Have you ever wondered where streets get their names? Some are obvious, like Main Street or Front Street. Others are a little trickier. Rathbun Avenue is a good example of this. Why choose Rathbun for my first “why is it called…” post? Easy. It’s the street that my grandparents lived on when my dad was born.
In order to get at the root of the name, we have to back in time to the 1880s, connect a few dots, and do a little bit of intuitive guesswork.
Checking the Maps
The solid line cutting at a slight angle through the center of the map is what is now E. 71st Street. At this point in time, Rathbun Avenue doesn’t exist, but the plot of land is there, owned by Caroline Brooks and John Brooks to the west. This is roughly where the road is now located.
By 1898, the area is starting to look more like it is today. Rathbun Street (not avenue) is located on the west side of East 71st. The land that the Avenue later expanded to is owned by John Zahn. Once again, Caroline Brooks owns the main plot of land, although it’s been divided up and houses have been built.
Connecting Caroline Brooks to Rathbun Avenue
Now comes the interesting part. If Caroline Brooks owned the land, where did the Rathbun name come from? A quick trip through old census records provided an answer.
Caroline Brooks was born in 1821 as Caroline Rathbun. Her parents were named Edmund Rathbun (also spelled Rathbone and Rathburn in the record) and Juliana (also listed as Julie Ann) Rathbun. Edmund, born in 1794 in Massachusetts, settled in Ohio and is buried in Harvard Grove Cemetery. He died in 1881.
Caroline, who married Samuel Brooks in 1843, had four children, Samuel, Jane, Thetus, Hamilton, Imogene, John, and Albert.
By the 1880 census, she was listed as widowed and keeping house. Caroline died in 1908 and is also buried in Harvard Grove Cemetery, not far from her father.
It makes sense that she’d want to pay tribute to her father and other family members by naming a street, Rathbun, after them.
Sources:
Found in Ohio 