Vireo Way
| Vireo Way | |
|---|---|
| Neighborhood | Knoxville |
| Origin of name | The vireo, any of a number of species of birds in the family Vireonidae |
| Oriole Alley (until 1927) | |
| Origin of name | The oriole, any of a number of species of birds |
| Oriole Way (1927–1933) | |
| Origin of name | The oriole |
Vireo Way formerly ran parallel to and just west of Georgia Avenue, southward from Cedarhurst Street. It was originally laid out as Oriole Alley in a plan of lots by Knox, Bausman, and Mathews, recorded in 1880, and ran all the way to Rochelle Street.[1][2][3] But by 1916 or 1928 only a short piece of the alley remained, from Hartford Street (today Cedarhurst Street) to Orchard Street.[4]
Oriole Alley was one of four alleys in the plan of Knox, Bausman, and Mathews to be named for birds: the others were Robin Alley, Lark Alley, and Wren Alley.[1][3] None of these alleys exist today, though Knoxville has a number of other alleys named for birds: Dove Way, Hawk Way, Ibis Way, Partridge Way, and Swallow Way.
Knoxville Borough was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1927.[5] A 1914 Pittsburgh city ordinance had changed all alleys in the city to ways;[6] this was probably assumed to apply implicitly to alleys in districts subsequently annexed, meaning that Oriole Alley became Oriole Way.
But Pittsburgh already had an Oriole Way in Garfield (today Oil Way). This duplication was fixed by an ordinance in 1933, which changed Oriole Way in Knoxville to Vireo Way,[7] preserving the bird theme.
Vireo Way does not exist today. The 1933 ordinance is the one and only time that the name "Vireo Way" ever appeared in the Municipal Record or in Pittsburgh newspapers. It probably effectively ceased to exist around that same time.
See also
- Oriole Way, for other alleys that have had that name
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Plan of lots situated in the Borough of Knoxville, Allegheny County laid out for Knox, Bausman and Mathews." Recorded Sept. 25, 1880, Plan Book 6, p. 219. Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds 3779449. [view source] knox-bausman-mathews-plan
- ↑ Atlas of the Vicinity of the Cities Pittsburgh and Allegheny, Pennsylvania, plate 21. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1886. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1886-atlas-pittsburgh-allegheny; included in the 1882 layer at PGH Historic Maps and Imagery (https://pittsburghpa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=25ed595c7bde40cdae7165261a9a3ad6). [view source] hopkins-1886
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Real Estate Plat-Book of the Southern Vicinity of Pittsburgh, plate 1. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1905. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1905-plat-book-southern-pittsburgh; included in the 1903–1906 layer at PGH Historic Maps and Imagery (https://pittsburghpa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=25ed595c7bde40cdae7165261a9a3ad6). [view source] hopkins-1905
- ↑ Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 6, plate 12. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1916, revised 1922 and 1928. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1916-volume-6-plat-book-pittsburgh-south-side-southern; included in the 1923 layer at PGH Historic Maps and Imagery (https://pittsburghpa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=25ed595c7bde40cdae7165261a9a3ad6). [view source] hopkins-1928-6
- ↑ Mark A. Connelly. "Knoxville Borough–Pittsburgh City 1927 Merger." Local Geohistory Project. https://www.localgeohistory.pro/en/pa/event/knoxville-borough-pittsburgh-city-1927-merger/. [view source] lgeo-knoxville-annexation
- ↑ "An ordinance changing the name 'alley' on every thoroughfare in the City of Pittsburgh to 'way.'" Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1914, no. 402. Passed Nov. 10, 1914; approved Nov. 16, 1914. Ordinance Book 26, p. 360. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Council of the City of Pittsburgh for the Year 1914, appendix, p. 226, McClung Printing Co., Pittsburgh (HathiTrust uiug.30112108223899; Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecord1914; https://pittsburgharchives.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_a82f1363-0512-40c8-b4e5-f02b090b761d/; https://pittsburgharchives.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_bf8a4f10-7526-4a96-8943-6a220d361293/). Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Post, Nov. 23, 1914, p. 11 (Newspapers.com 86505785), and Nov. 24, p. 12 (Newspapers.com 86505809). [view source] ordinance-1914-402
- ↑ "An ordinance changing the names of certain avenues, streets, roads and ways in the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1933, no. 121. Passed May 29, 1933; approved May 31, 1933. Ordinance Book 45, p. 241. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Council of the City of Pittsburgh: For the Year 1933, appendix, p. 72, City Printing Co., Pittsburgh (Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecord1933). Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, June 3, 1933, p. 13 (Newspapers.com 523406708); and in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 5, 1933, p. 25 (Newspapers.com 89887815), and June 6, p. 23 (Newspapers.com 89888832). [view source] ordinance-1933-121
