What was Lincoln is now Montrose. What used to be San Felipe in the Fourth Ward is now West Dallas. And what's now Cullen used to be St. Bernard.

Dozens of Houston streets have changed names over the years. More recently, you might remember Dowling -- named after local saloon owner and Confederate lieutenant Dick Dowling -- changing its name to Emancipation Avenue.

Here are two more examples of Houstonians looking to rename a street. One was successful, the other was not. One stemmed from a war fought an ocean away, another came about under mysterious circumstances.

For years, German Street was a major thoroughfare in the Second Ward. Its name served as a reminder of the significant German population that settled in the area in the 19th century. A Houston Chronicle article noted that "with its extension, German Avenue, it passes through Central and Magnolia parks and ultimately reaches the Ship Channel. It is the main thoroughfare through Central Park."

But by 1917 the U.S. had declared war on Germany. In June, combat forces would arrive in Europe to take on that nation's army. Patriotism was running high in the U.S. and in Houston, especially on German Street.

Residents there figured they didn't want to live on a road that bore the name of the enemy. So in June, a group representing that street met at the county courthouse and unanimously voted to change its name.

"How can a man who believes in the justice of the allied cause reside on German Street and be patriotic?" T.B. Tucker told Houston City Council the following week, according to the July 3 Chronicle. "We know German Street is almost as old as Houston, but we want its name changed to Belgium Street. The Belgian army saved Europe. They held back the German tidal wave until France and England could mobilize. France and England will hold the enemy until America mobilizes, and then the war will be over."

What's the matter with Mattes? Another name considered for German Street was Mattes, in honor of Army Capt. Joseph W. Mattes. He was brutally killed by mutinous soldiers during the Houston Riot of 1917. Problem is, residents said they couldn't pronounce his name, the Chronicle reported on June 4, 1918. Instead, it became Canal.

Read More

No one apparently asked Fannie Culmore, of 2118 German St., what she thought of the name change. After learning of the news to rename it she gave council a piece of her mind.

"We are not fighting the German people; we are fighting the kaiser, and the kaiser does not truly represent the real German character," she said, as reported in the July 19 Chronicle. "No reasonable person will agree that any good purpose would be served by changing the name of one of the oldest streets in Houston. On the other hand, it would be plain hysteria.

"German Street was given its name 70 years ago by John Fisher, one of the first settlers here. It was named German Street when I moved there, in 1861, and this is the first time I have ever heard a suggestion to give it some other name.

"Eleven of my 12 children were born on German Street. My father lived there before me. If you give it another name, I am ready to move -- and that would break my heart."

That was enough for council to drop the matter ... for 11 months.

On June 3, 1918, Houston City Council passed an ordinance renaming German Street to Canal. The following night, city leaders in Magnolia Park voted to change it to Belgian Street. (One has to assume Belgian became Canal when Houston annexed Magnolia Park in 1926.)

The name change was buried in the Chronicle. A check of the 1922 City Directory shows that Culmore didn't stick to her vow. Her address is listed as 2118 Canal.

***

Over in the North Side, Common Street begins at Burnett and runs parallel to Fulton. In October 1919, residents there filed a petition seeking to change its name to Melrose.

"Just what the cause of this is, remains a mystery," the Chronicle wrote in its Oct. 8 editions. "The petition filed with the city council asking that the name of the street be changed from Common to 'Melrose' gives no reason why the change is desired."

Following the idea that a person is judged by the name of the street they live on, the Chronicle figured that since residents there were "railway employees and have enjoyed an unprecedented era of prosperity," they sought a name that sounded more "mellifluous."

Whatever the reason, it fell flat. Common Street remains to this day.

J.R. Gonzales, a third-generation Houstonian, covers local history with an eye toward the people and events that have mostly been forgotten to time. Follow him through Bayou City History on Facebook and Twitter. He can be reached at 713-362-6163 or john.gonzales@chron.com.