The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-11-15
People on Street Named for Senator
Evans Want Old Name.
Wish It Called Pleasant
Street Again.
Deering People Protested
Names Will Not BE Changed.

There was lively and extremely inter-
ssting hearing before the city council
committee on remaining streets last eve
ming. Wren Deering was annexed TO
Portland IL became necessary 10 change
the names OF some streets In Dsering ana
Portland which bore the same names.
Dseriug had Pleasant street, one OF the
main thoroughfares Of that section OF the
CITY. while IN Portland there was another
Pleasant street which had been so called
for great many years. The committee
decided to call Pleasant street In Port
land Evans street and allow the name OF
Pleasant street to remain unchanged In
Dseripg. This was apparently very salts
factory to ths Deoring people but 1t did
not prove as satisfactory to the residents
of Pleasant street In Portland. They nre
very much attached to the name their
street has had for many years and soon
after the city council passed an order
christening Pleasant street Portland.
"Evans" street in honor Of Senator Geo.
Evans, a petition was presented to the
city council asking that the name be re-
tanned as Pleasant street.
The Portland people were in conse-
quence made the plaintiffs In the action
while the Deering people became the de-
PENDANTS, their own street being now
officially known as Pleasant street. So
much interest has been excited in this
matter that the attendance at last eve-
ning's hearing was large. The committee
which is composed OF Alderman Smith
and Dow, Councilmen Wilson, Cloudy and
Driscoll opened the hearing at 7.S0
O'Clock. One petition was presented from
the residents Of old Pleasant street, now
called Evans street which was signed by
40 persons. Two other petitions remon-
strating against any change in the names
being made were presented to the COM
mite by DIR. Carleton Kimball OF the
Deering Pleasant street. One OF these
petitions was signed by 81 residents of
Pleasant street and another was signed
by "a persons who live In Portland but do
not reside on Pleasant street.
Judge Nathan Webb Of the United
States court. "a resident Of Pleasant street
Portland, or of Evans street as the city
council has cnristened IL, was the first
speaker for the petitioners. Judge Webb
made a very strong argument for the re-
tention of the name Pleasant street in
Portland. He said that it had been an
accepted street In this city and been
known as Pleasant street for lie years. 1t
is one of the oldest STREETS of the city. He
went on to speak OF the inconvenience
the changing Of this name would be to
IL ha I'M val
fence Ia the hunting up OF titles TO
property owners on that street and be-
cause it WAS so old street and has so
long been known by the name 1t has been
designated by SO many years tie older
relidents OF Portland are very loath to
have 1t changed for reasons Of sentiment
Judge Webb went on to speak Of the his
tory of Pleasant street In Deering which
he said I'D never been accepted as a
street SO far as he could learn from the
records. The land on which 1t is located
was sold to DIR. Eliphalet CLARK, Charles
Holden and Henry l.. Coyell in 1853. and
they proceeded to lay out the street. 1t
was long known as "Bishop's road to the
Plains road" and wss later designated
on the county map as the Methodist
road" The name Pleasant street was not
given to 1t as far as Judge Webb could as
certsin nor had the street been legally ac-
ceptsd as a street. by either the town of
Westbrook, the city of Deering or by
Portland. Usage and custom has given
1t the name of Pleasant street which 1t
was not legally entitled to until the city
council SC christened 1t by its recent vote.
Judge Webb then went on to speak
against the name of "Evans'' being given
to old Pleasant street In Portland. Ho
said that Senator Evans never resided on
this street or near 1t SO that the name ap-
piled 10 1t would nave no especial his
torical significance. Senator Evans did
not come to p ortland to reside until late