This post summarizes a Messenger-Inquirer article from 1953 written by Charlotte Baumgarten.
Frederica Street
The article explored the origins of street names in Owensboro, Kentucky. It noted that the city’s first street was named after a girl, but historical accounts varied regarding her identity. Some believed she was Frederica Ross, the daughter of a prominent landowner, while others speculated that she was a young enslaved woman or a beautiful visitor from Germany.
Early county histories provided conflicting reports, leaving the truth buried with the town’s settlers. This street, dedicated to an unknown “mystery girl,” was accompanied by streets named for St. Ann and St. Elizabeth. Other street names were traced to notable families, local heroes, natural elements, and foreign influences.
Daviess County
Daviess County was originally part of a vast Ohio County and a portion of Henderson County before being established in 1815. The town was initially called Yellowbanks, later renamed Rossboro in honor of a hotel owner, and finally changed to Owensborough in 1817 to commemorate Col. Abraham Owen. He had perished alongside Col. Joe Daviess at the Battle of Tippecanoe. The county’s name, “Daviess,” resulted from a clerical error in Frankfort that reversed the “I” and “E,” a mistake never corrected.
Other Streets
The article detailed the systematic naming of streets, with some being named after Kentucky counties, such as Allen, Daviess, Lewis, Crittenden, Clay, and Breckinridge. Others, like Cedar, Locust, Walnut, Elm, and Poplar, followed a botanical theme. Some names deviated from this pattern, including Triplett Street, named for George W. Triplett, a land surveyor who later served in the Confederate Congress.
Several streets honored prominent figures, such as Griffith Avenue, named for William R. Griffith, a landowner who helped attract settlers, and Wing Avenue, likely named for E. Rumsey Wing, a U.S. minister to Ecuador under President Ulysses S. Grant. Herr Avenue traced back to Wallace W. Herr, a Confederate recruiter during the Civil War. McCreary Avenue honored Thomas Clay McCreery, a U.S. senator known for opposing President Andrew Johnson’s impeachment.
Crabtree Avenue was believed to have bordered the farm of Colson Crabtree, while Parrish Avenue likely commemorated banker James H. Parrish. Hathaway Street was named for Robert Miller Hathaway, a merchant responsible for establishing Elmwood Cemetery. Sweeney Street recognized William N. Sweeney, a lawyer and congressman from the 1800s.
The article also highlighted Dublin Lane, named by Irish immigrants after Dublin, Ireland, as they settled in Owensboro for employment in tobacco and meatpacking industries. Another notable mention was the precinct of Maceo, formerly called Powers Station, renamed to honor Capt. Alonzo Maceo, a Cuban revolutionary.
