county workers. The area is filled with the homes of Chicago Public School teachers and staff, Chicago Police Department
, Chicago Fire Department
as well as Cook County
Sheriff
officers and staff.
Boundaries are Austin Ave, Chicago River, Railway, Elston Ave, Foster Ave, Edens Expy, Cicero Ave, Montrose Ave, Narraganset Ave, Nagle Ave, BrynMawr Ave, Northwest Hwy, Milwaulkee Ave.
of Chicago
. It is centered at the large and confusing intersection of Northwest Highway
and Central, Milwaukee
, and Foster Avenues. The Kennedy Expressway
runs nearby as well and has an entrance from Foster Avenue. The park for which the neighborhood is named is located a few blocks to the northwest between Northwest Highway
and Milwaukee
, on Menard Avenue.
Gladstone Park has a stop
along the Union Pacific/Northwest (UP-NW) commuter rail line provided by Metra
and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad
which runs through Chicago, and its surrounding suburbs. Very few trains stop at this station, as noted when the conductor announces that a train will make "every single stop except Gladstone Park."
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's 77 well-defined community areas
Community areas of Chicago
Community areas in Chicago refers to the work of the Social Science Research Committee at University of Chicago which has unofficially divided the City of Chicago into 77 community areas. These areas are well-defined and static...
located on the city's Northwest Side. The neighborhood
Neighborhoods in Chicago
Cartographers distinguish between over 200 neighborhoods and 77 community areas in the City of Chicago . A semi-official by the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development was created in the 1970s by researchers who went from door-to-door in Chicago, asking "What neighborhood is this?"...
of Jefferson Park occupies a larger swath of territory than the community area by including within it land of adjacent community areas.
Norwood Park, Chicago
Norwood Park is one of 77 well-defined Chicago, Illinois community areas. It encompasses the smaller neighborhoods of Big Oaks, Norwood Park East, Norwood Park West, Old Norwood Park, Oriole Park, and Union Ridge....
to the northwest, Forest Glen
Forest Glen, Chicago
Forest Glen is one of the 77 community areas of Chicago, Illinois, located in the city's Northwest Side.-Edgebrook:Edgebrook borders the neighborhood of Sauganash. Edgebrook was once part of the Sauganash land tract and was annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889. To the north of Edgebrook lie...
to the northeast, Portage Park
Portage Park, Chicago
Portage Park is located on the northwest side of the City of Chicago, Illinois and is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas. Portage Park is bordered by the community areas of Jefferson Park and Forest Glen to the north, Dunning and the suburb of Harwood Heights to the west,...
to the south. and the suburb of Harwood Heights
Harwood Heights, Illinois
Harwood Heights is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,297 at the 2000 census. The current Mayor is Arlene Jezierny...
to the south. Although the official community area
Community areas of Chicago
Community areas in Chicago refers to the work of the Social Science Research Committee at University of Chicago which has unofficially divided the City of Chicago into 77 community areas. These areas are well-defined and static...
map draws the boundary between Jefferson Park and Portage Park
Portage Park, Chicago
Portage Park is located on the northwest side of the City of Chicago, Illinois and is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas. Portage Park is bordered by the community areas of Jefferson Park and Forest Glen to the north, Dunning and the suburb of Harwood Heights to the west,...
at Gunnison and Lawrence, the Jefferson Park neighborhood extends to Montrose further south.
History
John Kinzie Clark
John Kinzie Clark was a trader and trapper who was a prominent early settler in the Chicago area. He was raised by Native Americans who called him Nonimoa or Prairie Wolf. Clark first arrived at Fort Dearborn in 1818. In 1830, Clark settled in the vicinity of today's Jefferson Park area where he...
and Elijah Wentworth, whose claim was near what is now the Jefferson Park Metra Station
Jefferson Park (Metra-CTA)
The Jefferson Park Transit Center is an intermodal passenger transport center, in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It functions as a station for rail as well as rapid transit and also as a bus terminal. Jefferson Park Transit Center's railroad station is on Metra's Union...
, where he operated a tavern and inn. The tiny settlement of traders, hunters, and farmers consisted of simple one and two room log cabins until Abram Gale, for whom Gale Street is named, built the first frame house in Jefferson. Jefferson Park became the hub of an independent township
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
that was incorporated at the nearby Dickinson Tavern as Jefferson Township
Jefferson Township, Cook County, Illinois
Jefferson Township is a former civil township in Cook County, Illinois, United States that existed as a separate municipality from 1850 until 1889 when it was annexed into the city of Chicago. Its borders were Devon Avenue on the north, Harlem Avenue on the west, Western Avenue to the east, and...
in 1850 until annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889. The area was once home to a significant population of Volga Germans, and one of the area's one time local landmarks was a local apartment buildings in the vicinity of the park along Higgins Avenue dubbed by locals as "the Russian Hotel".
Jefferson Park is also, appropriately enough, home to the The Northwest Chicago Historical Society which is dedicated to preserve the area's rich history as well as most historical events and lectures.
Jefferson Park (Chicago Park District)
Chicago Park District
The Chicago Park District is the oldest and largest park district in the U.S.A, with a $385 million annual budget. It has the distinction of spending the most per capita on its parks, even more than Boston in terms of park expenses per capita...
. The park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
is located on the site of the Esdohr Farm.
Education
Jefferson Park residents are served by Chicago Public SchoolsChicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
, which includes neighborhood and city-wide options for students. There are also a number of private parochial schools run by Roman Catholic and Lutheran congregations in the area. The Chicago Public Library
Chicago Public Library
The Chicago Public Library is the public library system that serves the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 79 branches, including a central library, two regional libraries, and branches distributed throughout the city....
operates the Jefferson Park branch for neighborhood residents.
Culture
Jefferson Park is the home of the historic Gateway TheatreGateway Theatre (Chicago)
The Gateway Theatre is a 2,000-seat former movie palace that is now part of the Copernicus Cultural and Civic Center in the Jefferson Park community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located at 5216 W...
a former Movie Palace
Movie palace
A movie palace is a term used to refer to the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opened every year between 1925 and 1930.There are three building types in particular which can be subsumed...
that is now the seat of the Copernicus Foundation
Copernicus Foundation
The Copernicus Foundation is a 501 not for profit organization based in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It was founded by Poles in Chicago in 1971 in order to raise funds towards raising a monument for the famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus to be set in front of the Adler...
. The Gateway Theatre still serves the community today as a performing arts center
Performing arts center
Performing arts center, often abbreviated PAC, is used to refer to* A multi-use performance space that is intended for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre....
, hosting numerous cultural events such as theatrical performances, film screenings and concerts throughout the year.
Jefferson Park is also home to the award-winning Gift Theatre Company, a professional theatre company located at 4802 N. Milwaukee co-founded by Jeff Park native Michael Patrick Thornton
Michael Patrick Thornton
Michael Patrick Thornton is an American actor and theater director. He currently plays the character of Dr. Gabriel Fife in the ABC drama series Private Practice. He is a native of Jefferson Park, a neighborhood on Chicago's northwest side.- Career :...
.
The neighborhood holds two large festivals annually: Jeff Fest in June and Taste of Polonia
Taste of Polonia
The Taste of Polonia is a Chicago festival held at the Copernicus Cultural and Civic Center in the Jefferson Park community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States every Labor Day weekend since 1979. It is the Copernicus Foundation's major fundraiser and a four-day celebration of...
over Labor day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
weekend.
The Taste of Polonia
Taste of Polonia
The Taste of Polonia is a Chicago festival held at the Copernicus Cultural and Civic Center in the Jefferson Park community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States every Labor Day weekend since 1979. It is the Copernicus Foundation's major fundraiser and a four-day celebration of...
has brought some of the nation's most prominent political figures to Jefferson Park to woo the support of Chicago's Polish community
Poles in Chicago
Chicago Polonia, refers to both immigrant Poles and Americans of Polish heritage living in Chicago, Illinois. They are a part of worldwide Polonia, the proper term for the Polish Diaspora outside of Poland. Poles in Chicago have contributed to the economic, social and cultural well-being of Chicago...
. President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
George H. Bush hosted the festival in 1992 and in 2000, former Vice-President Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
as well as Tipper Gore
Tipper Gore
Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Gore , née Aitcheson, is an author, photographer, former second lady of the United States, and the estranged wife of Al Gore...
, and Hadassah Lieberman
Hadassah Lieberman
Hadassah Lieberman is the wife of United States Senator Joseph Lieberman .-Biography:She was born Hadassah Freilich in a refugee camp in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Her parents were both Holocaust survivors. Her father was Samuel Freilich, a lawyer and rabbi from Munkács, in the Carpathian Ruthenia...
made an appearance. Vice-President Cheney's presence was particularly notorious with coverage in the New York Times of his lively antics which included dancing the polka
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
, serving attendees kielbasa
Kielbasa
Kielbasa, kołbasa, kobasa, kovbasa, kobasa, kobasi, and kubasa are common North American anglicizations for a type of Eastern European sausage. Synonyms include Polish sausage, Ukrainian sausage, etc...
with stuffed cabbage and addressing a cheering crowd by shouting the polish phrase Sto Lat
Sto lat
"Sto lat" is a traditional Polish song that is sung to express good wishes, good health and long life to a person. The song's author and exact origin are unattributed. The song is sung both at informal gatherings or at formal events, such as weddings...
.
Transportation
Jefferson Park has long been one of Chicago's transportation hubs, earning the neighborhood the nickname as "The Gateway to Chicago".Blue Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Blue Line consists of a long trunk line in the Chicago Transit Authority's rapid transit system which extends through Chicago's Loop from O'Hare International Airport at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway, and across the West Side to its...
's Jefferson Park
Jefferson Park (Metra-CTA)
The Jefferson Park Transit Center is an intermodal passenger transport center, in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It functions as a station for rail as well as rapid transit and also as a bus terminal. Jefferson Park Transit Center's railroad station is on Metra's Union...
station located on its southeastern edge next to the Kennedy Expressway
Kennedy Expressway
The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport. The expressway is named for the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. The Interstate 90 portion of the Kennedy is a part of the much longer I-90...
at the intersection of Milwaukee
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
and Avondale, less than three blocks away from the Gateway Theatre
Gateway Theatre (Chicago)
The Gateway Theatre is a 2,000-seat former movie palace that is now part of the Copernicus Cultural and Civic Center in the Jefferson Park community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located at 5216 W...
and the historic Jefferson Park Congregational Church. The station is attached to a stop along the Union Pacific/Northwest (UP-NW) commuter rail line provided by Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
, previously owned by the Chicago and North Western Railway
Chicago and North Western Railway
The Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was a Class I railroad in the Midwest United States. It was also known as the North Western. The railroad operated more than of track as of the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s...
and currently operated by the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
. In 2005, a monument to Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
was placed along the station's entrance along Milwaukee Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
.
Jefferson Park
Copernicus Foundation
The Copernicus Foundation is a 501 not for profit organization based in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It was founded by Poles in Chicago in 1971 in order to raise funds towards raising a monument for the famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus to be set in front of the Adler...
, the Polish parish of St. Constance, as well as a host of other Polish-American organizations, institutions and businesses.
Jefferson Park is also known for having a very high number of resident city and county workers. The area is filled with the homes of Chicago Public School teachers and staff, Chicago Police Department
Chicago Police Department
The Chicago Police Department, also known as the CPD, is the principal law enforcement agency of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Chicago. It is the largest police department in the Midwest and the second largest local law enforcement agency in the...
, Chicago Fire Department
Chicago Fire Department
The Chicago Fire Department, also known as the CFD, is the principal fire suppression, prevention, and rescue agency of Chicago, Illinois, under the jurisdiction of the mayor of Chicago. The Chicago Fire Department is the second largest fire department in the United States after the New York City...
as well as Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
officers and staff.
Boundaries are Austin Ave, Chicago River, Railway, Elston Ave, Foster Ave, Edens Expy, Cicero Ave, Montrose Ave, Narraganset Ave, Nagle Ave, BrynMawr Ave, Northwest Hwy, Milwaulkee Ave.
Gladstone Park
Gladstone Park is a neighborhood in the northern section of the Jefferson Park community areaCommunity areas of Chicago
Community areas in Chicago refers to the work of the Social Science Research Committee at University of Chicago which has unofficially divided the City of Chicago into 77 community areas. These areas are well-defined and static...
of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. It is centered at the large and confusing intersection of Northwest Highway
U.S. Route 14 in Illinois
In the U.S. state of Illinois, U.S. Route 14 is a major arterial that runs southeast from the Wisconsin state line north of Harvard, Illinois to the north side of Chicago at U.S. Route 41....
and Central, Milwaukee
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
, and Foster Avenues. The Kennedy Expressway
Kennedy Expressway
The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport. The expressway is named for the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. The Interstate 90 portion of the Kennedy is a part of the much longer I-90...
runs nearby as well and has an entrance from Foster Avenue. The park for which the neighborhood is named is located a few blocks to the northwest between Northwest Highway
U.S. Route 14 in Illinois
In the U.S. state of Illinois, U.S. Route 14 is a major arterial that runs southeast from the Wisconsin state line north of Harvard, Illinois to the north side of Chicago at U.S. Route 41....
and Milwaukee
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
, on Menard Avenue.
Gladstone Park has a stop
Gladstone Park (Metra)
Gladstone Park is a station on Metra's Union Pacific/Northwest Line located in Gladstone Park, Chicago, Illinois. Gladstone Park primarily serves weekday rush hour trains and is closed on weekends and holidays. The station is located at 5500 N. Austin Boulevard, adjacent to the Kennedy Expressway....
along the Union Pacific/Northwest (UP-NW) commuter rail line provided by Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
which runs through Chicago, and its surrounding suburbs. Very few trains stop at this station, as noted when the conductor announces that a train will make "every single stop except Gladstone Park."