Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-18
TOWN AND STREET NAMES.
RemIssness ana Indifference Of Viiginians
on This Subject.

on This Subject.
TO the Editor Of the Dispatch;
In coming to Richmond n short time
back | heard the brakeman on the Rich
mond. fredericksburg and Potomac road
call "BothwelI." The name was new 10
me. Though | travel over the road
quite often | may have failed to hear 1t
before. ] looked out and saw Hanover
junction not to be sure the old historic
Hanover junction, the junction with the
old-fashioned low-roofed tavern and the
row OF slanting aspens, but sufficiently
familiar junction. L wondered at the
change OF name now inseparable from
history, but in subsequent conversation
with o railroad-man l learn that it
was changed to avoid confusion,
as there we're several other Han
overs The change seems regret
able, but the explanation IS satisfactory.
On resuming the reading of the O'S-
patch after long interval, in which l
had seen no Richmond papers, my eye
fell upon Minneapolis, Russell county,
Va. Now the dropping of the name
noted above is comprehensive enough,
but the duplication of the other, with
the inevitable result of confusion, as
matter of fact and disagreeable asso-
citation OF localities as a matter OF senti-
| ment. brought this subject of the recent
| baptism of new places to my mind, and
hence these presents. The fact Is that
this matter of nomenclature Is too hight
Nv thought Of and done in too haphazard
a manner. Some years ago the Post
master-G General complained of the end
less duplication Of names and the trou-
BILE which it caused in his
department, and that same trouble
is experienced daily in almost every
| mans experience. This is the practical
side. But there is another-the senti-
mental it may be called. and sentiment
always and everywhere has swayed men
more than the practical. From time i'm
memorial names OF localities have been
associated with events. The Bible says
"And when thy children shall ask the
name of this place thou shalt say thus
and so, because. and then the special
association. This custom has so much
fallen out that the French manner OF
calling streets after dates of important
events 1.-THE street OF the 4th OF Septem-
Der for instance) seems queer TO us.
There is no question of its value. for the
authorities know that all such things
help to keep up the feryent patriotism
of the French people. Much OF their
history is preserved in the names OF then
streets They go further and give &c
them the names OF great men OF othel
nations-there is Il Washington street
and Rubens street.
In this country we seem to have giveI
no thought to it, SO far as the cities are
concerned, and here in Richmond We
, see the everlasting duplication OF Phlla
delphia pines and laurels, OF the WASH
ipgton avenues, and OF riversides an(
river views all over the United States, a
If yo had no great Virginia names tC
emhalm on our streets and So lares I,
keep our history fresh forever, no sweet
sounding aboriginal titles for parks ALI
, burial places, no historic events to per
petuate for our children. Ii seems Il
me that there ought to be revision o
I our street and park names before it i
too late, and, SO far as the streets ar
concerned, at least the names of tn
largest original landowner OF the pre-
!, cinct given to them. 1t has been urge
y that this would make confusion in tn
y title of property, but the street name
= OF the whole city have been change,
within the memory OF hundreds no,
, living and no trouble has resulted, ant
= recently We have seen the titles Of town
/, in Virginia changed. 1t seems to M
!, I, that the committee which has the namin,
= OF our streets and municipal propert,
. ought TO have some rule--say, for th
= streets the names Of mayors and othe
y distinguished citizens the parks, oil,
plantation or historic State names tn
> cemeteries. some scriptural title OF some
|, thing peculiar to the locality, if not to-
: commonplace, and especially to avoi,
: duplication OF other names. 49,