Source:Street-names-that-dont-suit/content
The city fathers will do well to make haste slowly in the matter of changing the names of a large number of Pittsburgh's streets. While numerous changes are necessary for the purpose of eliminating duplications of names in peninsular Pittsburgh and on the North side, the greatest care should be exercised that the new designations shall be sensible, appropriate and euphonious. That many of the selections already made do not fulfill these requirements is evident from the list made public yesterday. Should such a name as Hippo or Tumbo be inflicted on even the meanest thoroughfare within Greater Pittsburgh's limits? Are Fortitude, Temperance, Prudence and Justice proper examples of street nomenclature? Where is the advantage in changing the name of Fifth avenue above the court house to Washington avenue? The European custom of assigning different names to successive stretches of the same street is most confusing and, fortunately for the stranger within the gates, has never made any headway in American cities. Is anything gained by changing Liberty avenue, with its quaint reminder of the ancient "liberties" (which is also commemorated in East Liberty), to Independence street? The name choosers evidently traced some connection between the name Liberty and the war of the revolution. Historical significance should play an important part in the naming of a city's thoroughfares, but those entrusted with this responsible duty seem to have practically ignored that consideration. The opportunity was afforded to make many admirable improvements over the designations now in use, but a large number of the proposed changes have been for the worse.
When one considers what confusion is caused by changing the name of a single street, it is apparent what a Chinese puzzle will confront the people of Pittsburgh with over 900 new names, many of them chosen without any reference to their locality or its historical associations. Certainly Pittsburgh's thoroughfares deserve the most appropriate names that can be found for them and the community should make its will known before it is too late to rectify a series of ridiculous blunders.
