Interesting side note to today's Cemetery Tour--

Most folks know that Denison runs through Brooklyn Centre and that it's a very historic thoroughfare that originated as an Indian Trail.

Yesterday, I caught a fascinating WVIZ program on the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, which was completed (after almost twenty years of drama-filled construction--that ALMOST makes the Medical Mart seem like a cake walk;) during Governor Dennison's term 1860-1862. 

http://www.ohiochannel.org/your_state/ohio_statehouse/education/capitol_timeline.cfm

Turns out--Denison Ave. was originally Dennison Ave.  I wonder when the extra "n" was dropped?  The street, no doubt, was named after Ohio Governor Dennison, but can any one confirm this for me?

1903 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps show this grouping of buildings in the area near Riverside Cemetery:

Cleveland, Ohio; 1903 vol. 5; STREETS: Dennison Ave. [500-596]; Forestdale Ave. [107-198]; Grand Army Court; Lyle Court [2-20]; Pearl [1788-1898]; Willowdale [2-38]; SPECIALS: Krochle Building; Lutheran Church Willowdale Street; Sheer G. Novelty Iron-works; Star Baking Co.

Our friend, unofficial-offical Brooklyn Centre historian Sandy Rozhon pointed this out:

http://www.brooklyncentre.com/wiki/index.php5?title=Newburgh_St.

Post-1906 name:

Denison Avenue

Location:

The full length of the road stretched from Jennings Avenue on the east to its intersection with Lorain Avenue on the west.

Development:

This road was first laid out about 1811 and divided the Moses and Ebenezer Fish property in half.

Named for:

Prior to 1884, this street was spelled Dennison Avenue and only the portion from about Fulton Avenue to Lorain Avenue had this name. Later, Denison was also applied to the eastern part of this road which was originally named Newburgh Street as its eastern boundary bordered on Newburgh Township. It was also known as the Newburgh and Rocky River County Road. An 1882 deed transfering property from Joseph C. Poe to Caroline Stratton in original Lot 56 mentions that Newburgh Street was formerly called Ridge Road.

Which of the many Denisons the street was actually named for, is uncertain. The most likely possibility is for one or all of the sons of Daniel Denison (1771-1857). John Bushnell Denison owned property at the western end of what is now Denison Ave. where it meets Lorain Ave. Daniel Jr. and Jabez owned property near Fulton Avenue.

An interesting question one might ask oneself, is why the east end of Denison Ave. doesn't run in a straight line? Once it reaches West 19th St., Denison veers off slightly to the left when it seems like it should have just continued due east. Something in the past must have made it more beneficial to go in the direction it did. Was it easier access for horsedrawn wagons? Was the slope just shallower enough to make it possible to come up out of the valley? Or was it that springs in the hills made the ground too unstable where the road would have descended? Whatever the reason, it still is amazing that a horse, or perhaps oxen, could pull something up that steep hill. It wasn't really even easy for cars to come up from Jennings Avenue.

John Bushnell Denison (1798-1857), Daniel Denison (1804-1864), and Jabez Denison (1811-1854) are all buried in Denison Cemetery on Garden Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio.

Miscellaneous History

The following appeared in a copy of Ohio Architect and Builder:

ALTERATION. Plans filed with building inspector. Location, 2017 Denison Ave. Private Plans. Estimated cost, W.A. Galet [sic. Should read W.A. Geist], 2017 Denison Ave. Brick, shingle roof, two stories.

CHANGE BARN TO TENEMENT, 2017 Denison Ave. Owner W.A. Geist, two stories, frame, $2,000, 24x30, 24x32.[1]

References

1. ↑ Ohio Architect and Builder, July 3, 1917; pg.4

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I am going to stick my neck out here and propose that this entry should be amended to consider that the road/street/thoroughfare was originally named after the Ohio Governor.  Will anyone back me up here ?:)

My favorite thing on Kensington is the revolutionary spirit - the radical libertarial intelligence - bring that to NEO:

Disrupt IT

cool picture, Norm.

Frank Giglio

we killed it.

knocked it down and now we're billing him $16k to try to pound him deeper into the ground.

that will never live in NEO.

  land stealers, tramps and thieves

High school students from Rhodes who helped out at the Brooklyn Centre Cemetery Tour all related that the experience meant something special to them. 

For future reference--CMSD students need 40 hours of community service during their senior year to graduate. 

Have a special event? Make sure you contact a CMSD high school and you will be glad you did.  Brooklyn Centre Garden tour benefitted from volunteer assistance of Rhodes High School students.  Go Rhodes students!!! 

We LOVE our teens in Brooklyn Centre!