Union soldiers’ names on north-south streets

Editor’s Note: The following is from Billie Jines’ 1996 booklet, “The Streets of Pea Ridge.” It has been updated to include new streets and those scheduled for future development. This is the second in a series of articles on the names of the streets of Pea Ridge.

In 1995, under the leadership of Mayor Jackie Crabtree, Ordinance No. 215 was passed by the Pea Ridge City Council. The street naming segment of the detailed ordinance made it mandatory to use the north-south for Union and east-west for Confederate names of combatants of the Battle of Pea Ridge.

Union

Union soldiers honored on names of north-south street

Editor’s Note: The following article is from Billie Jines’ 1996 booklet, “The Streets of Pea Ridge.” It has been updated to include new streets and those scheduled for future development.

• Ellis Lane — North off of Slack Street (Ark. Hwy. 72). Honors Col. Calvin A. Ellis, who led the 1st Missouri Cavalry. Ellis is one of 15 lanes whose names and honorees were selected by Mayor Mary Durand and then-water superintendent, Floyd Blackwell, when the 911 announced that all lanes, too, needed names. The selection of honorees came from the city’s existing list of participants designated “A.” Names were designated for any lane or street with at least two residences. Ellis is a deadend street that runs a short distance between Halleck and Barris Lanes but across Slack Street from them.

• Ford Street — In Ridgemoor Estates. Turn right (east) off of Hayden Road (State Hwy. 265) onto McNair Street and take the second street to the left. Honors Private August Ford, Co. A, 37th Illinois. He was wounded at Pea Ridge.

• Hall Place — Is a north-south street off of Hall Drive. It honors George W. Hall, who was a private in Co. A of Phelps Regiment from Southwestern Missouri. Hall was wounded at the Battle of Pea Ridge. Several honorees of Pea Ridge streets were the Phelps’ Regiment. There is an interesting story regarding him and his wife. Col. Phelps’ wife came down the Old Wire Road from Springfield to visit her husband. He and other Union forces were dug in up on the hill above Little Sugar Creek at Brightwater. They had expected the Confederates had circled and were coming from the North. Mrs. Phelps got here all right but the road behind her was filling up with enemy troops. She could not go back home. According to the Shea and Hess book, she just went to work tending the wounded as the Battle of Pea Ridge got underway. Her husband was one of those who was wounded in the battle.

• Halleck Lane — Turns south off of Slack Street (State Hwy. 72) at the Pea Ridge city limits. This street honors a man who was not here at the Battle of Pea Ridge in person, but who was very important in the battle. He was the commander of General Samuel R. Curtis, commander of the Union forces at the battle. Gen. Halleck had come only as far as the railhead at Rolla, Mo., but since the Telegraph or Wire Road came right through the battlefield, the two generals were in touch by telegrams. Gen. Halleck had been to West Point with such others as William Tecumseh Sherman, Ulysses S. Grant, Braxton Bragg, etc. He held important titles during the Civil War, and at one time, was giving orders to Gen. Grant.

To be continued.