During World War I and into the Roaring ’20s, Underwood Avenue and surrounding streets looked nothing like they do today. And that had nothing to do with the housing boom about to hit the Damon Woods neighborhood.

Underwood Avenue was in an entirely different neighborhood -- what today is 93rd Street, from Harding Boulevard to the northern city limits. And what today is Underwood was known as Wisconsin Street. Those names changed January 1, 1932, with Wauwatosa's adoption of the metropolitan street numbering system shared by Milwaukee and most of its other suburbs. Under that system, numbering of north-south streets is given preference. With the New Year, new porcelain address numbers were issued to 5,500 homes and businesses throughout Wauwatosa, and nearly 100 street names were changed.

The Milwaukee area’s early address system was a mess. Delivery workers and visitors were confounded by a patchwork of street names abruptly changing at municipal borders. Wauwatosa and Milwaukee duplicated names of unconnected streets. In some cases, the same Post Office served Milwaukee and Wauwatosa houses that had matching addresses.

In 1900, the borders of Milwaukee and Wauwatosa were still about two miles apart. That gap disappeared by the end of the 1920s. "Wauwatosa still growing by leaps and bounds," read a headline in a 1928 edition of the Wauwatosa News. Building permits issued for our neighborhood regularly made front-page news. In February of that year, permits were issued to build eight $8,000 brick homes on Jackson Park Boulevard. At the same time, the School Board was planning its new "million-dollar high school." The city’s new bandstand was dedicated. And dial phones were being introduced, replacing what the Wauwatosa News referred to as the "Hello Girls."

Rapid development was accompanied by growing calls for adoption of a metropolitan street numbering system.

Beginning in 1926, that system was adopted on Wauwatosa's south side. Meanwhile, annexation versus autonomy was the hot issue of the day. "Wauwatosa is approaching a crisis in her existence as an independent city," the News said February 2, 1928. Three weeks later, the News carried a banner headline that read: "KEEP THE LAND OUR FOREFATHERS CLEARED." Pro-annexation candidates were soundly defeated in the 1928 municipal elections.

Through early 1931, citizens debated at public hearings whether to go along with the metropolitan numbering system. Some feared that adopting Milwaukee’s numbering system would lead to annexation by Milwaukee. But others feared resisting the change would play into the hands of pro-annexation forces.

Some sought compromise, which apparently is what the Common Council eventually embraced. Mayor A.C. Hanson broke a tie vote to defeat a call for a referendum on the numbering changes, and the council moved in March 1931 to adopt the metropolitan address system as of January 1, 1932, but also preserved many old street names. In our neighborhood, Albert Street became 81st Street, Western Avenue became 83rd Street, and Wisconsin Street became Underwood Avenue. In our neighborhood, Albert and Western were the only north-south streets other than Wauwatosa Avenue to intersect with North Avenue. Intersecting apparently cost them their names. Wisconsin Street lost its name as Grand Avenue was renamed Wisconsin Avenue.

Some street names within our neighborhood remained unchanged despite duplication with Milwaukee. For example, both cities have Pleasant Streets. Both have Warren Avenues. Milwaukee, West Allis and Wauwatosa all have their own streets named Rogers. Milwaukee also has a Richmond Avenue while we have Richmond Court.

Based on back issues of the old Wauwatosa News, information from Larry Beauchamp of the city's engineering department, and from Carl Baehr’s 1994 book, "Milwaukee Streets: The Stories Behind Their Names," here's some of what's known about the streets of Damon Woods:

The name's origin is undetermined. It was created in 1926 with the Rogers Park subdivision. Earlier maps show Rogers Avenue extending westward from 81st Street through to 83rd Street. It's not clear if that map reflected a plan or reality at the time. Instead of the westward extension of Rogers, the Rogers Park Subdivision created Aberdeen and Richmond courts.

This was the first residential street platted in Wauwatosa. It was mapped in 1853 in what was then known as Hart’s Mills. The street was named for its chief landmark, the First Congregational Church that was established in Wauwatosa in 1842.

Portions of the street within our neighborhood were platted in 1884, 1888, 1893 and 1918. The last piece opened in December 1923.

In 1931, the postmaster proposed that Church be renamed N. 77th Street.

It originally was known as Albert Street. The namesake remains undetermined. One plat map identified it as "Alberta Street," but that apparently was a drafting error. The area was first platted in 1884. Other subdivisions followed in 1884, 1892, 1918 and 1926. It was renamed North 81st Street in 1932.

It originally was known as Western Avenue. The name's origin is uncertain, but it was the western boundary of Warren's Subdivision, platted in 1884. Other subdivisions followed in 1886, 1892 and 1926. It was changed to North 83rd Street in 1932.

The name's origin is uncertain, but the area was densely wooded. Subdivisions were first platted in 1892 and 1918. The street opened in January 1926. In 1931, the postmaster proposed that Forest be renamed North 79th Street.

HILLCREST DRIVE

What today is known as Wauwatosa’s Hillcrest Drive was platted in 1884, 1893, and 1918. It originally was named Center Street. After March 5, 1895, the prefix "West" was added to the street west of Wauwatosa Avenue. Old city directories suggest it extended westward from Wauwatosa Avenue all the way through to Ludington Avenue. East Center Street extended from today’s 68th Street (then named Eighth Avenue) to Wauwatosa Avenue. The name was changed to Hillcrest Drive on July 6, 1926, apparently as a westward extension of Hillcrest Drive in the Washington Highlands.

Then and now, the City of Milwaukee has a Hillcrest Avenue to counter our Hillcrest Drive. Hillcrest, on Milwaukee’s south side, had been named Highland. It took on its current name in 1926 to avoid confusion with Highland Boulevard. Why our Hillcrest originally was named Center Street is uncertain. Make no assumptions. After all, Milwaukee's Center Street was named for surveyor Alexander Center, according to author Baehr’s book.

Here’s a real mystery name. It’s nowhere near Milwaukee County’s Jackson Park, named for Andrew Jackson. Milwaukee also has a Jackson Park Drive and a Jackson Street.

Jackson Park Boulevard was platted in 1886, 1926, 1935 and 1937. Part of the street, from 354 feet east of Ludington Avenue to 312.84 feet east of N. 83rd Street, was opened by deed restriction between 1912 and 1920. Property on both sides of the street was deeded for 30 feet for street right-of-way. In October 1931, a Circuit Court jury decided to take an extra 20 feet of frontage on each side of the street. This was a total of 100 feet of right-of-way. At the time, 60 feet was the standard right-of-way for a residential neighborhood. Why the city wanted the extra 40 feet remains another mystery.

North Avenue, originally named in 1856 as the northern boundary of Milwaukee, was first platted in our neighborhood in 1886, 1897 and 1937.

This street was first platted in 1892 and 1918 and opened in January 1926. In 1931, the postmaster proposed that Pleasant Street be renamed N. 80th Street. Pleasant is a duplicate of a street on Milwaukee’s lower east side that dates to the 1840s. Hilly, forested land provided inspiration for the name of Milwaukee’s Pleasant Street, according to Baehr’s book. The same, no doubt, goes for our Pleasant Street.

The name’s origin remains undetermined. The street was created in 1926 with the Rogers Park Subdivision. Earlier maps show Rogers Avenue extending westward from 81st Street to 83rd Streets. It’s unclear whether that map reflected a plan or reality at the time. Instead of the westward extension of Rogers, the Rogers Park Subdivision created Richmond and Aberdeen courts.

This street probably was named for Alexander H. Rogers, who once owned the Lowell Damon House and whose descendants donated the house to the Milwaukee County Historical Society as a period home museum. Subdivisions along the street were platted in 1887, 1888, 1892 and 1897. In January 1932, the Common Council was petitioned to change the name to Underwood Avenue, Beauchamp said. But it already had been decided that what was then Wisconsin Street would be renamed Underwood Avenue. Meanwhile, the postmaster suggested the street be named West Lloyd Street, as a westward continuation of Milwaukee's Lloyd Street

This street takes the prize for most name changes of any in the neighborhood. It’s named for the Stickney family, which at one time grew cucumbers in the neighborhood and later ran the Stickney Realty Co. The president of the real estate company, Julia M. Stickney, was one of the people who on September 11, 1911, successfully petitioned the Common Council to change the name of the street to Stickney, Beauchamp said. Another signer of the name-change petition was Frederick Underwood, railroad baron and owner of the "Few Acres" estate on the property now occupied by the Memorial Civic Center.

A1922 issue of the old Wauwatosa News carried a club news item for the "Stickney Field Club." The club planned a Decoration Day celebration using its bowling green, ball diamond, volleyball "apparatus," tennis and music "furnished by our new Victrola." In 1926, the Stickney Field curling team was reported to have placed four teams in the annual Milwaukee County ice regatta.

In general, the Stickney fields and other land holdings were east of present-day 74th Street and north of Milwaukee Avenue, Beauchamp said. The land on the east and west side of present N. 73rd Street was subdivided in 1872 as J.S. Stickney & Stickney & Baumbach Subdivision. At the time, N. 73rd Street was known as Pickle Street because James and Charles Stickney operated a pickle factory at what today is known as Yale Place.

The oldest portion of Stickney Avenue was platted in 1886 and was first known as Grove Street, Beauchamp said. A section mapped in 1892 called it Hadley Street. It also was mapped as Hadley Avenue in 1897.

In 1908, three years before the street’s name was changed to Stickney, the Common Council was asked to rename it Damon Avenue in honor of Lowell Damon, the pioneer who at one time owned much of the land in our neighborhood. The Rev. Cyrus Wesley Damon, a son of Lowell Damon, petitioned the Common Council on April 20 to adopt that name for the street, from Wauwatosa Avenue to Ludington Avenue. Lowell Damon had improved and developed some of the original roadway at his own expense. Damon's petition was referred to the council’s streets committee, where it apparently died.

The 1911 switch to Stickney wasn’t the last word on the name of the street. In 1931, the postmaster suggested that Stickney be renamed Garfield Avenue as a westward extension of Milwaukee’s Garfield Avenue. Like many of the postmaster’s suggestions, that idea was ignored.

This street was first mapped in our neighborhood as Wisconsin Street. It was further platted in 1893 and 1918. The final opening of the street was by condemnation, June 1921. In 1931, the postmaster proposed renaming it 77th Street.

In one plat map, the street is identified as 68th Street. That probably was a draftsman’s error, Beauchamp said. At the time, 68th Street was the first street southwest of what today are known as 76th Street and Wisconsin Avenue. That street was renumbered as 77th Street in 1926.

Our Wisconsin Street was renamed January 1, 1932, after Milwaukee’s Grand Avenue was renamed Wisconsin Avenue.

Underwood Street was named for the Rev. Enoch D. Underwood, pioneer pastor for 38 years of the Baptist Church now named for him. He was an abolitionist leader who was active in the Underground Railroad. Another factor that may have played a part in the renaming of the street at that time, Beauchamp said, was that the Frederick Underwood estate was then at the southwest corner of Wauwatosa and North avenues. Maybe it was thought that the street someday might extend all the way north to the Underwood property, Beauchamp speculated.

The name Wauwatosa is a Potawatomi Indian word for "firefly." This street originally was the north-south centerline for the old Wauwatosa Township, which extended from what today is N. 27th Street to the Waukesha County line. Originally named Wauwatosa Road, it was designated an avenue some time before 1900. It was one of the original street names that were protected from the 1932 address changes. The northern extension of the street into Milwaukee is known at 76th Street. North of the Milwaukee-Ozaukee county line, the road is known at Wauwatosa Road. In both counties, the road also is designated State Highway 181.

The Damon House, built in 1844 at what today are Rogers and Wauwatosa avenues, is the city’s oldest house. It is one of several historic homes in the area and the street is designated a historic district.

Wauwatosa Avenue was first platted in our neighborhood in 1887, 1888, 1893 and 1918.

Once known as Floy Street, what today is Woodland Avenue was first platted in 1884, 1893 and 1918. Some time before the 1932 street name changes, Floy already had been changed to Woodland. The origin of the name Floy is undetermined. "Woodland" may have been picked for its apt description of the area.