New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-02
THE STREETS OF THE CITY.
HOW SOME OF THEM ARE NAMED.

cru DpStrlct were abolished, leaving NUMBERS LOT
South Brooklyn streets alone The naming OF
new streets and the alterations in the names
OF old ones are matters arbitrarily settled ny
the Aldermen, often against the wishes OF the
people. A street name should be selected with
care and once chosen il ought not to be changed,
except for valid reasons When few years
ago the name Of Yatesave.i, owing TO its similarity
to Gates-ave. was altered to Sumner-ave., the
change wns a good one. But the change OF
Macomb-st., near Prospect Park, to Garfield Place
was done for sentimental reasons, and the naming
OF portion Of Raymond-st. Ashland Place, rs was
recently DONE was brought about simply because
some of the residents objected to the name Of their
street because Raymond Street Jail is situated
in it
A TEST QUESTION.
One of the standing Civil Service questions for
policemen is TO tell which STREET is first from Full
ton Ferry TO cross Fulton-st. None OF the streets
on the Heights run across Futon-st into the wards
north of it, and even where the streets directly
opposite each other on the two sides Of the main
thoroughfare, they have different names like
Orange and Nassau SITS. and Pineapple and Con-
cord SITS. The same rule holds good above the City
Hall and IL is not until Havy-st is reached-nearly
a mile and half from the ferry-that the same
name is found both north and south Of Fulton-st
The main street Of the city is FultOn-st, while
Main-st is short branch OF IT, which starts from II
Just below SandSst and runs 20 Catherin" Ferry In
the early days of the village what is known aS
Fulton Ferry was called Old Ferry, and the street
running 10 IL was called Old Ferry-st But before
that name was attached to it it was known rs the
Kings Highway. 1t was originally an Indian trall
from the river TO Jamaica, with branch 20 Flat
Il Il H. tfrhf
good farm lands on the south side OF the island
made a cart road 10 their new homes Some OF the
windings made by moccasin-covered feet are still
preserved in the curves OF the street to-day.
over which rush and rattle the elevated cr& It was
not until 1917 that the name Of Fulton, the lnven
tor Of the steamboat. was applied TO the street and
ferry, which still bear it.
The streets on the Heights preserve in the main
the names Of the owners Of the farms which once
covered what WIS then called Clover Hill. Hicks.
pjcrrcpout. Middagh, Joralcmon and Rcmscn are
All old family names. but mixed with them arc aome
Of fruits such as Cranberry, Orange and Pineapple
Clinton-st like Clinton-avc, on the Hill, received
its name in honor Of De Witt Clinton, who lies
buried in Greenwood with his grave marked nv
a bronze statue When Atlantic-avc was laId
out and named, IL was expected that u would
become the chief ihoroughfarc Of the town, and
i, wa, made broad md straight Bat steam
surface railroad WAS fastened upon II until IN"
property owners paid lnrge sum for It's removal
after failure 90 put II III tunnel, and the street
received blight from which II never recovered
Patriotism is 10 be credited with the usr Of tho
names Washington, President, Congress Liberty
State. LAFAYETTE kosciuslso, and kosNuth, IN var-
.ops nsrts OF the city. Trade is represented IN
Commerce and Commercial SIS. The names Of
districts arc preserved in such streets a. Bedio9d
ave, Flatbush-avc. Bushwick-avc., etc group
of Presidents and Governors are represented In
the names Of Harrison, Garfield. Lincoln. Washing
ton. Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Cleveland, Van
Buren,, Jackson. Marcy, Tompkins, Lewik ana
other streets and avenues. There Is apparently no
distinction between streets, avenues and places IN
many parts OF the city, as they are indiscriminAry
iptemingled. In number Of chses streets change
their names TO places in certain regions and then
change back again 20 the original designation
Thus section Of Buter-st. ~ Sterling flncc, ana
mart OF Cum berland-st, fronting on tort ureehe |
Park, is Washington PARK
At 4 loss FOR NAMES.
When williamsburg WIS laid out there must
have been dcarth OF names IN the minus Vi
those who settled the designation for streets were
numbered from First 10 Twelfth, and then North
First and South First, running up 10 North F1f.
teentb and South Eleventh So much confusion
was caused by the identity in name OF the streets
DESIGNATED by numbers with those in South Brook
Ign that new MINES were gwen 10 'he "Ilil'i"'
burg streets q few years ago.
In South Brooklyn the numbered streets run up
10 SiXticth.st and beyond the ciiy-ihy hlIge' |
which will soon be annexed, thcy run 70 'H'
Perhaps the most remarkable names IN the cny |
are those in certain places which nave OrCu |
grouped for especial reasons M rfeRDnno ' nv
Newtown Creek They run, Ash, BoA, my |
Dupont, Eagl". Frecmap, etc; In the hlEhtTehlh
Ward botanical names prevail such As IVY; m 4
binc Evergreen, Magnolia. be name McltnrIu
is original with Thomas w Field, long Snperln. |
tendent Of Public Instruction. lie lad ogt me
street through property he Owned an" 'h""r wv
name bv combining the maiden name OF ms wiiG |
Weir. with his own surname. In perhaps the I
most unliterary portion Of the CITY, lea HOOK
Point there Is ~T4p o %, nS'I of humber ~
The cities OF the State are gwen TO series OF
avenues in the upper part OF the cI'y' KNOWN
as Ocean Hill. ,,
Strangers frequently coniourd !
and Westinghouse, CIntonHt
and Clinton.avc., Jeficrsonst. and JeuerNoneNr,
and Arlington Place and Arhngtonhve., etc nc
fact that Bridgc-st. is nowhere near The Brldge
is bewildcring 10 elevated railroad PASSENGERS
who hear the name Of the station in that street
HIthongh Brooklyn was settled by the Dutch,
few Of the old Holland names remain IN the streets.
One OF these is Bompjes Hook Wharf another Is
Waabocht Place and II third Is the Hunter Fly
road which was Hunter Wy in Dutch, Wy mean
ing marsh Adams-st. is at one end OF the cry
and Evest at the Other 1ne teoGsr mas u a1iI
IoubtIrss now he DESTROYS OF seeking Wayhomest.
which is perhaps the most uniquely designated OF
any in the city, unless the palm Is AWARDED TO
IieigbtS or G, cen Lane near the Navy Yard, which
ong ago lost all vestige of the green grass which
gave IL It's name.