streets (Page 3)

  Last week, Cortland celebrated PorchFest on VanHoesen Street and we had a request to see what we could turn up on the origins of the street. Since we were there, it made sense to make Van Hoesen our next topic! I spent all morning going through files, vital statistics, scrapbooks, and city directories to try to find out if the 1908 newspaper article I’ve been using to track down the names of streets was accurate this time. The story states that VanHoesen Street is named after Daniel VanHoesen. Seeing a name always makes me happy because it usually means the research is not goingRead More →

This piece is more about transportation and work than it is about roads or streets, but it is a fascinating part of the history of America and something we generally don’t think about because the knowledge has not been passed down the generations due to changes in the way we live. Probably about ten years ago I stumbled across a book entitled “Diary of an Early American Boy” by Eric Sloane, and I was completely captivated by the illustrations and the patient recounting of the lives and work of those who settled in America. Sloane collected almanacs and tools, and he had acquired an immenseRead More →

  When I think of a turnpike, I think of a large highway with fast-moving traffic and tolls. The tolls help to pay for the maintenance of the road. Turnpikes of the past were similar in that they collected tolls to maintain the road. Early turnpikes were developed because local and state governments were inefficient in road building. The United States was developing rapidly after the Revolutionary War, and people were moving from the east coast into western lands, but roads were not adequate for large-scale travel. Smart businessmen saw the value in developing roads and directing settlers to areas that would greatly benefit theRead More →

Last week we talked a little bit about the Plank Road, but I should have really started with earlier roads and ways of traveling in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when white settlers were first making their way to the area which encompasses Cortland County today. The Tioughnioga River was one of the primary methods of transportation for the Indigenous peoples of this area along with well-traveled land trails. These methods of travel were perfect for people without horses and wagons, but not conducive to ox carts laden with people and household goods traveling from New England and other places. One of theRead More →

There is no street sign to indicate it’s there, but believe it or not, Blodgett Street still exists, kind of. If you look at this 1902 Sanborn Insurance map, you can see it is parallel to Port Watson Street and a turn off from Pendleton Street. On the Google map, it is merely the entrance to a parking area. Blodgett Street is named after Hiram Curtis Blodgett, a name we have encountered before when I wrote about the Floral Fountain Trout Park. I’m positively captivated by that place, so if you missed that article last year, here it is: https://www.facebook.com/CortlandCountyHistoricalSociety/posts/3438608786206742   Unfortunately, there is notRead More →

  Did you know that Maple Avenue used to be called Merrick Street? As near as I can tell, it was named for David or Danforth Merrick, a father, and son who came here from Massachusetts in 1800. The newspaper article I’ve been using as a starting point for research says that the “Merrick family owned a large tract covering what is now Lincoln and Maple.” The 1855 map of Cortland, the 1876 atlas, and the 1888 map do not show a large tract owned by the Merrick family in that area so perhaps they owned land in that area prior to 1855. It’s unclearRead More →

  A.k.a. Homer Avenue, this street started out as Adams Street. It was named after Major John J. Adams because he owned land along the street. Eventually, the street was renamed Homer Avenue because it leads to Homer. Our maps of 1855, 1876, and 1888 all show it as Adams Street so I’m not sure when the name change occurred. John J. Adams was born on July 12, 1789, in Northumberland, Saratoga County. A family group sheet in the Adams family file lists his parents as Oliver Adams and Catharine Hackely. The Adams family moved to Cortland County around 1804 and settled in Preble. PrebleRead More →

It’s time to tackle Clinton Avenue. As far as I can tell, this street has had three names in its lifetime. The first was River Street because it led to the Tioughnioga River. The second was Mill Street because it was the road leading to the Red Mills. It was renamed Clinton Avenue after New York State Governor DeWitt Clinton (1817-1828, two terms). Clinton is largely remembered for constructing the Erie Canal. According to the maps I consulted at CCHS, in 1855, the street was called River Street, but “Mill” was penciled in beside that. In the 1876 atlas, the street is labeled Mill StreetRead More →

These two streets have more in common than being in the same neighborhood. They were named after James S. Squires’ sons, James Duane and Earl Frank. You might remember when we learned about James Squires that he was married three times. James and Earl were children from his first marriage and his two oldest sons. Our files had more information on James, so we will start with him. James Duane Squires was born in 1855. He went to school at the “old academy” (possibly Cortland Academy) and was one of the first Normal School pupils. He graduated from the Normal School at 17. After graduation,Read More →