Zaza Way

From Pittsburgh Streets
Zaza Way
Neighborhood Hazelwood
Origin of name David Belasco's play Zaza
Fate Probably never built
➤
Zaza Alley (until 1914)
Origin of name David Belasco's play Zaza

This alley formerly ran parallel to and south of Kilbourne Street, northeast of Electric Street.[1]

It was part of a plan of streets and alleys laid out by Alexander Flowers and approved by City Councils in 1899,[2][3] but that plan apparently did not give it a name.[4][5] It was given the name Zaza Alley by the city clerk's office in 1900.[4][5][6] It was named for the play Zaza by David Belasco,[4][6] which had a run at the Alvin Theater in Pittsburgh beginning February 26, 1900.[7]

Newspaper articles say that this and other new street names were prepared for the city directory[5][6] and that they were to be approved by an ordinance passed by City Councils,[4] but no such ordinance appears in the 1900–1901 Municipal Record.[8] However, the 1901 city directory does list Zaza Alley.[9]

A plan of lots subdividing Flowers' estate, which shows Zaza Alley, was recorded in 1906.[10]

In 1910, a city ordinance changed the names of over 900 streets and alleys to fix duplicates, and the following ordinance officially established the names of all thoroughfares in the city. According to these ordinances, this alley had previously been named Zara Alley and was changed by the first ordinance to Zaza Alley.[11][12] This seems to be incorrect; the name of the alley had always been Zaza. Perhaps there was confusion with Zara Street in Knoxville.

Zaza Alley became Zaza Way in 1914, when a city ordinance changed all alleys in Pittsburgh to ways.[13]

In a 1914 column in the Pittsburgh Gazette Times, George T. Fleming ridiculed the name Zaza Alley along with its description in a street guide, "from Oyer to Quipo."[14]

Zaza Alley or Way appeared in city maps at least until the 1950s,[3][15][16][1][17][18] but it is unlikely that it was ever actually built. It does not appear in a 1938 aerial photograph,[19] and the 1939 Hopkins atlas labels it "(not open)."[17] It makes no appearance in the Municipal Record after the 1910 ordinances.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 2, p. 32. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1923. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1923-volume-2-plat-book-pittsburgh-east-end-south; included in the 1923 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] hopkins-1923-vol-2
  2. ↑ Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Common Council of the City of Pittsburgh, for the Year 1899–1900, p. 37. Devine & Co., Pittsburgh, 1900. Internet Archive pghmunicipalrecordcommon1899. This book has several parts: index, pp. iii–xlvi; proceedings, pp. 1–633; index to appendix, pp. i–xi; and appendix (containing ordinances and resolutions), pp. 1–186. [view source] municipal-record-1899-1900-common
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 1, plate 28. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1904. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1904-volume-1-plat-book-pittsburgh; included in the 1903–1906 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] hopkins-1904-vol-1
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Record don't suit: Name of Paisley avenue to be changed by councils: Citizens circulating a petition calling for another title, but it will not be necessary—popular appellations for new streets." Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette, Apr. 20, 1900, p. 7. Newspapers.com 85592133. [view source] record-dont-suit
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "May be called Verona boulevard: Property owners want name Paisley avenue changed: Ordinance will be offered at next meeting of councils—South African names incorporated in the street nomenclature of Pittsburg." Pittsburg Press, Apr. 20, 1900, p. 9. Newspapers.com 141320270. [view source] may-be-called-verona
  6. ↑ "'Zaza' played by Mrs. Carter: Great acting done by David Belasco's pupil in a questionable drama: Late English melodrama: A lively horse race in 'The County Fair' at the Grand: Sterling old Hoyt farce, 'A Trip to Chinatown,' in the Duquesne's offering—Academy has Miaco's show." Pittsburg Post, Feb. 27, 1900, p. 3. Newspapers.com 86427457. [view source] zaza-played
  7. ↑ Municipal Record: Minutes of the Proceedings of the [Select and Common Councils] of the City of Pittsburgh, for the Year 1900–1901. Devine & Co., Pittsburgh, 1901. Google Books DsBEAQAAMAAJ; HathiTrust chi.096599021; Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecordcommon1900. This book has several parts: "Minutes of the proceedings of the Select Council of the City of Pittsburgh, for the year 1900–1901" (index, pp. iii–xliii; proceedings, pp. 1–473), "Minutes of the proceedings of the Common Council of the City of Pittsburgh, for the year 1900–1901" (index, pp. iii–xlvi; proceedings, pp. 1–652), and an appendix of ordinances (index, pp. i–xii; appendix, pp. 1–171). [view source] municipal-record-1900-1901
  8. ↑ R. L. Polk & Co. and R. L. Dudley. Pittsburgh and Allegheny Directory, 1901, forty-sixth annual issue. R. L. Polk & Co. and R. L. Dudley, Pittsburgh, 1901, p. 90. DonsList.net Pgh1901M; Historic Pittsburgh 31735055723351. [view source] polk-1901
  9. ↑ "Plan of lots of the estate of Alexander Flowers, dec'd.: 23rd Ward, Pittsburg." Recorded Mar. 31, 1906, Plan Book 22, pp. 130–131. Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds 3782393. [view source] alexander-flowers-estate-plan
  10. ↑ "An ordinance changing the names of certain avenues, streets, lanes and alleys in the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1909–1910, no. 715. Passed Mar. 31, 1910; approved Apr. 5, 1910. Ordinance Book 21, p. 342. 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. 312–328, Devine & Co., Pittsburgh, 1910 (Google Books doQzAQAAMAAJ; HathiTrust uiug.30112108223832; Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecord1909). Reprinted in the Pittsburgh Post, Apr. 19, 1910, pp. 10–11 (Newspapers.com 86611990, 86612022), Apr. 20, pp. 10–11 (Newspapers.com 86612278, 86612297), and Apr. 21, pp. 10–11 (Newspapers.com 86612601, 86612625). [view source] ordinance-1909-1910-715
  11. ↑ "An ordinance establishing the names of the avenues, streets, lanes and alleys in the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1909–1910, 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-1909-1910-716
  12. ↑ "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
  13. ↑ George T. Fleming. "History recalled by street names: Stanwix brings to mind many important happenings in the early days of the Western Pennsylvania settlement." Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Dec. 6, 1914, sec. 2, p. 8. Newspapers.com 85907599. [view source] fleming-history-recalled
  14. ↑ Atlas of Greater Pittsburgh, plate 24. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1910. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1910-atlas-greater-pittsburgh; 1910 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] hopkins-1910
  15. ↑ Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 4, plate 32. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1911. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1911-volume-4-plat-book-pittsburgh. [view source] hopkins-1911-vol-4
  16. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Real Estate Plat-Book of the City of Pittsburgh, vol. 2, p. 30. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1939. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1939-volume-2-plat-book-pittsburgh. [view source] hopkins-1939-vol-2
  17. ↑ Alexander Gross. Pittsburgh and Vicinity: Featuring transit lines and house numbers. Geographia Map Co. Inc., New York, 1953. Published with Alexander Gross, The Complete Street Guide to Pittsburgh and 16 Nearby Suburbs: With large map of Pittsburgh and suburbs; streets, house numbers, transportation lines, places of interest, churches, etc., etc., Geographia Map Co. Inc., New York, 1953 (DonsList.net PghStreets1953M). A slightly different version entitled The Premier Map of Pittsburgh and Vicinity is reproduced in Sam Stephenson, ed., Dream Street: W. Eugene Smith's Pittsburgh Project, pp. 22–23, University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 2023, ISBN 978-0-226-82483-3 (LCCN 2022055151). [view source] gross-map
  18. ↑ Aerial photograph APS-11-58. USDA Agricultural Adjustment Administration Northeast Division, 1938. https://www.pasda.psu.edu/pennpilot/era1940/allegheny_1938/allegheny_1938_photos_jpg_800/allegheny_092538_aps1158.jpg; https://www.pasda.psu.edu/pennpilot/era1940/allegheny_1938/allegheny_1938_photos_tif/allegheny_092538_aps1158.tif; included in the 1939 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] mon-bend-aerial-1938
Retrieved from "https://www.zifyoip.com/pgh/index.php?title=Zaza_Way&oldid=20501"