streets

Like most cities, Cortland has a fair number of streets named after trees. In the old newspaper article (circa 1908) I’ve been using to investigate street names, we see Maple, Chestnut, Elm, Evergreen, Locust, Willow, Greenbush, and Holly Terrace listed. One could probably include Orchard Street in that lineup as well. In the years since 1908, other streets have popped up with tree-type names: Forrest, Pinecrest, Cedar, Oaklin, Redwood, Woodcrest, Rosewood. In previous posts, we have covered Maple (formerly Merrick Street), Willow Avenue, and Orchard Street, and you can find those stories on our blog (Blog : Cortland County Historical Society (cortlandhistory.org)). This post willRead More →

While perusing the 1888 map of Cortland at CCHS, I happened to spot a small street between Church and Greenbush Streets that was called State Street. How interesting! There is no trace of this street left today if you consult Google maps. The newspaper article I’ve been consulting for information about the streets of Cortland does not list the inspiration of the name of this forgotten street. State Street opened on Port Watson Street a little more than halfway between Greenbush and Church Streets and led directly to the State Normal School. I did not find any resource that indicated that the street might haveRead More →

As I began to research Sands Street, I noticed that on the 1888 map, it was formerly called Richard Street. I was unable to figure out how it came to be called Richard Street, but the resource I’ve been using for these street posts indicated that Sands Street was named for George S. Sands so we can take a look at what scant information I found on his life. George S. Sands was born on August 19, 1849, in Middletown, Delaware County. His parents were George H. Sands and Jane Smith Sands. His father was a farmer and conducted a country store and post office.Read More →

Madison Street was also called Suggett Avenue, or at least part of the street was. From previous research into Woodruff Street, I had discovered that Madison Street was named for U.S. President James Madison. Madison was the namesake of Madison Woodruff and a friend of Woodruff’s father. Looking at maps of Cortland, we find that Suggett Avenue and Madison Street existed by 1876 but were not connected to each other. Property in between the two streets was owned by J.A. Schermerhorn and E.F. Simons. Schermerhorn died in 1879, and I could not find an obituary for E.F. Simons, but both of those lots must haveRead More →

On the 1888 map of Cortland that hangs in the hallway at CCHS, I noticed L.D.C. Hopkins and Son greenhouse and residence on the corner of Floral and Groton Avenues. In addition to that corner lot, there is a second larger lot that is also labeled L.D.C. Hopkins and Son a little further up Groton Avenue. I had recently re-read my post about Gazlay/Hamlin and been reminded that Floral had been called Clinton Avenue at one time. Could it be possible that the name change was due to a nursery on the corner? L.D.C. Hopkins was LeRay DeChaumont Hopkins, his father was Hiram Hopkins, andRead More →

Did you know that Monroe Heights was called Strowbridge Street at one time? I would not have known this if not for a chance glance at the 1873 bird’s eye map of Cortland a few weeks back. (Note: If you’ve never heard of a bird’s eye map, they are wonderfully detailed maps of a location that set you down right on the streets of that city. (If you have the time, you should watch this Lunch and Learn talk from former CCHS Trustee Christine Buck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9319C9XcTP4…, it’s quite informative!) Back to the map. When I saw Strowbridge Street on the 1873 map, I immediately wentRead More →

You might remember in our recent post for William, Randall, and Huntington Streets that I mentioned a Lucy Pendleton who was the mother of William and Roswell Randall, prominent businessmen who came to Cortland in the early 1800s. Because of Lucy, I was certain that Pendleton Street was another street connected to the Randall family, but boy was it hard to figure that out! Lucy’s son Roswell named one of his sons William Pendleton (also called Billy P.), and Billy P. and William Randolph Randall (his cousin) both owned land at that end of the city. With Lucy as a grandmother and Billy P. havingRead More →

  Last week, we laid out the Cliff Notes version of the William and Roswell Randall tale of two brothers from Connecticut who then migrated to Madison County, and then came to Cortland in about 1812, but even that brief account was so long we could not get to the naming of William, Randall, and Huntington Streets. There is plenty more that could be told about William and Roswell Randall and their children, but right now, we are interested in William’s only child to marry: Antoinette. Daughter Antoinette married a man from Utica by the name of Edward Huntington, and she moved to that areaRead More →

  In the entrance hall at CCHS, there are some fabulous maps that are important resources for research that we use almost daily. We have an 1855 Cortland County map, an 1855 Cortland map, an 1855 Homer map, and an 1888 Cortland map. They offer valuable insight into the past. For instance, William, Randall, and Huntington Streets are all labeled on the 1855 map, along with parceled lots, but neither the streets nor the lots are labeled on the 1888 map. In 1888, it simply says “William Randall, Est.” Interesting. Let’s go back to about 1812 to learn about William and Roswell Randall, two brothersRead More →

Venette Street caught my eye several months ago, but a cursory look for information about Venette Stevens, for whom it’s named, was fruitless. I moved on, but we have so few streets named after women, that this one kept nagging at me. For the last several weeks, I’ve been puzzling out some familial connections and streets, and the answers for Venette Street just floated to the surface! The next several streets that will be posted have been a tangled web of relatives that have been interesting to research. Venette Street was named after Eliza Vennette Stephens, daughter of prominent Judge Henry Stephens. (Note that myRead More →