Chicago question: There is Ida B. Wells Drive and Wells Street (they intersect). Are these named after different people?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Title says it all. Are these two different people or the same person? I know who Ida B. Wells is but but not sure about the Wells of Wells Street.

You can see the intersection here (middle-right quarter of the map below):

2

Wells Street , named after an army captain who died in the war of 1812.

3

Thanks! It seems I could have probably found that out myself but this was more fun (I did try actually but missed it somehow…I admit I did not try very hard).

As an aside, I am not seeing why he was special enough for a prominent street name but I don’t know how that happens and really not worth being fussed about I do not think.

Thanks again.

4

Fort Dearborn being in the location that is now Chicago.

5

That is cool…he is cool!

Thanks!

6

The east/west street was renamed from “Congress Parkway” to “Ida B. Wells Drive” only five years ago.

Capt. Wells’ coolness aside, I maintain that “his” street – the one running north/south – is the one that should have been renamed!

I get it. I see the appeal in renaming Congress Parkway. Who the hell has much fondness for Congress? And I’ve got nothing against Capt. Wells. But I do dislike that we now have two “Wells” streets/drives in this town. I dislike that they’re both downtown. I dislike that they intersect.

Renaming “Wells St.” to “Ida B. Wells Drive” would have been a clever solution!

Aside: a year later, Chicago did pull off a homophonic renaming of a park, trading “Douglas Park” for “Douglass Park.” An upgrade in my view!

7

And the city renamed Lake Shore Drive to “Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable Lake Shore Drive”

Kind of annoying. I am not opposed to recognizing historic figures but I am not sure renaming iconic roads is the best way to go about it.

8

The official position in our household:

  1. Renaming “Douglas Park” to “Douglass Park” – good and clever!
  2. Renaming a street for Ida B. Wells – good!
  3. Failing to rename Wells Street for Ida B. Wells – missed opportunity to be clever!
  4. Renaming Lake Shore Drive – stupid!

Thank you for coming to my lecture.

9

There was a song about Lake Shore Drive. Even included in the Marvel movie “Guardians of the Galaxy”.

“Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable Lake Shore Drive” doesn’t work.

10

The official name changed but enough people still use the shorter name that Wikipedia also uses the shorter name.