[Genealib] Researching street names?

[Barbara Hill]

Dear colleagues,

I live in a small suburb (pop. appx. 24,000) incorporated about 1917.  The 
president of the local historical society has asked me to find out how the 
street I live on came to be named.  Knowing that my neighborhood was 
developed in the early to mid 1920s, and believing the name to be a 
surname, I've checked the 1920 census and have formed a working hypothesis, 
and I hope to locate a living descendant of the family soon who might be 
able to verify it.  But during all this, I began to wonder, how is it that 
researchers find out how, why, or for whom a particular street was 
named?  Is there a regular process for doing this?  In other words, a short 
cut?

Thanks for any help -

Barbara Hill
<bhill at calmail.berkeley.edu>