Street Smart

Hammond, Indiana

Interesting photos and facts on the city's highways and byways.

A quiet picturesque residential street scene in Hammond, Indiana. circa 1925.

Once known as Indiana Street - east State Street, Hammond, Indiana. circa 1919.

Photo of early Rimbach Avenue, Downtown Hammond, Indiana. circa 1914.

Northwest view from the old Lake County Courthouse, Downtown. circa 1916.

See how many Hammond city streets have changed their names over time. Street name changes

Hammond Streets: Why did they name it ?

Alice Avenue - named for Ernest and Henry Sohl's sister.
Ann Street - named for Mrs. Gottlieb Muenich, an early settler.
Atchison Avenue - named after Robert Atchison, early area resident.
Beall Avenue - named after Caroline Sibley's sister, Louisa Sohl Beall.
Becker Street - named for Lawrence Becker, early city mayor.
Benjamin Place - named for Benjamin Lipshutz, heating and plumbing contractor for the developer of the subdivision. †
Burton Court - named for W. M. Burton, a chemist at Standard Oil Company.
Caroline Avenue - named for Mrs. Jacob Forsythe, sister of George Clark.
Claude Avenue - named for Claude Beall, an early settler.
Cleveland Street - named for President Grover Cleveland.
Conkey Street - named after W. B. Conkey, an early industrialist.
Cynthia Street - was named after Mrs. Henry Sohl, an early settler.
Garfield Avenue - named for President James A. Garfield.
Gostlin Street - named for William H. Gostlin, an early prominent citizen.
Griffin Street - was named for an early area resident.
Harrison Avenue - named for President William Henry Harrison.
Havana Street - named in tribute to the Spanish-American War.
(Joe) Hirsh Drive - named after a local businessman.
Hohman Avenue - named for Ernest Hohman, an early settler.
Ives Street - was named for Caleb Ives, banker partner of George Hammond.
Jackson Avenue - named for President Andrew Jackson.
Jefferson Avenue - named for President Thomas Jefferson.
Joseph Klen Drive - named after a former mayor of the city.
(Ben) Levin Drive - named after a local businessman.
(Ray) Madden Drive - named for a local politician.
Madison Avenue - named for President James Madison.
Manila Avenue - was named in tribute to the Spanish-American War.
(Frank) Martin Drive - named for a local politician.
Monroe Avenue - named for President James Monroe.
Morton Court - named for Morton Towle, an early citizen.
Muenich Court - named for Gottlieb and Gustave Muenich.
Myrtle Avenue - named after Myrtle Gehrke, her father was the first to reside on the street.
Parkview Avenue - named because of its proximity to Forsythe Park.
Plummer Avenue - was named for George Plummer a partner of Hammond, Ives and Towle.
Rimbach Street - named for Jacob Rimbach, early citizen / businessman.
Root Street - was named for a early resident to the area.
Sibley Street - named Caroline Sibley, Ernest Hohman's wife, an early settler.
Smalley Avenue - was named for John D. Smalley, an early mayor of the city.
Sohl Avenue - named for Ernest Sohl, an early citizen.
Sophie Lane - named for Sophie Lipshutz, who helped tutor the daughter of the developer of the subdivision. †
Tuthill Avenue - was named for an early industrialist family.
VanBuren Avenue - named for President Martin VanBuren.
Walter Avenue - named after a member of the Sohl family.
Warick Avenue - named for W. E. Warick, a plant supervisor at Standard Oil Company.
Warren Street - named after an early prominent family.
Webb Street - named after an early prominent family.
Webster Street - named after an early resident to the area.
Winslow Street - was named for an early settler to the area.
Wood Street - was named for Cynthia Wood Sohl, an early settler.

Footnote: † Special thanks goes to Jocelyn Wretzky McCoy for her help with this information.
‡ Remainder of information obtained from the archives of the Hammond Historical Society --- Calumet Room at the Hammond Public Library.

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