Washington & Wabash

Wabash Avenue is named after Wabasha, an American Indian chief of the Mdewakanton Sioux who fought with the Americans in the Blackhawk Wars of the 1830s. Washington Avenue bears the name of the first president of the United States, George Washington, who truly was the "father of our country." Commander in chief during the American Revolution, he led the American troops to victory by alternating between daring surprise attacks and the patient performance of routine duties. After the war, he took a leading part in the making of the Constitution and its ratification. Along with Congress, he laid the foundations of the modern federal judiciary. Under his guidance, a national army and navy came into existence. Above all, he laid the foundation for the American presidency in his truly democratic belief that success depended on the cooperation of others and that people would do best if they had faith in their causes and their leaders. "He was, indeed," wrote Thomas Jefferson, "in every sense of the word, a wise, a good, and a great man."