On The Streets Where We Live

One of my favorite surprises in life is when someone invites me to see something I’ve taken for granted or not thought much about. This happened recently when I was reading a collection of short essays written by a monk, Jeremy Driscoll.

Father Jeremy’s essay pointed me to something right in front of my eyes, and perhaps yours as well, that often goes unnoticed—the names of streets in the town or city where we live. I realized that I know quite well the names of streets in Franklin but have never thought where those names came from.

Very quickly, I realized that some of the streets that I know by name honor national figures and heroes. The most travelled east-west street is Jefferson, which I assume honors the author of the Declaration of Independence and our third president. Running parallel is Monroe Street, again honoring one of our countries earliest presidents.

A north and south street, commonly referred to as Route 31, is also Morton Street. That would seem to honor Oliver P. Morton, governor of Indiana during the Civil War.

I draw a blank on the origin of other street names, which are so familiar to me after living in Franklin nearly fifty years. When we first came to Franklin in 1978, we lived on Forsythe Street. Nearby were Edwards and Hougham Streets. On the other side of town is Davis Drive, and after reading Father Driscoll’s essay, I wonder who Edwards, Hougham, and Davis were and what they contributed to the history of my town. I suspect that some street names derive from the earliest residents of those streets.

My favorite street name in Franklin is Champ Ulysses. I assume that distorted version of Champs-Elysees, considered the most beautiful street in Paris, was given by someone from Franklin who loved Paris or who was a WWI veteran who served in France.

Paying attention to street names can remind us of at least one great truth. Our lives are connected; they intersect in ways we might not recognize. Everyone living in Franklin today owes a debt to Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and Oliver Morton. We live in a free and democratic society because of Jefferson and Monroe. We live in a slavery-free country partially because of Oliver Morton.

But running into and sometimes crossing those streets, those lives, are streets named for lesser-known people. Forsythe, Edwards, Hougham, and Davis lived out lives for which they are remembered, even if only by a street sign. I think it likely that our own lives would be enriched if we knew more about those past figures and what they contributed to our town.

And then there are our individual stories, which we are living out each day. When I look across the street that I live on, I can’t help but remember the kindness shown in the past by Gary and, more recently, Charlie. It is unlikely that our street will ever bear their names, but they will be remembered.

Few if any of us will have a street named after us, but that shouldn’t depress us. If we would take the “God’s eye view” of our lives, we might see that the meaning of our lives isn’t to be found in a street sign or a monument but in what we contribute to the lives of others.