How Grand Rapids Streets Got Their Names It's always fun to figure out what certain streets are called what they are. A lot of them are named after people who have a history in the area. Others are named for unique reasons. Let's look an see why some Grand Rapids streets have the names that they do... Some of them are pretty easy to figure out. They were named after early settlers here in the Grand Rapids area. For example... Campau - Named after Louis Campau, the city's founder, who came here as a fur trader back in 1826. Louis - Also named after Louis Campau