Wells Street (Chicago)
| William Wells Street 200 West | |
A sign for Wells Street. The former Chicago Stock Exchange is in the background. | |
| Former name(s) | 5th Avenue |
|---|---|
| South end | 65th Street/Wentworth Avenue in Chicago |
| North end | Lincoln Avenue in Chicago |
| Other | |
| Known for | William Wells |
Wells Street is a major north–south street in Chicago. It is officially designated as 200 West, and is named in honor of William Wells, a United States Army Captain who died in the Battle of Fort Dearborn. Between 1870 and 1912, it was named 5th Avenue so as not to tarnish the name of Wells during a period when the street had a bad reputation.
Some downtown blocks of Wells Street are located beneath the Chicago 'L' train system. The first Crate & Barrel store, which opened in 1962, was located on Wells Street.
Wells Street was named in Time Magazine's 1976 article "The Porno Plague".