Chicago Street Names
Chicago Geography | Street Numbering | Early Streets | Street Names
In the Chicago Record-Herald of 26 January 1912, appeared an article by Mr. Arthur Evans on Names of Chicago Streets. These allusions are full of rich sentiment and historical associations that follows:
The study of Chicago street names is an interesting pursuit, and it brings to light many a bit of forgotten history. The first survey of Chicago was made in 1830 by James Thompson, and embraced an area of about three-eighths of a square mile. Besides the garrison at Fort Dearborn, the population did not exceed 100. Three of the boundary streets of the village were named after the most prominent men of the day, the survey showing that Washington street was the south boundary, Jefferson street the west, Kinzie street the north, and Dearborn street the east. Dearborn street was named after the fort, which in turn was named after General Henry Dearborn, Secretary of War, Kinzie street took its name from John Kinzie, the early white settler, while the others were named after George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Northward from Washington street came Randolph, named after John Randolph of Roanoke; Lake, after Lake Michigan; Fulton, named after Robert Fulton, whose steamboat, the Claremont, had made its first trip on the Hudson between New York and Albany just twenty three years before Chicago was mapped out; Carroll street, after Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and then Kinzie street.
Eastward from Jefferson the streets were named Clinton, after DeWitt Clinton, chief promoter of the Erie Canal; Canal, after the I. and M. Canal; east of the river the first street was named Market street because the city market was located in the middle of the thoroughfare, the reason of its width; Franklin street took its name from Benjamin Franklin, and Wells was named after Captain William Wells, Indian agent at Fort Wayne, who came to Fort Dearborn with a band of Miamis in August, 1812, to escort the garrison and the settlers to Fort Wayne. He was killed in the Fort Dearborn massacre at what is now the foot of Eighteenth street, and his heart was eaten by the savages, who believed that thereby they would assimilate the courage of the fallen scout.In later years Wells street south of the river was renamed Fifth avenue, even though it was the seventh street from the lakefront. North of the river, however, the name of the gallant captain is still preserved. East of Wells, LaSalle street was named after the great explorer Chevalier LaSalle, and then came “Clarke” street. This was named after George Rogers Clark, the intrepid soldier who conquered Kaskaskia and Vincennes and captured the original Northwest Territory from the British. The final “e” was dropped after it was found that it was not part of the soldier’s name. Poor, pathetic, Clark! After winning the Northwest Territory, out of which five states have since been formed, he spent his later years in penury and neglect. The honor of having a great Chicago street named after him is perhaps his greatest memorial, and now there is talk (in 1912) robbing him of that small distinction and making Clark street “Fifth avenue” or “Avenue E.”
As the town grew the political fights of the villagers were reflected in the naming of new streets. In those days politics were far more passionate than now. When the first street south of Washington was laid out, federalists wanted to name it Adams, after the second president, while the opposition wanted to name it Madison, Madison carried the day. Later a similar fight occurred over naming the street south of Madison. The federalists were beaten in their attempt to name it after President Adams and the street was christened after President Monroe. When the next street was laid out, however, the federalists managed to win, and it was called Adams street. The anti-fedralists, however, were unable to indorse with gusto the election of John Quincy Adams, and accordingly they bestowed his name upon the narrow little street abutting the post office. Jackson, Van Buren, Harrison, Tyler, Polk and Taylor had streets named after them, but Filmore was ignored, and after Tyler left the Whig party his name was taken from the street, which was rechristened Congress street.
Archer road is connected to one of the most important undertakings in the history of Illinois–the building of the old Illinois and Michigan Canal. It took its name after Colonel William B. Archer, one of the canal commissioners, who broke the first ground for the canal 4 July 1836, in the presence of nearly every inhabitant of the village and of invited guests from all parts of the state. Archer road ran from Chicago to Lockport, to facilitate the building of the ditch, and for many years it was the most traveled pike in the state.
