Mermaids, Monasteries, Cherokees and Custer

by Robert I. Alotta

Tracing street name origins in Philadelphia is like following the trail of American history. It winds, it rolls, it leads you to unexpected places.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

267 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 1986

Reviews

[Amy]

Some of the street names in this town have made us scratch our head (like Skidoo Lane in East Falls). We heard about this book and decided to get a copy for reference, even though it's somewhat outdated with the street name changes going on. The most recent was was really heart warming: changed from controversial Supreme Court Justice Roger Taney, who authored the Dred Scott Decision to LeCount Street in honor of Caroline LeCount, the first Black woman to pass Philadelphia's teaching exam. LeCount and her fiancé, Octavius Catto, fought against a law allowing segregation on horse-drawn streetcars in the city. According to an article I read "The law was eventually overturned in 1867.

LeCount and Catto never got married, as he was shot and killed near his home on 8th and South streets after riots broke out in the city on Election Day on Oct. 10, 1871. Catto has since been honored with a statue outside City Hall. LeCount became a school principal at just 22 years old and led a school that was later named after Catto."
I love history, especially when the good folks win. There are many, many streets missing, but enough that we're interested in that I'm glad to have the resource.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting reference book detailing the history of much of Philadelphia's street names, alphabetically, including many former names of streets. Some of it is dated now, since it came out in 1990, and places like West River Drive have been renamed MLK Drive, or Columbus Blvd has indeed become permanent (though many locals still call the whole thing Delaware Ave), and Cecil B. Moore Ave extends all the way to Front Street while only east of Front remains Columbia.

Still, it is a fascinating dive into how Philadelphia developed and general themes of streets. South Philly has a lot of 19th century governor names (except the couple who didn't send Philly any money, they got cut out of the naming!) Or many of the North Philly streets are named after Pennsylvania County names, and launches into the history of each of those names. Some are named after politically connected families, who have to be renamed once tides of history take them away, such as Shippen Street, named after an old connected Philadelphia family (and most famously Peggy Shippen who married Benedict Arnold!) changed to Bainbridge, after the navy officer of the Barbary Wars and War of 1812. Or Elfreth's Alley was once renamed to be part of Cherry Street, and only regained its more historic name after heavy lobbying. Druggists, chemists, trees (renamed by Penn after those streets had been named after his friends!), and local politicians/community leaders, or strange specifics like Fitzwater St only named that because a spelling error in the early 19th century changed it from Fitzwalter.

The book could have used maps included, to help the reader picture and place the streets, especially the smaller side streets.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

A curiosity - a reference guide to the origins of street names in Philadelphia. It isn't comprehensive - less than a third of the cities streets are explained. It isn't authoritative - over half of the entries are based on speculation, conjecture, or folklore. It isn't very readable - no maps are included and many phrases and concepts are used without any explanation i.e. what is a 'court baron?'. It's length is artificially padded - half of the entries are merely referrals to alternate spellings or name changes and all entries contain numbingly dull lists of intersections. Even with all these faults though I came away with a page of notes of trivia and areas of obscure history to explore. This is for none except the true history geek.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative for what it is, not comprehensive, but interesting. Probably more useful before the internet existed :)

[Sus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite solid for what it is, which is, a popular history of Philadelphia street names.

[Jobiska (Cindy)]

A lot of fun--explanation of street names in Philadelphia.