What’s in a name?

Published 1:15 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

SNOQUALMIE – While Kinsey, O’Neil and Gravenstein may sound like any other streets to the people who live on them, their names actually have deep historic resonance in the Snoqualmie Valley.

“Cities very rarely have the opportunity to have a named street,” said George Cook, director of residential development for Quadrant Corp., developer of Snoqualmie Ridge.

When preliminary plats for new developments are submitted to the city, the streets in the development are required to have names that are eventually approved by the City Council.

Cook, who selects the names for Snoqualmie Ridge, has often referred to a list made up by local historian Dave Battey. Battey has studied and collected information that chronicles numerous Valley families, people and features.

“I’m always amazed how much history we have,” Battey said.

Most opportunities for naming streets has occurred within Snoqualmie Ridge, where new streets are built on a regular basis.

For the complete story, pick up a copy of this weeks Valley Record