Let’s pickup our tour at Milwaukee, Division and Ashland Avenue. This area was known as the Polish Triangle. Here you would find the center for the publication of the Polish Newspapers: Dziennik Chicagoski and 
Dziennik Zwiazkowy (Polish Daily News). The Polish National Alliance and Polish Roman Catholic Union were located in the area. The PNA and PRCUA are large fraternal organizations that serve the Polish Community. My family bel
onged to the PNA and our society was called Brothers Under Three Crowns (Braci Pod Tre Coronie). You paid dues which entitled you to a small amount of life insurance and social activities such as dances and picnics. The Polish community is called Polonia. The Polish Catholic Church was the center of the Polish Community and nearby you could find Holy Trinity and St. Stanislaus Churches. My family belonged to Holy Trinity and it was the practice in those days to get confession cards. When you went to confession to make your Easter Duty you would turn your card in. This kept you in good standing and ensured that you could be buried from the Church. Polish High Schools had prominent locations in the area: Weber, Holy Trinity, and Holy Family High Schools. The Triangle had a little area for congregating and socializing. It was an area some of the neighborhood literary people would meet, notably Saul Bellow, Nelson Algren and Studs Terkel who wrote a book called”Division Street”. I can remember some of the stores in the Triangle such as 
Sajewski Music, Starsiak Clothing, The Wisniewski Funeral Chapel., Manufacturers Bank, Michaels Herb Teas, as well as a store to send packages to Poland.
OK, let’s start walking down Division Street. You’ll notice that the sidewalks are very wide, something you didn’t find on Milwaukee Avenue or other major streets in the area. Like Damen Aven
ue there were streetcars that provided transportation east to Downtown Chicago and west towards Humboldt Park. We’re going to head west towards Humboldt Park. Near the Triangle was the Crown Theatre and YMCA.. Spanning across Division Street were Elevator Tracks and nearby was the Post Office. Past the El Lines was Alliance Bakery known for its tarts and fancy pastries. During the 40’s Division Street was known as Polish Broadway for its bars and polka music. On the weekend the area came alive with Polka Music. Bars lined the street from the Triangle to California Avenue. I only remember a few of the names; Lucky Stop, Zakopane Lounge
and Midnight Inn. Let’s go back in time thru You Tube and listen to some of that honky music. I know you’d like to stay but we have to move on. Andersen Grammar School was nearby. It’s pretty quiet until we reach Damen and Division.
At the corners of Damen and Division you would find a bustling area of business and activity, something like the Triangle. Most memorable was a tobacco shop and haberdashery. At the haberdashery where shoe shine stands and a place for men to have their hats cleaned and blocked. Across the street was Brown and Koppels known for its corn beef sandwiches. The Biltmore Tire provided tire and auto accessories. There was Hammer’s Florist, a greeting card store, beauty shop, Bath House, and other small shops. I believe the Bath House was there to provide bath facilities for men who boarded and lacked facilities in the area. As we near Hoyne Avenue we find Bil
tmore Hardware, Boniface Bakery, I loved their whipped cream cakes and pies, on the corner was a tavern.. Before the bakery was the Biltmore Show one of the theatres that I would go to. The Biltimore was part of the Balaban and Katz chain which operated the Chicago Theatre. It was classier than the Crown, Royal, Wicker Park or Strand which we’ll visit next week. The tickets cost more and they ran better movies. Right around the corner on Hoyne was the cleaners that we would go to. We are now only three blocks from home and Evergreen Avenue.
Next week we’ll cross Hoyne Avenue and continue our walk down Division Street.
Dziennik Zwiazkowy (Polish Daily News). The Polish National Alliance and Polish Roman Catholic Union were located in the area. The PNA and PRCUA are large fraternal organizations that serve the Polish Community. My family bel
onged to the PNA and our society was called Brothers Under Three Crowns (Braci Pod Tre Coronie). You paid dues which entitled you to a small amount of life insurance and social activities such as dances and picnics. The Polish community is called Polonia. The Polish Catholic Church was the center of the Polish Community and nearby you could find Holy Trinity and St. Stanislaus Churches. My family belonged to Holy Trinity and it was the practice in those days to get confession cards. When you went to confession to make your Easter Duty you would turn your card in. This kept you in good standing and ensured that you could be buried from the Church. Polish High Schools had prominent locations in the area: Weber, Holy Trinity, and Holy Family High Schools. The Triangle had a little area for congregating and socializing. It was an area some of the neighborhood literary people would meet, notably Saul Bellow, Nelson Algren and Studs Terkel who wrote a book called”Division Street”. I can remember some of the stores in the Triangle such as 
Sajewski Music, Starsiak Clothing, The Wisniewski Funeral Chapel., Manufacturers Bank, Michaels Herb Teas, as well as a store to send packages to Poland.OK, let’s start walking down Division Street. You’ll notice that the sidewalks are very wide, something you didn’t find on Milwaukee Avenue or other major streets in the area. Like Damen Aven
ue there were streetcars that provided transportation east to Downtown Chicago and west towards Humboldt Park. We’re going to head west towards Humboldt Park. Near the Triangle was the Crown Theatre and YMCA.. Spanning across Division Street were Elevator Tracks and nearby was the Post Office. Past the El Lines was Alliance Bakery known for its tarts and fancy pastries. During the 40’s Division Street was known as Polish Broadway for its bars and polka music. On the weekend the area came alive with Polka Music. Bars lined the street from the Triangle to California Avenue. I only remember a few of the names; Lucky Stop, Zakopane Loungeand Midnight Inn. Let’s go back in time thru You Tube and listen to some of that honky music. I know you’d like to stay but we have to move on. Andersen Grammar School was nearby. It’s pretty quiet until we reach Damen and Division.
At the corners of Damen and Division you would find a bustling area of business and activity, something like the Triangle. Most memorable was a tobacco shop and haberdashery. At the haberdashery where shoe shine stands and a place for men to have their hats cleaned and blocked. Across the street was Brown and Koppels known for its corn beef sandwiches. The Biltmore Tire provided tire and auto accessories. There was Hammer’s Florist, a greeting card store, beauty shop, Bath House, and other small shops. I believe the Bath House was there to provide bath facilities for men who boarded and lacked facilities in the area. As we near Hoyne Avenue we find Bil
tmore Hardware, Boniface Bakery, I loved their whipped cream cakes and pies, on the corner was a tavern.. Before the bakery was the Biltmore Show one of the theatres that I would go to. The Biltimore was part of the Balaban and Katz chain which operated the Chicago Theatre. It was classier than the Crown, Royal, Wicker Park or Strand which we’ll visit next week. The tickets cost more and they ran better movies. Right around the corner on Hoyne was the cleaners that we would go to. We are now only three blocks from home and Evergreen Avenue.Next week we’ll cross Hoyne Avenue and continue our walk down Division Street.
Sasiad
