Interesting histories behind road names

[Joe Galea]

What are some good stories behind how roads got named? My favorite Detroit
story is Woodward Ave.: its named after Judge Augustus Woodward, who is I
believe the first territorial judge of the Michigan Territory. Boring,
until you realize that the wheel-spoke avenues in Detroit were laid out by
His Honor, and that he included his own name in the street plan! Talk about
ego!

Joe Galea

[Quadrajet1]

My father went to the City of El Paso and told them he'd grade a dirt road
for free out in the desert for new homes if they named the road after him.
They took him up on it.

Flowers Rd.
El Paso, TX

[Oscar Voss]

The Mamalahoa Highway on Hawaii's Big Island (used to circle the entire
island, and many parts survive today as segments of the "Hawaii Belt")
is said to be named for the "Law of the Splintered Paddle," which
guaranteed free and equal access to the Hawaii Kingdom's highways to
royals and commoners alike. That law supposedly was prompted by a
battlefield incident where a commoner in an enemy army (before the
islands were united into a single kingdom) whacked Kamehameha the Great
in the head with a canoe paddle. That inspired renewed respect in
Kamehameha for the nobility of common people. (But probably not fast
enough to save the commoner with the splintered paddle from being
immediately killed by Kamehameha's lieutenants.)

--
Oscar Voss - Arlington, Virginia - ov...@erols.com

my Hot Springs and Highways pages: http://users.erols.com/ovoss/

[Rick Mattioni]

Oklahoma statewide:
*Turner Turnpike (I-44) - Named for Governor Roy J. Turner, who was the
instigator of our turnpike system. Thanks, Roy.
*Will Rogers Turnpike (I-44) - Named for the Cherokee cowboy humorist who died
along with Wiley Post in an airplane crash in 1935. BTW, Oklahoma City's two
main airports are Will Rogers and Wiley Post. Ironic, huh?
*H. E. Bailey Turnpike (I-44) - Named for former OKC City Manager and Turnpike
Authority member H. E. Bailey

Oklahoma City:
*Stanley Draper Expressway (I-40) - named for long-time OKC Chamber of Commerce
executive officer.
*Raymond Gary Expressway (I-35 South) - Named for Oklahoma governor.
*Kilpatrick Turnpike - named for OKC oilman and philathropist John Kilpatrick.
*E. K. Gaylord Ave. - named for the founder of Oklahoma Publishing Company.
*Robert S. Kerr Ave. - named for long-time Oklahoma Senator and oilman.
*Dean A. McGee Ave. - named for OKC oilman and philanthropist.
There are many other streets named for Oklahoma City civic leaders.

Tulsa:
*Skelly Drive (I-44) - named for Tulsa oilman and philanthropist William G.
Skelly.
*Gilcrease Expressway (SH 11) - named for Tulsa oilman and philanthropist
Thiomas Gilcrease.
*Tisdale Parkway - named for local Black minister and civic leader L. L.
Tisdale.
*Charles Page Blvd. - named for local industrialist and founder of city of Sand
Springs. Parallels Page's Sand Springs Railroad.
There are several other streets named for early-day Tulsa civic leaders.

Claremore:
*Will Rogers Blvd. (SH 20 West) See above.
*Patti Page Blvd. (SH 20 East) - named for singer of the '40s & '50s, who is a
Claremore native.
*Lynn Riggs Blvd. (SH 66) - named for playwrite whose work "Green Grow the
Lilacs" was the basis for the Broadway play "Oklahoma", which gave us our State
Song.

Rick M.
Tulsa

[Dustin Carpenter]

Do they really have the Full (First, MI, Last) name on the street
signs, seems like a waste of funding.
How do locals refer to the full name streets?
"Rick Mattioni" <rickma...@cs.com> wrote in message
news:20020124004530...@mb-mh.news.cs.com...

[Tulsarama]

>Do they really have the Full (First, MI, Last) name on the street signs...How

do locals refer to the full name streets?

Oklahoma statewide:
Turner Tpk., Will Rogers Tpk., H. E. Bailey Tpk. - All referred to by their
full names or I-44.

Oklahoma City:
Stanley Draper Expressway (I-40) - referred to as I-40, except for the elevated
section through downtown, which is called "The Crosstown".
Raymond Gary Expressway (I-35 South) - Referred to by number.
Will Rogers Expressway (I-44 S of I-40) - Referred to by number.
Kilpatrick Turnpike - Full name.
E. K. Gaylord Ave. - Full name.
Robert S. Kerr Ave. - Full name.
Dean A. McGee Ave. - Full name.

>> There are many other streets named for Oklahoma City civic leaders.

The rest of these streets were named years ago, when only the last name was
used. (Classen, Shartel, etc.)

Tulsa:
Skelly Drive (I-44) - Referred to by name or number.
Gilcrease Expressway (SH 11) - Referred to by name or number.
Tisdale Parkway - Signs all say "L. L. Tisdale Pkwy.", but is referred to as
"Tisdale Pkwy."
Charles Page Blvd. - Full name.

>> There are several other streets named for early-day Tulsa civic leaders.

As in OKC, these streets were named years ago, so only last name is used
(Archer, Brady, etc.)

Claremore:

Will Rogers Blvd. (SH 20 West)

Patti Page Blvd. (SH 20 East)

Lynn Riggs Blvd. (SH 66)
All referred to by name or number.

Rick Mattioni
Tulsa