I believe it’s fair to say Redwood City has probably had more changes in its street names than any town on the Peninsula, maybe in the entire state!
We’ve previously chronicled said changes in an earlier piece. Yet, the story continues with new recounting of changes.
On the heels of a major shuffling of names that began in 1909, still more changes were afoot. A former fire chief named George Lovie made a purely sentimental request to reverse a pending name change so he could live on Fuller. Why? His family had descended from the Fullers on the Mayflower, and he desired to live on a street named after them. His request was granted.
More changes ensued: Alden became Ninth St., Chilton became Alden, Vera became Dickey, and Harriman was changed to Lexington.
Five years hence, with sidewalks having been under construction for some time and becoming quite prevalent, the city was preparing to launch home mail delivery. Approximately 30 miles of sidewalks had been installed, with an additional five miles under construction.
This facilitated additional changes…
A major reshuffling of street numbers began in 1953. Most of them were west of El Camino. The intent was to do away with disjointed numbering from days past and bring about a more uniform flow. Part of the reasoning was to provide easier access for emergency vehicles.
These changes most affected the nearby relatively new developments of Woodside Plaza and Roosevelt Avenue.
One might ask if Redwood City’s first families would be rubbed out from so many street name changes. Fear not!
Finger Avenue is named after Simon Theodore Finger, a German immigrant who owned 13 acres of land where he grew grapes for wine. J. V. Diller, the very first mayor, has a street in his honor. Dr. S.S. Stambaugh has a street bearing his name, as does Owen McGarvey, who purchased 1,000 acres from the Arguello family, which included the land where the Menlo Country Club is located.
Well, this draws to a close another chapter in the bubbly story of the ever-changing look of Redwood City. Stay tuned…..
Everything else is just history
Some of the photos used in this blog are courtesy of the Local History Room, Redwood City's best-kept secret. The Local History Collection covers all aspects of Redwood City's development, from the 1850s to the present day, with particular emphasis on businesses, public schools, civic organizations, city agencies, and early family histories. The Local History Room is not affiliated with the Redwood City Public Library, but it is inside it.
