Assumptions

A few examples of “obvious” facts that are not actually factual include:

Arch Street, Norristown:

Street was not named after an arch or arches, but instead was named after the older name for buildings.

Chain Street, Norristown:

Street was not named after a necklace, a piece of a bicycle, or a part of fencing, but was named after the Chain family.

Diamond Avenue, Plymouth Meeting:

Avenue was not named after the precious jewel, but was named after the Diamond family.

Douglas Avenue, Wichita:

Named after the Douglas family, not the male first name.

Eisenhower School, Norristown:

The Eisenhower Middle School is located at the intersection of Harding and Coolidge Boulevards. Both of these streets are named after Presidents of the United States, but the school is named after a local educator with the name of “A. D. Eisenhower”, not President Dwight David Eisenhower.

Ford Street, West Conshohocken:

Street was not named after a family or President Gerald Ford, but was named after the river crossing where the roadway originated.

George Street, Norristown:

Street was not named after the first name of a man, but was named after the George family.

Grant County, New Mexico:

County was not named after President Ulysses S. Grant, but was named after General Ulysses S. Grant; this man had not yet been elected President of the United States at the time the county was created by New Mexico Territory.

Green Valley Road, Norristown:

Its name comes not from the landscape. Instead, its name comes from a connecting historic roadway, Green Alley. “Alley” at some point became “Valley”.

Hannah Avenue, East Norriton:

This avenue was not named after the first name of women named “Hannah”, but was named after one specific woman: Mrs. Hannah Callowhill Penn, the second wife of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania.

Harmonville, Pennsylvania:

This village was not named after the Harmon family, but instead was named after the Harman family. At some point, “Harmanville” became “Harmonville” around the time of World War II.

Harry Street, Conshohocken:

Street was not named after the first name of a man, but was named after the Harry family.

High Street, Norristown:

While the street does go up a steep hill, the roadway was actually named after the High family.

Jolly Road, Blue Bell:

Roadway named not after an emotion, but after the Jolly family.

Light Street, Conshohocken:

Street was not named after the effect of an electric bulb, but was named after the Light family.

Little Avenue, Conshohocken:

Road was not named after the size of the street, but was named after the Little family.

Marshall Street, Jeffersonville:

Street was not named after the first name of a man or a family, but was named after the fourth Chief Justice of Supreme Court of the United States, Mr. John Marshall.

Schuylkill River, Pennsylvania:

This name includes the wording “river” twice. “Schuylkill” is the Anglicized version of the Dutch wording for “Hidden River”. Thus, “Schuylkill River” is actually “Hidden River River”. The correct way to identify this waterbody should simply be the “Schuylkill”.

Teamster:

This name initially referred to the man who managed a team that was transporting cargo by horse-drawn wagons.

Thomas Drive, Plymouth Meeting:

Roadway was not named after the first name of a man, but instead was named after the Thomas family.

Trooper, Pennsylvania:

Village is not named after a member of the state police, but instead was named after a former hotel, the Trooper Inn. The logo on the sign of the inn was a man mounted on a horse - a trooper. The word “trooper” eventually was used to designate state police officers, many of whom initially rode horses in their official capacities.