Heun: Plenty of history in Tri-Cities street names

What's in a street name? Usually a fair amount of history, especially for streets that have been around almost as long as the community itself.

Most St. Charles residents will recognize these street names, and some will actually know the history behind them.

But for those who never gave this much thought or are new in town, consider this a little primer to get you up to speed.

Crane Road was named after Herbert Crane, an heir to the Crane Plumbing Co. of Chicago. He owned property on the west side of Route 31 and south of what is now Crane Road.

Dunham Road was named after Solomon Dunham, whose son-in-law, Mark Fletcher, surveyed and laid out the village of St. Charles in 1836.

Ira and Warren Tyler brought their family to St. Charles from New York in 1835. They farmed an area near, you guessed it, what is now Tyler Road.

Valentine Randall came to St. Charles in 1836, also from New York. So word must have been spreading around the East Coast about the beautiful Fox River valley. Some published reports from local newspapers say his name is behind the important thoroughfare called Randall Road. Others say the road's namesake was Norman Randall who owned a lot of property in the region in the 1930s.

One of the earliest residents of St. Charles in the 1830s was Albert Howard. It made sense we'd eventually have a Howard Street in his honor.

Munhall Avenue has its roots in John and Catharine Mulhall, who came to St. Charles in 1852. Local historians reported the Mulhalls at some point changed their name to Munhall, which was good enough for a street name it appears.

More importantly, the Munhall family produced two schoolteachers, Helen and Mae, who combined for 81 years of service to education and, of course, a school named after them.

Farmer Dean Ferson appears to have some influence on a few streets. Ferson Creek Road and Ferson Woods Drive carry his family name, and because he lived in a house near what is now the intersection of 12th and Dean streets in the 1830s, the street eventually carried his first name.

Perfect display

Kernel's Gourmet Popcorn & More, on State Street in Geneva, sure knows how to set up a window display.

The most recent really caught my attention. Buckets of popcorn spread around a Chicago Bears logo with bottles of what looked like beer at first glance. The bottles were root beer, one of America's great sodas.

Perfect timing, considering the Bears start their season Sunday.

Proud ring finger

During the rain delay at last weekend's Batavia High School opening football game, announcer Rudy Dubis showed me the state championship ring the team gave to him after last year's 6A state title march.

"It made my career," Dubis said.

And it's been quite a career, working as the P.A. announcer at courtside for Bulldogs basketball games for 44 years and from the Bulldogs' football press box since the field got lights more than 30 years ago.

He was fast

Another thing noticed during that first Batavia football game: The drum major from the marching band who led the team's charge on the field before the game caught my attention. Sign up this dude for football or track. He sure can run. With his large baton in hand, he was high-stepping and charging onto the field as if he were at San Juan Hill. It was impressive.

Craft show season

Like most members of the male species, I attend craft shows with my wife to illustrate that I can indeed be dragged away from sports on TV on occasion. I wander around a bit at these shows, usually glancing at items that might have anything to do with Chicago sports teams.

But it's not like I dread going to these events. On the contrary, I find most of the items interesting and appealing and walk away impressed with the skills needed to make them.

In particular, I find myself looking forward to the Autumn on the Fox craft show that fills Pottawatomie Park and the Freedom Walk along the river in St. Charles Oct. 10-12 during the annual Scarecrow Festival.

Another that seems to have a good following is the St. Charles Episcopal Church craft show Oct. 18.

The local mothers clubs always host large arts and crafts shows as fundraisers.

It's that time of year. And for some, it makes for a great time.

Adopt that pet

If you are interested in adopting a pet, don't forget that the Anderson Animal Shelter has set up temporary shop at 122 W. Wilson St. in Batavia while renovation work unfolds at its South Elgin location.

Also, the shelter's jewelry fair fundraiser concludes 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday during Festival of the Vine in Geneva. The shelter is again using the American Legion Post in Geneva.

Lord of the flies

About a couple hundred and counting. That's the number of flies I have killed around our deck recently. We even had to deal with a bizarre fly infestation inside of our house, leading me to believe something had died somewhere it shouldn't have. But the flies smell something we do not. There is no odd odor to speak of.

The flies inside faded away with some squirts of Raid, but the ones out near our deck are frolicking about as if they have found their Utopia.

No one else I have asked is noticing any unusual onslaught of flies this summer, so it must be something they really like about our house. Or a bunny rabbit or squirrel ran into a coyote nearby and the flies are the byproduct of that mismatch.

But it all proves wrong a theory heard in early spring: That the brutal winter we endured was going to kill off all of our bugs.

Forget it.

dheun@sbcglobal.net