Street Names and Place Names around Barry, Illinois
Worcester: Barry was originally named “Worcester”, likely after Worcester, Massachusetts, which, in turn,was named after Worcester, England. Supposedly another Worcester was already located in Illinois, so the town had to be renamed. So far I have been unable to find where this other Illinois “Worcester”or “Worchester”was located.
Barry: The town was renamed “Barre” after Barre, Vermont, the home of one of the early residents. The name, however, was recorded incorrectly as “Barry”. Barre, VT is known for its granite quarries and a major portion of the gray granite used in making gravestones in the US originates from there. Barre, VT was named after Barre, Massachusetts, which was named for Isaac Barre. Barre, the son of a French refugee raised in Ireland, was a veteran of the French & Indian Wars and a member of the British Parliament. His popularity in America was due to his support of the colonists and opposition to British taxation of the colonies. In French, “barre” means a (metal) bar or handrail.
Lafayette Park (Square): General Lafayette was a French military officer who offered his assistance to the colonists during the Revolutionary War. He was a skilled military leader and became a close friend of George Washington. In thanks, he was granted honorary citizenship of the United States. There are numerous cities, parks, and streets across the country named “Lafayette” or “Fayette” in his honor.
Holy Redeemer Park: This is the park surrounding the Western Community Center YMCA, which formerly was the Catholic church.
Diamond Hill: Diamond Hill acquired its nickname from the baseball diamond that was located there at one time. The ball diamond was on Greene Street, north off Mortimer.
Depot Hill: Depot Hillrefers to the hill on the on the northern part of Decatur Street that leads from the site of the old train depot, on what is now Illinois 106, to the central business district.
Weber Springs: J. Weber owned the lands around the spring in the 1912. I’ve also heard it referred to as “Factory Springs.” The Barry Woolen Mill was located there at the base of the hill. This is the current site of the “Possum Holler Cabins.”
Little St. Louis: This was a small community one mile west of Barry that sprang up around a flour mill. There was a fairground and horse racetrack in that vicinity. The first Barry Fair was held about 1885 and the heyday being in the 1890s. I can find no mention of the Barry fair in newspaper accounts after 1907. The Quincy Whig from August 13, 1891 described it this way: “The Barry fair grounds are beautifully situated. They have inclosed [sic] about sixty acres of high ground, giving a splendid view of all the country surrounding it. They are supplied with water by a spring that has never failed. The only inconvenience they have is that the grounds are rather too far from the city. They being about a mile away.” In some aerial photos, the oval outline of the racetrack can still be seen.
Moon Springs: J.C. Moon owned the land west of Barry where the springs are located around 1912.
Illinois 106 (formerly US 36): After the railroad was rerouted several miles north of Barry, the highway was built on the old railroad right-of-way through the northern part of town. The train depot stood south of the tracks, between Decatur and Bainbridge. A few remnants of the railroad days can still be seen along the highway, including the stockyard east of the Farmers Bank of Liberty, the large barn/warehouse on the north side of the highway, and the old ice house. Farther west, near the turnoff on old 36, you can still see the supports for the bridge that carried the tracks over Hadley Creek. (Though, due to the heavy vegetation, it might only be visible during the winter.)
Smith Street: This is possibly named after Eugene Smith, a merchant and banker, who owned a grain elevator in the area near the old ice house.
Hamilton Street: It doesn’t appear to be named after Alexander Hamilton. Rather, there was a CM Hamilton who owned the land west of Rodgers St., to the north and south of where IL 106 now runs on the old railroad right-of-way.
Union Street: This name probably refers to the “union of states.”
Smoky Row: This is an old nickname for Union Street. It probably earned its name due to the proximity to the old railroad right-of-way where smoke from the coal-burning locomotives would settle over the neighborhood.
Pinger Street (unmarked): Pinger was only a block long and ran north from Union St. It is likely just someone’s driveway now. Charles Pinger ran a saw mill and owned the land north of Union, between Rodgers and Greene.
Ball Street (unmarked): Ball Street was less than a block long and extended north from Union St.
Fitch Street and North Street (unmarked): Probably laid out but never built. These one-block long streets were to have run behind the buildings north of the train depot.
Greene Street: DW Greene was the police magistrate for a time, studied medicine, taught school in winter, and was in the mercantile business. He was also associated with the Barry Woolen Mills. Note that some street signs spell it “Greene” and others “Green” (or at least the old signs used to spell it differently).
Front Street: Front Street would have been one of the first streets crossed heading from the depot to the city center, thus it was at the front of Barry.
Tremont Street: Tremont is French for “three mountains”. Tremont is a major street in Boston named for Boston’s three hills. So Barry’s Tremont Street may have been named after Boston’s or, perhaps, it may have been given that name because it traverses several hills on its east-west route.
Williams Street: I haven’t been able to come up with the source of the name. The histories of Barry didn’t mention a Williams connected with the early development of the town.
Mortimer Street: There is a Mortimer Street in London for which this may be named. There didn’t seem to be any Mortimer family that figured prominently in Barry’s early history. “Mortimer” is actually French for “dead sea”.
Main Street: Main Street was the widest street when laid out. Oddly enough, for the “main street”, it dead-ends only two blocks east of the town square.
Mason Street: It’s possibly named for Charles Mason who owned a dry goods and grocery store. Or it may honor the Masons.
Davis Street: It may be named for Samuel Davis who owned a pork-packing and grain & flour business.
Pratt Street: There is a major street in Baltimore named Pratt, which may be the source of the name. There don’t seem to be any prominent citizens mentioned in Barry’s history that this street would be named after.
Grand Avenue: Grand is the southernmost east-west street in Barry. It gives the appearance of being wider than average, which may account for its name.
Balades Avenue (unmarked): Though no longer identified with a street sign, Balades followed the eastern wall of the old cemetery for one block. “Balade” is French for “stroll”.
Pike Street (unmarked): Pike followed the western wall of the old Barry cemetery and continued south across the road. It shows up in the 1872 atlas, but disappears by 1912. So the street may have been plotted, but never built. Like Pike County, it was named for Zebulon Pike who led the 1806-1807 expedition to map the southern portion of the Louisiana Purchase.
For whatever reason, it appears that those naming the north-south streets in Barry named them for naval commanders in the War of 1812. There doesn’t seem to be any “theme” used in naming Barry’s east-west streets.
Porter Street (unmarked): Porter was laid out one block west of Chauncey. Only about a block or two remain of Porter, stretching north from the Williams Street side of the old cemetery. Porter is not currently marked and appears to be only an alley or driveway. Commodore David Porter captured the first British warship in the War of 1812. In the 1820s he resigned his post in the US Navy to become Commander-in-Chief of the Mexican Navy. He subsequently returned to the US and served as a diplomat to Turkey.
Chauncey Street: Commodore Isaac Chauncey commanded the US naval forces on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812.
Hull Street: Commodore Isaac Hull commanded the USS Constitution in the War of 1812 and triumphed over the British Navy in an early battle.
McDonough Street: Commodore Thomas McDonough (Macdonough) commanded the US naval forces on Lake Champlain during the War of 1812.
Perry Street: Commodore Oliver Perry commanded the US naval forces on Lake Erie during the War of 1812. His younger brother, Commodore Matthew Perry, led the expedition to Japan in the 1850s, which resulted in the opening of Japan to trade with the west.
Lawrence Street: Captain James Lawrence was a naval hero of the War of 1812. He died of wounds sustained in a battle with the British in 1813. He is best known for his dying words “Don’t give up the ship”.
Decatur Street: Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr. became a naval hero in the Barbary Wars with the pirates off North Africa and in the War of 1812. He later served as Navy Commissioner. Decatur died in a duel in 1820 with a rival navy officer.
Bainbridge Street: Commodore William Bainbridge succeeded Commodore Hull as commander of the USS Constitution during the War of 1812.
Rodgers Street: Commodore John Rodgers was known as the “Founder of the American Navy” and helped save Philadelphia from being destroyed by the British in the War of 1812. His father ran a Maryland tavern frequented by George Washington, General Lafayette, and Thomas Jefferson.
Frike Street: J.C. Frike was a cooper (or barrel-maker) from Prussia who served as street commissioner for a time. He owned land in the neighborhood where Oitker Ford now stands. An 1894 map shows this was called “Washington Street” at the time.
Brown Street: The Brown family owned land and a house in the southeast corner of Barry where Pratt Street now runs. Mrs. Brown was from Barre, VT and chose the new name for the town. The Brown family donated the money used to build the Barry Public Library. An 1894 map shows this was called “Catherine Street” at the time.
Moon Street: JC Moon owed land in the southeast section of Barry. He and his brother owned a buggy factory in St. Louis. His brother would go on to found the Moon Automobile Company and JC would make his fortune selling equipment used in shoe repair shops.
Croxville Drive: This begins at the north end of Greene Street and winds past the golf course. This was named for William R. Croxville.
Kendall Avenue: Kenneth Albert Kendall owned the furniture and appliance store on the west side of the park for many years and was active in the community.
Oitker Lane: Oitker Lane is on the site of the property formerly owned by Joe Oitker.
Ice House Avenue: The avenue runs along the old stone ice house, which was remodeled into a hotel.
Orchard Drive and Apple Lane: These cul-de-sacs are named for the orchards that once stood on the land.
Rooster Way: Name refers to Jones Poultry and is marked by the large chicken sculpture visible from the interstate.
Revolution Road: This road runs past the medical marijuana cultivation facility.