Street Name Changes - Was Your Street Name Changed in '53

From the Times News of July 4, 1953:

Eighteen new Kingsport street names were adopted officially Tuesday night in an ordinance passed on final reading by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

Over bitter opposition from a group of Lincoln Avenue residents, the council stuck to an earlier decision to change the name of their street to Jefferson Avenue.

Jefferson Avenue will extend in an arc from East Center street around to Linden Road, taking in what was previously designated Jefferson Avenue, part of Valley View street and Lincoln Avenue.

A last minute amendment to the ordinance changed the name of Virginia Street in the Belvue Addition of Highland Park to Virginia Avenue. Virginia Avenue is the name by which it is known to residents but the official map had designated it Virginia Street.

Another amendment revised original plans and named the four-lane State Highway 1-A simply Stone Drive instead of H. G. Stone Drive. This action followed receipt of a petition from several residents. They contended the initials might confuse the name of the street on mail with the name of the person to whom the mail was addressed. The Board admitted they had a point. In making the change. The council reworded the ordinance to point out that the name was adopted in honor of H. G. Stone, a former chairman of the Kingsport Planning Commission.

Other street name changes provided for in the ordinance:

Edgewood Avenue in East Highland Park will become Ashwood Avenue (to avoid confusion with Edgewood Village).

Holly Drive, connecting with Nathan street and Bridwell Street will become Monterey Avenue. (There is another Holly Drive in Fort Robinson.)

Lee Street, connecting with Virginia Avenue and East Center Street is renamed Leeside Drive. Magnolia Street, connecting with Central street and Conway Drive will become Shamrock Street.

Oakwood Street, connecting with Virginia Avenue, is renamed McCoy Street. (to avoid duplication with streets in Oakwood Forest).

Another section of Oakwood Street connecting with Washington Avenue was renamed Virginia Avenue.

Ridgecrest Road connecting with Harris Avenue, is changed to DeSota, Street. Another portion of Ridgecrest Road is renamed Avalon Street.

Roller Street (sometimes called Roller Road) in the West View section is renamed Sevier Terrace Drive, taking the name of a street with which it makes a continuing thoroughfare.

Washington Street in Riverview is changed to Louis Street.

Nelm Street, connecting with East Main Street and running past the foundry is renamed Ring Street.

Ridgeway Street, running from Watauga Street to Linville Street, is changed to Pecktal Street.

A section of West Ravine beginning at Baysview Road is renamed Sherman Place. Another section of West Ravine Road running from Jackson Street to Bloomingdale Road, is renamed Jackson Place.

Bluff Street is renamed Legion Drive.

The last change did not involve name duplication. The change had been requested by Hammond Post, American Legion for the street running past the new Legion Home.

And here is a 1956 story about more street name changes: