Throw Back Thursday: Street Names of Edgewater

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The street names of Edgewater have not always been named Ames, Harlan or Otis. With the dreams of real estate developers, the street names of Edgewater began with lofty, presidential names in the late 1800s.

On April 22, 1889, the investors of the Highland Avenue Land Company plotted a lofty 640 acre townsite for the City of Edgewater. The town would run from Colfax Avenue to Highland Avenue (now 26th) and from Washington Street (now Sheridan Boulevard) to Garfield Avenue (now Pierce Street). This townsite included 128 blocks with each block containing 28 lots.

Each of the north-south streets were named for presidents except for one street (Calhoun):

  • Adams Street – now Ames
  • Jefferson Street – now Benton
  • Madison Street – now Chase
  • Monroe Street – now Depew
  • Jackson Street – now Eaton
  • Van Buren Street – now Fenton
  • Calhoun Street – now Gray
  • Harrison Street – now Harlan
  • Tyler Street – now Ingalls
  • Polk Street – now Jay
  • Taylor Street – now Kendall
  • Fillmore Street – now Lamar
  • Pierce Street – now Marshall
  • Lincoln Street – now Newland
  • Grant Street – now Otis Street
  • Garfield Street – now Pierce

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The original east-west avenues also had different names in the late 1800s:

  • Edgewater Avenue – now 20th
  • Pearl Avenue – now 22nd
  • Agate Avenue – now 24th
  • Emerald Avenue – now 25th
  • Highland Avenue – now 26th

On February 6, 1902 these streets were lettered from A through P for easy identification. Edgewater residents did not like the new letters, so they formed a committee to find better names. Finding no better replacements, the streets returned to their original names.

Then in 1906, Denver renumbered their east-west avenues and so Edgewater renamed all their streets with the present street names being adopted.

Sources:

  • Edgewater’s Golden Anniversary pamphlet – 1901-1951
  • 2003 Historic Building Survey of Edgewater Reconnaissance Survey and Historic Contexts Report

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