Van Braam Street

From Pittsburgh Streets
Van Braam Street
Neighborhood Bluff
Origin of name Jacob Van Braam

Van Braam Street is named for Jacob Van Braam (1729–1792),[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] hired by George Washington as a French-language interpreter for his 1753 expedition to deliver a letter from Virginia lieutenant governor Robert Dinwiddie (eponym of Dinwiddie Street) to the commandant of the French forces on the Ohio demanding their departure.[9][5][6][7]

Annie Clark Miller uses the spelling Van Bram,[7] but the correct spelling is Van Braam.[3][5]

References

  1. "Signs for streets: With the names in big letters, to be placed at every corner: Following the Paris style: An attempt to label the city that proved a sad failure: How some streets were named." Pittsburg Dispatch, Aug. 10, 1892, p. 2. Newspapers.com 76578361. [view source]signs-for-streets
  2. Julia Morgan Harding. "Names of Pittsburgh streets: Their historical significance." Pittsburgh Bulletin, Feb. 15, 1893. Reprinted in Fort Duquesne and Fort Pitt: Early Names of Pittsburgh Streets, 13th ed., pp. 52–60, Fort Pitt Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 1958 (HathiTrust 007074456). [view source]harding
  3. 3.0 3.1 George T. Fleming. "History told in Pittsburgh street names: Some commemorative designations have been lost, but others are still in use to recall the story of their selection: Haphazard municipal nomenclature." Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Nov. 29, 1914, sec. 5, p. 2. Newspapers.com 85906737. [view source]fleming-history-told
  4. George T. Fleming. "Historic names handed down: Crawford, Baron Steuben and George Rogers Clark among historic characters recalled by some Pittsburgh streets." Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Jan. 17, 1915, sec. 5, p. 2. Newspapers.com 85751161. [view source]fleming-historic
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 George T. Fleming. "Washington in fight with French: Stirring events in early history of vicinity give Pittsburgh street names: Foes also honored: Magnanimity of De Villiers and misfortunes of Van Braam have been remembered: Patriot's only defeat." Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Feb. 21, 1915, sec. 6, [p. 6]. Newspapers.com 85898552. [view source]fleming-washington-in-fight
  6. 6.0 6.1 George T. Fleming. "Two hostages of Washington are honored: Captivity of officers left in hands of French is long and arduous ordeal: Stobo serves Wolfe: Pittsburgh street names recall the fall of Quebec and stirring times in early history: Rewards of the hostages." Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Feb. 28, 1915, sec. 5, p. 2. Newspapers.com 85899118. [view source]fleming-hostages
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Annie Clark Miller. Early Land Marks and Names of Old Pittsburgh: An Address Delivered Before the Pittsburgh Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution at Carnegie Institute, Nov. 30, 1923, pp. 26–27. Pittsburgh Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, 1924. Historic Pittsburgh 00awn8211m; Internet Archive earlylandmarksna00mill. [view source]miller
  8. Gilbert Love. "What's in a name? A lot!: Titles of city streets recall persons famed in U. S. history: From Golden Triangle eastward, thoroughfares list great and near great of colonial and revolutionary days." Pittsburgh Press, Feb. 12, 1944, p. 9. Newspapers.com 147946752. [view source]love-titles
  9. George Washington. The Journal of Major George Washington: Sent by the Hon. Robert Dinwiddie, Esq; His Majesty's Lieutenant-Governor, and Commander in Chief of Virginia, to the Commandant of the French Forces on Ohio: To Which Are Added, the Governor's Letter, and a Translation of the French Officer's Answer. William Hunter, Williamsburg, 1754. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/etas/33/. An edition printed in London for T. Jefferys in 1754 is reproduced in Hugh Cleland, George Washington in the Ohio Valley, [pp. 8–42], University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, 1955, ISBN 978-0-8229-8362-0 (HathiTrust 000564544; LCCN 55-6874). [view source]washington