Missoula Street Names Not Willy-Nilly

Missoula Street Names

The subject of Missoula’s street names is an old one. Missoula’s founders assigned names from the beginning in 1865 and as we all know the process continues unabated. But, contrary to what you might think, the town’s street names were not exactly handed out willy-nilly. They were unavoidably tied to the creation of Missoula’s additions and subdivisions. That is a huge subject that no one seems to have ever addressed in any comprehensive fashion, mainly because access to that information, until recently, was not an easy matter. It required trips to the Missoula County Courthouse and involved leafing through musty and weighty bound volumes of documents that do not invite recreational reading. (Despite the fact that many helpful and courteous people are, and always have been, the custodians of those volumes.) That has all changed. Three cheers to the people who have made these documents accessible on the internet. Today, the burden of searching many original Missoula County documents is a lot lighter and the opportunities for research in that area are multifold in comparison to only a few years ago. Surely, some creative and energetic student will grasp the opportunity to expand on the subject before long. Here’s hoping.

Below you’ll find my nascent efforts in that direction. It started when I ran into several Daily Missoulian articles from 1938.

Council Accepts Large Number of Street Changes

Remainder Will Be Given To County Board for Approval

Striking out 20-odd proposals which would affect streets and avenues outside the city limits, the city council Wednesday adopted 24 of the changes recommended by the street renaming committee.

Of those proposed by Charles S. Dimmick, chairman of the committee, at last week’s meeting, the council adopted all effective within the city limits, save for a clause which would call thoroughfares running east and west streets and those running north and south, avenues. No changes were made in the names of Stsephens and Stevens.

The adopted changes will be effective immediately, the council decided. They are intended to eliminate confusion caused by duplicate names.

The remaining recommendations are to be presented by County Surveyor Dimmick to the county commissioners for action by that group.

The council voted their thanks to the organizations providing members to the street renaming committeemen and o hose who served on the committee.

A petition asking that a special improvement lighting district be made on Front street between Parkway bridge and Stevens was referred to the city engineer. Hearing on the petition and resolution will be on July 19.

A previous ordinance was changed to read tha auto wrecking by junk yards is to be done under cover, effective immediately.

The council referred a petition asking that Jackson street be opened to the city engineer for checking signatures of property owners.

Changes which were adopted by the city council regarding the street renaming are as follows:

Arthur street in Daly and Lows additions to Catlin street; Beckwith street in South Missoula to West Beckwith avenue; Beckwith avenue in Hammond addition to East Beckwith avenue; Grand street in South Missoula to Roosevelt street; John avenue in Montana addition to Van Buren street south; Harrison street in McCormick addition to Cave street; Maple street in W. J. McCormick addition to Scott street; Montana avenue in Urlin’s addition to Ryman avenue; Railroad street in South Missoula and Daly addition to Bitter Root avenue; Riverside street in McCormick addition No. 2 to Beaver street.

Fourth street in Cooks addition to River street; University street in McCormick addition No. 2 to California street; Montana avenue in Cooks addition to Inez street; Oregon street in Cooks addition to Russell street; Fifth street in Cooks addition to South First street; Sixth street in Cooks addition to South Second street; Seventh street in Cooks addition to South Third street; South Second street, east, in original townsite to Kiwanis street; South First street, east, in original townsite to LeVasseur street; Birch street in W. J. McCormick addition to Toole avenue; Birch street in C. P. Higgins addition to Railroad street; Alder street in McCormick addition No. 2 to Sherwood street; Spruce street in McCormick addition No. 2 to Cooper street and Pine street in McCormick addition No. 2 to Toole avenue.

The above article appeared in The Daily Missoulian on June 30, 1938.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/349201763/

Commissioners Adopt 33 New Street Names (1938)

Last Step in Removing Duplications Taken By Board

Because no complaints were lodged at the time scheduled for a public hearing, county commissioners adopted the 33 recommendations of the street renaming committee which would eliminate confusion through duplications in the names of Missoula’s streets and avenues, according to Commissioner Percy Glasscock.

The changes were adopted, it was said, because the council assumed that the recommendations displayed the general feeling of Missoula residents, since no complaints had been made. Those who did attend the meeting were in accord with changes but asked for minor substitutions.

The changes, along with 24 adopted by the city council last month, will eliminate the confusion through duplication in names of Missoula streets and avenues.

After several meetings of the street renaming committee, comprised of representatives of all Missoula’s civic and service organizations, the renaming committee presented the city council with a list of recommendations for changes. Those falling within the city limits were adopted and the remainder were set forth in a second resolution, presented to the county board of commissioners.

The changes, as ordered by the commissioners, and reasons in many cases, are as follows:

Arthur street in D, & K. and Riverside additions be called Catlin street; Cherry street in Cobban and Dinsmore additions be called Cobban street; Cleveland street in Riverside addition be called Washburn street; Florence avenue in Car Line addition be called Mary street; Helena avenue in Beck’s addition, Helena street in Goodwin addition and Helena street in Goodwin addition and Helena avenue in Central addition be called Fairview avenue and Maude avenue in Car Line addition be called Fairview.

Montana street, north edge of Park addition, be called Dickinson street for Mrs. H. H. Dickinson; Oak street in Cobban and Dinsmore, Orchard Homes, be called Davidson street, Park avenue in Park addition be called Ethel avenue; Park street in Cobban and Dinsmore, Orchard Homes, be called Tower street; Powell street in West Missoula addition be called Well street; Railroad street in South Side, Butte and Car Line additions be called Ronan avenue for Major John Ronan.

Canton street in Eddy additions be called Inez street; Eaton street in Bennett addition, Cobban street in Daly addition, Eaton street in Car Line addition and Duncan street in Car Line addition be called Eaton street; Worden street in Car Line, Daly and Bennett additions be called Kemp street; Mile End in Homevale and Union additions be called Russell street, as it is a continuation of Russell street.

Marshall street on the east boundary of Car Line addition be called Minneapolis street in Central addition; Warner street in Greenough addition be called Defoe street; Smith street in Greenough addition be called Stoddard street; Huston street in Greenough addition be called Cooley street; Donley street in Manitoba and Greenough additions be called Turner street; Greenough street in Manitoba and Greenough additions be called Palmer street.

Hartley street in Manitoba and Greenough additions be called Clark street; First street in Greenough addition be called Hartley street; Second street in Greenough addition be called Cave street; Third street in Greenough addition be called Donley street; Fourth street in Greenough addition be called Palidino street for Father Palladino; Fifth street in Manitoba addition be called Murphy street for W. E. Murphy; Seventh street in Manitoba addition be called Lehsou street for John Lehsou; Eighth street in Manitoba addition be called Rankin street for John Rankin; Ninth street in Manitoba addition be called Stewart street for William Stewart and Tenth street in Manitoba addition be called Latimer street for John Latimer.

Proposed Street Name Changes:

Missoulian 5/25/1938

https://www.newspapers.com/image/349200004

Missoulian 5/27/1938

https://www.newspapers.com/image/349200129

Missoulian 6/25/1938

https://www.newspapers.com/image/349201568

Missoulian 6/30/1938

https://www.newspapers.com/image/349201763

Missoulian 7/1/1938

https://www.newspapers.com/image/349217176

Missoulian 7/6/1938