Built for the Road Ahead: The origins of PB street names may surprise you!

Ever wonder who the people were who’ve lent their last names to the streets of our beloved beach town? Who was Bayard? Ingraham? Gresham?

PB Monthly reached out to the San Diego Historic Center for permission to inform readers via Zelma Bays Locker’s “Whatever Happened to Izard Street?”, a historical article that reveals the men behind the monikers and more.

We chose to focus on primary streets that run north-south parallel to Mission Boulevard, from Bayard Street to Pendleton Street.

Note: These street names were originally 1st Street through 15th Street, respectively (with the exception of Ingraham Street). Each street had its numbered name on an 1887 map, before being altered in 1900.

Mission Boulevard: First named 1st Street, the title was changed to Allison Street in 1900, then changed again to Mission Boulevard in 1929. William Boyd Allison (1829-1908), was a four-term Congressman from Iowa, then a five-term U.S. Senator and chairman of important Senate Committees. Mission Boulevard, established in 1914 to run the north-south length of Mission Beach, connected later at its north end with Allison Street.

The popularity of Mission Beach during the 1920s gave more prominence to the name “Mission,” than to “Allison.” Allison Street was eclipsed and became a continuation of Mission Boulevard.

Bayard: Thomas F. Bayard (1828-1898), was a Senator from Delaware, Secretary of State under President Grover Cleveland, and ambassador to Great Britain.

Cass: Lewis Cass (1782-1866), was Secretary of State under President James Buchanan and later minister to France.

Dawes: Henry L. Dawes (1816-1903), was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts for nearly 20 years, then a U.S. Senator, who conceived the idea of the U.S. Weather Bureau.

Everts: William M. Evarts (1818-1901), was Attorney-General under President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State under President Benjamin Hayes. Everts Street is a misspelling of “Evarts.”

Fanuel: Faneuil Hall in Boston, was built as a public market by Peter Faneuil (1700-1743). The building, gutted by a fire in 1761, was rebuilt and became “The Cradle of Liberty” for pre-Revolutionary American patriots. Fanuel is a misspelling of “Faneuil.”

Gresham: Walter Quintin Gresham (1832-1895), was Postmaster-General, later Secretary of the Treasury under President Chester Arthur, and Secretary of State under President Grover Cleveland.

Haines: Several men with the surname “Haines” were politically active in different generations. Lynn Haines (1876-1929), though not an office-holder, was well known as a publicist, editor and press correspondent in Washington, D.C.

Ingraham: Bearing one of the more complex histories among PB streets, Ingraham was called “Broadway” in 1887. The 1900 ordinance changed it to Izard, in honor of Ralph Izard (1741-1804), who was a Revolutionary patriot and a confidant of George Washington. He is buried at St. James Church in Goose Creek, South Carolina.

However, “Izard” was considered harsh sounding — not to mention it rhymes with gizzard, lizard and blizzard — so in 1907 the name was changed back to Broadway. When downtown’s “D” Street was renamed Broadway, PB changed its street to Ingraham, named after Naval office Duncan Ingraham (1802-1891).

Ingraham is credited with averting American involvement in the Hungarian uprising of 1848-1849. Another name change involved Ingraham Street as late as 1930, when its northwestern projection, which joined Turquoise Street, was renamed Foothill Boulevard.

Jewell: Marshall Jewell (1825-1883), was a governor of Connecticut and later Postmaster-General under President U.S. Grant.

Kendall: Amos Kendall (1789-1869), was a Kentuckian, a follower of President Andrew Jackson, and Postmaster-General in his Cabinet.

Lamont: Daniel Scott Lamont (1851-1905), was a college dropout who worked his way up through the ranks of politics until he went to Washington with President Grover Cleveland as his private secretary. He later became Cleveland’s Secretary of War.

Morrell: Morrell is a misspelling of “Morrill,” of whom there were a number politically active. Lot M. Morrill (1812-1883), was a U.S. Senator, and Secretary of the Treasury under President U.S. Grant. Justin S. Morrill (1810-1898), was a U.S. Congressman and Senator from Vermont for a total of 44 years, and his name is connected with the Land Grant College Act.

Noyes: Noyes has several possible origins. The most likely is Edward Follansbee Noyes (1832-1890), who was at first Governor of Ohio, then a minister to France.

Olney: Most likely named for Richard Olney (1835-1917), who was first Attorney-General, then Secretary of State under President Grover Cleveland.

Pendleton: George Hunt Pendleton (1825-1889), was a Congressman from Ohio for eight years, a minister to Germany, and a U.S. Senator from Ohio.

— Source: Locker, Zelma Bays, “Whatever Happened to Izard Street,” Journal of San Diego History, Spring 1976, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 20-30.