# What are the big names in your town? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 29, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080 "2004-11-29T02:56:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PigBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@PigBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigBoy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/1 "2004-11-29T02:56:52Z")
I don’t just mean famous people in or from your area. I mean the people with legacies, living or dead- the ones who end up getting (or at least deserving) streets and buildings named after them, and things like that. Or perhaps political dynasties… you probably get the idea. Here are some for Dayton, Ohio (I’m sure I’m forgetting some): **Wright** : As in “Wright Brothers.” Their name is all over the place. **Patterson** : A family in Dayton since its early settlement, but most notable is John H. Patterson, who founded (kinda) the National Cash Register Comany, today just known as NCR. NCR has been a Big Deal™ in Dayton for a long time. He also helped with rebuilding after the 1913 flood here, and some other things. Some streets and probably other things are named after him. Along with the Wright brothers, another Patterson’s name is in Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. **Kettering** : Charles F. (inventor of the self-starting ignition, among some other accomplishments) and his daugher-in-law Virginia (a local philanthropist). Dayton’s largest suburb is named after Charles; its tallest building is name after Virginia (I think). **Dunbar** : Poet Paul Lawrence… his legacy is probably a bit less visible than the others, but it’s there. Oh, and probably all those people have schools named for them. How about your town? ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/2 "2004-11-29T03:12:32Z")
Atlanta checking in. Let’s see We have Ted Turner - he has a stadium named after him. Elton John lives here. I don’t know of anything named after him yet though. E3 ---
**Author:** ![violacrane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c57346/32.png) [@violacrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/violacrane)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/3 "2004-11-29T03:13:57Z")
Sheffield S Yorks UK: No one as famous as the Wright Bros. Councillor and Industrialist Graves, A university building, art gallery and park The Duke of Norfolk/Earl of Arundel (either the same person or generations of fathers and sons) used to own swathes of Sheffield, another park and several roads. Firth, steel magnate, university buildings, a park. Btw Sheffield is known for its numerous parks, most of them land donated by councillor Graves. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/4 "2004-11-29T03:51:11Z")
In Atlanta they have the Woodruffs, as in Coke money. Every local college and university has a Woodruff something or other. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/5 "2004-11-29T04:01:34Z")
Schenetady, NY: Charles P. Steinmetz (a pioneer in electrical engineering) – Steinmetz Homes (housing), Steinmetz Middle School Thomas A. Edison (his only contribution was setting up the General Electric Company here) Lawrence (Indian who helped settlers after the Schenectady Massacre in the French and Indian War) – the only Schenectadian to have a statue in the city. Pat Riley (our one major sports figure – NBA coach) Joseph Yates (governor of New York, originally from Schenectady) – Yates Street, Yates Village (housing) Eliphilet Nott (president of Union College) – two streets (Nott Street and Nott Terrace) and a building on campus John Sayles (filmmaker) – a creative arts magnet school was recently named after him. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/6 "2004-11-29T04:04:39Z")
There is a section of my town where all the streets are named after the players on the New York Giants football team from some year in (I think) the '60s. Frank Gifford would probably be surprised to know there’s a nondescript suburban street with his name on it. I bet most people who live there now have no idea where the names came from. ---
**Author:** ![PigBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@PigBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigBoy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/7 "2004-11-29T04:12:37Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > In Atlanta they have the Woodruffs, as in Coke money. Every local college and university has a Woodruff something or other. Oooh, that’s my name! I should go to Atlanta and pretend to be related. I’ll be rich, rich I tell you! And for the record: > [@me](#): > > Dunbar: Poet Paul Lawrence… his legacy is probably a bit less visible than the others, but it’s there. I misspelled his name… it’s Paul La **u** rence Dunbar. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/8 "2004-11-29T04:24:15Z")
Houston checking in: Nationally known might include: **Sam Houston** **Billy Gibbons** , of ZZ Top fame **Dan Rather** , infamous journalist **George H. W. Bush** That model who married Mick Jagger; More locally known: Michael **DeBakey** Denton **Cooley** Michael T. **Halbouty** (died ~2 weeks ago) George **Mosbacher** William **Cullen** Henry **Taub** George **Mecom** ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/9 "2004-11-29T12:29:38Z")
Australia tends to have two types: 1. Crusty old British Governors from the colonial era, and 2. Explorers from the same era So take Governor Darling for example. In Sydney, we have Darling Harbour, a suburb called Darlinghurst, another one called Darling Point, another called Darlington, and there are several Darling Streets. Governor Lachlan Macquarie also features largely with his surname on everything from a university to several suburbs to one of the city’s main streets, and his given name on a major river and a few other things. Explorers / sailors like Bass, Flinders, Hume etc feature highly with streets, universities, and natural features named after them. However, Australians being what we are tend not to name things after the living (we’d not want 'em to get a big head!). ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/10 "2004-11-29T15:55:42Z")
More Houston… > [@Ringo](#): > > Dan Rather, infamous journalist Also the considerably better **Walter Cronkite** (born in MO, but raised in Houston). I can’t think of anything named after either of them. Also **Jesse H. Jones**. All-round rich guy who headed FDR’s RFC and Commerce Dept., and spearheaded the building of the Houston Ship Channel. He’s probably the person most responsible for Houston being a major city. And, **William P. Hobby**. He was a publisher (Houston Post, now defunct) and governor of Texas. Might have more stuff named after him than Jones, if that’s possible. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/11 "2004-11-29T16:00:52Z")
Brooklyn, where to begin. Juniors cheesecake and Mike Tyson. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/12 "2004-11-29T16:10:01Z")
[I found a list explaining the origin of every freaking street name in this town.](http://www.evanston.lib.il.us/community/street-names.html) Yiy. The most recognizable names would be John Wesley (founder of Methodism) and Frances “No drinky for you!” Willard. Also noteworthy is Orrington Lunt. One of the major streets in this town is not Lunt, but Orrington, perhaps because someone realized that Lunt just sounds bad. Northwestern, on the other hand, does have a Lunt math building. Someday I expect to walk by and see that some poor math student has gone nuts and made the name into an obscenity with a chisel. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/13 "2004-11-29T16:13:18Z")
Songwriter Dennis Morgan grew up here. He wrote “Smoky Mountain Rain” (Ronnie Milsap), “I Knew You Were Waiting” (Aretha Franklin and George Michael), “My Heart Can’t Tell You No” (Rod Stewart) and many other top-10 hits (mostly country). He was recently inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Association International hall of fame. Not too bad for a town of 2,300 people. There is a Morgan St. here, but I’m not 100% positive it was named after him. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/14 "2004-11-29T16:39:01Z")
Northern Michigan here. Bruce Campbell’s dad lives in my town, so Bruce turns up every now and then. Harborwolf’s brother saw him at the grocery store a few weeks ago. Michael Moore hangs out up here A LOT. Bob Segar lives near my mom. Anne Heche spent last summer up here with a friend. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/15 "2004-11-29T17:12:45Z")
The two big names in my area are two Civil War generals, Sherman and Sheridan. We’re boring. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/16 "2004-11-29T17:15:14Z")
Here in Springfield, Illinois, _everything_ is named after Abraham Lincoln. Which causes a bit of confusion occasionally, as when tourists and newcomers confuse the Lincoln Library (which has for years been the name of Springfield’s public library) and the newly opened Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. (Not to mention that the town of Lincoln, Illinois, not too far away, has its own public library). Coming in a distant second as a Famous Springfieldian is the poet Vachel Lindsay. ---
**Author:** ![Winnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e480ec/32.png) [@Winnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnie)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/17 "2004-11-29T17:32:57Z")
I live just outside Washington DC in a town called Centreville. In this area, everything is named Sully. There’s Sully Road, Sully District, Sully’s restaurant, the famous [Sully Plantation](http://166.94.9.135/parks/sully/history.htm), lots of streets with Sully in them (Sullyfield Circle, Sully Park Drive). I can’t seem to find who this Sully person is for the life of me. It seems to have originated with the naming of the plantation but I can’t find the origin for the name. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/18 "2004-11-29T17:37:31Z")
Lexington, KY: Rupp: Adolph, of course. Former UK basketball coach (deceased.) Rupp Arena is named for him. Young: William T. Owned the Planters peanut company for a while. Donated the money for the William T. Young Library on campus. Also had a street named in his honor downtown (I think E. Vine is “W.T. Young Way” or something.) Think there’s also a building or two on Transylvania University’s campus named for him. Outside of that, the big names in town are just former UK players who still live here (or at least do business here, like Jamal Mashburn and Nazr Mohammed.) ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/19 "2004-11-29T18:00:15Z")
There are several in San Diego, but the one that comes to mind is Scripps. You can’t throw a brick around here without hitting a Scripps something-or-other. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080/20 "2004-11-29T18:50:20Z")
Poplar Bluff, MO. Famous (kinda) People: Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, writer/director for _Designing Women, Evening Shade_ and, er, _Emeril!_. Yeah, Emeril Lagasse’s sitcom. Scott Innes: Current voice of Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and, er, Scrappy. Local Bigwigs: Joe and Slug Hefner: Father-son owners of Hefner’s Fine Furniture, amongst other things. No relation to Hugh Hefner. Slug has a drag boat that gets raced during the annual drag boat races on Lake Wappapello. Steve Wisdom: Owner of Showe-Time Video, a local video chain. I remember when _The Wizard_ came out and excitement over _Super Mario Bros. 3_ was at a fever pitch. Steve actually imported some copies of SMB3, put them in converter carts, and put them out for rental. This is the only time I’ve seen imports for rent. Unfortunately, the last time I was in PBMO, Showe-Time was replaced by Video Replay. Seems like the old man’s retired. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-big-names-in-your-town/277080.md?page=2)