The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-28
SADLY MIXED.
New City Map Shows TangIe in
Streets.
A tumble of Names Which is
Confusing.
MEANDERINGS OF CLAY
1t is Easily the CroOkedest
Street in Town.
Portions of Same Avenues With
Different Names.

Topeka is a funny place, when judged
by the cold and clammy standard of the
new city map.
This is no reflection on the map. It is
not to blame. 1t is the man who laid
Topeka out that had malice in his heart,
or delirium tremens in his brain In this
case, man" is a collective noun.
Some parts of Topeka, viewed from
standpoint of commonsense, are atroci-
Gus. The streets are as badly mixed up
as if an earthquake had torn things to
pieces. For instance, in North Topeka.
there is Clay street which starts in
near the Union Pacific tracks A block
east of it is another Clay street, and a
block east of the second is a third Clay
streetzan parallel, and each within 2
block of the other.
On the south side Clay street has moth
ing to brag of. It is the crookedest
street in town. 1t requires a detective
to keep track of its Wanderings.
But Clay street is not the only exam
pie Of street nom enclature which has
been left to puzzle a rising generation
In Auburndale there is a Duane street,
which runs east and west. About three
blocks away, in Vineland' addition, there
is another Duane street, which runs
north and south.
There is a street in the southwestern
part of town called Bolles avenue. After
it continues its peaceful existence for
three blocks. it's name is changed to
Williston street. Williston lasts only
two blocks, when it changes to West
street. West street stays in the game
for four blocks. and then, under the
name of Arch street. it winds up at
Christ hospital. 1t is strangely appro
pirate that such mutilated street
should run to the hospital.
There are four Garfield streets in
town, three Center streets, three Wash
burn avenues, two Locust streets, two
Walnut streets and two Chestnut streets.
And it would be safe to say that there
are no locust walnut or chestnut trees
on any of the last three highways.
The shortest street in town is Kellarn
place, which is half block long. This
street is just east Of Central park.
The longest street in the city is To-
peka avenue, which il 81 miles. How
ever, the longest continuous drive on
one street, inside the city limits, can
be taken on Kansas avenue, which is
about 3-5 miles long. This is because
the river can be crossed at Kansas
avenue.
Most people believe that there is no
Seventeenth street in town. Euclid ave
nue. evidently takes the place of Seven
teenth. But down in Walnut Grove
there is a Seventeenth street. which
runs parallel to Euclid avenue.
williams avenue ought to be named
Thirteenth street, to preserve the unity
of street numbering Percy, Walnut
and DOuthitt streets are all names for
different portions OF what is really
Fifteenth street Sixteenth is known
on the map as Chestnut and Hunting
ton streets.
The old Burlingame road is now
called Burlingame avenue. Down near
the oil tanks on the Santa F'e tracks
there is a little street called Strawberry
alley. Somebody ought to write a song
about it. Highland Park has a string
of street names which don't need any
songs written about them. They ought
to do their own singing. The names
are Canary, Swan, Goldfnch. Eagle,
Oriole and Falcon. East of town there
is a Republican street. The next block
to it is Bryan street And yet these
two streets received their names long
before Mr.. Bryan tangled up with the
Republican machine.
There are only two mistakes in the
map itself. so far as has been discov-
cred. In North Topeka. st. John street
is called John" street. In Lowman
Hill, the map has a street named Pros
pect street. This street has ceased to
exist under that name By special act
of the council the name was changed
from Prospect street to Garfield street,
to match the Garfield street at either
end of it.