Is there a good article about the history of San Fernando Valley street names?

[Quillz]

I found something a while ago that explained a few of the names, such as Victory Blvd. and Sherman Way, but there are some I'm still curious about, especially Valley Circle Blvd. (Reason being it's anything but a circle.)

[DTComposer]

My guess is it was part of a grander plan to create a boulevard (in the grand Olmstead style) around the perimeter of the valley, but such plans never came to fruition.

Here's what I could remember/come up with minimal effort for the east-to-west streets:

Rinaldi Street: ?
San Fernando Mission Boulevard: after the Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana
Chatsworth Street: after the neighborhood, after Chatsworth House, the estate of the Duke of Devonshire (see below), but not sure of the local significance.
Devonshire Street: after the English County, but not sure of the local significance
Lassen Street: After Peter Lassen (as in Lassen County, Lassen Volcanic Park) (?)
Plummer Street: ?
Nordhoff Street: Charles Nordhoff (1830-1901), journalist.
Parthenia Street: Greek feminine name, meaning "maiden"
Roscoe Street: ?
Saticoy Street: after Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy (?)
Sherman Street: Moses Sherman (1853-1932), streetcar magnate and land developer
Vanowen Street: ?
Victory Boulevard: Honoring veterans of World War I (formerly Leesdale Avenue)
Oxnard Street: After the city, after Henry T. Oxnard who founded the city
Burbank Boulevard: After the city, after David Burbank who owned much of the land where the city now sits
Chandler Boulevard: Harry Chandler (1864-1944), publisher of the L.A. Times and real estate magnate
Magnolia Boulevard: after the flower, but why?
Riverside Drive: after the Los Angeles River
Moorpark Street: after the city, after a type of apricot that grew in the region.
Ventura Boulevard: after the city, after St. Bonaventure

[Quillz]

Sherman Way is interesting because it's always said with the "Way" at the end, which is very unusual among most streets, at least in the Valley.

[hm insulators]

Roscoe Blvd. is so-named because it led to a small community called Roscoe, which is now Sun Valley.

Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills is named for William Mulholland. Before World War I, he was the mastermind behind the Los Angeles Aqueduct which brought Owens River water to the (then much smaller) city of Los Angeles.

And if you look at a map, Valley Circle Blvd. (sort of) forms a semi-circle at the west end of "The Valley."

[JustDrive]

I always thought Nordhoff was a reference to the old name for the city of Ojai.  There's a Ventura Blvd, Oxnard St, Camarillo St, and a Saticoy St in the Valley.

[DTComposer]

I always thought Nordhoff was a reference to the old name for the city of Ojai.  There's a Ventura Blvd, Oxnard St, Camarillo St, and a Saticoy St in the Valley.

So then, digging some more, Leesdale (which was renamed Victory) was also a place in Ventura County - pretty much just a railroad siding, but listed on USGS maps.

[bulkyorled]

http://www.americassuburb.com/streets.html

This I always thought had a good list of streets. Its got most of them even a few side streets explained however nothing about Valley Circle or things like that. Its probably just named because its runs the edge of the valley in the West in a circular shape

There's also minor history lessons on Wikipedia  :jumping:

[bulkyorled]

Also as it's been pointed out a bit, most of the street names are either cities that did exist, still exist or they're names of people who settled the area or after important people. Then a few that aren't related such as Victory that's named after an event or Olympic Blvd also after an event (even though that isn't in the valley)  but most of them here follow that pattern

[cahwyguy]

Note that many of the street names in the valley have changed from their original names. I'm currently reading "Pacific Electric and the Growth of the San Fernando Valley" which gives a better idea of the original names.

[bulkyorled]

Sepulveda Boulevard

Once known as Saugus Avenue, it is named for the Sepulveda family of early Los Angeles.

Its funny that I just saw that in the article, I never made the connection but there still is Saugus Ave, its right at the onramp for the 405/101 below Ventura & Sepulveda.

[TheStranger]

Sepulveda Boulevard

Once known as Saugus Avenue, it is named for the Sepulveda family of early Los Angeles.

Its funny that I just saw that in the article, I never made the connection but there still is Saugus Ave, its right at the onramp for the 405/101 below Ventura & Sepulveda.

When did the name change occur?  I know the pre-1964 Route 7 (which US 6/current Route 14 & I-405 replaced) ran down Sepulveda by the time the San Diego Freeway was first built through West LA in the 1950s (and carried the Route 7 signage for a few years).

[bulkyorled]

No idea. I'm guessing before the 405 went through there. So pre-1964. Since I have seen pictures that date before the 60s that show it going through there. Where the 405 sits now is where Sepulveda was. They built the fwy over it and moved the street to the side.
Most of the street names that once were but are no longer, were mostly changed out in the 1880s-1910s. For the most part all the streets in LA haven't changed since around then. Sticking to the valley I don't believe any of them have changed in 100 years or so aside from Victory Blvd which was once Leesdale in most of the valley and Main Street in Burbank (and probably others in other cities street names changed too for it as most streets didnt always go through and connect back then), and side streets that have changed for various neighborhoods or gated communities.

[Quillz]

The most recent street name change I can think of in L.A. was a portion of Sunset Blvd. becoming Cesar E. Chavez Ave.

[bulkyorled]

Sunset? Cesar E Chavez Ave was Brooklyn Ave until the early 90s. Sunset has always ended where it did as far as I know. I actually asked about this with a few people that I know that have lived in LA their whole lives what it was named before and where it started since I didn't realize it had changed so recent and Sunset & Brooklyn met where they do now only its been changed to Cesar Chavez.

Also if we were to get on the subject of the entire LA area (since you mentioned Chavez Av) theres James M Wood Blvd which took out part of 9th St which is signed between Figueroa & Western but some intersections still show 9th even though its been James M Wood for at least 10 years but is semi recent

[agentsteel53]

Sunset? Cesar E Chavez Ave was Brooklyn Ave until the early 90s. Sunset has always ended where it did as far as I know. I actually asked about this with a few people that I know that have lived in LA their whole lives what it was named before and where it started since I didn't realize it had changed so recent and Sunset & Brooklyn met where they do now only its been changed to Cesar Chavez.

the western part of Cesar Chavez was Macy Blvd.  I believe there is a block or two on the extreme west side which was, at one point, Sunset.  so it's three road names, I think, which were converted.  two (Brooklyn and Macy) in full and one (Sunset) in part.

[DTComposer]

Sepulveda Boulevard

Once known as Saugus Avenue, it is named for the Sepulveda family of early Los Angeles.

Its funny that I just saw that in the article, I never made the connection but there still is Saugus Ave, its right at the onramp for the 405/101 below Ventura & Sepulveda.

When did the name change occur?  I know the pre-1964 Route 7 (which US 6/current Route 14 & I-405 replaced) ran down Sepulveda by the time the San Diego Freeway was first built through West LA in the 1950s (and carried the Route 7 signage for a few years).

Appears to be late 1920s?
The 1927 E.F. Hill street map shows it as Saugus Blvd through the entire Valley.
The 1926 and 1932 Van Nuys topo maps show it as Saugus, but the the 1927 Pacoima topo shows it as Sepulveda south of Roscoe and Saugus north of Roscoe.

The 1939 Pacoima topo shows it all as Sepulveda, and the name of the settlement at what is now Parthenia and Sepulveda has been changed from Mission Acres to Sepulveda.

[bulkyorled]

I think it was Macy Street (blvd/st same shit different pile) I just found a few articles on it, nothing really worth posting though.

I hope they don't ever decide to change any of the street names again at least in the valley. If they're gonna change something change one of the numbered streets.