Two I remember from 45 years ago were Derfla and Trebor in the same subdivision.?ÿ When reversed they spell Alfred and Robert.
One town has a series of streets named for trees.?ÿ Walnut, Sycamore, Elm, Beach, Cypress, etc.?ÿ Before the spelling police go into attack mode, it is fair to point out that Mr. Beach was the owner of the tract and named the streets.
In the same town is a Malcolm Street.?ÿ The problem is the name was chosen to honor the pioneer settlers on that tract of land.?ÿ They were the McClom family.?ÿ Apparently, someone didn't know how to spell McClom.
There's a street here locally named Acres St.?ÿ Its name has a common story but with a twist.
It's an east-west quarter line and yes, it's named for the family that once owned the land to the north of it.?ÿ But the twist is the spelling.?ÿ You see it was the Acer family (pronounced Acre like the land term) that once farmed the land...hence Acer's Road.?ÿ As town grew and encompassed the area the city retained the road name as Acer's Rd.?ÿ But too many people were mispronouncing it as Acer, like the playing card.?ÿ ?ÿEventually the street signs all settled with the name Acre's Rd.?ÿ Now we just call it Acres.
There also use to be a street called Fairy Queen Lane down by campus...I have no idea as to its origins.
My favorite is Lust Rd., Apopka, FL!
Many streets in the Virgin Island have the old Danish names.
Both St. Thomas and St. John have Centerline Road.
St. John has Fry Fish Road and Pocket Money Road.?ÿ
Many roads have no name at all.?ÿ
Many more have no street signs.?ÿ
We have a Lockout Rd. There is a story about several people down a lane getting locked out of their property many years ago. It's actually a FM Highway now.
There's a subdivision here on Long Island that originally had some rather interesting street names.?ÿ Most were renamed a few years later.
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New Hampshire has both a 4 Rod Road, and a 10 Rod Road.
Massachusetts has numerous roads named for King Philip, or Metacomet, leader of the resistance against English expansionism in one of the bloodiest wars of North American written history.
Not a road, but a river. I always get a chuckle when I drive up I-95 in Maine and pass over the Nonesuch River. Makes me wonder how that one got named.
Our local "refuse transfer station" aka "the dump" is on Throwita Way.
In a bedroom community of Anchorage on a steep 7% road the official name and sign is Hellofa Road.?ÿ Not far away is 4 Wheel Drive Road.?ÿ?ÿ
In our neighborhood, we have Crooked Stick Loop.
We went on a trip to Idaho not too long ago and we loved seeing Chicken Dinner Road.
Back where I grew up, there was a street called Wendell Road. Can't get much weirder than that. 😉
When I was surveying in Southern Oregon, I was tasked by a developer to name all the streets in a subdivision around a golf course. Sadly, they restricted me to using golf-related names, so nothing exciting there. But it was fun. Had they let me loose to name them whatever I wanted, hell would have been unleashed and I think they suspected same.
A subdivision adjoining a golf course has the main road as Fairway Avenue with cul-de-sac roads named Par Drive, Eagle Drive, Tee Drive and Brassie Drive.
I still remember surveying for aerial panels along multiple miles of High Lonesome Road southeast of Tombstone, AZ.?ÿ It was aptly named at the time and probably still that way.
@wendell?ÿ A firm I worked for in Eastern Washington did a small subdivision that involved two new streets.?ÿ When queried the developer said "I don't care, you name them."?ÿ The two co-owners of the firm named them with their surnames.?ÿ The developer didn't bat an eye and I'm sure 45 years later the residents haven't a clue.
That's as good as anything else, I suppose.
Many years ago i drew up a potential subdivision which included a long slightly curved street with a cul-de-sac on the end.?ÿ It resembled something that might be seen in a photo magazine for women or guys who like guys.?ÿ Naming that could have been really awkward.
They ended up doing nothing, so it only exists in an old computer file of mine.
Slightly off topic but the history of toponyms is interesting concerning risque', scatological & bawdy names.?ÿ Here's an excellent excerpt from a 2006 book, worth 10 minutes of your time:
How Maps Name, Claim, and Inflame
I've been to many of the places referenced in OR, WA & CA and am exploring local libraries for it, although I rarely read books anymore, only journals I subscribe to and online press articles.
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From what I gather, every town has its "Lover's Lane", and I presume it was the surveyor who got to name it thus.
Climax is in Kansas.?ÿ Fairly close to Eureka.?ÿ But further from Liberty and Independence.
I grew up on Friendly Grove Road. For some residents the name was ironic.
