The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-04-10
Canal Street Real Estate
Owners Dislike Name
of Street
SOME WOULD CALL
1T FULLER STREET
Others Prefer Fuller Avenue and Still
Others Thompson Avenue-Protract-
ed Meeting with Sharp Differences of
Opinion.


Thirty-two property owners and res
idents of Canal street, one of the old
est streets in town, met in the Canal
street school building at 'clock last
evening and discussed until after 10
0 clock the question of a proposed
change In the name of the street. \
two-thirds vote of the property owners
| present showed desire that the name
be changed, and a petition will be cir
culafed among all the owners of proper
ty asking for signatures and an ex-
lpression of their preference as to
whether the street should be called
Fuller road or Thompson avenue, the
lpetition TO be presented 10 the select
men when eigned.
John c. Dewitt called the meeting to
order and the gathering elected him
chairman and d. F. Riley clerk Mr..
| Dewitt stated that while some were
indifferent regarding the change he
knew of no one who was seriously ep-
iposed to it, but asked for expressions
from those present whether they
favored the proposition or opposed it,
and their reason therefor.
| A motion by Wilfred f. Root that a
vote be taken as to whether the name
of Canal street should be changed was
Withdrawn after John E. Gale of Gull
ford suggested that there be discus
sion as to why the change was pro-
posed before vote was taken.
The ball was set rolling by Mr.. De-
Witt, who gave his definition of canal
as being water over which canal boats
were drawn, and usually dirty, squalid
place, but that the canal here was
not canal in that sense, but rather an
aqueduct of clear, clean water He
thought the name Canal street was
therefore out of place and misleading
to outsiders, who drew conclusions of
the section to which that name was APP
: piled from sections in other places
where Canal street was in mill dis
triet, or a squalid section
John W. Howe, who said he repre-
y sented property owner. said his par
tents had owned a house on Canal street
nearly 30 years, and made lengthy re
marks as to the Improvement made in
a the properties on that street during that
) time, stating that property here always
v rents well and that the canal had not
: Iinterferred with the renting or beauty
lof the street. He further stated that
N HIS HiolHef, WHO oWHs property tHeFe
' did not view with pleasure the idea OF
changing the street for any name shs
!. had heard mentioned
al Mr.. Gale said he was Indifferent il
a regard to the matter when it was frs
mentioned to him and that while h,
felt it was a matter to be left properl,
Ito the people living and holding prop
ierty on the street and not to those out
iside he had travelled over it probabl,
Il more often than many of those presen
and it seemed as much like home to hin
as did Guilford He said he had dee
e. interest in the welfare of the town AM
THAT he never had been much in favo
iof changing names of long standing
However, he said the name seemed t
be a misnomer; that Brattleboro wa
e the only town or city in his recolleetio
V. that had first-class street named Ca
or nal street and that stranger woul
v be led to think it followed canal Z
TN some water course, and that it woul
be a section where residential propert
u, would be most undesirable. He sal
u he appreciated the sentiment of man,
but that it seemed to him that so goo
a street as that deserved a good nam
X -as good as could be found-and tn;