Baker Street
| Baker Street | |
|---|---|
| Neighborhoods | Highland Park, Morningside, Stanton Heights |
Baker Street was first laid out in June 1868 as part of the Garrison & Co. plan of lots. This plan included only the portion of modern Baker Street east of the point where Chislett Street would intersect it.[1]
The part of Baker Street west of Morningside Avenue was originally considered part of that road: Morningside Road appears in the 1872 Hopkins atlas with a sharp westward bend at its modern intersection with Baker Street.[2] This is probably also shown in the 1862 map of S. N. and F. W. Beers, though it is not as distinctly drawn as in the 1872 map.[3]
A report made by the Survey Committee to the city councils in 1869 said, "Your committee should state before reporting the important thoroughfares already referred to, that according to their early decision, they have not recommended any street of a less width than fifty feet, except in one instance, that being Baker street, formerly called the Morning Side road, and running from Butler street at McMahon's oil refinery to the top of the hill at Sawyer's. This was fixed at forty feet, as the hill side on which it is to be made is so steep that we considered it would be an injury rather than a benefit to make it wider."[4] This indicates that by 1869 the lower part of the road was officially called Baker Street.
The 1876 Hopkins atlas shows the whole length of modern Baker Street; the western part is labeled Morningside Avenue, but the eastern part is called Baker Street.[5] Similarly, an 1881 city ordinance establishing the names of all streets in Pittsburgh listed "Baker street, from Morningside avenne [sic] to Haights street, Eighteenth ward," and "Morningside aveuue [sic], from Butler street to Stanton avenue, Eighteenth ward."[6] (Haights Street, later Heth's Avenue, is today the road to the parking lot of the Pittsburgh Zoo.)
The full length from Butler Street to Haights Avenue is called Baker Street in the 1882 Hopkins atlas.[7] A 1910 ordinance again establishing the names of all streets in Pittsburgh listed "Baker, from Butler to Allegheny River, 10th wd."[8]
Bob Regan includes "Baker" in his "Streets of Pittsburgh" crossword puzzle, clued as "Someone who bakes and sells bread, cakes and similar foods."[9] Unfortunately this is just a dictionary definition of the word baker and gives no information about the origin of the name.
References
- ↑ "Plan of lots laid out for Garrison & Co." Laid out June 1868; recorded July 21, 1868, Plan Book 3, p. 243. Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds 3778697. [view source] garrison-plan
- ↑ Atlas of the Cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and the Adjoining Boroughs, p. 61. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1872. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1872-atlas-pittsburgh-allegheny; 1872 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] hopkins-1872
- ↑ S. N. & F. W. Beers. Map of Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Smith, Gallup & Hewitt, Philadelphia, 1862. LCCN 2012592151; https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/agdm/id/31783; 1862 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] beers
- ↑ The Municipal Record: Containing the Proceedings of the Select and Common Councils of the City of Pittsburgh: 1869, p. 114. Pittsburgh Daily Commercial, Pittsburgh. Internet Archive pghmunicipalrecord1868_20200904_2014. [view source] municipal-record-1869
- ↑ Atlas of the Cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and the Adjoining Boroughs, pp. 72–73. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1876. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1876-atlas-pittsburgh-allegheny; included in the 1872 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] hopkins-1876
- ↑ "An ordinance establishing the names of avenues, streets, lanes and alleys of the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1881, no. 33. Passed Feb. 28, 1881; approved Mar. 4, 1881. Ordinance Book 5, p. 212. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Select and Common Councils of the City of Pittsburgh, for the Year 1880, pp. 213–234 (Internet Archive pghmunicipalrecord1880). [view source] ordinance-1881-33
- ↑ Atlas of the Cities Pittsburgh and Allegheny, plate 22. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1882. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1882-atlas-pittsburgh-allegheny; 1882 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] hopkins-1882
- ↑ "An ordinance establishing the names of the avenues, streets, lanes and alleys in the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1910, no. 716. Passed Mar. 31, 1910; approved Apr. 5, 1910. Ordinance Book 21, p. 359. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the [Select and Common Councils] of the City of Pittsburgh for the Years 1909–1910, appendix, pp. 328–381, Devine & Co., Pittsburgh, 1910 (Google Books doQzAQAAMAAJ; HathiTrust uiug.30112108223832; Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecord1909). Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Post, Apr. 29, 1910, pp. 12–16 (Newspapers.com 86616256, 86616285, 86616314, 86616333, 86616343), and Apr. 30, pp. 12–16 (Newspapers.com 86616643, 86616672, 86616694, 86616726, 86616748). [view source] ordinance-1910-716
- ↑ Bob Regan. The Names of Pittsburgh: How the City, Neighborhoods, Streets, Parks and More Got Their Names, pp. 183–186. The Local History Company, Pittsburgh, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9770429-7-5. [view source] regan
