Excelsior Street
From Pittsburgh Streets
| Excelsior Street | |
|---|---|
| Neighborhood | Allentown |
| Origin of name | Perhaps from "Excelsior," the state motto of New York, from Latin excelsior 'higher' |
| South Street (until 1881) | |
| Origin of name | Its location to the south of North Street (Eureka Street) |
This street was laid out as South Street by Benjamin McLain and Thomas S. Maple in their plan of Allentown, recorded in 1868. It was the sister of North Street (today Eureka Street).[1][2] It was renamed Excelsior Street in 1881, apparently because of the duplication with South Street in Lawrenceville (which was also renamed by the same ordinance, becoming part of Foster Street).[3]
"Excelsior" and "Eureka" are the state mottos of New York and California, respectively; it is possible this was the inspiration for these street names. Incidentally, the name of Industry Street to the south was also given by the 1881 ordinance,[3] and "Industry" is the state motto of Utah, but Utah did not become a state until 1896.
See also
- South Street, for other streets that have had that name
References
- ↑ "McLain and Maple's plan of sub-division and extension of Allentown." Recorded Mar. 6, 1868, Plan Book 3, pp. 234–235. Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds 3778659. [view source] mclain-maple-allentown-plan
- ↑ Atlas of the Cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and the Adjoining Boroughs, p. 100. 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
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "An ordinance establishing the names of avenues, streets, lanes and alleys of the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1880–1881, 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, Herald Printing Company, Pittsburgh, 1881 (Internet Archive pghmunicipalrecord1880). [view source] ordinance-1880-1881-33
