This 1905 photo of "Little Poland" uncovers a lost piece of Chicago history
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
In honor of Casimir Pulaski Day, let's investigate an incredible photo from our Getty archives of the "Polish Downtown" neighborhood in 1905.
The intrigue: Although no specific address was attached to this photo, I've figured out it was taken at 1201 N. Milwaukee Ave., just north of Division Street.
State of play: As expected, most of the buildings and businesses that lined this stretch of Milwaukee Avenue are long gone, making it very difficult to identify.
Yes, but: Here's how I did it!
/2025/03/03/1741029163640.gif)
Zoom in (literally): The clue came from a historical postcard, created in 1965. In the drawing, you see the same landmarks from the photo, including the Klee Bros. clothing store that had a very distinct turret.
- It's the same turret from our photo (left side).
- Some extra sleuthing found that one building remains. The decorative cornice of the 1201 N. Milwaukee Avenue building (right corner of photo) is the same as it is today. The building was once a renowned Polish bank, now occupied by City Sports.
Zoom out: In the 1930s, the city expanded Ashland Avenue and carved out space from nearby buildings. The Klee Bros store lost its turret and soon after, the building was demolished, making way for what would become the Polonia Triangle Plaza.
Reality check: The Polish Downtown neighborhood was dealt a huge blow when the Kennedy Expressway carved through it in 1960.
- The Polish community moved to the outlying city neighborhoods and the suburbs.
The bottom line: Wicker Park may not be the center of the Polish community any longer, but remnants of Little Poland are littered all along Milwaukee Avenue and Division Street.
- If interested in more of Chicago's Polish history, check out the museum a few blocks south.