a3Genealogy: 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.