Many Borough Thoroughfares Named After Great Men in History
The names of the streets of a town and where they came from makes very interesting information and the town of Media is no different in this respect from the thousands of towns throughout the United States. Just where did Media get her names for its streets? Most of the important streets in Philadelphia, aside from the regularly numbered streets which run north and south were named by William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, for trees which were planted along the byways at the time the city was laid out. Thus we come to have Walnut Street, Chestnut Street, Locust Street, Pine Street and numerous others. Media did not get her street names from trees, although there were, and still are, plenty of different kinds of trees, and perhaps enough different kinds to supply names for all the streets of Media. The little county seat, which was born seventy-five years ago, got its street names from two main sources. One was from great men in American history and the other was from the names of fruit. Media doesn’t have very many street and those names after great American fruit trees, together with the number streets, include more than half of the streets of the town. The main street of Media, unlike most towns, does not take the stereotyped name of Main Street, but is called State Street, after the government of the people. This street, together with the lower part of the “L” forms the business section of the county seat. Beginning at the south end of Orange Street, the business section extends to State Street, where it turns east on State Street. There are very few business houses anywhere else in Media except on the “L.” There are four streets running parallel to State Street on the south side which are named after great Americans. Next to State is the street named after the Father of Our Country – George Washington. This street is part of Baltimore Pike, which is a direct route from Philadelphia to Baltimore, and is known only as Washington Street through the borough. It is a much-traveled street. Next to Washington is Jefferson Street – named after Thomas Jefferson, the third president of this country. Next is Franklin Street, given its name after Benjamin Franklin, the great Philadelphian, whose accomplishments are so diverse that it would be hard to list them. Abraham Lincoln comes in for his share of honor in the names by the street which is the furthermost south. Another important street in Media, but running in a perpendicular direction to the other streets is Jackson Street, the dividing line of the two east and west. This street derived its name from “Old Hickory,” great general and president of the United States. James Monroe, the fifth president of this country, gave his name to another street parallel to Jackson which extends north and south and runs into the State Road.
NAMES FOR FRUITS – The streets which took their names from fruits are all north-south streets and are quite close together. They are all located on the west side of Jackson Street and are Orange Street, Lemon Street, Citron Street, Olive Street and Plum Street. The numbered streets of the town running from Front Street to Eighth Street, beginning with Front Street in front of the court house and going north to Eighth Street at the northern end of town. Another street which might be classed with the fruit streets is Mulberry Lane, in Bowling Green, which begins in Media and runs east and north through that settlement. North Avenue and South Avenue, of course, derive their names from their location in respect to the court house. South Avenue, which is the street on which most of the lawyers have their offices, begins at the front of the court house and extends south to the borough limits. North Avenue lies between Second and Third Streets, directly opposite South Avenue. There are several other streets in the town which are quite important and gained their names in different manners. Baker Street, which is believed to have gotten its name from the old Delaware County family by the name of Baker, was formerly part of the Baltimore Pike. At one time, the route ran over what is now known as Baker Street. Providence Road secured its name from the pike which runs from Chester to Lancaster Pike and at one time was known as the Providence Great Road. This road is now a very much used road and the Borough of Media never changed the name of the section which passed through the town. Manchester Avenue received its name because it was a direct road to the Pennsylvania Railroad station now known as Moylan-Rose Valley. At the time the street secured its name, that little station and section was known as Manchester, having been named, it is believed, after the old town in England. This avenue has retained its name, even though the station and settlement have been given a different name. Church Street, which is interrupted on its course north and south by the Presbyterian Church located on Washington Street, is so named because of this fact and also because the Catholic Church of the Nativity Blessed Virgin Mary is also situated on it. West Street, of course, was named because it is the street on the western boundary of the county seat.
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