About Us

Jefferson Park has grown to a population of almost 44,000 residents within a one-mile radius of the Milwaukee/Lawrence intersection. Today, this community is the home to one of the largest first and second-generation Polish communities in Chicago. More than 25% of the neighborhood has first or second generation ties to Poland. In 1979, the Copernicus Foundation established Chicago’s very own Polish Cultural Center in the heart of Jefferson Park. The Foundation broke ground on what was once the Gateway Theater on Lawrence Avenue, which had originally been designed to show the first “talkies” in Chicago. The building and all of its programs are referred to as “The Copernicus Center,” and the theater seats 2000 people. In 1985, “Solidarity Tower,” with its matching facade, was erected atop the building. The exterior of the building was modified to resemble the historic Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland. The tower is an exact replica of the clock tower adorning the castle – it can even be seen by passerbys on the Kennedy Expressway.

A Brief History

Before any Europeans settled in the Chicago region, it was a vast swampland on the shores of Lake Michigan. Primarily Potawatomi Indians inhabited it. The name Chicago originates from “Checagou” (Chick-Ah-Goo-Ah), which in the Potawatomi language means ‘wild onions’ or ‘skunk’. The area was so named because of the smell of marshland wild leeks or wild garlic that used to cover it.

The first non-native settler in Chicago was Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable, of French and African descent, who settled at the mouth of the Chicago River in the 1770s and married a local Potawatomi woman. In 1795, following the Northwest Indian War, the area of Chicago was ceded by the Native Americans in the Treaty of Greenville to the United States for a military post. In 1803, Fort Dearborn was built. The Ottawa, Ojibwa, and Potawatomi ceded the land to the United States in the 1816 Treaty of St. Louis. A group of merchants, trappers, and traders incorporated the City of Chicago in 1833 and chartered it in 1837. At that time, Chicago was a much smaller parcel in the area directly around the Loop.

Who We Serve / Our Services

Why Become a Member?

Discounts
Membership in the Chamber offers you discounts on Chamber – sponsored events including membership meetings, chamber networking opportunities, and social events. Plus, receive a discount on a prime Business Expo booth space at Jeff Park Fest.

Location of Chamber

5214 W Lawrence Ave Ste 5

Chicago, IL 60630