CITY'S STREET NAMES NUMBER 500-PLUS

Cape Girardeau's more than 500 street names would entertain even the most serious Scrabble player.

Perhaps the most unusual name is Cool Guy Way, a street planned for the Melrose Place Subdivision.

Dr. Robert Gardner said the street is named for his 14-year-old son, Michael.

Michael likes to make home movies. In one movie, he played a character called Cool Guy.

"For me, it has a lot of personal significance," Gardner said.

Some Cape Girardeau city staff members have been cool to the idea of Cool Guy Way.

But Mayor Al Spradling III said he sees no reason to reject the name.

City Planner Kent Bratton said most city streets are named by developers.

Today, the city is careful to avoid duplication of street names. But years ago that wasn't the case.

Cape Girardeau has two Highland, Hillcrest, Second and Third streets.

It also has plenty of Park streets: Park Avenue, Park and Park West Heights; and Parkmor, Parksite, Parkview and Parkway drives.

Some streets sound alike such as Oakley and Oak Lei.

When the Twin Lakes neighborhood was annexed into the city limits, it left Cape Girardeau with two Red Bud and two Dogwood streets.

To avoid confusion, the Twin Lakes streets were changed to Garnet and Rockport.

Bratton said Twin Lakes residents welcomed the name changes. "They couldn't get their pizzas delivered," he explained.

Identical or similar-sounding street names also pose a problem for emergency-response services. "It is a nuisance," said Fire Chief Robert Ridgeway.

Cape Girardeau has streets named for its founder, trees, flowers, shrubs, rocks, developers' children, states, Southeast Missouri counties, Colorado ski areas and Revolutionary War themes.

In 1974, there were 191 first names and 190 last names on city streets.

Developer Dave Gerlach chose Abbey Road as a street name because it is his favorite Beatles' album and a church plans to build along it.

Some of Cape Girardeau's older streets such as Good Hope and Independence are named for ideals.

Themis Street, named for a minor Greek god, means divine justice. Fittingly, it leads to the Common Pleas Courthouse.

Broadway was originally Harmony; the street became Broadway in October 1891.

But Cape Girardeau still has a Harmony Street. It intersects with Broadway in front of the Medical Arts building at 937 Broadway.

Tradition has it that Morgan Oak Street got its name from a German man who opened a brewery in Cape Girardeau in the early 1800s.

He reportedly was impressed by an oak tree in the area.

Each morning he would say "guten morgen," good morning in German, as he passed by the oak tree on the way to his brewery.

The old oak tree became known as Morgan Oak. That name carried over to the street.

The city's first streets were laid out in 1806.

In 1808, city limits were Botany, now North Street on the north; Fortune, now William on the south; Honor, now Middle Street on the west; and Water Street on the east.

Main Street was called German Street and Fountain Street was called Indian Street. Spanish Street has retained its name.

Lorimier Street was named for Cape Girardeau's French-Canadian founder, Louis Lorimier.

William Street was named after Lorimier's son.

Some streets were named for major businesses in the area: Roberts, Johnson and Rand streets were named after the Roberts, Johnson and Rand shoe factory.

Normal Avenue, which runs past Southeast Missouri State University's Academic Hall, was named after the university. The school was founded as the Third District Normal School.

Kingshighway was El Camino Real or "the king's road." The Spanish turned Indian trails into the first road between St. Louis and New Madrid.