TBT Rockford: Street Names - Pt. 1!

Have you ever wondered how Rockford got some of its street names? Streets must have some sort of a name and there is a limit to the standard names like Main Street or State Street, or tree names; Elm, Pine, Locust, Oak, Walnut and Mulberry to name a few, or flowers, Daisy, Daffodil, Azalea, Lilac or birds, Bluebird, Cardinal, numbered streets, First Street, Second Avenue, and the list goes on. Sooner or later it gets down to naming the city's streets after famous citizens or politicians. Then great discussion is aroused over the street naming, for the citizens are liable to over-emphasize the importance of a name of a famous person's identity, not realizing that the identity is almost certain to be lost in the constant shuffle of generations over the street bearing his name. Let’s use old Benjamin Kilburn who settled in Rockford in 1837, when the population of Winnebago County was 1,086. He built his first home on the site of the future Nelson Hotel, and out in the northwest end of town, where Kilburn now runs, he owned a stone quarry. It paid him well and he became a prominent citizen of Rockford. A street was named after him, he died, and now everyone has heard of Kilburn Avenue, but who has heard of Benjamin Kilburn? Here is a list of street names that I compiled, if you know the history of any other street in Rockford, please let me know with documentation, I would love to add it to the list.

Andrews Street - Named after John Andrews, land owner in the area.

Bayliss Avenue - Named after Alfred Bayliss, Superintendent of Public Instruction (1904)

Blackhawk Avenue - Named after Chief Blackhawk, the Indian warrior.

Blaisdell Street - Named after Elijah Whittier Blaisdell Jr., newspaper publisher, editor, lawyer, realtor, author, one of the founders of the Illinois Republican party, and first to publish a paper with Abraham Lincoln as a prospective candidate for president of the United States.

Blake Street - Named after Thatcher Blake, one of the first settlers in Rockford.

Boilvin Avenue - Named after Nicholas Boilvin, who purchased land from half-breed Catherine Myott, who had received it through an Indian treaty. Boilvin paid $800 on August 25, 1835. Boilvin tried to form a village called Winnebago, his entry for the then to be chosen county seat. Eventually the part of the land became Greenwood Cemetery.

Boylan Court - Named for John Joseph Boylan, third Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford.

Broadway - Originally named Fourteenth Avenue until 1923 when the city renamed it to Broadway to spark interest in the rapidly expanding Swedish influenced business district between Eleventh and Kishwaukee Streets.

Bruner Street - Named after Myron Bruner, one of the members of the North End land boom in the 1890's.

Camp Avenue - Named after Camp Fuller, the Civil War training camp established in 1862 and named for General Allen Curtiss Fuller. Four regiments trained there. At the time the site was chosen, the land was being planted in corn by Phineas P. Churchill, who leased it to the government. Camp Fuller closed in 1863.

Carney Avenue - Named after the family of Dan Carney who settled at Rockton and Auburn Streets in 1836. A race track was later built on the 80 acres they had owned.

Catlin Street - Named after Doctor Archibald M. Catlin who came to Rockford about 1838 to be a farmer and ended up being a physician. He served the community for 54 years.

Charles Street - An 1869 map shows this as "The State Road to St. Charles".

Church Street - Named after Judge Sheldon M. Church, one of the county's first judges. The family estate was on South Avon at the foot of Cedar for more than 50 years. He was a member of the General Assembly.

Churchill Street - Named after Phineas P. Churchill who in 1835 was one of 27 residents of Rockford. His cornfield became the home of Camp Fuller.

College Avenue - passes the site of Rockford College's original campus, Rockford Female Seminary.

Cosper Avenue - Named after Major Elias Cosper who helped establish the Rockford Public Library.

Court Street - Platted in the first group of streets to be formed near the courthouse.

Crosby Street - Named after Asa Crosby, an early Rockford settler.

Cunningham Street and Road - Named after Issac Newton Cunningham, second Sheriff of Winnebago County.

Dickerman Street - Named for Worcester A. Dickerman, one of the founders of Second National Bank, Rockford College and Rockford Insurance Company.

Douglas Street - Named after Stephen Arnold Douglas, U. S. Senator who debated slavery with Lincoln in 1858 and ran against him for president in 1860.

Ellis Avenue - Named after Edward F. W. Ellis, moving to Rockford in 1854, he was a lawyer and founding member of the Spafford, Clark and Ellis Banking and Exchange Company, and was instrumental in establishing the first fire department in Rockford in 1855; He was also a civil war hero.

Ellsworth Street - Named after Colonel Elmer F. Ellsworth who came to in 1857 to be drillmaster of the Rockford City Grays. When the Union occupied Alexandria, Virginia, Ellsworth saw a Confederate flag flying at the Marshall House hotel. He went upstairs and tore the flag down and was shot in the back by hotel owner, James W. Jackson, who was then himself shot dead by Union soldiers. Ellsworth was the first commanding officer killed in the war, and its first hero. He had been Lincoln's friend and protégé, and was romantically linked to Carrie Spafford, a young Rockford socialite.

Enoch Road - An early name for Spring Brook Road. It ran from the old Enoch settlement into Rockford.

Fisher Avenue - Named after John Fisher, an early ferryman on the Rock River.

Ford Street - Named after the rock bottom ford from which this town got its name. There is only one remaining block left of the street between South Second and South Third Streets.

Furman Street - Named after Henry Furman, early farm land dealer, who opened up the street himself and saw it named in 1865.

Garrison Avenue - Named after Thomas Garrison, early pioneer and realtor who owned large tracts of land in the former Garrison School area.

Gregory Street - Named after Eliphalet Gregory, subdivider.

Grable Street - Named after Betty Grable, movie star.

Guard Street - Named in association with Camp Fuller, the civil war training camp.

Guilford Road - The road which leads from Rockford into what was formerly called Guilford Township.

Hall Street - Named after John H. Hall, grocer, alderman and school board member.

Harlem Boulevard - Named after Harlem, New York, a place familiar for many of Rockford’s early settlers.

Halsted Road - Named after Lester B. Halsted, whose father, Jonathon H. Halsted had a 180 acre farm 1-½ miles outside of Rockford along this road. Lester had a hand in the North End land boom of the 1890's.

Haskell Avenue - Named after George Haskell, built the Winnebago House Hotel, first president of the Agricultural Society, organized in 1841; physician, orchard grower, spiritualist and founder of Shurleff College.

Hepburn Street - Named after movie actress Katherine Hepburn.

Hoban Avenue - Named after Edward Francis Hoban, second bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford, appointed in 1928.

Holland Street - Named after John A. Holland, attorney who built the Holland House Hotel.

Horsman Street - Named after Charles I. Horsman who read the Declaration of Independence at county's first Independence Day celebration on July 4, 1837.

Houghton Street - Named after Bethual Houghton, a baker and one of Rockford’s early settlers.

Huffman Boulevard - Named after Will Huffman, a prominent figure in the 1890’s North End land boom.

Hulin Street - Named after William Hulin who was Justice of the Peace in 1839.

Jacoby Place - Named after Lysander Jacoby who was an attorney coming to Rockford in 1865. The street is named for the lane that led to his house. He would become a recluse, staying inside and reading books, only leaving the house to go to church.

Jefferson Street - Named after Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States. The street was originally called Peach Street on the west side and Court Street on the east side. In 1926, Mrs. Cora Marsh, DAR chairperson of the city's Jefferson Observance, was instrumental in petitioning that the street be called Jefferson in the year of the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the 100th anniversary of Jefferson's death.

Jilson Avenue - Named after Whipple Jilson, grocer, farmer, tailor and repair shop owner.

Kent Street - Named after Germanicus Kent, founder of Rockford. Established a lumber mill on the creek now bearing his name. In the panic of 1837 he lost his fortune and by 1844 left for Virginia.

Kilburn Avenue - Originally called Pecatonica Street. Named after Benjamin Kilburn who settled in Rockford in 1837. He built his first house where the former Nelson Hotel stood (now a parking lot). A year later he moved to the Northwest end of town where the street bearing his name now runs, and started a stone quarry. Part of his property is now Talcott-Page Park.

Kishwaukee Street - Formerly known as "The State Road to Dixon's Ferry". Named after the Kishwaukee River, and possibly the ill-fated settlement at the confluence of the Kishwaukee and Rock rivers. The bricks that were taken up from the street before turning it into a cement road to Camp Grant, were used to build a water department building on Tay Street.

Knowlton Street - Named after William Alfred Knowltown, prominent manufacturer of reapers.

Latham Street - Named after Henry A. Latham who served in the Union army, navy and cavalry in the Civil War. Owned Latham Park.

Logan Street - Named after Civil War General John Alexander Logan.

Throwback Thursday Rockford edition is made possible by our friends over at Rockford Reminisce! They do an awesome job of researching and bringing readers some awesome historical facts and stories about our great city!

With their help, we are bringing you some historical highlights every Thursday morning for #TBTRockford!

Enjoy this week’s installment of TBT Rockford featuring Rockford Street Names!