7 Steps to Black Hawk Street

Across America, there are streets named after Presidents, prominent figures, soldiers, wars, notable Native Americans, etc. Street names echo the values, fears, and headlines of the people who put them there. Street names are threads connecting towns to broader national events. 

We may never know whether the street name was meant as a warning, a memorial, or even a reluctant gesture of respect. But rarely was it just random. 

Tracing Early Footsteps

1868 Platte Deed of Black Hawk Street
 Platte. Deeds 1866–1870

Tucked into the riverfront hills of Weston, Missouri, Black Hawk Street winds quietly through town, steeped in the kind of history that rarely makes headlines but is never quite forgotten. While the street is familiar to locals today, the origin of its name has long puzzled historians. Why “Black Hawk”? Who named it? And what stories were they trying to preserve—or perhaps bury?

7 Tips to Tracing Street Names 

1) Determine when was the town platted, settled, or squatted?

BLM GLO, 1840

Land was being settled as early as 1837, just after the Platte Purchase of 1836 made the land legally available for U.S. settlement. The Military Reserve was set aside in 1838. The original survey, above, for the entire Platte was in 1840. The survey was from 1 Oct 1839 to 24 Jun 1840.

2) Uncover the first use of the street name. 
In Weston, I was able to pull an 1843 land deed. This was about six years after the town was purchased.

See below for the notes of the official survey of land, which concluded 22 Jul 1843. Survey of land.

1843

3) Locate old local maps and city formation within the state.

Black Hawk Street isn’t just an old name on a map. It’s a thread connecting Weston to broader national events: the Indian wars, the opening of new territories, and the cultural shifts that shaped Missouri. 

Image: https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/mainstreet/id/9/rec/1

4) Review Local and National News 
Was the name of your street of interest at the time?  Remember, it's not random, not an accident, there's a tie. Always a time. check out the contemporary Presidents, prominent figures, soldiers, wars, notable Native Americans. 

In our example, it really was Black Hawk that raised our interest. 

Who was Black Hawk? 
Black Hawk (1767–1838) was a war leader of the Sauk tribe, best known for leading resistance during the Black Hawk War of 1832 in present-day Illinois and Wisconsin. Though defeated, Black Hawk became a legendary figure in American frontier history. 

Given the timing, it’s likely that Weston settlers, freshly arrived after the Platte Purchase came in from Illinois and Wisconsin. Black Hawk's legend was still circulating widely in newspapers, books, and military lore when the Platte was purchased. Black Hawk died in 1838. 

5) Don't Forget the Territories

1838 - 1842 Territorial Map

Why is it that people forget that before states, there were colonies or territories? The information you are looking for may be in the Territorial collections usually found in the State Archives. Researchers must be familiar with the territory and state formations.

For example, If I'm wanting to research my Sauk Tribe Leader, Black Hawk, I have to cover the Iowa territory. It is borders Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri. It was Black Hawk territory! He even died in 1838, the southeastern Iowa Territory on the Des Moines River.

6) State Archives and Bureau of Land Management

You aren't just looking for your street name. Be sure to expand your search. The early platted state required clearing of the land, selling the land for distribution, surveyor notes, and early town plans. 

Keep in mind that surveyors may not have been from the area.  In the case of Weston, MO, the survey was for the entire Platte was out of St Louis. (Surveyors Office) 

7) Pull deeds with the name of the street you are researching. I use Familysearch AI to quickly extract those.  In doing so, I understood why Black Hawk name was not solid on the earlier plats.  It was officially called Buckeye Street. 

"Buckeye Street or as better known and called Black Hawk Street"

Here's another example from an 1867 deed

 West side of Buckeye Street or Blackhawk . Street thence

More must be learned in this case. It is not known whyy Buckeye was also called Buchanan. It appears that it continued to Blackhawk St. 

...side of Buchanan or Buckeye street ( Black Hawk Continued)

Next Step

Research the connection to Buchanan St, Buckeye Street or Black Hawk Street. 

This is far from a brickwall unless all of your available resources have been scoured. 

Sources:

• Missouri Digital Heritage. Main Street Weston Collection. Link

• Platte County Deeds, 1866–1870. FamilySearch

• Platte County Deeds, 1892. FamilySearch

More Resources
5 Resources to Tracing Missouri Territorial Ancestors

Read more about Weston:
In June 2025 we highlighted Weston, MO. WESTON – CELEBRATING 175 YEARS!
Juneteenth - What Are You Celebrating?

Juneteenth - What Are You Celebrating?

Juneteenth, a blend of “June” and “nineteenth” marks the day in 1865 (19 Jun 1865)when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, TX, were finally informed of their freedom. Texas, the most remote slave-holding state, was the last to receive Union troops to enforce emancipation hence Juneteenth’s powerful legacy. That's when the Union troops arrived in Galveston, TX. This was over two years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.

Everyone Did Not Celebrate

Due to the mass exodus of ex-slaves from Texas to other states and communities, small Juneteenth celebrations were held across the nation as early as the 1866's, not just in Texas. It was also customary, especially in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas, for the previously enslaved Texans to return to their family community for the Juneteenth festivities annually. Early celebrations included readings of the Emancipation Proclamation. Plus, it was a great time to have a family reunion!

Did You Know?

All Enslaved People Were Not Freed by the Emancipation Proclamation (1863)

          36  U.S. states by end of the Civil War

          25  Union States: 21 Free State

                                        4  Slave States 

          11  Confederate States (claimed secession)

A small forgotten detail by the masses is the fact that the Emancipation Proclamation only freed the enslaved people of the eleven states that formed the Confederacy. The Emancipation Proclamation did not free the enslaved people in the other Union states. 

Texas joined the Confederacy in 1861. Their enslaved people were freed 1 Jan 1863, by the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation could only be enforced if the Union military was in place and had the military power to free the enslaved people.
Note: This was easier on the states along waterways.

Year	Event	Notes
1861	Start of the Civil War	Eleven Southern states secede, forming the Confederacy.
Sept 22, 1862	Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation	Lincoln warns that enslaved people in rebellious states will be freed if rebellion continues.
Jan 1, 1863	Emancipation Proclamation	Slaves in Confederate states are declared free, but enforcement relies on Union military success.
April 1865	Civil War ends	Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders. Slavery remains in border Union states.
June 19, 1865	Juneteenth	Union troops arrive in Galveston, Texas. Slavery officially ended in Texas.
Dec 6, 1865	13th Amendment ratified	Slavery becomes illegal in all U.S. states, including Union states

There were five non-Confederate States, the "Border States," that held enslaved peoples. It was legal to have "slaves" in the Union States until there was a state-level action or through the 13th Amendment, ratified on December 6, 1865. 

The enslaved people in the following states were not freed by the 1861 Emancipation Proclamation 

1. Delaware - Never seceded.  Rejected both the Emancipation Proclamation and voluntary abolition before the 13th Amendment.

2. Maryland - Abolished slavery on November 1, 1864, through a new state constitution.

3. Kentucky - Maintained slavery until the 13th Amendment. 

4. Missouri -The pro-Union government abolished slavery in January 1865 by state action before the 13th Amendment was passed.

5. West Virginia (A new state in 1863)
   Allowed slavery at statehood but abolished it in February 1865.
   West VA had just become a state in 1863, and is historically lumped in with the "Border States."

For more reading:
Juneteenth - Our Ancestors Knew: Celebrated Across the Nation

   TracingAncestors.org

Taxing Sunlight and Fresh Air? The Window Tax

Note: This educational blog post is based on:

The Hutsville Times, 27 Apr 1937, pg 7

During the American Revolution, Virginia faced financial pressure to support its war efforts against Britain. To meet these demands, the General Assembly enacted a series of taxes in 1781. One such tax was a tax on glass windows. Yes, sunlight became a commodity. Well, sunlight and fresh air!

The proposed tax on windows vs. a "real estate" tax in Virginia to recover the funding deficit from the Revolutionary War.

Hening's Statutes at Large, Volume 10: Virginia, FHL 007940049, It #2, pg 280

This emergency homeowners' tax was based on the number of windows in their houses. (Hening’s Statutes, vol. 10, p. 280.) It was to last three years, and it only counted windows with glass, which eliminated the lowest economic cohort that would likely have had only shutters because they couldn’t afford glass. Here’s the Virginia law: 

“A tax or rate of one shilling for every glass window shall be paid by the proprietor of each inhabited house within the commonwealth in the month of September 1781, and so on in each of the three next succeeding years.” The law goes on to list other taxes, calling them “urgent necessities of this commonwealth” due to the war.

Keep in mind, we were a newly formed nation in need of recovering from the costly war, so many states actually considered the Window Tax, but quickly squashed the idea because it was an England-based tax. Even the Virginia law was quickly appealed, before ever really reaching the implementation stage. 

Origin of This Tax - England? 

England Implementation of Window Tax

The Window Tax was a property tax introduced in England and Wales in 1696 (later extended to Scotland in 1748) under the reign of King William III. It taxed homeowners based on the number of windows in a building. The purpose was essentially a way to tax wealth indirectly—larger homes with more windows suggested greater wealth.

The 1798 Tax in the Colonies
However, there were later successful attempts in the USA to fund the War with France. In 1798, we know the real estate tax in America was based on windows, and Pennsylvanians were not happy about it. Listen here as Julie explains: 

 

Full Podcast: Unraveling Forensic Genealogy With Juli Whittaker

What You May Find

Pennsylvania, U.S., U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798 for William Scarlitt

• Name of the property owner or occupant

• Description of buildings (number of stories, materials)

• Number of windows and total property value

• Acreage and land valuation

• Sometimes even names of tenants or neighbor

Where to Find Records 
Use keywords: “1798 direct tax” + [State or County]

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 

Pittsburgh

, 

Pittsburgh

, 

4 Feb 1941

, 

Page 23

1. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
   Locate  original federal tax lists, assessment rolls, and schedules for many counties
2.  FamilySearch.org
    Digitized 1798 tax records for some states.
3. Ancestry.com
   “Tax, Criminal, Land & Wills” or “U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798”
   Indexed and digitized tax lists, especially for Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
4. State Archives and Historical Societies
   I have had good luck finding these records in these states: 
   Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State Archives
   Massachusetts: Massachusetts Archives
   Virginia: Library of Virginia
   
5. Library of Congress
   Federal tax documents, historical maps, and district valuations are accessible.
6. Reference Books
   The 1798 Federal Direct Tax: Pennsylvania and the Fries Rebellion"

Even later, though, this tax was not favored and quickly repealed with the help of a small insurrectionist against the U.S. Government led by John Fries, PA.

Fries's Rebellion led German-American farmers in eastern Pennsylvania to resist the tax. They viewed it as a violation of their rights. Although Fries was convicted of treason in 1799 - 1800, and was sentenced to death, President Adams issued a pardon. 

Aurora General Advertiser, Wed, Feb 13, 1805 ·Page 2

My thoughts go to the lyrics of one of Hamilton's songs (the musical): 

This financial plan is an outrageous demand

And it’s too many [darn] pages for any man to understand

Stand with me in the land of the free

And pray to God we never see Hamilton’s candidacy

Look, when Britain taxed our tea, we got frisky
Imagine what gon’ happen when you try to tax our whisky.

 Perhaps it should have said windows!

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