anti-German street renaming


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anti-German street renaming
Posted by: jvonfurst ()
Date: October 23, 2013 10:54PM

My mother who grew up in German Old Town, told me a story about a frenzy of street renaming that happened during WWI. Any streets with German names were renamed and anglicized. She said she went to sleep on Werner street and work up on Shakespeare St. Anyone know if there is any truth to this?

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Re: anti-German street renaming
Posted by: nordsider ()
Date: October 24, 2013 09:29AM

Werner Ave. (4450 W) was changed to 44th Court in 1895

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~itappcnc/pipcnstreetfind.htm

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Re: anti-German street renaming
Posted by: PKDickman ()
Date: October 24, 2013 11:10AM

I can't speak to Werner St. But the part about renaming streets ofter WW1 is true


This is a headline from the Trib historic archives

BLOTTING GERMAN NAMES FROM CITY MAP: Plan to Rename Streets for U. S. Heroes Up Today.
Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1922) [Chicago, Ill] 03 Jan 1919: 13.

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Re: anti-German street renaming
Posted by: nordsider ()
Date: October 25, 2013 09:58AM

It is my understanding that street names didn't change; examples, Schiller Street (1400N), named for Friedrich Schiller, the German poet; Germania Place (1536N); Goethe Street (1300N).

However, the Bismarck beer garden and hotel was changed, by their owners.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2013 07:00PM by nordsider.

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Re: anti-German street renaming
Posted by: jvonfurst ()
Date: October 26, 2013 01:12AM

Thanks for that lead. Googling that I found: http://www.newberry.org/german-street-name-changes-bucktown-part-i

I guess the street was Hamburg that turned into Shakespeare.

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Re: anti-German street renaming
Posted by: Chidude84 ()
Date: October 26, 2013 01:55AM

A few other German named streets that changed their names were Frankfort, which began Charleston & Lubeck became Dickens. I remember in Chicago history class they wanted to rename Goethe to Boxwood Court. In defense two German-American alderman mockingly suggested they rename it Nutwood, due to the mental state of those who wanted to rename it.

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Re: anti-German street renaming
Posted by: nordsider ()
Date: October 26, 2013 05:19PM

In a 1903 map, an area near Fullerton and Damen was shown labeled "Holstein", and the streets within it had these names, all were changed, as shown in a 1923 Street Directory:

Berlin (2329N)

Rhine (2300N)

Hamburg (2127N) --- also named "Bremen" on an 1886 map.

Frankfort (2104N) changed in 1918

Lubeck (2055N)

Coblentz (2029N)

Also, on the 1903 map, streets Breslau and Leipzic; short block long streets between Hamburg and Elm; and on an 1886 map an "Holstein Park" is shown centered on Oakley, between Breslau and Leipzic.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2013 08:59AM by nordsider.

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Re: anti-German street renaming
Posted by: tomcat630 ()
Date: November 02, 2013 07:27AM

44th Court should be one of the K streets. N-S grid numbered streets are named in city limits.

Kostner is 4400 w, and 44th ct. would be 4432 w.

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Re: anti-German street renaming
Posted by: riverviewfan ()
Date: December 07, 2013 06:24PM

nordsider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is my understanding that street names didn't
> change; examples, Schiller Street (1400N), named
> for Friedrich Schiller, the German poet; Germania
> Place (1536N); Goethe Street (1300N).
>
> However, the Bismarck beer garden and hotel was
> changed, by their owners.

Riverview Amusement Park removed their Bismarck Gardens section along with a large statue of Mr. Bismarck. The statue was buried on the grounds.

Riverviewfan

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