The Washington times., 1906-01-06
WOULD EXPLAIN
CHANGE OF NAMES
Secretary Gargei3 Throws
Light on Street Situation.
TO PREVENT C t0NFUSIoN
Under Old System Some Streets Had
Several Distinct
Ma, nes.

IN order 10 give a clear explanation of
the recent acton of the District Com
missioners IN q hanging the names of
streets ia the u strict outside the limits
oi the city and % remove the impression
Isiat the sltuaf ion did not warrant the
action a Stats ment was obtained from
- Hi-s sii'esi department today which
Mhls ho' the. official utterance of Colonel
blddle' VIII. throw additional light on
the mooted subject In tn, absence of
CoinHlissio Cser Biddle. Secretary Ciarges
said the following:
fIlor 10 the year 1893 persons own
lls iahc in the District, outside of the
wy VI Washington, had the right to
.upolV Ide their land. dedicating streets
oiN 'leys, and giving the streets such
I''.l'' IS as might suit their fancy The
-" 81 sequence of this was that subdi-
4ohs adJolned one another in such
amer that street ran continuously
hrough several subdivisions; such street
F-ad different name as il passed
through each subdivision.
There We're many fragrant instances
of this in various subdivisions where
streets only few blocks in length had
different Eames as they ran through
each bloCG
Similar Condition.
~in Columbia Heights similar condi-
ton eXisted-the continuous street
knoWn as Yale street, west of Eleventh
street and Bismarck street east of
Eleventh street. A practically contfnu-
9us street, now known as Euclid street
~as named Erie. Roanoke and Twins,
Columbia road was known as Steuben
street on the east -ide of Eleventh street
NhaI Is now known under the present
system as Irving street was a continuous
street formerly called variously, Kene-
saw, Nallach, and Mcclellan streets
Numerous other Instances mfgSf he
mentioned IN this section
AGAIN Ihere We're numerous dLplica-
ions OF names throughout the District
tor instance. there were three. Calr
streets, three Joliet streets two pbiIa-
1elphia streets. two Baltimore streets
.hree Lowell Streets, and various other
Implications
In Georgetown the streets which
we're combinations Of the streets in the
aty OF Washington had differer1 names
when Rock Creek was crossed.
IN a similar manner in Columbia
Heights ana Columbian Universa ty sub
DIVISIONS, which subdivisions law on
either side of Fourteenth street. the
aames Of the streets We're selected at the !
pleasure OF the parties subdividing, and
though these streets were practically /
continuous, they had different names. (
hose in Columbia Heights being named /
generally after the principal colleges. |
ana those in Columbian University sub
ivision being named after former pres |
dents of Columbian university ana
otheTs-for instance. Yale street and
huntington place We're practically con
inuous streets with different names on /
Zach side of Fourteenth street, aId un- /
der the new system both streets have
Seen called Fairmont street
Another Instance.
Another case Of misnaming was the /
II Washington, the avenues are broad. /
iiagonal highways named after the
States OF the Union and they fulfill in .
al respects the definition OF the word /
avenue" III the laying out OF certain /
subdivisions I'm Washington Heights
md other places tine word avenue
vas given 10 narrow streets, but one
block IN length which was a clear mis-
naming of such streets which were not
avenues in any sense of the word Tn
Ter the new system these so-caued ave
iues have been changed 10 streets when.
hey conform with The general layout /
# streets or roads where they were
lot they did not run in such manner /
IS To conform TO the stree US-for in I
stance. Belmont and KaloraIla avenues
ave been called Belmont anC Kalo- /
anna roads and California avenue has /
,een called Y street because il WAS in .
he line of ' street in the city limits /