Monroeville Historical Society Member Reviews

the Municipality’s Street Name Origins

            Have you ever wondered how Monroeville’s neighborhoods and streets got their names?

Planning ahead to design a community and name its streets is the logical way, but there was no coordination like this when Monroeville’s neighborhoods were developed.

            According to longtime resident and one of the Historical Society’s charter members, Marilyn Chandler, its rapid growth occurred from land formerly called Patton Township without an overall plan or regulations. “Monroeville grew up too fast and didn’t have enough people in government to formulate a community-wide plan to regulate its growth and coordinate street naming.”

            Reviewing a map of Monroeville reveals many of the main roads, streets and areas were named for early settlers, such as Haymaker, Tilbrook, Stroschein, Beatty, Monroe, Cooper, Ramsey, Stroschein, James, Speelman, Johnston, Aber’s Creek, McGinley and Young’s Corner.  It is easy to verify these settlers’ existence because their names are found on gravestones in Cross Roads Cemetery next to the Old Stone Church on Stroschein Road.

            Chandler said confusion and duplication became a problem when the U.S. Postal Service decided to close Monroeville’s post office and carve up residents’ delivery.  “Until 1954, when Monroeville’s post office was reinstated, mail was delivered by train to towns along the railroad tracks where Monroeville residents’ mail was segregated by rural routes from Trafford, Pitcairn, Wilmerding, and Turtle Creek  post offices.  During this period, developers in each of the rural routes were free to choose street names independently because the addresses read R.D. 1, Turtle Creek, R.D. 2, Wilmerding, etc.”

            The developers of these settlers’ farms came up with unique methods of naming their track of streets.  Did you know the late developer Orin Sampson, named thirteen streets for berries and others for trees, bushes and flowers in the neighborhood he designated GARDEN City?  Located in Ward 7, the some unusual “berry” names are Bilberry, Bradberry, Brightberry, Chinaberry, Dewberry, Hackberry, Mayberry, Newberry, and Winterberry.

            Other streets and plans in Monroeville were named for animals: Bee, Doe, and Fox.  There are unusual street names like Friend, Circle W, Moonlight, Snowball, Garlic, Noel, Hydro, and My Way. Twenty-four are named for flowers, trees or bushes, while eight are named for fruits or nuts.   Many of the streets off Saunders Station Road in Ward 2 have wood in their names, such as Knollwood and Foxwood.

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