UPDATED BELOW.On one of my recent morning commutes I started wondering about one of the stops. "Court Square, 23rd Street" on the E and M lines. I have gone through the station many, many times. In addition to being part of my commute now, the station was part of my regular commute when I was in high school. Only, then it had a different name. Back then it was "23rd Street, Ely Avenue."
And that's what got me to wondering. Some time during my years at my current home, the station changed names, but I can't recall when or why. And the bright mosaics on the station walls still call the place by it's old name. So, why was Ely Avenue banished from the station name? And when did this all happen. And who was "Ely" whose name was lent to an avenue and (for a time) a subway station?
A little research on the intertubes...
The renaming -- which, frankly, I don't remember -- happened in 2011 when free transfers were built to connect the station to the Court Square stations on the 7 and G trains. Didn't at least one of these used to be called "Court House Road" or something like that? Whatever, I've done enough rerearch for the night. As for Ely Avenue, apparently 23rd Street is Ely Avenue. Or was, anyway. It was renamed in 1915 when the Queens Topographic Bureau gave many streets numbers in 1915. What makes this peculiar is that that line wasn't built until the 1930s, so it seems odd to me that they put Ely Avenue in the name.But what's really sad? I can't find reference to who "Ely" was.
I'll just assume it was Harry Ely. He
was a pitcher for the 1892 Baltimore Orioles.
UPDATE: An old friend from grad school -- Ray Comas -- infoms me that "Ely" is Charles Ely, who developed Hunter's Point in the 1850's. Hunter's Point would merge with other towns to form Long Island City. ALso, I assume that "Hunter's Point Avenue" is named after it. I'm actually kind of disappointed that it wasn't Harry Ely, as I'd sort of gotten emotionally invested in that. But I suppose it was a long shot. Thanks, Ray!
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