Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-03
NAMED F0R HEROES
NANTES or NAvAL oFErcEas
IT IS HULL AND Porter Ind PBRRi.
The Heree. q 1859 arc cosssasll.
ON the Lips Of chsIdren-wsre
Designated soea After the dread
Naval war-Has Become Custo,n.

Who knows but that seysn,y-nvc years
hence some village now with bareIy-de-
fined walkways may be great. thriving
CITY, whose streets shall be known a.
Dewey, Hobson. Sampson, sIssbec,
schley, Mallory, and 80 on. ana these
names. now on every lip. VIM be matters
OF cold history only.
A striking illustration OF how this may
come about Il found to-day in Nsnchess
ter. on the south shores OF the James
Everybody who knows the city IS aware
that each through or broad street. oe
this patriotic city H. named for either
naval or army officer. 1t is also a TACT
that every cross street was also SO
namely and cnIy ssieertho civil wss.psss
the more convenient names OF FIRST
Second, Third, and so forth taken their
places. ~
The effect OF this patriotic resolve OF the
ancient fathers of the city is happy one,
for now the names OF Stockton. DECATUR
Hull. Bainbridge, Porter, Perry. and Mo-
Donough, all heroes OF the war OF 1872,
are as familiar 10 the children or Man.
chester as they are 20 tbs history Mend.
BEGINNING or THE CENTURY.
Through the courtesy of Mr.. John w.
Hail, city Clerk, a representative OF tho
Dispatch got glance at the minutfsJ of
the meetings OF the town -trusteA OF
eighty years ago. which proved ver3ffn-
teresting. These recordx are held 49,
sacred, and curious persons who asked
to see them are advised TO handle with
care" They are kept in one of the erean
iron Safes where the city stores away hss
archives.
The page Is very yellow with age and
the writing itself small, nice, ana acc,rf
rate I'm every line, greatly different from
the business hand OF to-day. Each lets
ter and each word is very plain and tiis,
tlnct from every other. These minutes
begin In 1871. and. Of course are continued
down TO tho present day. The streeta
were not named, however, until Tuesday
evening, June 10. 1917. DR.. James Hem
derson. n member of the trustees and a
man known all over the State for his
brlliiancy and diversity OF talents was
appointed to suggest suitable nomenca-
ture for the town thorouEhfqres. Before
this there was but one designated street
In the city. this being the present Hull,
and called Main because then, as now IL
was the chief business thoroughfare Tha
war Of 1872 tho great naval war with
England. was fresh in every mind 10
occurred to DR.. Henderson that IL would
be appropriate and really a nice thing for
little Manchester to pay her tribute or
recognition 10 the heroes OF the day. So
when the trustees met again. on the eve-
ming OF the 10th, Or. Henderson made hia
report.
THE ORIGINAL REPORT.
Here Is an extract from the record on
this Interesting session: 'At a meetins.
of the trustees for the town OF Manches.
ter, held at the Manchester Exchange on
Tuesday evening, June 10, 1877. present
(were) James 1rander, president; Daniel
Weisiger, secretary; James Henderson.
Jessie Hex, and Samuel Taylor. .
"Ordered that the streets of the town
Of Manchester be in future distinguished
by the following namesLviz. The broad
street next the Talley plantation be called
Decatur, and the other broad streets In
succession, HUI, cambridge, Porter.
Perry, and McDonough: that the upper
cross street be named Harrison Ghe pres.
ent Fourteenth, and the other cross.
streets in succession TO the lower part OF
the city: Jones CThirteenth, Lawrence
Twelfth, Warrington eleventh.. Blakey
CTenth), Burroughs (Ninth). Allen, Barr
ney, Bidde, Jackson, Somers. Wadsworths
and Ludlow d'irstJ.
ordered that as far as building may
BIO convenient, the names OF the streets
be painted on the corner houses"
HAVE FOLLOWED THE PRECEDENT
The trustees and the Councu. later,
when the town became an incorporated
city, followed the precedent here Set.
Above Harrison the streets were named
as the. town built further South. Jeffer~
son. Adams, and aGlay-narnes of states-
men. however, Stockton and Marry
Commodore Maury) have been added tn
the east side OF the city, and Semmes-
for the Confederate oificer-to the wests
As said above, the names of the crosse
streets were dropped for the convenience
of strangers. The younger generation
hardly know now that they were existed.
Dr. Henderson was hOnored in many
ways by Manchester. and when Lafay-
cite came to visit the city, his old CAMPS
in 1Sf the physician. who
was also an orator. was chosen 10 de-
liver the welcoming address 10 the distin~
pllished and much beloved foreigner.