Old Missoula

Confusing Street Names – 7/1/1917

Pity Poor Mail Man; He’s Lost

Missoula Street Names Confusing Even to Drivers of Taxicabs.

“Taxi, please.”

“Where do you want to go?”

“Oh, out to 723 Harrison.”

According to the city directory, Harrison runs from Beech street northeast to Elm, four blocks east of the Rattlesnake creek. Thither goes the taxi, at so much an occupant, as Missoula’s gas buggies have not as yet adopted the taxi-meter system of charging so much, or too much, for every mile.

It’s quite a distance to Harrison street, on the east side, but the driver can’t find the number. After cruising up and down the street for a few minutes he abandons the attempt.

“But,” says the unhappy passenger, “the address is plainly given here as Harrison street.”

There Are Others

“Wait,” says the driver, “there is another Harrison street, ‘way over on the south side. Perhaps that’s where you want to go.”

Away goes the taxi, across the river, straight out west for over a mile, finally winding up somewhere near the car barn. Again there is a fruitless search for that number. The taxi driver has begun to suspect a frame-up when it occurs to him that there may be another Harrison street about the city. Investigation reveals the fact there is a Harrison street somewhere west of Higgins avenue, north of the river, and after the chauffeur has replenished his stock of gasoline the trip is continued. And lo! On the west side the trail grows hot, and soon the weary traveler is landed at the address for which he has been hunting throughout the city. He has wasted time and effort all because somebody has given the same name to three streets without providing a distinguishing feature of any kind.

Is Common Evil,

And the case of Harrison street is not the only one. There are other streets in the Garden City which have identical names. And to make the mess more inconvenient it seems that in nearly every case the streets with similar sounding names are located at the opposite ends of the city. If one of two streets bearing the same name is located in South Missoula, the other is probably in Park addition. It seems that every time a new addition has been platted into streets, the sponsors have adopted two or three of the street names used in the addition farthest away.

One Arlington street is located about 11 blocks west of South Higgins avenue, while the other Arlington thoroughfare is located on the north side. There’s an Arthur running from Idaho to Mount, 16 blocks west of South Higgins, while the other Arthur is five blocks east of South Higgins avenue, 21 blocks away.

There’s a Beckwith street running from South Seventh street west, southeast to Mount avenue, and another Beckwith street across Higgins avenue, but seven blocks south of Seventh street. The two Cleveland streets are situated in an almost similar manner, though one is over a mile west of South Higgins avenue.

Four Fifth Streets.

There’s an Eighth street on each side of the river, while Fifth streets have them all beaten. A description of the Fifth streets would need almost a page, and it is sufficient to say that there are two widely separated streets of that name on each side of the river.

There’s a First street, from Pattee to Washington, on the Island, one in Greenough addition, and one on the north side. There are two Fourth streets, one on each side. Grand and Grant are undoubtedly confusing to the stranger and there are four of them. Grand in Stephens and Bickford’s addition on the south side, Grand on the north side, Grant 18 blocks west of South Higgins avenue, and Grant in Park addition. Only about three miles separate the two Grant streets.

Montana Is Triplet.

The Maple street listed first in the directory extends from Lincoln west to North Seventh, while the other Maple runs from Front north to Toole avenue, nine blocks west of Higgins. Montana street is a triplet. One runs from the river west to Walnut, another from North First to North Fourth, while No. 3 is in Park addition, just around old Jumbo. There are two Ninth streets, one divided into sections by the amin [?] thoroughfare, and two Park streets, one in Homevale addition, on the south side, and one in Park addition. Powell street is in Park addition, and its double is in the West Missoula addition. There are two distinct Railroad streets, and two River streets, both on the south side, as well as a Riverside avenue. Second, Seventh and Sixth may each be found several times in the list, both on the north and south side.

Stephens avenue is in South Missoula while Stevens runs parallel with Higgins avenue from the river to the railroad. Tenth and Third are both in duplicate, too.

University street extends from Riverside avenue to Toole, 12 blocks west of North Higgins avenue, while University avenue runs from South Higgins to Maurice, on the south side. Two miles intervene.

And there are John and Johnson streets, Kennedy, Kennett and Kent streets, a Missoula avenue and “U” street and “W” street, though they are infrequently heard from.

Who would be a mail carrier?

The above article appeared in The Daily Missoulian on July 1, 1917.

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