Famous Roads: Is Lincoln Street named for Honest Abe?

Anyone who has driven through Downtown Huntsville or Old Town has likely noticed that a lot of the streets in the area have presidential names. Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Monroe and Madison are all represented in Huntsville’s road map. But what about Lincoln Street?

In this week’s version of my Famous Roads series, where I look at the namesakes of roads here in the Rocket City, I’m going to find out who exactly Lincoln Street is named for.

Some famous roads are named for presidents, but not Lincoln Street

Believe it or not, Lincoln Street was not named for President Abraham Lincoln.

According to Huntsville historian Dex Nilsson, the street was named before Honest Abe became president (which shows you just how old Huntsville really is).

The street is actually named for Benjamin Lincoln, a major general in the Constitutional Army who accepted the surrender of Gen. Charles O’Hara of the British Army, effectively ending the Revolutionary War.

Some quick facts I dug up about Benjamin Lincoln from The American Battlefield Trust:

• He was born on January 24, 1733, in Hingham, Massachusetts.
• At age 21, he became the town constable of Hingham.
• He joined the colonial militia during the French and Indian War.
• In 1774, he was appointed to oversee the Massachusetts militia by the Massachusetts Provincial Congress.
• Lincoln was soon promoted to Major General of the Massachusetts militia.
• Lincoln’s militia served with George Washington in battles in New York at the beginning of the Revolutionary War.
• Washington made Lincoln his second-in-command for the Yorktown Campaign.
• The siege at Yorktown forced General Lord Charles Cornwallis to surrender to the Americans, but Cornwallis claimed to be “too ill” to attend the meeting, sending O’Hara in his place. Insulted, Washington sent Lincoln in his place to accept the surrender.
• Washington appointed Lincoln as the nation’s first US Secretary at War.

Presidential streets in Huntsville

Several streets in Huntsville are, in fact, named for presidents. Such as:

• Adams Street: Created in 1825 and named for President John Quincy Adams, who was elected the same year.
• Andrew Jackson Way: This was originally 4th Street, but was renamed for the former president, who owned a significant amount of land in Madison County and visited the area often.
• Jefferson Street: Named for the 3rd POTUS, Thomas Jefferson.
• Madison Street: Like the county and the city, the street is named for the 4th POTUS, James Madison.
• McKinley Avenue: Located in the 5 Points area, this was once known as Melette Avenue, but was renamed to honor President William McKinley after his assassination in 1901.
• Monroe Street: Some believe the street was named for one of Huntsville’s early businessmen, Damill Castello Monroe. However, historians have confirmed that the street was named for President James Monroe.
• Washington Street: Like Washington Park, the street is named for the 1st POTUS, George Washington.

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