Many historic residents rest at Oakwood, including many of those whose names were given to city streets. Below is an overview.
With thanks to The Book Corner, which shared this information found in historical notes.
STREETS IN NIAGARA FALLS
Alphabet: A ,B, C, D, E, F, G- old power company settlement in Echota, built to house workers in the power development
Trees: Beech, Birch, Cedar, Maple, Oak, Pear, Spruce, Walnut
Ashland: originally called Ash Street, located in the Village of Clarksville.
Elmwood: Originally Elm Street, located in the Village of Clarksville.
Linwood: Formerly called High Street, in the Village of Suspension Bridge, east of the Erie Railroad called Cherry Street.
Pine Avenue: Formerly called Plank Road, it was lined on either side by woods and was a main entry for farmers coming in from the country and connected with Stedman. Directions were given by referencing “to the second woods” or “to the third woods.”
Willow: Formerly called Lockport Street, in the Village of Suspension Bridge, being really a connection of that street.
Presidents:
Grover Cleveland, originally Erie Ave, until the Niagara Falls merged with Suspension Bridge, and duplicated names were eliminated. Also: Garfield, Grant, Harrison, Jefferson, Lincoln, Madison, McKinley, (Theodore) Roosevelt.
Famous People:
Byrd: Rear Admiral Richard Byrd.
Champlain: Explorer who once described the Falls, but who never saw them.
Edison: Thomas Edison.
Hennepin: Father Hennepin, the first priest to hold Mass on the Niagara Frontier.
Joliet: A French person who, with Marquette, made early explorations.
LaSalle: Robert Cavaliere de La Salle who explored the region and built his ship, the Griffin, which was the first European ship to sail the Great Lakes. It was built on the banks of the Little Niagara River in the LaSalle section of the city.
Perry: Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was a commodore of the United States Navy who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). He played a leading role in the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854.
Lafayette: Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War, commanding colonial troops in several battles, including the Siege of Yorktown. He visited the area in 1825 for the opening of the Erie Canal.
Pershing: General John Joseph “Black Jack” Pershing was a senior United States Army officer. He served as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front in World War I, 1917–18.
Native American Names: Cayuga, Huron Place, Iroquois St., Oneida, Seneca.
State Names: Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming.
Location Names:
Armory Place: State Armory at Main and Spruce streets
Bath Avenue: Nera Suspension Bridge, at one time there was a sulfur bath nearby
Bridge Street: Connected the Upper Steel Arch Bridge to Main Street.
Buffalo Avenue: Earliest direct route to Buffalo, NY.
Cayuga: runs along Cayuga Creek
Center Court; located on the NY Central RR right of way
Chasm: near the gorge
Chemical Road: proximate to chemical plans (DuPont, Mathieson).
Cliff: near the cliff of the Niagara Gorge
Clifton: named for the village of Clifton, Ontario, which was across the river from Suspension Bridge.
Depot: connecting Main St. with the Suspension Bridge railroad depot.
Erie Ave: for Lake Erie
Falls St.: leading directly to the Falls.
Ferry Avenue: direct route to Canada, approximately where the Maid of the Mist landing is.
Hillcrest: on a hill overlooking the river and Falls.
Lehigh Court: adjacent to Lehigh Valley Railroad yards.
Lewiston Rd.: direct route to Lewiston.
Lockport Street: old route to Lockport, NY from Main Street.
North Avenue: northernmost street before railroad tracks.
Ontario Avenue: after Lake Ontario
Railroad Street: proximate to NY Central RR tracks
Rivershore Drive: along river on Cayuga Island
Riverside Avenue: along upper river
Riverway: near river, formerly Canal Street, for small power canal that ran across it in the village days.
Spring Street: a mineral spring was once located here.
Woodland Place: located near a woody hollow.
Families & People:
Adams Avenue: for Edward Dean Adams, one-time chief engineer of NF Power Co., Adams Station (Buffalo Avenue).
Allen Avenue: for Arthur Allen, prominent realtor and owner of the Temperance House.
Angelo Court: for Chief City Court Judge Angelo Scalzo.
Augustus Place: for Judge Augustus Porter, first European settler and postmaster of Niagara Falls, his home on Buffalo Avenue overlooked the Falls.
Baker Avenue: for W.P. Baker, of Simmons-Baker Co., realtors.
Barton Avenue: for Phillip B. Barton, NF Power Co.
Belden Street: for Norman Belden, realtor.
Bollier Avenue: for the Bollier family, residents of LaSalle; John B. was a realtor, supervisor (Tonawanda) and deputy undersheriff.
Carroll Street: Sumner Carroll built the first house on the street; named for Charles Carroll of the Jas. Murphy Firm.
Chapin Street: Alfred Chapin, comptroller of Brooklyn, who owned land extensively.
Crick Court: for the Crick family, five brothers who were grocers in early days and owned considerable land.
Cudaback Avenue: Asher T. Cudabcak, owner of considerable property, his home was at Main and Chilton streets.
DeVeaux Street: Judge Samuel DeVeaux, who owned land for his farm and founded DeVeaux School.
Devlin Avenue: Samuel Devlin of Carborundum Co., member of an old family, who se wife was the daughter of pioneer photographer George Baker.
Duane Avenue: Duane Belden, realtor
Dudley Avenue: Frank Dudley, promoter. One of his business deals was the United Office Building.
Ely Avenue: W. Caryl Ely, prominent realtor, who organized nd was president of the International Railway.
Gillett Court: William Gillett of Snyder & Gillet Realty & Concrete Stone & Coal Co.
Haeberle: Haeberle family – lumber dealers.
Holly Place: George Holly, a member of the Assembly, author of Niagara books, built a large stone house later occupied by the Lovelace family.
Jacob Place: Matthew Jacob, LaSalle resident.
Jayne Place: Dr. Luther Jayne, prominent LaSalle physician.
Jerauld Avenue: Jerauld family; Dexter J. was son-in-law of General Parkhurst Whitney, owner of the Cataract House hotel.
Luick Avenue: Luick family
MacKenna Avenue: Charles, F. MacKenna, realtor
Macklem Avenue: John S. Macklem, cashier of Frontier Bank.
Main Street: Many prominent homes built along this street.
Maloney Avenue: Michael Maloney, coal dealer, alderman, political boss in early years.
Mang Avenue: Mang family
McKoon Avenue: Judge Dennis McKoon of NYC who opened the McKoon section of the city.
Memorial Parkway: formerly 11th Street, named for Memorial Hospital.
Munson Avenue: Munson family
Niagara Street & Niagara Avenue: two streets named for the river; there was one in each village before consolidation in 1927.
Osborne Court: family name
Packard Court: Packard family farm was located on this road. Ambrose Packard was an early European settler; Mrs. Delancey Rankine was a Packard.
Park Place: Extension of Fifth Street and named for a triangular park.
Pearl Street: formerly Cedar Ave., until consolidation in 1927.
Porter Road: first European settlers, the Porter family.
Rankine Road: Rankine family, William Birch Rankine was a power pioneer; his bust is in front of City Hall; Delancey Rankine was a banker and philanthropist.
Read Avenue: Willett W. Read, former city engineer
Shantz Avenue: LaSalle family
Simmons Avenue: Jas. Simmons, of Simmons-Baker Co., member of Congress; held property.
Wheatfield Avenue: Town of Wheatfield borders southeast corner of Niagara Falls.
Historical:
1st Street: Formerly Mill Street, for the many mills that were located on the river bank at the street’s end.
19th Street: Formerly Stedman for John Stedman, first settler who was saved in the Devil’s Hole Massacre by being caught in a tree.
Chilton Avenue: Opened up through farm owned by James F. Trott, father of the NF Schools, who was a direct descendent of Mary Chilton, who came over on the Mayflower. First paved in 1895.
Orchard Parkway: opened through Trott’s orchard.
College Avenue: DeVeaux College (later DeVeaux School) beside which it runs. Named by Dr. C.F. Cushing who built the first house on the street.
Delancey Road: Delancey Rankine, trustee of DeVeaux School, nephew of Bishop Delancey, one of the early trustees.
Elk Place: formerly called Cherry Street, opened through Gen. Porter’s cherry orchard; (his home on Falls Street where the Strand Theater was). When the Elks Lodge remodeled and enlarged their building, the street name was changed.
Griffon Avenue: For LaSalle’s ship, the Griffon, first to Europeans ship to sail the Great Lakes.
Hyde Park Boulevard: Formerly Sugar Street because smugglers hid sugar in woods along that area. Changed to Hyde Park after establishment of the city park on land purchased with money left by Mr. & Mrs. Charles B. Hyde.
Military Road: Connected Fort Niagara to Upper River and route to Buffalo and the Great Lakes.
Mill Avenue: Witmer Brothers flour mill was located on the river bank in days before the State Park.
Monteagle Street: Ridge upon which Lewiston Road runs by DeVeaux Manor was called Monteagle Ridge. The Monteagle Hotel was located here.
Pierce Avenue: Gad Pierce whose farm was located on it and who ran a tavern at the intersection of Pierce and Portage. He fought with the NY Militia during the war of 1812 and tried to fend off the Canadian forces in 1813 when they burned the homes and businesses including his own. He died on August 9, 1847.
Portage Road: Original portage over which Native Americans carried goods and canoes. After the coming of the Europeans, the “carrying business” was owned by Porter, Barton, & Co., Twelve blocks were built along this road, which was called Lewiston Avenue in the village days.
Prospect Park: Previous to becoming State lands, these streets were located there: Canal, Cascade, Grove, Rapids, Water, River.
Prospect Street: Proximity to Prospect Park, formerly called Mechanic Street for the shops along it.
Quay Street: In early days little docks and quays on the inlet near here. It was called Frenchmen’s Landing.
Thomas Street: Dr. Ambrose Thomas, first physician here; house located on corner of Thomas and First streets.
Townsend Place: D.J. Townsend, head of Prospect Park before it became State property. He married into the Porter family.
Welch Avenue: Thomas Vincent Welch, prominent resident who brought about “free Niagara,” opening the Falls and park to the public. His home is now the International Institute on Portage Road and Niagara Street.
Whitney Avenue: General Parkhurst Whitney, who owned a large farm in this vicinity and who built and operated the Cataract House. The Three Sisters Islands and Little Brother Island were named for his children.
Whitmer Road: One of the first families to settle on the Niagara Frontier, who had large farms northeast of what is now the City of Niagara Falls.