The Streets of Detroit
This section of the site is not complete. If you have a question about a street that is not listed, please email .
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| Wabash Avenue | Most likely named for the Wabash Railroad which was named for the Wabash River, which was named after the French River Ouabache. | |
| Wade Avenue | ||
| Wadsworth Avenue | May have been named for General Elijah Wadsworth, who raised three regiments to fight in the War of 1812. | |
| Wager Avenue | ||
| Wagner Street | ||
| Wakefield Road | ||
| Walbridge Street | May have been named for George B. Walbridge who co-founded one of the largest construction companies in Detroit (1914). | |
| Walden Avenue | ||
| Waldo Street | ||
| Wales Street | ||
| Walker Boulevard | Possibly named for John Walker, who was one of thirty leading Detroit citizens deported by General Proctor for criticizing the General's actions during the War of 1812. | |
| Walker Street | Possibly named for John Walker, who was one of thirty leading Detroit citizens deported by General Proctor for criticizing the General's actions during the War of 1812. | |
| Wallace Avenue | ||
| Wallick Place | ||
| Wallingford Avenue | ||
| Walnut Street | Probably named after the walnut tree. | |
| Waltham Avenue | ||
| Walton Street | ||
| Wanamaker Place | ||
| Wanda Avenue | ||
| Ward Avenue/Street | May have been named for Detroit industrialist Eber Brock Ward. | |
| Ward Place | May have been named for Detroit industrialist Eber Brock Ward. | |
| Waring Avenue | ||
| Wark Avenue | Named for Bruce H. Wark. Bruce lived in Detroit most of his life (he emigrated from Canada in his late teens). Bruce was a real estate developer and his biography (up to 1922) can be found in The City of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Volume 5, by William Stocking & Gordon K. Miller (available at Google books). The street has been renamed Santa Rosa Drive. Special thanks to Robert Wark (http://sites.google.com/site/northernjourneybhwark/) for this information. | |
| Warner Street | ||
| Warren Avenue E-W | This street was opened in 1869 and was named for the Revolutionary War hero, General Joseph Warren. | |
| Warren Court | Many courts and places are named for there proximity to larger streets. That is probably the case here. | |
| Warrington Drive | ||
| Warsaw Place | Named for the capital of Poland. | |
| Warwick | ||
| Washburn Avenue | ||
| Washington Boulevard | Mary Bailey of the Detroit News, writes, "Washington Boulevard was originally named Washington Grand Avenue after General Washington, according to the Woodward Plan. In 1828 it was renamed Wayne after General Anthony Wayne, the American commanding officer at Detroit in 1796. The street was later renamed again after the first president." http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=199#ixzz0qOP2Vxki | |
| Waterloo Avenue | Many streets in Indian Village have Indian names, yet according to Nick Sinacori, quoted in an article in ModelD, at modeldmedia.com by Rodd Monts...Waterloo was named not after the battle, but for a horse farm of the same name in the area. Read more about this... Special thanks to Craig Sasser for this information. Read more from Craig here. | |
| Waterman Avenue | ||
| Waterman Avenue S | ||
| Watko Avenue | ||
| Watson Place | Eli Watson of New York founded Watson in Allegan County. I do not know if this street was named for him. | |
| Watson Street | Eli Watson of New York founded Watson in Allegan County. I do not know if this street was named for him. | |
| Waveney Avenue | ||
| Waverly Avenue (HP) | ||
| Wayburn Avenue | ||
| Wayne Street | Named for General Anthony Wayne. | |
| Weaver | Possibly named for religious crusader, William Weaver. | |
| Webb Avenue | Possibly named for abolitionist, William Webb; or General James Watson Webb. | |
| Weitzel Court | ||
| Welland Avenue | ||
| Wellesley Avenue/Drive | ||
| Wellington Avenue | Probably named for the Duke of Wellington or another place that was named for him. | |
| Wells Street | Several places in Michigan were named for men named Wells. Wells Street in Detroit may or may not have been named for one of the men or one of the places. Anthony and James Wells settled Memphis in Macomb County. N.M. Wells was an assistant engineer for whom a settlement in Arenac was named. Wells in Delta County was named for sawmill owner Daniel Wells, Jr.. Wells in Tuscola County was named for postmaster Joseph Wells. | |
| Welton Avenue | ||
| Wendell Avenue | Possibly named for education advocate, Mary S. Wendell; or early settler Emory Wendell. | |
| Wentworth Avenue (Ham) | ||
| Wesson Street | ||
| West Beaverland | This street was most likely named for it's location on the western border of Detroit and the abundance of beaver in the area when it was first settled. | |
| West Chicago | This street may have once been a trail that led to Chicago. | |
| West End Avenue | This street was most likely named for it's location on the western border of Detroit and/or the Michigan Central Railroad station in Springwells township. | |
| West End Avenue S | This street was most likely named for it's location on the western border of Detroit and/or the Michigan Central Railroad station in Springwells township. | |
| West Parkway | This street was most likely named for it's location on the western border of Detroit. | |
| West Point Avenue | This street was most likely named for it's location on the western border of Detroit. | |
| Westbrook Avenue | It is common for streets to be named for nearby landmarks or geographical features of the area. It is possible that this street ran along the west side of a brook or had a brook to the west of it. | |
| Western Avenue | This street was most likely named for it's location on the western border of Detroit. | |
| Western Drive | This street was most likely named for it's location on the western border of Detroit. | |
| Westfield Avenue | While this street may have been named for the now defunct rural post office in Kalamazoo County or a person named Westfield, it is common for streets to be named for nearby landmarks or geographical features of the area. It is possible that there was once a field to the wes tof this street. | |
| Westminster Avenue | Probably named for the area in London or another place that was named for it. | |
| Westmoreland Road | ||
| Weston Avenue | Possibly named after Lenawee County's Edward Payson Weston. | |
| Westover Place | ||
| Westphalia Avenue | Probably named after Westphalia, Germany. | |
| Westwood Avenue | It is common for streets to be named for nearby landmarks or geographical features of the area. It is likely that this street was west of a wooded area. | |
| Wetherby Avenue | ||
| Wexford Avenue | ||
| Weyher Avenue | ||
| Whalen Avenue (Ham) | Named for the Village of Hamtramck's first fire chief (1915), Barnard Whalen. Special thanks to John Bezik for this information. | |
| Wheeler Avenue | Possibly named after Genesee County's Elmer G. Wheeler, a landowner and justice of the peace; or pioneer James B. Wheeler; or Allegan County postmaster Chester C. Wheeler. | |
| Wheelock Street | ||
| Whipple Street | May have been named for Fort Wayne (Indiana) Captain Whipple (later General Whipple); or artist S. Arch Whipple. | |
| Whitcomb Avenue | ||
| White Street | Could be named for one of the following -- or not. Jackson County settler R.R. White. Charlevoix County's White's Camp near White Lumber Mill. Genesee County's Clark White. Detroiter Peter White. | |
| Whitefield Avenue | ||
| Whitehead Avenue | ||
| Whitehill | ||
| Whitewood/Whitwood Avenue | ||
| Whithorn Avenue | ||
| Whiting Street (Ham) | Possibly named for Dr. J. L. Whiting, treasurer of The Detroit Lyceum; or Detroiter J. T. Whiting; or Colonel Henry Whiting. | |
| Whitlock Avenue | ||
| Whitmore Road | Possibly named after the Ann Arbor area land owner Luke H. Whitmore. | |
| Whitney Avenue | There are several Whitneys in Michigan history. Surveyor Charles Whitney is the namesake of Whitney in Menominee County. Arthur Whitney was a hunter and trapper from Highwood. Whitney Beach in Gladwin County was named for him. Whitney in Arenac County was named for the Whitney lumber mill. Lumber baron David Whitney's Detroit mansion still stands and is home to the Whitney restaurant. My money is on him. | |
| Whittaker Avenue | Possibly named after Washtenaw County general store owner Frank Whittaker. | |
| Whittier Road | Probably named for abolitionist poet and quaker, John Greenleaf Whittier. | |
| Widman Place | ||
| Wight Street | Was originally named Alexander for Alexander Fraser. Not sure where the "Wight" comes from. | |
| Wilber/Wilbor Avenue | Possibly named after pioneer settler Loran Wilber. | |
| Wilcox | May have been named for General Orlando B. Wilcox or University of Michigan Secretary Eben N. Wilcox. | |
| Wilde Street | ||
| Wildemere Avenue | ||
| Wildwood Aveue | Streets are often named for landmarks or geographical features in the area. That is probably the case with this street. | |
| Wilfred Street | ||
| Wilkie Street | ||
| Wilkins Street | May benamed for Judge Ross Wilkins or Colonel Wiilam D. wilkins. | |
| Willard Street | Possibly named for Bay County's Levi Willard or Detroiter William Willard. | |
| Willette Avenue | ||
| Williams Avenue | Mary Bailey of the Detroit News writes: "John R, Elizabeth and Columbia streets are named for personal reasons. John R. Williams was a landowner , merchant and bank president in the first half of the 19th century, who named the street after himself. Baptized John Williams, he adopted the letter 'R' to distinguish himself from another John Williams in Detroit. Some of his business ventures, such as publishing an early newspaper, included his uncle, Joseph Campau. Williams was a general in the Territorial Militia, a member of the board of trustees at the 'new' University of Michigan and the first elected Detroit mayor in 1824. Williams named Elizabeth after his daughter, and Columbia after a street where he lived in Albany, New York." http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=199#ixzz0qOP2Vxki | |
| Willis Avenue E-W | Possibly named for Wasthenaw County farmer, Willis L. Potter. | |
| Willmarth | Willmarth was once the name of the post office that is now Sand Hill. | |
| Wilshire Drive | Probably named for Wilshire, England; though I believe that is spelled Wiltshire. | |
| Winchester Avenue E-W | Probably named after General James Winchester. | |
| Windemere Avenue (HP) | ||
| Winder Street | Named for Colonel John Winder | |
| Windmill Point Drive | ||
| Windsor Avenue | Possibly named for Windsor, Ontario or Windsor, Vermont ot the founder of Osceola County. | |
| Winfield Avenue | Dundee and Kinneyville both had, at one time, post offices known as Winfield. Not sure if that has anything to do with this avenue. | |
| Winfield Avenue (Ham) | Dundee and Kinneyville both had, at one time, post offices known as Winfield. Not sure if that has anything to do with this avenue. | |
| Wing Place | May have been named for Austin E. Wing an area surveyor, sheriff, and University of Michigan Regent. | |
| Winger Street | ||
| Winkleman Avenue | ||
| Winona Avenue (HP) | Possibly named after the Winona Copper Mining Company or Winona in Houghton County, which was named for the company. | |
| Winslow Street | ||
| Winston Avenue | ||
| Winter Street | ||
| Winthrop Avenue | Possibly named after the Winthrop Iron Company or the town in Tuscola County, which was named for the iron company. | |
| Wisconsin Avenue | Probably named for the state of Wisconsin. | |
| Wisner Avenue | Probably named after Michigan Governor Moses Wisner. | |
| Witherell Street | Mary Bailey of the Detroit News writes, "Witherall [sic] was named after James Witherall, who succeeded Frederick Bates as one of the first Michigan territorial judges in 1808. He was a major in the War of 1812 and commanded General William Hull's army in Detroit. He was Territorial Secretary in 1828 and prompted the establishment of a public school system. " http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=199#ixzz0qOP2Vxki | |
| Witt Avenue | ||
| Wolff Street | ||
| Wolverine Avenue (Ham) | Probably named after the state animal. | |
| Wood Avenue | Wood, you know, wood. | |
| Woodbine | ||
| Woodbridge Street E-W | Named for William Woodbridge. Mary Bailey of the Detroit News, writes, "William Woodbridge owned land west of the Cass farm and was active in early Detroit government. He was secretary of the Michigan Territory in 1814, a Michigan representative to Congress in 1819, territorial judge in 1827, governor of Michigan in 1839 and U.S. senator in 1841. His legacy is remembered in Woodbridge Street." | |
| Woodhall | ||
| Woodingham Drive | ||
| Woodland Avenue | Woodland in Barry County was named for its location amidst dense woods. This street could have been named after the town in Barry County. | |
| Woodland Street | Woodland in Barry County was named for its location amidst dense woods. This street could have been named after the town in Barry County. | |
| Woodlawn Avenue | Possibly named after the village in Delta County. | |
| Woodmere Avenue | Possibly named after the station on the Canada Southern and the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroads. | |
| Woodmont Road | ||
| Woodrow Avenue | Probably named after President Woodrow Wilson. | |
| Woodrow Wilson | Named for President Woodrow Wilson. | |
| Woodside Street | Streets are frequently named for landmarks and geographic features of the surrounding area. It is likely that there was a wood along side this street. | |
| Woodstock Drive | ||
| Woodston Road | ||
| Woodward Avenue | Named for Judge Augustus Brevoort Woodward, Woodward Avenue had its humble beginnings as a Native American hunting/travelling path. | |
| Worcester Place | There are many places in the US named Worcester. It most likely comes for Worcester in the UK. | |
| Worden | Possibly named after early Wasthenw County landowner, E.S. Worden. | |
| Wormer | ||
| Wotzke Court | ||
| Wreford Avenue | Possibly named for William Wreford from whom Henry Ford rented 58 Bagley, the place where Ford assembled his first automobile. | |
| Wyandotte Avenue (Ham) | Probably named after the Native American tribe. | |
| Wykes Avenue | ||
| Wyman | Possibly named after the Montcalm County postmaster, Harvey P. Wyman. | |
| Wyoming Avenue | Possibly named after the Wyoming Territory or state. |
