History - Newark

How the streets were named
The following article appeared in a special July 1, 1976
Bicentennial supplement of the Courier-Gazette.

The current practice among city-planners and tract developers is to give streets quaint and picturesque names. The more traditional practice, however, has been to name streets in a community after either national heroes or citizens and families of local prominence.

Such has been the general custom in the naming of many of Newark's streets, and it may be of some interest to review the development and naming of our streets during this Bicentennial year.

Legend has it that Capt. Joseph Miller, who came to this area in 1819 or '20 with the contract to build 1 1/4 miles of the Erie Canal, bought 100 acres of farm land from the Lusk family and, with the help of Hiram Tibbett, a canal engineer, laid out the first streets.

The earliest map of the village, now in the possession of the local chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, suggests that the 100-acre tract was bounded on the north by the approximate site of the West Shore R.R.; on the east about where Hoffman St. now is; on the south by the present line of Williams St.; and on the west, about at Scott St.

A copy of this map is dated 1819, but the name "Cyrus L. Button," indicated as owner of the property southeast of the "village" proves the map, or at least the addition of that name, to date after 1823, as Dr. Button came to Newark at that time.

Col. Bailey owned the land to the southwest, the Bostwick family that to the northwest and the Aldrich family, a pre-canal family, the land to the northeast.

Main Street on the map was shown as Vienna Street, and this remained the name of this street until about 1858, as a map of that date shows the designation "Vienna or Main St." (Vienna was the early name of the village of Phelps.)

West Union Street was shown as Palmyra Street, and this name continued in use until about 1912. Miller Street, named of course, for Capt. Miller, then extended, from Vienna (now Main) St.

Colton Ave. was known as Norton Street and was named for William Norton, partner in the early merchantile firm of Bartle, Norton & Co. It was not until the 1880's or '90's that the street name was changed to Colton Ave. after Henry Colton who owned much property on the street (his home still standing on the southwest corner of Church St. and Colton Ave.).

Originally, Colton extended south only to Church St., which on the early map was listed as Bartle Street after Col. James P. Bartle, Newark's first merchant and postmaster, and Arcadia's first Supervisor. On the 1858 map, the street was listed as "Church St. or Bartle St." and the name Bartle St. was dropped soon thereafter. The name Church St. was chosen because of the location of the Presbyterian Church which has occupied the site of the present church since 1827.

The original name for East Union St. seems to have been Canal St., though it was briefly known as Bartle St., as Col. Bartle was the largest land-owner on the street in its earliest days. Today, Newark has no street to honor the memory of Col. Bartle. Bartle Ave. was named for his younger brother, Warren S. Bartle, who ran a foundry and machine shop at the South End in the 1840's and '50s. His home still stands on the southeast corner of West Maple Ave. and Bartle Ave.

Water St., the first street to be de-populated by Urban Renewal, was one of the original streets in the village and its name has remained unchanged throughout its 155-year history.

The early map also showed plans for a street, tentatively designated Jackson St., apparently after Andrew Jackson, President of the U.S. (1829-37). When this street was actually opened up, however, it was named West Miller St. The street originally ran only as far west as about where Scott St. now is, whereupon it apparently terminiated in a dead end.

In 1839, West Miller St. was extended westward to Military Brook, where it crossed northwest at an angle to join Palmyra (West Union) St. It was not until the 1880s that West Miller St. was continued westward as it is today and the angled branch was discontinued.

Therefore, the oldest streets in the downtown sector of Newark are (using present-day names) North and South Main St., East and West Union St., East Miller St., Water St., Church St. to Colton Ave., and Colton Ave. from Union to Williams St.

The eastern part of present-day Newark was originally known as Lockville, but sometimes as Arcadia, and popularly referred to as "the east village." This area, too, was being developed in the 1820s and '30s. A map dated 1829 shows a Vienna St., as it led to the village of that name to the south.

East Union St. in Lockville was shown on the map as Newark St.

Stansell St., named for Nicholas Stansell, who owned land in the area as early as 1800, is shown, as is Lyons St. and the Lockville end of Church St., which at that time was unnamed. The Church St. designation was given to this street after the original First Baptist Church was built on the street, east of Vienna St., in 1836.

In 1830, the Town of Arcadia Highway Commissioners authorized the surveying of Maple Ave. from the Military Brook on the west to the Marbletown Road on the east. This street was originally known as South Street, and that name continued in use until the 1890s. Part of this street, however, predates the survey of 1830.

The South End, originally known as Ninham's Corners and later as Groat's Corners, is as old as the downtown area and, at an early date, contained a foundry, blackmsith shop, two machine shops, Newark's first schoolhouse and several homes. The location of the Erie Canal, however, caused Newark to outgrow and eventually absorb Ninham's Corners.

The Commissioners in 1839 authorized the surveying of Charles St., VanBuren St. and Harrison St., designating the names as such. Charles St. (the source of this name I've been unable to ascertain) is now known as East Ave. and originally extended from Harrison St. to Bartle (now Church) St.

Harrison St. was apparently named for William Henry Harrison, who was nominated for President of the U.S. by the Whigs in 1840. To even things up politically, VanBuren St. was named for Martin VanBuren, the Democrat who was President from 1837-41.

May 24, 1840, the Highway Commissioners provided for the survey of six of our oldest streets. These included Madison St., Jefferson St. and Franklin, the latter two extending from Madison St. to Vienna (Main) St., and all three named for national figures -

and First Street, which was soon thereafter renamed Scott St. after George W. Scott, Newark's first lawyer, who arrived here in 1825 and later moved to Washington, D.C. where he became a government official;

and High St. which extended eastward to the Methodist Church property which cut it off from Main St. was extended through the church property to Main (then Vienna) St. 1854.

Mason St., the sixth street created in 1840, was named for Deacon Luke Mason, who moved to Newark from East Palmyra in the 1830s and built as his home the house which is now the nucleus of St. Elizabeth's Home.

Bartle St. (Church St.) was extended eastward in 1841 from Charles St. (East Ave.) to a one block street which was created at the same time, running south from East Miller St. designated Keeler St.

David M. Keeler founded Newark's first newspaper, the Wayne Standard, in 1838. His home and shop is now the home of the Rebecca Lodge. It was not until decades later that Keeler St. was extended to East Maple Ave. and renamed Hoffman St. after Frederick Hoffman who came to Newark in 1864 and was a prominent builder here for many years.

In 1842, VanBuren St. was extended easterly from Charles St. (East Ave.) and a road laid out north. The lower part of the latter street was known briefly as Fayette St., but remained largely undesignated until about 1900 when it was named Murray St. for J. Murray, a property owner at the north end of the street.

Horace Blackmar is credited with opening Williams and Grant Streets in the early 1850s and naming them for two friends, Fletcher Williams, who started Newark's first bank in 1850, and Eliab T. Grant, Jr., for many years cashier in Mr. Williams' bank. Williams was the son of Dr. Richard P. William, Newark's first physician who arrived here in 1823 and Mr. Grant the son of Eliab T. Grant, an early merchant.

By the 1860's, Church St. in Newark was extended eastward over "the hill" and linked with Church St. in Lockville. It was not until the late '70s or early '80s that Canal St. in "the west village" and Newark St. in "the east village" was renamed Union St. to commemorate the union of Newark and Lockville, which by that time was pretty well established.

About 1870, West Ave. was created by Frederick Hoeltzel through his farm. Twenty years later, Moore St. and Lillie St. were established by Isaac Moore, a large land-holder in the area and named for himself and his daughter Lillian, respectively.

Peirson Ave. was not opened until early in this century and named for Silas S. Peirson who owned the farm that the street cut into almost equal halves.

Edgett St. was named posthumously for Ezra A. Edgett who was the pioneer canner in this area, coming here in 1865.

Burnham St. was named for a prominent local attorney, Edwin K. Burnham, one-time member of the State Legislature, newspaper publisher, and later part-owner, with the widow of Mr. Edgett, of the cannery which carried their names until the last decade.

Wilson St. was named for Jacob Wilson, Ph.D., who came to Newark as principal of the Union School and went on to edit and publish the Newark Courier and author a number of scholarly books in the fields of linguistics, grammar and history.

Peter Muth moved to a farm paralleling that of Henry Colton in 1886 and soon thereafter opened up Prospect St. Four generations of his descendants have lived on the street, including Raymond Muth and Marilyn Muth Wilson at present.

More recently, Charles Heath developed Heath St. and built most of the houses on the street, as well as many others in the village. His son, Clarence, still resides on the street.

Robert L. VanDeusen, who owned a farm nearby, was responsible for the development of VanDusen St, although the street has been misspelled almost from the beginning.

Lucia St. was named for Mr. VanDeusen's daughter, Lucia VanDeusen Mulligan, who now resides in Batavia. Mr. VanDeusen bought the property from James T. Sheffield, whose wife's name, Grace, provided the name for Grace Ave.

North Main St., originally designated Vienna St., as mentioned earlier, and briefly known as Sodus St., predated the coming of Capt. Miller.

A plank road was built from Harrison St. to Fairville, and to pay for this road, financed by a group of citizens, a toll gate was established about 1848 just south of the Pearl St. intersection. At an early date, willow trees were planted on both sides of the street, the now North Main became Willow Ave. The name continued until the opening of the Barge Canal in 1912.

In 1815, the State Legislature authorized the building of a "highway" from Throopville (now Palmyra) to the village of Montezuma. This road was known as the Montezuma Turnpike. Later, that portion of the old turnpike running through Newark was renamed Butler St. after W.H. Butler, a resident of the street, the turnpike having been taken over by the building of the N.Y. Central R-R. Early in this century, Butler St. became Pearl St., although I can find no one who who knows what lady the street nay have been intended to honor.

Of other North Ward streets, Fillmore St. was named after our thirteenth President (1850-53) and Blackmar St. named for an early family which included Abel Blackmar his sons, Ransom, Esbon, Daniel, Abel T., Orrin and Edwin and his nephew, Horace, all prominent merchants and produce dealers.

This part of the village was known in the '90s as Siegristville after Dr. Alois Siegrist, a physician who owned a peach orchard in the area where once the local company of militia had its training ground. Siegrist St. was named for Dr. Siegrist and his cousin (or uncle) Dr. Charles Siegrist.

Norton St. was named for Judge Luther M. Norton, local attorney.

Bloomer St. had been named for A.R. and Samuel Bloomer, grandfather and father respectively of the Bloomer Brothers, Charles and R.A.S. Bloomer. With the renaming of Willow Ave. to North Main St., Bloomer St. was given the name Willow Ave.

Sherman Ave. was named for three generations of prominent men of that name, Durfee, Durfee A. and Stephen F. Sherman. Stephen F. Sherman, who built for his home the building now the Cross & Shield restaurant, was responsible for the development of Sherman Parkway.

Ford St. was named for one of early Newark's most active citizens, James D. Ford, merchant, farmer, produce dealer, political leader and land-owner.

The Bostwick family, previously mentioned as owners of a large farm in the area before 1820, is now remembered by the name of one short street.

Stuart Ave. was named for Charles W. Stuart, who came to this area in 1864, went into the nursery business soon thereafter and was the father of C. Henry (Harry) Stuart who diversified the business and has been responsible for some of the prosperity of the village in recent years.

Emmons St. was named for C.W. Stuart's wife, the former Caroline Emmons.

Fair St. and Driving Park Ave. mark the site of the original Newark Fairgrounds, later moved northward to the land now occupied by the Newark-Wayne Hospital.

Bryant Ave. was named for Lewis J. Bryant, nurseryman and descendant of Simeon Bryant who came to area in 1804.

Landon Ave. was named for E.B.S. Landon, a harness-maker, or his brother Z.N. Landon.

John Stuerwald, furniture dealer and undertaker, who owned property on the street, is responsible for the naming of Stuerwald Ave., which, as late as 1905, was named Park Ave.

McDermott St. was named for Thomas or John B. McDermott, the latter one-time manager of the West Union Telegraph Co. in Newark and a village trustee and Town Clerk.

William Frey, who lived in the brick house on the corner, named Frey St. for family, and Dell St. for sister, Della Frey Jackson.

While many of the people responsible for the development of the village have been remembered in the naming of our streets, many others, equally deserving, have been overlooked. Perhaps as the community continues to expand, some thought can be given to the honoring of their memory.

Bells to Ring

All church bells in Newark will ring simultaneously at 2 p.m. on July 4, 1976 along with bells of churches throughout the nation - all signaling the unity of thanksgiving for the blessings God has given this nation.

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