Question of the Week: Has something been named after someone in your family?

Question

Is there a place or thing that has been named for someone in your family? 

Tell us about it with an answer below. You can also answer on Facebook or share the question image to with friends and family on social media to get them talking.

Comments

I have 11 people to add to this question - but have been unable to copy it from my email and transfer it to this format.

Don't know what is wrong.  I don't want to retype it all.

HELP . . .Bob Cole

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Copy from email, then post to a comment using Ctrl V.  Formatting afterwards may be needed.

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Maj, Peter Jones, Sr     W/T: Jones-6845    -FOUNDED, what became Petersburg, VA

In the Virginia militia, he commanded Ft. Henry in 1675 & later ran it as a trading post. 

It became Petersburg, named after him.

William Gray     W/T: Gray-1307     -A FOUNDER of Windsor, NC and owner of Gray's Landing, 

a shipping center on the Cashie River.

James Cole / Coles   W/T: Cole-661     -Established Coles Tavern, the 1st Inn, in Plymouth, MA.   

Coles Hill is a National Historical Landmark - with a stone sarcophagus that sits atop a hill - across the street 

from where Plymouth Rock sits. It contains a cemetery used by the Mayflower Pilgrims in Plymouth, MA.  .

 

Richard James Cole, Sr     W/T: Cole-5170      -Started Cole's Bad Inn/Black Horse Tavern on his farm

at Leestown Pike & Elkhorn Creek, on the Frankfort - Lexington Road (near, Midway, KY).  It was 

called Little Sodom, Woodford Village, & then later, Fishers Mill.

Itte / Itta de Nievelles     W/T: Unknown-293915   She & her daughter, St Gertrude (both became Saints) founded Abbey Nivelles 

(Benedictine), & had it built about 0650.   It is now called  St Gertrudes Collegiate Church in Nivelles, Walloon Brabant, Belgium. 

George Calvert     W/T: Calvert-25     Baron, 1st Lord Baltimore, FOUNDER of Maryland. Father of 1st Colonial Gov. of Maryland. 

 

Col, Henry Lee, I     W/T: Lee-529      FOUNDER of Leesylvania, VA

KING, Philippe, VI Valois      W/T: Valois-119      KING of France,  FOUNDER of the Valois Dynasty

Hugh Capet , KING of the Franks      W/T: Capet-57      Founder of the Capetian Dynasty 

Charles 'The Hammer' Martel Pippinid, KING of Franks      W/T: Pippinid-12      Founder of the Carolingian Dynasty

Robert Crittenden      W/T: Crittenden-1080     Crittenden County, AR was named after him (he was territorial Secretary;

acting Gov. of ARK Territory; & Lawyer with Rose Law Firm

Answer 1

How do you define "family?" Willcox AZ was named for Orlando Bolivar Willcox, my 5th cousin 4x removed. (I had to figure that out because family kept asking.)

Given why Orlando was so popular to get a town named after him, I'm not particularly proud to have him as a relative. But then I'm sure there are probably others worse.

Comments

He is a 7c4r. I concur with your sentiments, Maley would have sufficed as a town name. But, to the victor go the spoils.

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Well, actually, WikiTree found a link I didn't have in my Reunion file and that turned up a connection one generation earlier. So now I'm 4c3r.

(My original link was Wil[l]co[x|ck][on] variations all the way up and back through the Wilcockson-61 who crossed the pond in 1635.)

You must know some history I don't; I don't know where Maley comes from.

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Per Wikipedia, Maley was the name of Willcox prior to being renamed. While he had a full life, my guess is he is most known for his role as Commander of the Department of Arizona and his handling of the Apache uprising.

Willcox, a successful cattleman, who probably benefitted substantially from the Apache Wars, making him a prominent citizen.

Answer 2

Two family members come to mind:

1. The heroine of Lüneburg, my 3rd cousin 6 times removed Johanna Stegen (1793-1842), has a street named after her in our native Lüneburg, of course. There's also a monument with her portrait engraved on it. 
2. Wilhelm Bossow, my stepfather's oldest paternal uncle, was director of the diaconic centre in Lühlerheim. After his passing, they named a senior residence building after him, the "Bossow-Haus".

Comments

Yes I love her eyes

Answer 3

A tale of two islands:

1) Blackwell's Island/Manning's Island (now Roosevelt Island, NYC) - [[Manningham-6|Mary (Manningham) Blackwell (abt.1655-1760)]] received Manning's Island from her stepfather Capt. John Manning in 1676 or 1685. She married [[Blackwell-485|Robert Blackwell (1643-1717)]] in 1676, and the island was now called Blackwell's Island until 1921 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roosevelt_Island). Robert and Mary Blackwell were my 8x great grandparents.

2) Stroebe Island (in Appleton, Wisconsin) - The history of Stroebe Island is written in the booklet "Stroebe Story" co-written by my grandmother [[Stroebe-4|Helen Mary (Stroebe) Clark (1908-2000)]] (https://ia803009.us.archive.org/2/items/stroebestorydesc00clar/stroebestorydesc00clar.pdf). It was first settled by my 1C4R [[Stroebe-18|Johann Friederich Joseph Stroebe (1830-1923)]].

Comments

Lots of places named after my Wilhite/Wilhoite side of family

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Willhite_Places

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Lots of places named after my Wilhite/Wilhoite side of family

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Willhite_Places

Answer 4

My father's uncle https://www.visitnorthplatte.com/listing/union-pacific-bailey-yard/147/

My sixth great grandmother's 1st cousin https://lafrenierepark.org/history/

Comments

Nothing like your railway yard, but my gr-gr-grand-uncle and his wife had Gordon Park at Nambucca Heads, New South Wales, Australia named for them.  All because they had built and ran the first hotel in the area.  (The area where the park is was originally known as "Log Hollow".)

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Just visited the RR in September....cool!

Answer 5

Braley Rd in Freetown, Mass. Freetown was the residence of Ambrose Braley's descendants. My 4th ggf Samuel Braley was married there in 1764.

Answer 6

In 1992 the Trans Canada Trail was established as part of the Canada 125 celebrations.

1992 was the 125th anniversary of Canadian Confederation which created a country from the colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada joined together to form the Dominion of Canada.

The Trans Canada Trail is the longest multi-use trail system in the world, currently 28,000 kilometres and still getting longer. It reaches every province and territory, and connects all three of Canada’s coastlines. Each section of the Trans Canada Trail is managed locally and supports different activities and community needs.

Donations were needed to create and maintain the trail. My family all 17 of us sponsored the funding for 1 km.

That donation is now recorded on a trail head map, as the Ross kilometre.

Answer 7

Yes, there is a street named for my paternal Great Grandmother & family in Keno,OR. It is called Puckett Lane. There has been a Puckett living in Keno continuously since 1912, when my grt. grandmother, Kittie Broyles Puckett, took up residence there.

Comments

I love little snippets such as this!  

There is a street in Sandgate, Queensland, Australia, named for my family - and, like yours, there was a Paul living in the area from the 1870s until my stepmother died in 2011.

Answer 8

The Taylor-Southgate bridge that connects Cincinnati Ohio and Newport Kentucky was named after my 5th great grandfather, James Taylor. It was not until the current bridge was built in 1995 that it was named in his honor. Although Newport was settled in 1791 by the Taylor family, the town was named in honor of Christopher Newport, an English seaman and privateer. Newport was best known as the captain of the Susan Constant.

Answer 9

I don't think I have any close relatives with anything named after them.
I did recently happen on a fourth cousin three times removed who had a school named after him.
J. Leonard Replogle (1876 - 1948)

Answer 10

(https://maps.app.goo.gl/hSdyiw8NSpkydcdN8) Lake Hackenberg, near Wolcottville in LaGrange County, Indiana was named for my 4th great-grandfather (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hackenberg-43) Jacob Hackenberg who owned property on the North side of the lake in the 1840s, 50s and 60s..

Comments

I live in Elkhart County, Indiana. There is no Lake Hackenberg or Wolcott in Elkhart County.

There is, however, a Hackenberg Lake near Wolcottville in LaGrange County, Indiana, which is the county just east of Elkhart County.

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You are correct... Old man brain strikes again.

Answer 11

On the Wright side of my mother's family, through Catherine Doyle's marriage to Thomas Wright in about 1844, and their descendants, there was a Memorial scholarship named after Vincent P. and Mary L. Wright.

Answer 12

My mother's maiden name was Blair, and Blairs Virginia is named after a distant cousin, John Christian Blair.

Motley Virginia about which Wikipedia says "It was named for a notable Virginia family in colonial times, the Motleys. Two of them, Joseph and his son David James Motley, fought in the American Revolution." I descend from both Joseph and David James Motley.

Comments

My grandma's maiden name was Blair and Blairsville, IN and Blairsville, IL are named after her family.  The town in IL after her uncle as was probably the town in IN if not for her grandfather.

Answer 13

A couple of street in Toronto and the Niagara area are named Macklem after other Macklem’s who are related.

Answer 14

First, a city: Helmsville, North Carolina. It is now a suburb of Charlottesville, and Helms family members still live there.

Next up would be Person County in North Carolina and Nelson County in Virginia, named for our American Revolution ancestors. The story of Thomas Person(s)' war escapades are told in an entertaining manner in Persons Lineage by George Fuller Walker (1952). It begins with Thomas being placed under "house arrest" at his pastor's home, and how he slipped out after dinner, rode home to burn his incriminating documents, and rode back in time for breakfast. The pastor then testified that he had eaten both meals with his prisoner and it was concluded that Thomas had not left the premises. If you can find the book, George tells it a lot better!

Locally, in Upson County, GA, we have Nelson Street (the last street built out when our cotton fields were turned into a subdivision by Cousin Alvah in the 1950s). Trice Lake Road, Trice Cemetery Road and Trice Lane are all on old family property. There is also a Fallin Street, which is *not* on old family land but we claim it just the same.

Answer 15

I have previously posted about the Gunn Effect and Gunn Diode, named after my father, J.B. Gunn ( Gunn-900), and the Ancient Egyptian rule of grammar named after my grandfather, Battiscombe Gunn (Gunn-1707).

John Gunn Close, in Chard, Somerset, England, is named after my third great grandfather, Rev. John Gunn ( Gunn-2793 ).  See https://www.facebook.com/groups/872089199533284/posts/john-gunn-may-be-only-known-to-some-today-as-a-name-of-a-housing-estate-but-he-i/7697428030332666/ for a summary

Answer 16

Noraville, Nebraska!  My great grand uncle, William Fountain Draper.  William plotted out city streets and lots on his homestead, then had it legally platted as Noraville, Nebraska, in honor of his wife Lenora Hatcher Draper.

Where is Noraville, Nebraska today?  It is still there, still legally named Noraville, and if you buy property in that area, the deed has to say Noraville, Nebraska.

But, Google maps and the water tower and all the residents call it Dawson, Nebraska!  What????

Willaim Draper had no post office in the town. The post office was at Dawson Mills. Jousha Dawson was the post master.  He moved the post office into the city limits of Noraville, and asked the US Postmaster not to change the name to Noraville Post Office.  The US Postrmaster agreed, so now you have the Dawson Post Office in the Town of Noraville.  The area residents bittlery fought against the name of the town, Noraville, and finally after years of fighting, the area now has to be called: The Town of Noraville now known as the Village of Dawson.

Joshua Dawson had successfully hijacked the town's name.

*Look at the above Census Record. Due to bias, census takers had a hard time trying to define the area. 

After much bitter fighting and all the lots were sold, William and Lenora Draper moved out west and laid out the streets of Sundance, Wyoming at the foot of Sundance mountain where the Indians worshiped. The Indians in the area were pretty upset with William, also!

In the History of Nebraskan Cities, this story remains high on the list!

Answer 17

There's a district on Staton Island US called Tottenville. This area was named after John Totten in 1869 and the local prominent Totten family who were merchants of oysters.    

Sue Lock nee Totten

Comments

I live about six miles from Tottenville. It is also the most Southern neighborhood in all of New York City in the borough of Staten Island. There are some old port ruins around there, as there used to be direct ferry service to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, which is just across the river. Staten Island was won by a boat race between the governments of New York and New Jersey, so it became one of the 5 boroughs of NYC. It is often referred to as "the forgotten borough" because it's a residential teardrop island "out there" from the rest of urban life with a less significant population compared to other areas of NYC. The Northern part looks a lot like Brooklyn, but areas like Tottenville are very residential and have no urban feel. There is a train as part of the NYC subway system that runs North to South to Tottenville.

Answer 18

My grandmother, Leletta, and her half brother, Henry, had Henetta Ave. in Copley Twp, Summit County, Ohio named for them.  The road ran near the family farm.

Answer 19

Pike Street in Seattle was named for my GGGrandfather John Henry Pike.   And Warrenton, Clatsop, Oregon is named after his sister Amanda’s son Daniel Knight Warren.

Answer 20

As I am probably descended from the grandparents of William Shakespeare (the Bard of Avon) - on my father's side - so I can't resist putting in a list of titles quoting his words.

Shakespearean (as in tragedy)

About a hundred book, play and song titles including

Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy - As you Like it;

To the Manor Born (TV series) - Hamlet;

The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie - Hamlet;

Once More unto the Breach (an episode of Star Trek) - Henry V;

Look to the Lady by Margery Allingham - Macbeth;

By the Pricking of my Thumbs by Agatha Christie - Macbeth;

This Happy Breed by Noel Coward and a film based on it by David Lean - Richard II;

The Darling Buds of May by HE Bates and a TV comedy based on it - Sonnet 18;

Kiss me Kate (play and musical by Cole Porter) - The Taming of the Shrew;

Rich and Strange (film by Alfred Hitchcock) - The Tempest.

My six times in-law Michael Faraday had a few things named after him: Wikipedia lists about 40 things, theories and effects including faraday unit, farad, Faraday balance. Faraday cage and the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion - a less known aspect of his life was that he was a preacher in the Sandemanian Christian church.

Why 6x in-law?  Six relatives on my mother's side married members of his family including my 1st cousin 4x removed, Sarah Barnard, who married Michael.