CASS AVE was named after the Lewis Cass farm. Cass was a lawyer, a colonel in the militia and a general in the United States Army. President Madison named Cass the second governor of the Michigan territory in 1813.
BEAUBIEN AND ST. ANTOINE STREETS were named after brothers Lambert and Antoine Beaubien. The Beaubien brothers inherited their family’s property after their father Jean Baptiste Beaubien, one of the first white settlers on the river across from Fort Dearborn.
BAGLEY AVE was named after John Bagley, who served as Michigan’s Governor from 1877 to 1881. Bagley also started Mayflower chewing tobacco.
WOODWARD AVE began as a Native American hunting path, but was eventually named after Judge Augustus B. Woodward. The 28-mile road stretches through Highland Park, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township and Pontiac.
JOS. CAMPAU BLVD was named after Joseph Campau, one of the best-known citizens of Detroit. Campau’s grandfather came to the area with Cadillac in the early 18th century. By purchasing vacant lots and building homes, Campau became the city’s first real estate promoter.
LAFAYETTE AVE, like many other streets across the country, was named in honor of Marquis de Lafayette, a Revolutionary war hero.
LARNED ST was named after general Charles Larned. Larned was an attorney and served in the Detroit’s local government. He settled in the city after he helped rid the territory of the British in the War of 1812.
CONGRESS ST was named in honor of the 1826 Congress – the year the military reserve, through which the street ran, was granted by Congress.
ELIZABETH ST was named after John R William’s daughter. Williams also named Columbia Street after the street he lived on in Albany, New York and John R after himself. Williams was a prominent landowner, merchant and bank president in the first part of the 19th century.
ROSA PARKS BLVD, formally known as 12th Street, was named after the famous Civil Right’s activist.
CASS ST was located to the west of Fort Shelby and the streets after Cass were named numerically (First, Second, Third, Fourth…) signifying their order west of the fort.
6 MILE is located approximately six miles north of the Detroit River – if you measure from the beginning of Woodward Ave. The same is true for 7 and 8 Mile Roads.
BIDDLE AVE was named after the 4th Mayor of the City of Detroit, John Biddle.
BRUSH STREET got its name from Elijah Brush’s farm, and his son Edmund Brush. Edmund Brush was Detroit’s foremost lawyer and the city’s second mayor. The street signified the Brush property boundary.
DEQUINDRE ST was named after the Dequindre family farm.
FORD RD was named after Henry Ford.
FORT ST was named after Fort Shelby, which was located near the area.
GRAND RIVER AVE first began as a Native American hunting and traveling path. The road was the main thoroughfare that went from Detroit to the Grand River in Grand Rapids.
GRATIOT AVE was named after General Charles Gratiot, the engineer in charge of constructing the road.
GRISWOLD ST was named in honor of Governor Roger Griswold of Connecticut.
GROESBECK HWY was named after Michigan Governor Alex Groesbeck, who started the highway project.
JAMES COUZENS HWY was named after John Couzens, the 50th Mayor of Detroit.
JEFFERSON AVE was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was the president who appointed most of the territory’s officials and was a very good friend of Augustus Woodward.
LODGE DR was named after Detroit’s Mayor John Cabot Lodge.
MACK AVE was named in honor of Andrew Mack.
MICHIGAN AVE was best known as a Native American traveling path.
MOUND RD was named after a large Native American burial mound.
STATE ST was named the year the State of Michigan was organized. The state’s capitol was located on the street before it was moved to Lansing.
TRUMBALL AVE was named after the son-in-law of William Woodridge.
VAN DYKE AVE was named after 1847 Mayor James Van Dyke.
WOODBRIDGE ST was named after William Woodbridge, a secretary of the Michigan Territory, a Michigan representative, territorial judge, Michigan governor and a U.S. senator.
