Jefferson Park is one of the 77
community areas of Chicago, located on the Northwest Side of the city. The
neighborhood of Jefferson Park occupies a larger swath of territory.
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 west. The
Guatemalan consulate is located in Jefferson Park at 5559 North Elston Avenue.
History
Settlement in the vicinity of Jefferson Park began in the 1830s with
John Kinzie Clark
John Kinzie Clark (1792–1865) was a trader, trapper and a prominent early settler in the Chicago area. He was raised by Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans, who called him ''Nonimoa'' or Prairie Wolf. Clark first arrived at ...
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
Log most often refers to:
* Trunk (botany), the stem and main wooden axis of a tree, called logs when cut
** Logging, cutting down trees for logs
** Firewood, logs used for fuel
** Lumber or timber, converted from wood logs
* Logarithm, in mathem ...
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
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...
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
The Volga Germans (german: Wolgadeutsche, ), russian: поволжские немцы, povolzhskiye nemtsy) are ethnic Germans who settled and historically lived along the Volga River in the region of southeastern European Russia around Saratov a ...
, and one of the area's one time local landmarks was a local apartment building in the vicinity of the park along Higgins Avenue known by locals as "the Russian Hotel"''.''
Jefferson Park is also home to th
Northwest Chicago Historical Societywhich is dedicated to preserve the area's rich history as well as most historical events and lectures.
On January 21, 2021 a
Boutique Air
Boutique Air, Inc. is a commuter airline based in San Francisco, California. The airline offers charter services as well as scheduled passenger services subsidized under the Essential Air Service (EAS) program. Boutique operates the second lar ...
Pilatus PC-12 was landing at the
Chicago O'Hare Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Loop busine ...
when its left main tire separated from the aircraft and landed in Jefferson Park. Police reported the tire, along with several small parts were found on a sidewalk near Leland Avenue. The tire hit two houses before coming to a rest on the sidewalk.
Jefferson Park (Chicago Park District)
Jefferson Park is a park operated by the
Chicago Park District
The Chicago Park District is one of the oldest and the largest park districts in the United States. As of 2016, there are over 600 parks included in the Chicago Park District as well as 27 beaches, several boat harbors, two botanic conservatorie ...
. The park, which is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
is located on the site of the Esdohr Farm.
Education
Jefferson Park residents are served by
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the third-largest school district in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles.
...
, which includes neighborhood and citywide options for students. There are also a number of private parochial schools run by
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
and
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
congregations in the area. The
Chicago Public Library
The Chicago Public Library (CPL) is the public library system that serves the City of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. It consists of 81 locations, including a central library, two regional libraries, and branches distributed throughout the ...
operates the Jefferson Park branch for neighborhood residents.
Politics
The Jefferson Park community area has supported the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
in the past two presidential elections. In the
2016 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*7 January: Kiri ...
, Jefferson Park cast 6,693 votes for
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
and cast 3,490 votes for
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
(62.65% to 32.67%). In the
2012 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*3–4 January ...
, Jefferson Park cast 6,019 votes for
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
and cast 3,129 votes for
Mitt Romney (64.42% to 33.49%).
Culture
Jefferson Park is the home of the historic former
Gateway Theatre Movie Palace that is now only part of the
Copernicus Center. The Copernicus Center and former Gateway Theatre (renamed the Mitchell P Kobelinski theater) still serve the community as a
performing arts center
Performing arts center/centre (see spelling differences), often abbreviated as 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.
:The ...
, hosting numerous music concerts, theatrical performances, classes, seminars, community meetings, and cultural events throughout the year. The Copernicus Center is also a voting location for Jefferson Park residents. The Copernicus Center "Annex," which includes both an event space and offices, houses the Jefferson Park Chamber of Commerce office.
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 is an American actor and theater director. He recently played the character of Dr. Gabriel Fife in the ABC drama series ''Private Practice''. He's also known for his performances on Broadway including as Lennox in the Sa ...
.
The neighborhood holds two large festivals annually: Jeff Fest in June, and
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 1980. It is the Copernicus Foundat ...
over
Labor Day weekend.
Christina Madonna of "Chicago All Stars" fame is a native of Jefferson Park.
The
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 1980. It is the Copernicus Foundat ...
has brought some of the nation's most prominent political figures to Jefferson Park to woo the support of
Chicago's Polish community
Both immigrant Poles and Americans of Polish heritage live in Chicago, Illinois. They are a part of worldwide '' Polonia'', the Polish term for the Polish Diaspora outside of Poland. Poles in Chicago have contributed to the economic, social an ...
.
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
George H. W. Bush hosted the festival in 1992 and in 2000, future
Vice-President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
Dick Cheney as well as
Tipper Gore
Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Gore (née Aitcheson; born August 19, 1948) is an American social issues advocate, activist, photographer and author who was the second lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001. She was married to Al Gore, the 45th vi ...
, and
Hadassah Lieberman
Hadassah Lieberman ( Freilich; born March 28, 1948) is the second wife of former United States Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.
Life and work
Hadassah Freilich Lieberman was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (a past report erroneously stated ...
made an appearance. Vice-President Cheney's presence was particularly notorious with coverage in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' 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.
Transportation
Jefferson Park has long been one of Chicago's transportation hubs, earning the neighborhood the nickname as "The Gateway to Chicago". The neighborhood is served by a
Blue Line station in the median of the
Kennedy Expressway
The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a nearly freeway in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Portions of the freeway carry I-190, I-90 and I-94. The freeway runs in a southeast–northwest direction between the central city neighborhood of the ...
at the intersection of
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
and Gale Street, less than three blocks away from the
Copernicus Center and the historic Jefferson Park Congregational Church. The
Union Pacific / Northwest Line also provides service to Jefferson Park. In 2005, a monument to
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...
was placed along the station's entrance along
Milwaukee Avenue.
Neighborhoods
Jefferson Park
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
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, coordinates =
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, subdivision_name ...
the neighborhood has a heavy
Polish-American
Polish Americans ( pl, Polonia amerykańska) are Americans who either have total or partial Polish ancestry, or are citizens of the Republic of Poland. There are an estimated 9.15 million self-identified Polish Americans, representing about 2.83% ...
presence, and is home to the
Copernicus Foundation
The Copernicus Foundation ( pl, Fundacja Kopernikowska) is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization based in the Jefferson Park, Chicago, Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.
It was founded by Poles in Chicago in 1971 in order to r ...
, 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
Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the third-largest school district in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles.
...
teachers and staff,
Chicago Police Department,
Chicago Fire Department as well as
Cook County
Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...
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, Bryn Mawr Ave, Northwest Hwy, Milwaukee Ave.
Indian Woods Community
Boundaries are Indian Rd, Central Ave, Ardmore Ave.
http://www.indianwoods.org/ Originally part of the Forest Glen Community. Also part of the South Edgebrook Neighborhood.
Gladstone Park
Gladstone Park is a neighborhood in the northern section of the Jefferson Park
community area of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
. It is centered at the large and confusing intersection of
Northwest Highway and Central,
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
, and Foster Avenues. The
Kennedy Expressway
The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a nearly freeway in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Portions of the freeway carry I-190, I-90 and I-94. The freeway runs in a southeast–northwest direction between the central city neighborhood of the ...
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
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
, on Menard Avenue.
The numerous examples of homes in the
Dutch Colonial
Dutch Colonial is a style of domestic architecture, primarily characterized by gambrel roofs having curved eaves along the length of the house. Modern versions built in the early 20th century are more accurately referred to as "Dutch Colonial Re ...
style has led to the area's nickname as "Little Rotterdam", an allusion to the Dutch city of
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...
.
Gladstone Park has its own
stop
Stop may refer to:
Places
* Stop, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the United States
* Stop (Rogatica), a village in Rogatica, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Facilities
* Bus stop
* Truck stop, a type of rest stop for truck d ...
on the
Union Pacific / Northwest Line.
References
External links
Official City of Chicago Jefferson Park Community MapThe Jefferson Park Historical Society's official website* Chicago Park District
*
Jefferson Park*
Gladstone Park*
Foster Austin Park*
Roberts Square PlaylotThe Jefferson Park Free PressCopernicus CenterTaste of Polonia
{{Authority control
Community areas of Chicago
North Side, Chicago
Polish-American culture in Chicago
Populated places established in 1850