Very often, a street's name will reflect something about its history. For instance, many of the city's older streets bear the names of early pioneers, or the names given to them by early developers (who apparently could name them whatever they wanted). A number of streets have also been named after "more contemporary" Austin pioneers. Here is a sampling of some prominent Austin streets and their various name origins:
Anderson Mill Road
Named after a mill and its owner, Thomas Anderson, who lived in the vicinity in the 1850s.
Barton Springs Road
Named for William Barton, first "owner" of Barton Springs.
Ben White Boulevard
Named to commemorate Ben White ("Uncle Ben") who served sixteen years on the Austin City Council (1951-1967).
E.M. Franklin Avenue
Renamed in 1995 in honor of the popular pastor in East Austin (previously Redwood Avenue).
Ed Bluestein Boulevard
Bluestein spent the bulk of his career overseeing the building of Austin roads and highways for the Texas Highway Department.
Enfield
Named by Governor Elisha Pease after the town in Connecticut where he was born.
Exposition Boulevard
Was the main thoroughfare leading to Camp Mabry where fairs and "expositions" were often held.
Lamar Boulevard
Named after the city's key founder, Mirabeau B. Lamar.
Jollyville Road Named after John Grey Jolly, a robust Civil War veteran who farmed, ran a store, and raised a family in the area in the latter part of the 19th century.
Koenig Lane
Most likely named for Dr. Joseph Samuel Koenig. In 1947, Dr. Koenig developed the Violet Crown Heights subdivision north of Koenig Lane, and Koenig family members owned land throughout the area. There is some information that suggests an Adolph Koenig farmed in the area in the late 1800s, but no connection between Adolph and the street name or the Koenig family that moved to the area in the 1920s has been found.
Lorraine
Named by Governor Pease after his father (although an extra "r" was added).
Manor Road
Named after the Tennessee native James Manor, who followed Sam Houston to Austin and settled in the region east of the city.
Monroe
A family member of John Milton Swisher, founder of the "Swisher Addition" in South Austin in 1877 (streets that were also named for members of the Swisher family include Milton, Elizabeth, Newton, Nickerson, Nellie, James, Stacy, and Annie).
Newning Avenue
Named after C.A. Newning, developer of Fairview Park.
Niles Road
Niles was the maiden name of Governor Pease's wife Lucadia.
Oltorf
Named by Mrs. John La Prelle in honor of a relative.
Perry Lane
Named for Edgar Howard "Commodore" Perry (1876-1964). Perry came to Austin in 1904 and was a long time developer in Austin and built the Commodore Perry Hotel (now an office building at 802 Brazos), developed Highland Park West subdivision in northwest Austin, and was a partner in the Stephen F. Austin hotel downtown.
Pershing Drive
Renamed in honor of General of the Armies John J. Pershing (originally Palo Pinto Drive).
Robert T. Martinez St.
Robert Martinez was an Austin Police Officer killed in the line of duty on February 25, 1989. The street, formerly Canadian Street, was renamed on May 25, 1989.
Slaughter Lane
Named from nearby Slaughter Creek, which was named for Stephen F. Slaughter, who received the original grant of land in the area on March 12, 1835, and was one of the first settlers in the current Travis County area (originally part of Bastrop County).
Speedway
Named by developer Monroe Shipe for the broad, graded gravel road out to the racetrack in Hyde Park.
Waller Street
Named in honor of Edwin Waller, surveyor of the city of Austin and its first mayor.
West Lynn
Derived from the fact that it ran along the "west line" of the subdivision.
Westover
The road ran "west over" a hill.
Windsor
Named after Windsor, Connecticut by Governor Pease.
William Cannon Drive
Named after the 1836 "Battle of San Jacinto" hero who owned property in that area.
