Kepler Way

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Kepler Way
Neighborhood Middle Hill
Origin of name Johannes Kepler
Kirchner Alley (until 1881)
Kepler Alley (1881–1914)
Origin of name Johannes Kepler

Kepler Alley is listed in an 1881 ordinance establishing the names of all streets in the city; the ordinance says it was formerly named Kirchner Alley.[1] It appears in the 1882 Hopkins atlas, extending westward from Somers Street, parallel to and south of Webster Avenue.[2] It became Kepler Way in 1914 when a city ordinance changed all alleys to ways.[3]

Bob Regan includes "Kepler" in a list of streets named for noted historical people;[4] the implied eponym seems to be Johannes Kepler (1571–1630), German astronomer and mathematician, best known for his laws of planetary motion.

References

  1. "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
  2. Atlas of the Cities Pittsburgh and Allegheny, plate 7. 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
  3. "An ordinance changing the name 'alley' on every thoroughfare in the City of Pittsburgh to 'way.'" Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1914, no. 402. Passed Nov. 10, 1914; approved Nov. 16, 1914. Ordinance Book 26, p. 360. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Council of the City of Pittsburgh for the Year 1914, appendix, p. 226, McClung Printing Co., Pittsburgh (HathiTrust uiug.30112108223899; Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecord1914). Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Post, Nov. 23, 1914, p. 11 (Newspapers.com 86505785), and Nov. 24, p. 12 (Newspapers.com 86505809). [view source]ordinance-1914-402
  4. Bob Regan. The Names of Pittsburgh: How the City, Neighborhoods, Streets, Parks and More Got Their Names, p. 63. The Local History Company, Pittsburgh, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9770429-7-5. [view source]regan