Source of the place names in the U.S. city of Chicago, Illinois.
Place Name Source Route Designation Adams Street John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States Addison Street Thomas Addison, English doctor, discoverer of Addison's disease Altgeld Gardens John Peter Altgeld (1847-1902), Governor of Illinois from 1893-1897. Andersonville Named for the Andersonville School, which in turn was named for Reverend Paul Andersen NorlandAndersonville Historic District Exhibit, Edgewater Historical Society, Spring, 2011. Archer Avenue Col. William Beatty Archer, the first commissioner of the Illinois and Michigan Canal Archer Heights Named for Archer Avenue (see above) Armitage Avenue Thomas Armitage, founder of the American Bible Union Artesian Avenue A productive artesian well on the corner of Chicago Avenue and Western Avenue Ashburn The community served as a dumping ground in the 1800s and turn of the last century for ashes collected from Chicagoans' fireplaces and coal-fired furnaces."Ashburn thriving on a strong sense of community," Chicago Tribune, 11-19-2010. Ashland Avenue The Ashland estate of Kentucky statesman Henry Clay Austin Businessman and real estate speculator Henry W. Austin.Nick Greene, "How Chicago's Neighborhoods Got Their Names," Mental Floss Avalon Park Named for the Avalon Park Community Church, formerly called Pennytown after a shopkeeper. Back of the Yards Named for its location near the Union Stock Yards. Balbo Drive Named after Italian Politician and former Marshal of Airforce, Italo Balbo. Beach Avenue Real estate developer E. A. Beach Belmont Avenue Battle of Belmont Blue Island Avenue Led to Blue Island, a ridge of land that appeared to be an island to pioneers Bowmanville Early settler Jessie Bowman sold lots that he did not own, then fled Bridgeport Claimed to be for a bridge over the Illinois and Michigan Canal, although there is no evidence that the bridge ever existed."Bridgeport Before the Canal," UIC. Brighton Park Either for the cattle market in Brighton, Massachusetts, or for Brighton Racecourse in England Broadway Named for the New York City Broadway, formerly known as Evanston Avenue. Bubbly Creek The creek derives its name from the gases bubbling out of the riverbed from the decomposition of blood and entrails dumped into the river in the early 20th century by the local meatpacking businesses surrounding the Union Stock Yards. Bucktown Residents kept goats in their yards Burnside General Ambrose Burnside Calhoun Place Not, as is commonly believed, for U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun, but rather John Calhoun, who published Chicago's first newspaper, the Chicago Democrat. Calumet River Calumet is a Norman-French, colonial-era word often used by colonists for a Native American ceremonial pipe Canaryville Refers to the sparrows who fed in the stockyards and railroad cars in the late 19th century. The name may also refer to youth gangs in the neighborhood, who were known as "wild canaries".Canaryville, Encyclopedia of Chicago Central Park Avenue Refers to the original name of Garfield Park. Cermak Road Slain Chicago mayor Anton Cermak (formerly 22nd Street) Chicago A French rendering of the Miami-Illinois name shikaakwa, meaning wild leek.Swenson, John F. "Chicagoua/Chicago: The Origin, Meaning, and Etymology of a Place Name." Illinois Historical Journal 84.4 (Winter 1991): 235–248McCafferty, Michael. Disc: "Chicago" Etymology. LINGUIST list posting, December 21, 2001 Cicero Avenue Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero Clark Street George Rogers Clark Clinton Street DeWitt Clinton Clybourn Avenue Archibald Clybourn, the first police constable of Chicago Columbus Drive Christopher Columbus Constance Avenue Konstanz, Germany Cook County The county in which Chicago is situated was named after Daniel Pope Cook, who served as the second U.S. Representative from Illinois and the first Attorney General of the State of Illinois Cottage Grove Avenue A small cottage in a charming grove. Damen Avenue Father Arnold Damen, founder of St. Ignatius College Preparatory School Dan Ryan ExpresswayDan Ryan Jr., former president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners Dearborn Park and Dearborn Street named for Fort Dearborn which was built on the present day site of Chicago, which in turn was named for General Henry Dearborn, American Revolutionary War veteran and Secretary of War under Thomas Jefferson. DeKoven Street John DeKoven (founder of Northern Trust) Deming Place Frederick Deming, a subdivider in 1860 Devon Avenue Named by developer John Lewis Cochran after Devon station on the Main Line north of Philadelphia. Diversey Parkway Beer brewer and alderman Michael Diversey Douglass Park Anna and Frederick Douglass Dunning Andrew Dunning, a real estate speculatorDunning, Encyclopedia of Chicago DuSable Park Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, first non-native resident of Chicago.Dusable Park, Chicago Park District. Edison ParkThomas Edison, inventor Edgebrook Refers to the edge of the North Branch of the Chicago River Edgewater Refers to the edge of Lake Michigan Elston Avenue Alderman, soap manufacturer and banker Daniel Elston. Englewood Englewood, New Jersey Euclid Avenue Euclid, Greek mathematician Fabyan Parkway George Fabyan, millionaire businessman Fairbanks Court Nathaniel Kellogg Fairbank, Chicago industrialist Fillmore Street Millard Fillmore, thirteenth President of the United States Foster Avenue Doctor John H. Foster (1796-1874), member of the Chicago Board of Education. Fuller Park Melville Fuller, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Fullerton Avenue Alexander N. Fullerton (1804-1880), lawyer and lumber magnate, who arrived in Chicago in 1833 Fulton Street Robert Fulton Franklin Street Benjamin Franklin Garfield Boulevard James A. Garfield, twentieth President of the United States. See below for more information Garfield Park The centerpiece of a three park and interlinking boulevard system, the park (formerly Central Park) was renamed to honor twentieth President of the United States James A. Garfield after his assassination in 1881. Garfield Boulevard and the Garfield Park Conservatory are also named for him. George Street Settler Sam George sighted the last bear in Chicago at the corner of Adams and LaSalle Streets in 1834. The bear was promptly killed by another settler, John Sweeney. Gladys Avenue Gladys Gunderson, a member of the Norwegian-American family that formed a successful 19th-century Chicago real estate firm, S. T. Gunderson & Sons. Gladys Park is also named for her. Another city street, Langley Avenue, and city park is named for another relative, Esther Gunderson Langley. Grace StreetNamed after the Lutheran Chicago Theological Seminary(1890-1908) located at Clark/Addison to Grace/Sheffield. It is located at 3800 north and just north of Wrigley Field. The street is named after a core principal of the Lutheran Reformation and not after Mark Grace (Cubs player 1988-2000). Grand Avenue Named for a statement by Thomas J. V. Owen, the first Town President of Chicago, who said "Chicago is a grand place to live." Grant Park Ulysses S. Grant, eighteenth President of the United States. Originally named Lake Park, it was renamed for Grant in 1901. Greenview Avenue Greenview, Illinois Halsted Street William Ogden named it for William and Caleb Halsted, brothers from New York who developed parts of the Loop Harrison Street William Henry Harrison, ninth President of the United States Hegewisch Adolph Hegewisch, who laid out the town of Hegewisch which is now part of the 10th Ward of Chicago Hirsch Street Also Hirsch High School; rabbinical scholar Emil Gustav Hirsch Honore Street For Henry Honoré, developer and father of Bertha Palmer Howard Street Howard Uhr, who donated the Howard Street right-of-way to Chicago Hoyne Avenue Named after Thomas Hoyne, who was elected to be mayor of Chicago, but was never allowed to take office Hubbard Street Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard, who arrived in Chicago in 1818. Humboldt Park The park and a boulevard are named for Alexander von Humboldt, a German naturalist and explorer Hyde Park Named by developer Paul Cornell to evoke the wealth of both Hyde Park, New York and Hyde Park, London. Ida B. Wells Drive Named after civil rights activist Ida B. Wells. Formerly called, Congress Parkway Irving Park & Irving Park Road Washington Irving Jackson Boulevard Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States Jackson Park Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States Jarvis Avenue & Jarvis Square Named for R. J. Jarvis, a possibly fictitious person purported to be a friend of the Rogers family. Jefferson Park & Jefferson Street Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States Jeffery Boulevard Edward T. Jeffery, Chief Engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad Keating Avenue William H. Keating Kedzie Avenue John H. Kedzie (1815-1903), an attorney who developed the North and West Sides of Chicago and parts of Evanston. He helped establish the Republican Party in Illinois. Kennedy ExpresswayJohn F. Kennedy, thirty-fifth President of the United States Kewanee Avenue A lek for Prairie chickens called "Kewanee" in the Winnebago language was located there Kimball Avenue Walter Kimbell, landowner and subdivider; City Council changed the spelling Kimbark Avenue Seneca Kimbark, member of the first Board of South Park Commissioners King Drive Martin Luther King Jr.; formerly South Park Drive, one the first streets in the nation to be named for King after his assassination, but not the first. The city council unanimously approved the proposal on July 29, 1968, about three months after the first city to rename a street for Dr. King."Vote to Name City Street in Honor of King", Chicago Tribune, July 30, 1968, p. 2-8 Kinzie Street John Kinzie, who settled near the river in 1804. Kosciuszko Park Tadeusz Kościuszko, Polish-Lithuanian soldier who fought in the American Revolution.Alderman Seeks Landmark Status for Kosciuszko Park , DNAInfo Chicago. Lake Shore Drive A highway running parallel with and alongside the shoreline of Lake Michigan, which connects many of the city's lakefront parks. The downtown portion opened as Leif Ericson Drive in 1937 and was also called Field Boulevard but in 1946 was renamed Lake Shore Drive. Lake Street Named for Lake Michigan LaSalle Street Sieur de La Salle, an early explorer of Illinois Lincoln Avenue Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth President of the United States. This is one of the few diagonal streets in Chicago. Prior to Lincoln's assassination the street was known as Little Fort Road as it led to the town of Little Fort, now Waukegan, Illinois Lincoln Park Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth President of the United States. Originally Cemetery Park, then Lake Park, it was renamed for Lincoln following his assassination in 1865. Logan Square Gen. John A. Logan Loomis Street Horatio G. Loomis, one of the organizers of the Chicago Board of Trade in 1848 Madison Street James Madison, fourth President of the United States Malden StreetFort Malden, a British fort known as the main entry point for slaves fleeing to freedom in Canada via the Underground Railroad. Now a part of Amherstberg, Ontario, the fort was originally named the town of Maldon.