What is the history of the name Locust St? I found that E. Locust used to be called Folsom, but why is Locust St. named after an insect?

-Diane

The original name of Folsom came strangely enough from Miss Frances Folsom, bride of President Cleveland. She caught the nation’s imagination in the 1880s as some sort of Amazon princess and was very well celebrated.

Folsom Place was the name of the street on the east side of the Milwaukee River while the street west of the river was always known as Locust Street. When the bridge was built in 1894, it was named the Folsom Bridge. The great street renaming of 1930 changed Folsom Place along with many other streets around the city. Milwaukee wanted to keep one name for one street so one of the names had to go and it was decided to keep Locust Street. Locust Street was named, not for the insect but for the tree which is still planted along streets all over the city.