TBT Rockford: Street Names - Pt. 2

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.

Madison Street - In the early days of Rockford it was platted as the east side’s Main Street by Daniel S. Haight. After unification it was decided to change the name in honor of James Madison, fourth president of the United States.

Main Street - One of the first streets platted and indeed one of the main streets in early Rockford.

Mansfield Street - Named after Jayne Mansfield, movie star.

Marchesano Drive - Named after the Rev. Anthony V. Marchesano, pioneer pastor of Saint Anthony of Padua parish.

Marsh Avenue - Named after Edward H. Marsh, attorney, real estate dealer, money lender, notary public and one of the prominent figures in the North End land boom of the 1890's.

Mayflower Avenue - Named after the ship upon which America's first settlers came over in.

Montague Road and Street - Named after Richard Montague, an early settler who purchased large tracts of land on the west side of Rockford. The route the street travels is said to have been an Indian Trail.

Monticello Lane - Named after Thomas Jefferson's home in Virginia.

Morgan Street - Named after Abiram Morgan an early settler who purchased tracts of land in west Rockford.

Muldoon Drive - Named after Peter J. Muldoon, first bishop of the Rockford Diocese, appointed in 1908. Working for social justice made him nationally known.

Myott Avenue - Named after Catherine Myott who received land from an Indian treaty. Her property was bought by Nicolas Boilvin in 1835 for $800.

National Avenue - Name related to Camp Fuller where National Gaurd members trained for the Civil War. The street was created as a rival to plush Harlem Avenue. Property on it included that of then Mayor John H. Sherratt.

Nelson Boulevard - Named after John Nelson inventor of the Nelson Knitting Machine. When General Grant returned from a world tour and visited Rockford, he claimed he had never seen such a perfect machine. Nelson developed cotton hose - the "Rockford Sock".

Penfield Place - Named after David Penfield who came to Rockford from Vermont in 1838. He was in land and mercantile businesses and banking.

Peoples Avenue - Key east-west streets in River Park subdivision were named after Rockford mayors: Wilkins, Crawford, Taggart, Scovill, Sherratt and Starr. This is clear from a 1905 map. In 1907, the Forbes family foundry, now Gunite moved there, and the only remaining streets were Peoples Avenue, Starr and Scovill.

Pierpont Avenue - Named after Guy Pierpont, one of the county's leading farmers who came to the area in 1857.

Post Avenue - Named after John Russell Post, Guilford township supervisor, Mason, and active Republican and a graduate of Rockford High School, Class of 1863.

Preston Street - Originally named Factory Street it was probably changed to Preston Street after a friend or relative of Seldon M. Church as it runs through property he owned, and the Preston's are engraved on the back of his tombstone in Cedar Bluff Cemetery.

Price Street - Named after Henry W. Price who came to Rockford in 1858. Owner of Price Glove Company he dealt in leather, boots, gloves and built the Price Block on South Wyman Street.

Quaker Road - Named after the former Quaker Oats Company pet food plant to which it led.

Railroad Avenue - Named after the railroad tracks that ran parallel to the road.

Regan Street - Named after Marshall H. Regan who came here from Rochester, New York in 1842. Contractor, builder, lumber trader. His son, Frank S. Regan was an attorney and member of the Illinois General Assembly

Rockford Avenue - originally the portion north of East State Street was Berlin Avenue, Sentiment during the first World War prompted the name change.

Rood Avenue - Named after H. L. Rood early Rockford businessman.

Rural Street - as the name suggests, the street was literally at the northern edge of Rockford.

Rutgers Place - Named after the university in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

St. Francis Drive - Named after the School Sisters of Saint Francis who staffed Boylan Central Catholic High School.

Sanford Street - Named after Goodyear Asa Sanford who came to Rockford in 1837. Early county sheriff and school commissioner, merchant and president of Second National Bank.

School Street - Difficult to determine origin but possibly related to the fact that a county school was located near Springfield and West State according to a 1869 map.

Scovill Street - Named after Horace Scovill, Rockford mayor 1887-89.

Sherman Street - Named after William Tecumseh Sherman, Union general in the Civil War.

Somerset Lane - Named after the county and city in England.

Starr Street - Named after Henry Nevins Starr who came to Rockford in 1850 with his father, Melancthon Starr. Owned dry goods store and Holland House Hotel. Mayor of Rockford 1891-92, first tom appoint women to public boards, strong supporter of baseball in the Forest City.

State Street - The "State Road" that passed east-west through Rockford.

Tannenbaum Lane - Named after the German Christmas tree.

Tinker Street - Named after Robert H. Tinker who was born in Hawaii in 1836 and came to Rockford in 1856. Built Tinker Swiss Cottage, park commissioner and Mayor of Rockford in 1875.

Van Wie Avenue - Named after Edgar Allison Van Wie, Civil War soldier who fought in the first battle of Bull Run. Came to Rockford in 1866, one of the founders of the Rockford Burial Case Company and secretary and treasurer of various companies.

Vassar Drive - Named after Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Waldo Street - Named by Selden Church for his intimate friend Hiram H. Waldo who came to this city in 1846 to teach school and also helped form the Illinois free school law.

Willard Avenue - May be named after Willard Wheeler, Rockford's first mayor.

Woodruff Avenue - Named after Gilbert Woodruff, land developer and president of Rockford National Bank and Forest City Insurance Company.

Wyman Street - Named after Ephriam Wyman one of the first bakers and real estate dealers in town. County treasurer and assessor 1844-45. Platted tract of land in heart of west Rockford.

Yale Drive - Named after Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

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!