What's in a name - Pittsford has had many changes

We all know that change happens whether we want it or not. We tell ourselves it is a good thing for without it we would stagnate.

To some of us who have been here for a while, the year 1940 is not so terribly long ago. To others, however, it is more than a lifetime! While perusing a telephone book published in 1940, I found some names of streets and roads that are no longer used. Somehow the changes just slipped in and we have absorbed the new names with hardly a thought!

For instance: There was a road called Penn Street, which made sense because it led to Penfield, and a road named Stoutenberg branched off. Now some of you astute folks will say "there still is a Stoutenberg Road and it is at the Highlands on Route 31". That is true but the original one is now called Golf Avenue. When the developers of the Highlands were expanding their facility, they were wondering about naming the roads. The Town and Village historian suggested reincarnating the long unused name and Stoutenberg Road joined Hanumann Trail (much to the consternation of some of the residents who live in that facility.)

There was once a Johnny Cake Street - an interesting name. According to some resources it was so named because the soil on the road was so poor that corn was the only successfully grown crop in the fields along that road. The farmer's wives used much of the corn to make a bread called Johnny cake. Legend has it that the women would get rid of the extra bread by taking it to the men who were working on the canal. That street is known today as the much plainer East Street which tends to confuse newcomers to our town with the much longer East Avenue heading in the opposite direction.

Once there was a street in the village called Millington Heights and it was located south of West Jefferson Road, which also had another name and Millington Heights is called Green Hill Lane. Another picturesque name that is no longer used is Morningside Park. When Lincoln Avenue was extended to meet Sutherland Street, the name was changed and for a while it was also known as School Street.

Now I am going to try to tax the "long timers" memories and ask who remembers Ketchum Road, Cartersville Road, Cottswold Estates, Battams Road, Croton Street, and Arab Street, also Guernsey Road.

Hope you have an interesting time remembering.