I wouldn’t give DeKalb Avenue or the subway stop much thought, but the train conductors have come up with about six ways of pronouncing DeKalb, as if to keep the name fresh in my head.
There are dozens of counties, cities, roadways, and other places called DeKalb across the US, from Missouri to Georgia and Fort Greene, Brooklyn. All can be traced back to Alsatian-born Johann DeKalb, who first came to North America as a spy for the French, then returned with Lafayette as a Revolutionary soldier of fortune in 1777. Appointed a general, DeKalb served under George Washington at Valley Forge and Brandywine and was killed in battle in South Carolina at age 59.
(portrait by Charles Willson Peale)
Pix and other images 
An interesting post to read. I also like your photos.
Have you seen my new blogs?
Abe Lincoln Blogs and also look at Abraham Lincoln’s Blog
Hi, Johann de Kalb sounds very Dutch, was he Dutch decendent or Dutch? Probably somebody from the former New Netherlands colony. Would be interesting to know. …. I just checked, he was from German decent. Kalb actually would be more German.
I intend to investigate the early history of New York, when it was still New Amsterdam. There has been recorded a lot of that time.
Regards from Marcel
http://macobrawoerden.blogspot.com/
DeKalb was born Johann Kalb in what is now Bavaria; his parents were peasants. So you’re right, there doesn’t seem to be a Dutch connection. Here in NYC many of the old Dutch names have survived the centuries, though often in a different form, i.e., Coney Island.
the newly refurbished DeKalb Ave station commissioned a former Brooklyn Tech High Student to design to new station.
[…] relevant to Brooklyn because its name is from the same DeKalb of our local avenue and subway. (See earlier blog posting.) The Revolutionary War mercenary’s name is spread mysteriously thin across the US. Who would […]