Notes:Zaza Way

1899-04-10: Source:Municipal-record-1899-1900-common, p. 37: "Mr. Warren presented ¶ No. 1135. Alex. Flowers plan of streets, alleys, &c., situate in the Twenty-third ward, City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Penn'a, and the dedication of the streets and alleys therein. ¶ Which was read, accepted and approved."

1900-04-20: Source:Record-dont-suit: "An ordinance is now being prepared providing for the changes and the christening of new streets which have been created by recent local legislation. Just what Paisley avenue is to be called has not yet been given out. ¶ In all there are to be 74 changes in names. As a coincidence many of the new names are suggested by wars, local events in the theatrical world, characters in some of the plays that have been produced in Pittsburgh during the past season which have been popular and unpopular, according to taste, and even some of the stars taking a prominent part in the productions of grand opera just finished. ¶ There are 35 new streets, caused by vacations and additions. They are nearly all in the Twenty-second and Twenty-third wards. The name of Graphic street is to be changed to Pretoria street, in honor of the Boer capital. A new street along the side of a hill will be baptized Spionkop, the name itself being suggestive. The name of Zaza is applied to an alley. It is presumed that from some of the comments on the play when it was produced here it was not thought safe to give the name to a street. But the alley had to have a name, and it got it. Nordica will be another new one. It is in honor of one of the stars at the last performance of grand opera for the season of 1900. Lygia, a character from 'Quo Vadis,' and Mercia, from 'The Sign of the Cross,' are two fitting appellations for new thoroughfares. Fedora street is another new name. Then there is Oyer alley and Quartz alley. It will take several days to complete the roster which will be announced and acted upon at the next meeting of councils."

1900-04-20: Source:Paisley-not-popular: "Officials Have Hard Time Naming New Streets—'Zaza' Accepted; 'Sapho' Rejected—Spionkap [sic] Selected. . . . This is the season of the year when the list of streets is revised for the benefit of the city directory publisher. There is an epidemic of brain fag in the city clerk's office, for the force was engaged all day in making the changes, 74 in all, including the naming of new streets, vacation of avenues and portions of streets, and relocation and extension of thoroughfares. The chief trouble was in selecting new names. It looks easy, but it is not. In all about 35 names had to be chosen, mainly for proposed streets in the Twenty-second and Twenty-third wards. ¶ War, fiction, opera and the drama were compelled to contribute. For instance, in the Twenty-third ward there is now a Pretoria and a Spionkop street. The latter is located on the crest of a hill, but is believed to be a more accessible and quieter neighborhood than was its namesake a few weeks ago. 'Zaza' having succeeded in passing the dramatic censorship, now gives its title to an alley. 'Sapho' was considered, but rejected as having been condemned by the city officials. The season of grand opera in Pittsburg is commemorated by 'Nordica' street. 'Lygia' street recalls 'Quo Vadis,' and 'Mercia' street, 'The Sign of The Cross.' ¶ About this time the searchers after names became almost frantic with exhaustion, and they began selecting them at random, after this style—Fedora, Choctaw, Elsie, Quartz, Oyer, Passaic, Lynn and Quebec. The city clerk's force will now spend the rest of the year in mental recuperation."

1900-04-20: Source:May-be-called-verona: "The city clerks yesterday finished the work of naming new streets and of revising the street names for the directory of the city. A number of new plans of lots have been approved by councils and in many of these plans the streets have not been named. The duty of finding suitable names devolved on the city clerks and they succeeded in getting about twenty-five new names. The Boer war has been commemorated by such names as Spionkop, Pretoria and others, while Nordica, Zaza and Sapho are also found on the list."

1901: Source:Polk-1901, p. 90: "ZAZA AY, from Oyer to Quebec, 23d ward."

1904: Source:Hopkins-1904-vol-1, plate 28, shows "Alex. Flower's Plan" with streets and alleys (including Zaza Alley) but no lots.

1906-03-31: Source:Alexander-flowers-estate-plan: Zaza Alley.

1909: Source:Polk-1909, p. 78: "ZAZA AY, from Oyer ay to Quebec, 15th wd—O11."

1910-03-31: Source:Ordinance-1909-1910-715: "Zara ay., from Oyer to Quipo, old 23d wd., changed to Zaza ay., 15th wd."

1910-03-31: Source:Ordinance-1909-1910-716: "Zaza ay., from Oyer to Quipo, 15th wd., formerly Zara ay."

The assertions in the above ordinances that it was named Zara Alley seem to be in error.

1910: Source:Polk-1910, p. 74: "ZAZA AY, from Oyer ay to Quipo, 15th wd—O11."

1914-12-06: Source:Fleming-history-recalled: "Let us believe our excessively refined and esthetic forbears [sic] rejected the claims of the faithful and esteemed Tulikens from a mere matter of euphony. 'Tulikens street' would sound almost as bad as Laza [sic] alley, which we are gravely informed at the present moment extends 'from Oyer to Quipo street.' And 'there yez are again.' Seems one Shakespeare once made remarks about a name."

1938-09-25: Source:Mon-bend-aerial-1938: Does not appear. Probably never built.

1953: Source:Gross-map shows it.