LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) – You drive past them every day, but have you ever wondered why local streets are named what they are? Local history enthusiast Grant Sullivan decided to find out.
After sitting in his car at Metcalf Street one day, Sullivan began researching Lima street names and discovered there are often fascinating stories behind them. Speaking at the Lima Rotary Club, he shared some of his findings.
Jameson Avenue, for example, was named for attorney George Jameson, while Charles Street was named after his son. Brice Avenue honored Calvin and Olivia Brice. Sullivan has explored more than a dozen streets to uncover their histories.
One street that has attracted attention recently is Cable Road. “The Cable family had a farm up in that area where the name comes from, and two of the Cables were actually United States representatives,” Sullivan said. “John Cable was very famous for a while for the 1922 act that allowed women to have their citizenship freedom follow them, and not their husbands. So there's just a whole lot of interesting things around the Cable family and Cable Road. And that's probably my favorite.”
Sullivan encourages residents to be curious, ask questions, and research things that interest them. “You will learn so much about your community by doing so,” he said.
