New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-15
0VINGTON BROS.
FLATBUSH AVE.,
junction Fulton ST., Brooklyn.
TNION-ST. OR STRANAHAN-ATE.
SHALL THE wELI-KNoWN CITIZEN BE HoNoRED
BY HAVING HIS NAME ATTACHED TO THE
crnn,r,r IN WHICH LIE LIVES,

SHALL THE WEIL.KNOWN CITIZEN BE HONORED
By HAVING HIS NAME ATTACHED TO THE
STREET IN WHICH HE IIvEs7
Considerable interest has been aroused in Brook
Ivn bv the proposal to wipe the name OF Union
St and call that thoroughfare Stranahan-ave The
first suggestion that the name be given 10
short street only few rods In length running
from Butler-st to the Plaza road This street mas
no name at present. though on some OF the maps
of the city 1t IT, oddly enough. marked Butler-st.
Rutler-st however, continues IN straight line TO
Vanderbilt while the little street which II was
proposed to dignity with the name OF Stranahan-
ave DIVORCES from It to the south side
The mistake on the map referred 10 doubtless
arose from the fact that Douglass-st. the first
street south Of Butler bends TO the south at Under
hill-aye and comes stop at tle Plaza road II
will not do to say that IT ends (or begins there. FOR
II begins away down at Court-st., while that part
o. I, between Fifth and Flatbush aves. is desig
mated St Johns Place Buter-st., too, has change
of name. being called Sterling Place between Fifth
and Vanderbilt ayes 1t is one OF the striking
anomalies of street nomenclature In Brooklyn that
several other streets are known az places FOR
few blocks in this neighborhood while still others
change their names on crossing FHth-aVe. ana
carry the new designations all the rest Of the
Others again. like Unon-st Presdent-st and Car
,ors, are broken by the Plaza and tho Park. but
continue-oa the maps at least-as far as the old
city line.
A ordinarily regarded. Unon-st ends at the Park
entrance and It begins at Hamilion-ave, only
short distance from Hamilton Ferry. It is exactly
two miles long. and runs in straight line. 1t Is
arc,ed nv those who think Mr.. Stranahans name
should be given to 1t that there are variety OF
good reasons for doing this The street begins near
the Atlantic Docks and extends to Prospect Park,
and the docks and the Park are the two great en-
terprises with which Mr. Stranahan has been ident-
fed during his life in Brooklyn. Then too, Mr..
stranahan's home has been In Unon-st. for many
wears II not indeed during the whole time that he
has lived In Brooklyn
In addition it is pointed out that there is another
Union-st in BROOKLYN 1t Is In the Twenty-sixth
Ward near the eastern boundary OF the city and
il only two or blocks long. So insignificant Is
+, that apparent.y It was not deemed worth while
TO change II when the street names In old East
New-York were brought into harmony with the
rest OF the city. Besides that, there is Union
ave I'm the Eastern District, street OF some i'm
portance and about mile In length. To COM
plete the tale there three tiny streets or open
ings each about half block In length. known as
Union Court. Union Lane and Union Place. Union
Court runs out OF Un!on-st. not far from Its be-
ginning Union Lane is TO be found by passing
along the south side OF Myrtleave. near Adams-st.
Union Court ~ side issue from Classon-ave. In
the vicinity OF Willoughby-ave.
Apparently the name Union has been overworked
In making up the streets OF Brooklyn; but 1t may be
questioned whether, II any restriction Is TO be
placed on II. beginning should be made with the
principal thoroughfare bearing IT, There is always
a predispositon in the popular mind In favor Of
established name, unless there substantial
reasons for making a change: such. for instance,
as existed when the streets in the Eastern Dis
trict having numerical names-Ffrst Second. etc
were changed few years ago. because the same
names were found in South Brooklyn, where the
numerical designations were carried up 10 100
more There is reason OF this kind in the
OF Unon-st., and the burden Of proof plainly lies
with those who favor the change.
The Common Council acted on the matter with brief
consideration and without referring II to a commit
tee for a public hearing Their omission Is to be
made good by Mayor Schieren who has announced
that he will give a hearing on the question Tues
day Of this week before acting on the Aldermen's
resolution.
some of the people living and doing business In
I-nion-st are ayerse to the proposed change. and
the Union Bank, which takes its name from the