Abiel E. Brooks Named Streets

Abiel E. Brooks helped make Madison his own by naming several of its streets. He named Charter Street after a street in New Orleans where he did business.

A street near Camp Randall had springs on it; that is how Spring Street got its name.

He also named Warren Street for G. Warren, a carpenter, wagon maker and general utility man who lived here around 1846. Today it's known as Randall Avenue.

Three of the more interesting streets he named were absorbed by the university before 1902. They were named for his three daughters who survived infancy: Mary, Jane and Julia. The 1896-97 city directory describes them as follows:

Mary Street, 1st street west of the UW grounds. It ran north from University to State Street.
Jane Street, 2nd street west of the UW grounds. It ran north from University to State Street.
Julia Street, 3rd street west of the UW grounds. It ran north from University to State Street.

The university grounds stopped at Charter Street at the time, based on a map in Arthur Hove's book, "UW: A Pictorial History." This same map shows State Street ran north of Warren Street at the time. The Wisconsin General Hospital or Medical Science Center building footprint takes up the location of the three streets today.

The three Brooks women were born in Niles, Mich. The family moved to Madison in 1845, living first in a log house at the foot of the hill where the UW Agriculture College is located. The family later moved to the brick house at today's 1001 University Ave.

Jane Ann (1835-1899) married Noah Clemmons in 1853. He was a merchant living in Platteville at the time. City directories from 1894 show her living once again with her parents at their home. It was her home for the rest of her life. She was a member of the DAR and was described as a woman of retiring disposition.

Mary Louisa (1840-1921) married Daniel Campbell in 1875 and James Sargent Smith in 1895. The Campbell farm became the Oakland Heights addition of today's Vilas neighborhood, running from Monroe Street to Edgewood Avenue, south to the shore of Lake Wingra and easterly to Randall Avenue. James Smith was a piano teacher and on the UW School of Music faculty. Their last residence was at 125 E. Gilman St.

Julia Maria (1844-1927) married merchant M.S. Rowley at Niles. In 1870 he started a gentleman's store that he ran for 12 years. He then became a commercial traveler for Clark Brothers, a well-known New York hat firm, for the next eight years. He platted the Brooks Addition, naming Brooks Street. He served as a Madison city treasurer and belonged to the Grand Army of the Republic, Loyal Legion and the Masons. They had three children and lived for some time at 904 Oakland Ave.